Bite of the Apple | Radio City Stage Door Tour

Welcome to the first edition of Bite of the Apple, a new series where I'll feature some of the tourist attractions that I visit around the city. NYC locals often stay away from tourist traps, but as a New England native, I love visiting the unique places that New York has to offer whenever I can. Back in March of 2011, I learned that it is okay to be a tourist sometimes, and I definitely still believe that today. Whether you're visiting the city, or simply looking for something fun to do, I hope you'll enjoy my Bite of the Apple posts!

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What: Radio City Stage Door Tour

Where: Radio City Music Hall

             1260 Avenue of the Americas

Price: $19.95 ($15 with your student ID!) 

            20% off coupon HERE

About: Learn all about Radio City Music Hall's history, as well as the theatre's unique features on this hour-long tour. You'll be taken all throughout the building, including areas such as the Rockette practice rooms, that are not typically open to the public. You'll also get to meet a Rockette as a part of the experience! 

Sweet or Sour: Sweet! I really enjoyed this tour! If you love the Rockettes as much as I do, this is definitely for you. I learned a lot on this tour, and really enjoyed it. Plus, my tour guide was very nice, and answered any questions we had honestly and to the best of her ability. The one sour point of the tour was not being able to take our own photo with the Rockette we met. Radio City, of course, wants you to purchase a print for $30 (twice what I paid for the tour itself). 

Seeds: This tour includes a lot of stairs. While our tour guide informed us that anyone who couldn't climb the stairs could take an elevator, you might end up missing out on some of the fun. Plus, the staircases are lined with great photographs, and even some Rockette costumes. Just something to keep in mind. 

Core: The Radio City Stage Door Tour is money well spent, and a great way to escape the elements for a while if NYC weather's got you down. 

Official Website: http://www.radiocity.com/tours/stage-door-tour.html 

Getting Around in New York City

After living in New York City for four months as a student intern, I learned a lot about how to navigate through the city streets using public transportation and, when necessary, taxis. It isn't always easy, but with a few helpful tools anyone can get where they want to go even if they've never been to NYC before. Whether you're visiting the city for a short time, or moving there to stay, below are some tips to getting around in NYC that I picked up along the way. 

Tips on Traveling in NYC:

• Always know where you are going ahead of time if you can! I liked to get detailed directions to every location so that I would not stick out as a "tourist" on the subway. Here are two very helpful websites that will explain step-by-step how to use public transportation--

1. HopStop.com is the first place to turn to. It will give you detailed directions on where to pick up the subway, which lines toget on, and how many stops there are before you get off. Additionally, it allows you to customize your trip with a number of different options. For example, if you would prefer to only take the bus and not the subway, you can change your preferences.  HopStop will also give you the estimated taxi cost of your trip as well, if you decide you would rather take a cab.

2. If you are more of a visual person, Google Maps will show you the exact route you will be taking. Using its satellite imagery, you can virtually make the trip. Sometimes I liked to see how far away the subway station was from where I was going. This is especially helpful if you are going to an area that doesn't follow the "grid" of NYC.

• When traveling, do not bring a map with you! Try to memorize the directions, or write them in your phone as a note. That way you will blend in with the crowd and no one will notice that you're unsure of where you're going. Of course, if you have a smart phone, you can be looking at HopStop as much as you want! 
• If you get lost and need to ask someone for help, try to ask an MTA employee, or someone working in a store. They are more familiar with the surrounding area, and more likely to give you the correct answer.
• Another helpful website is MTA.info, which will tell you if any of the busses or subway lines are currently experiencing delays or undergoing construction. 
• When in Times Square or another tourist hotspot, do not stop in the middle of the road or sidewalk! It is annoying to everyone around you. If you want to take a picture, or you just want to stop to look around, move over to the side to allow others to keep walking. 
• Taxis can be very expensive (my trip from the city to the Bronx was literally ten times more expensive than public transportation). However, they can be very useful if you are traveling at night, or if you made last minute plans and you don't know where you're going. The yellow cabs you see mainly in Manhattan accept both cash and credit cards, but I recommend having around forty to fifty dollars in cash with you, as some cabs won't take plastic. 
• Overall, when you are in NYC, be safe and have fun! Enjoy being in the greatest city in the world!

Lesson 4: It's Okay to be a Tourist Sometimes

Yesterday was a great day here in New York City. The weather was bright and sunny, and a warm 70 degrees. My boss gave me the day off to enjoy the day and explore the city, and that's exactly what I did! I usually don't like to make myself stand out as a tourist, mainly for safety reasons, but sometimes it's great to experience the city as one. My housemate Jason and I started off the day at the Empire State Building Observatory. For $21 you can go up the 86th floor, which has an outside observation deck, unlike the 102nd floor that costs $15 more. Besides being a bit cold and really windy, it was great! Jason even paid for the audio tour, so he was able to point out some cool landmarks for us to look at. Here are some of the many pictures I took. The city looked amazing!

That brown building is where I work! 

If you look closely you can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance! 

 

After the Empire State Building, we shopped a little in the Macy's at Herald Square. I've been here a number of times since it's just a few blocks from where I work, but this was an exciting visit because we saw Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear! He was busy filming, so we weren't able to meet him, but I snapped a couple pictures of the back of his head. 

Next we headed off to some of the fancy shops on Fifth Avenue. The only thing I purchased was a shirt at Armani Exchange (for only $13.88 might I add), but I enjoyed the area. We saw some landmarks along the way as well. Here are pictures of the Trump Tower and the hotel from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (one of my favorite movies!). 

The last big adventure of the day was a trip to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Jason and I met up with my friend Bri from school, who happened to be in the city for a week-long externship. I had been to this museum before during a visit with my dance class back in high school, but it's always something to check out. It is a little pricey (I paid $35 with a student discount of $3), but it includes a cool showing of The Wizard of Oz in 4D, complete with smell-o-vision and bubbles. Plus, there have been many additions to the museum since I've been last. The figures are also rotated every 2-3 months, so you have the chance to see different ones every time you go. I was just happy to see that *NSYNC was still there! Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Kim Kardashian

Bri and I with the Spice Girls

My favorite boys, *NSYNC

Lady Gaga

Lesson 4: While it's usually good to blend into the crowd while New York City, going to tourist destinations and whipping our your camera can be a lot of fun. Just remember to stay safe and be aware of your surroundings.