New York City
Well, I survived my six days in a row to New York City!
All went relatively smoothly, considering the very
heavy traffic, and pedestrians packing the sidewalks
and crosswalks. I partially lost my right mirrors on
one trip through the Lincoln Tunnel when a truck in the
lane to my right failed to negotiate a turn to the
right and drove right into my mirrors, but fortunately
the damage wasn't severe and I was able to repair the
mirrors enough to keep driving safely.
For my Radio City trips, I followed their published guidelines for the most part, dropping off on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, and picking up on 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. There are supposed to be greeters meeting coaches on 50th Street when you drop off, but in seven drops there so far this season, I have yet to see a greeter. I have three more drops there this week.
Most turns off 5th and 6th Avenues (5th especially) are now prohibited in the Rockefeller Center area -- new signs were posted 12/1/06. Most of the time I've been parking on 36th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue, then going up 1st Avenue and turning left on 51st when it's time to pick up. That's worked quite well -- IF you're lucky enough to get a parking spot on 36th, that is. Coming from the other side of the city is much more problematic; initially I went across 57th to 5th and down to 51st, but now the right turn onto 51st from 5th Avenue is prohibited. So at the moment I don't have a recommendation coming from the west side. There have already been reports of coaches returning north on 6th Avenue and not being allowed to turn on either 50th or 51st Streets, depending on the mood of the police officers there. So going that way is a crap-shoot. Good luck!
On Sunday the traffic police were also getting more aggressive at ticketing illegally parked coaches. I know of several that were ticketed in the cut-outs along 12th Avenue that are usually ignored by the police. Drivers were even sitting in the coaches, but NYC police do not have the common courtesy (okay, that's an oxymoron in NYC!) to ask you to move -- they approach you from behind, and by the time you see them, the ticket is already written. So be careful.
On another note, the Intrepid aircraft carrier was finally yanked from the mud today and towed five miles down the Hudson to Bayonne, NJ, for its $60 million overhaul. It is supposed to be back in two years -- November 2008.
For my Radio City trips, I followed their published guidelines for the most part, dropping off on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, and picking up on 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. There are supposed to be greeters meeting coaches on 50th Street when you drop off, but in seven drops there so far this season, I have yet to see a greeter. I have three more drops there this week.
Most turns off 5th and 6th Avenues (5th especially) are now prohibited in the Rockefeller Center area -- new signs were posted 12/1/06. Most of the time I've been parking on 36th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue, then going up 1st Avenue and turning left on 51st when it's time to pick up. That's worked quite well -- IF you're lucky enough to get a parking spot on 36th, that is. Coming from the other side of the city is much more problematic; initially I went across 57th to 5th and down to 51st, but now the right turn onto 51st from 5th Avenue is prohibited. So at the moment I don't have a recommendation coming from the west side. There have already been reports of coaches returning north on 6th Avenue and not being allowed to turn on either 50th or 51st Streets, depending on the mood of the police officers there. So going that way is a crap-shoot. Good luck!
On Sunday the traffic police were also getting more aggressive at ticketing illegally parked coaches. I know of several that were ticketed in the cut-outs along 12th Avenue that are usually ignored by the police. Drivers were even sitting in the coaches, but NYC police do not have the common courtesy (okay, that's an oxymoron in NYC!) to ask you to move -- they approach you from behind, and by the time you see them, the ticket is already written. So be careful.
On another note, the Intrepid aircraft carrier was finally yanked from the mud today and towed five miles down the Hudson to Bayonne, NJ, for its $60 million overhaul. It is supposed to be back in two years -- November 2008.