Being what one would describe as a 'typical West Coaster' and liking my out-of-doors, fresh air and few crowds, the thought of going to New York as suggested by my wife, was kind of "Do we have to?"

Well, as is also typical, my wife got her own way and persuaded me that I really would like it. She not only organized a wonderful week in New York at The Manhattan Club via RCI but planned an equally wonderful cruise departing from New York Harbour (an experience not to be missed) and heading south to warmer climes...

We figured if one has to stay in New York, then one has to stay right in the heart of the action. This describes the location of The Manhattan Club.

Carnegie Hall's side entrance is opposite The Manhattan Club's front entrance. One block from 5th Avenue (rather dangerous if your wife likes to shop!) and a few blocks from the heart of the theatre district just couldn't be more convenient.

Most of our preconceived ideas of New York were proved to be unfounded, such as New York is dangerous (at no time did we feel threatened and the police presence was reassuring rather than scary), that New Yorkers were unfriendly (they were so pleased to tell us about their wonderful city).

They were equally as delighted to give us directions when we were pouring over our maps or when we looked lost whilst navigating the subway system and figuring out "Up Town" and "Down Town".

View of the New York skyline

There's so much to see 24/7. There are 'freebies' as well as the more costly touristy sights. The Staten Island ferry is free, there are many, many lovely parks and gardens, and one can wander through Trump Towers and feel rich even if one isn't. There are of course many famous museums and galleries - what we thought was innovative - an entrance fee posted as well as a note saying that one could give what one could afford, thereby not excluding those less fortunate.

Their transportation system excels: there are more yellow cabs than private cars - not surprising because parking in New York is exorbitant even if it IS available. One can purchase unlimited day or week bus passes and subway passes and there is also a variety of transportation and tourist packages via Gray Line.

If I could describe a perhaps typical New York street it goes: shop-restaurant-restaurant-shop-shop-restaurant and obviously we concluded that the 18 million New Yorkers like to eat.

Lyle's theatre experience

We enjoyed the different areas of the city such as Chinatown and Little Italy. We also discovered that not everything in New York is expensive, and in fact we found there was something for everyone's budget.

One has to 'do' Broadway as my wife would say. Less expensive last-minute, book-on-line tickets were freely available and the concierge at The Manhattan Club was always there to assist when needed.

We liked the opulence of the Manhattan Club and were impressed with the beautiful suite that we were assigned via our RCI points. It is described as being in the 'golden triangle' in terms of location and that indeed was true. For more details check out The Manhattan Club #4064 in your RCI Resorts Book.

The Resort

The Manhattan Club (#4064)
200 W. 56th Street
New York, NY, 10019, USA
Phone: 888.692.2121
www.manhattanclub.com

So the persuasion was worth it. I am now a staunch advocate of recommending this vibrant and interesting city as well as highly recommending The Manhattan Club. A word of warning though, as it is one of the most popular places to go, one must book early.

Lyle Chiasson