Lockhart Ladies' Holiday Trip to the Big Apple UPDATED

It’s possible to write a blog posting about the Christmas shopping joys of Chicago, Philadelphia, D.C., and even San Francisco – all places I love at Christmastime.  

But one blog to describe the high revels that’s Christmas shopping in NYC?  
No way!  
Can’t be done.  
Too many places, too little time.  
Today, my NYC meanders are dedicated to an area of interest - a certain item, a certain location, even a certain food.  

Not so back when the Lockhart Ladies hit Manhattan.  We did our best to do it all.  The classic holiday jaunt (often with Margaret York, now Gladish) started with parking across from the Algonquin, reviving with a cuppa in that hallowed hostelry, then off on a glorious hike up 5^th Avenue!  First Scribner, then Rockefeller Center, nip across to Saks, then onto Fortunoff, Asprey’s (in Trump Tower), Tiffany, and FAO Schwartz.  We'd top off our 5^th Ave jaunt by cutting through The Plaza, turning left on Central Park South to our beloved Rumpelmeyer's Ice Cream for a bit of decadence.  Refueled, we'd taxi back to the car and nip over to Kitchen Arts & Letters and (if we had the time), Bloomingdale’s – especially if Margaret was with us.  Our last shop stop was Zabar’s, then it was back in car & head down to dinner at Panchito’s.  Alas, some of our best beloveds are either long gone or transformed out of anything we would have recognized.  But I digress!  Will write up memories of times past under Sneezing Chickens - - this blog is about things to do NOW!

A  Holiday Trip to the Big Apple is still a great destination.  So, strap on some walking shoes & let’s get hiking!

The Algonquin ~ ~ My preferred parking garage is across the street from the legendary Algonquin.  Be sure to continue the tradition with a quick nip in to give holiday greetings to Matilda, the famous Algonquin Cat.  Too much to do to stop for a cuppa!  

NYYC ~ ~ Cross over 44th St, turning ever-so-briefly left toward 5^th Avenue.  Stop!  Look back across the street, at 37 West 44^th Street.  The architectural embellishments of the NewYork Yacht Club are so sublime, perfect for the club it houses.  Soak it in – NYC at its best!

NBA Store ~ ~ The next stop is heaven for basketball lovers - the NBA Store, between 47^th & 48^th Streets.  (lots of WNBA goodies, too)  Think FAO Schwartz or World of Disney, only for basketball fans.  How to entice them away from a sales staff steeped in basketball stats?  

Scribner Building ~ ~ The next stop is actually a long look.  From the west side of 5th Avenue, look across to the Scribner Building, one of my favorite bits of NYC architecture.  Scribner Books relocated years ago, but take a few moments to contemplate & appreciate the beautiful Beaux Arts architecture of the building still proudly emblazoned “Charles Scribner & Sons.” 

American Girl Place ~ ~ Continuing up the avenue, you come to American Girl Place!  Barbie marketing is piddly compared to American Girl.  Mattel never built a palatial emporium dedicated to a doll – okay, a hug of dolls, each set in a particular period of American history, complete with stories, books & an ever-expanding wardrobe.  You’ll find versions of the store coast to coast, from the Big Apple to the Big D, Atlanta to Chicago, D.C. to K.C., in the Colorado mountains to Minnesota’s prairies – even Boston Brahmins aren’t immune to the charms of these lasses.  But the 5^th Avenue store is the ultimate American Girl paradise!   Shopping is just the beginning - so many other things enchant girls of all ages – dining (brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner), a photo studio (have your real life American girl’s photo on a mock cover of  - of course, American Girl magazine), even a doll hair salon!  Sounds outrageous, but every moment in this temple to merchandising is unforgettable fun for girls from toddler to ancient!  (Dads & uncles & even big brothers have been known to be swept into the charm, too!)

  

Saks ~ ~ A hop, skip & jump from American Girl Place gets you to another holiday shopping mecca – Saks 5th Ave.  Yes, there are Saks locations all over the world, but the 5^th Ave location is the utter real deal.  I love to go there to be reminded of what shopping was like 30, 40 years ago, when stores knew it mattered that they maintain a high level of service.  It speaks volumes that Saks was honored this year by J.D. Powers with a Customer Service Champion - one of only 50 U.S. companies to be so honored.  

THE Tree ~ ~ By now, you need a breather.  Head across the street to Rockefeller Center to ooo & ahhhh over the epic Christmas tree, presiding over an iconic setting, skaters doing their thing on the rink below.  A must-see NYC sight! 

Be strong & press pass all the stores beckoning you – Cartier,  Fortunoff,  Takashimaya,  Lindt (be strong!),  even World of Disney (gasp!), the Apple Store &  Trump Tower.  You’re heading to the most iconic of all NYC jewelry stores – Tiffany. 

Tiffany ~ ~ ~ There is something special about getting a gift wrapped in that iconic (there’s that word again!) blue with white satin ribbon.  Tiffany & Co. has been part of the Lockhart Ladies holiday shop since Mim first introduced us to the elegantly cavernous sale floors eons ago.  My sister could find shockingly affordable gifts, from ornaments to beautiful wine glasses to whimsical Santa mugs – she was a wonder!  Even if you don’t go in – and I heartily suggest you do – do not miss their always exquisite windows.

Which says “Manhattan” more – Tiffany or FAO Schwartz??  Gotta go with the latter.  

FAO Schwartz ~ ~ The Toys R Us store in Times Square gives it a run for its money, but to me FAO Schwartz is the ultimate U.S. toy store (for me, THE ultimate will always be Hamley’s, although I might have to start saying “Je l’adore”).  Neither store really cares, since they’re both owned by the same company!!  Wander the halls, enjoy being a kid again.  Glory in the tradition & joy that is FAO Schwartz.   Interesting tidbit:  despite what we all saw in Big, FAO Schwartz had NO oversized keyboard – it was designed for the movie;  demand to see it became so great, the store had to get one made!! 

Time Warner Center ~ ~ Tired?  Good.  One last trek before getting something substantial to eat.  Across Central Park South to the Time Warner Center.  There are two reasons for heading to this tres elite urban mall – bathrooms & Bouchon Bakery/Café (at last - food!).  (Learned at an early age to never ever use public restrooms, not when grand hotels & fabulous shops have way better facilities.)  TWC offers surprisingly little in the way of food choices that are delectable & affordable.  Bouchon Bakery/Café is one of the few (maybe the only) place that fits the bill.  I confess to being addicted to their quiche, although tempted by their yummy looking salads & sandwiches.  Not cheap, but excellent value for the money. 

Mandarin Oriental ~ ~ Little would you guess in the hubbub of the stores that TWC hosts is one of the best of all Manhattan hotels – the AAA 5-star Mandarin Oriental, 202 guestrooms & 46 suites occupying floors 35 to 54, with knock-out views of Central Park and the Hudson River.  My “first” Mandarin Oriental was in San Francison – love at first sight!  Being way beyond my price bracket has never meant being outside my experience, since I can at least take a ramble through even the grandest hotel lobbies.  But my first Mandarin Oriental NYC experience went waaaay beyond a simple ramble. 

Have enjoyed a special relationship with several of our local elementary school classes – gave each member the same 8^th grade graduation present:  a trip to NYC, chauffeured  & chaperoned (until they turn 18 & are out of high school) by yours truly, good to the end of time. They get to set the theme, I research & serve as guide.  Two young lasses who took me up on the offer asked for a “Bling Tour” of Manhattan.  We hit Fortunoff, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany, then headed over to TWC    I kept mum about the actual reason for our foray across Central Park South.  Once there, headed straight up to the Mandarin Oriental.  The girls couldn’t figure out what was happening, as I headed straight for the Concierge.  “Hello,” I greeted the young woman.  “I am Deev Murphy.”

The woman broke out into a huge smile – “Ms. Murphy!  We’re so glad to meet you.  We received your e-mail.  Are these the young ladies?”  She looked at the two girls, then turned back to me – “Did they bring bathing suits?”  

I’d contacted the hotel ahead of time, letting them know about the girls’ request for the Bling Tour & that the Mandarin Oriental would be the one hotel spotlighted on our excursion.  No idea if they'd even gotten the e-mail, let alone if they'd care.  They certainly had & did!  From the concierge to staff throughout the hotel, they practically went through barrel loops for us.  Their brochure says, “We always love to welcome our Younger Fans.  Let us know if you have any special needs or requirements and we’ll endeavour to help.”  Yes -  if the girls had brought bathing suits, they could have enjoyed a swim in a swimming pool with a wow view of the West Side, the Hudson & the New Jersey Palisades!!  I can say, from experience, they live by the marketing adage to under-promise & over-deliver.  The girls & I had the run of the hotel, from inspecting a guest room to checking out the afore-mentioned spa swimming pool to peeking into the hotel's restaurants & soaking in the epic view of Columbus Circle/Central Park/NYC skyline from the lobby lounge.  Will always think of  Jazz & Aven whenever I’m at TWC and the INCREDIBLE  memory the staff of the Mandarin Oriental gave three non-paying voyeurs. 

Rambling Back Roads (not for the faint of heart) ~ ~ After getting refreshed & revived at the Time Warner Center, grab a cab back to the Algonquin & pick up the car.  This is my favorite part of the drive in Manhattan – driving over toward Madison, heading east to the funky roads around Grand Central Station, nipping up Park Avenue past the Waldorf Astoria, bopping over to then up up up Madison, heading west on 79^th, across Central Park,  across Central Park W, to Broadway.  Start looking for on-street parking (used to be easy; not now, with a mega Barnes & Noble at 82^nd St), but settle – if we must – for a parking garage.  And off we head to that fabled shrine to kitchenware & incredible eats – ZABAR’S.  

Zabar's ~ ~ Immortalized in You’ve Got Mail, Zabar's is the place where Meg Ryan’s character didn’t realize she was in a cash only lane & her arch nemesis (or so she thought) Tom Hanks ended up saving her bacon when she only had a credit card.  Yes – do not make the same mistake!!  Neither the staff nor the loyal clientele suffer fools gladly.  

Forever thanks to Margaret for introducing us to foodie heaven!!  Whoever described Zabar’s as “Old School soul food” almost got it right – I would have said “Old World.”   It’s like you stepped back in time & across at least one ocean.  My favorite sections are cheese & fish, although the whole place is awesome.   Check upstairs for terrific kitchenware.

Cafe Eighty Two ~ ~ Unlike my sister, I can resist the lure of driving down to the Village & Panchitos (now that I think about it, she never did the driving).  These days, if we have dinner in the city after Zabar's and before heading home, it's at Cafe Eighty Two, just a block or so up Broadway.  Great food, friendly service, reasonable prices AND gluten-free options!  

If we want to head back to hearth & home, we stock up on goodies for the road from Zabar's next-door bakery/coffee shop ~ ~ an assortment of their totally toothsome pastries, a bagel “with smear” for each of us, and a cup of coffee (be sure to order “black” as some New Yorkers think “with cream” when they hear just “regular”).  Then, it’s back to the car, a short nip up the Henry Hudson Parkway to the George Washington Bridge (taking care to be on the top level, not the closed-in bottom), over to NJ, then southward. 

I rarely take the NJ Turnpike to Manhattan (am a back roads gal), but it’s great to take home, especially at night.  Love the area around Newark Airport – lots going on.  If you do get off at the I-78 exit (an option, if you’re interested), chances are a passenger jet will roar over your car as you pay the toll!

You’re going to want or need to stop along the way –  there are some nice rest stops along the turnpike.  I’d LOVE to find a dandy diner off one of the exits – any suggestions greatly appreciated.