How was your weekend? I didn't start this site because I thought fleeing DC was a good idea on paper. I really do flee DC quite often. So I thought I'd chronical my adventures here and hopefully help you plan your escape. If you'd like to contribute a weekend story to any of the places we track on fleeDC, please drop us an email.

Mar 27, 2005
Author: BT

My wife and I planned this weekend trip to New York around a concert. One of our favorite bands, The Black Crowes, had just gotten back together and were playing at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

We arrived at Reagan National with about an hour to spare. Unfortunately, once we got up to the security gate, my wife realized she had forgotten her purse in the car (long term parking). Unfortunately, her picture ID was in her purse. In an effort to save time, I went through security with the bags, hoping my wife could ride back to long term parking, pick up her ID, ride back to the terminal, and make the flight.

A note regarding long term parking at DCA, leave plenty of time. P-l-e-n-t-y. We've stopped using long term all together and either take a taxi to/from the airport or use the money we saved on cheap airfare to pay for daily parking. Hey - no one said there wasn't a price associated with fleeing DC. Long term parking just takes up too much time when you're on a tight schedule.

So needless to say, my wife didn't make it back in time. To make matters worse, after I watched our flight pull away from the gate and head out to the runway, the PA system informed all travelers that a security breach had occurred and we'd all need to clear the concourse and be re-screened (see below picture of line to be re-screened). Luckily we met some nice people in line and talked while the line slowly moved and we eventually got back in the concourse and made the next flight.

Once in New York, we headed over to the hotel to check in. We decided to save money and not say in New York City. Instead we pricelined a hotel and received the Crowne Plaza at LaGuardia Airport. The Crowne Plaza is aging a bit, but all in all, we had no complaints. The priceline price was certainly nice and moderated any unrealistic expectation we might have had going in.

The hotel is near a subway stop so my wife and I decided to walk it to the stop and take the subway in... I wouldn't really suggest doing this. Some of the neighborhoods were - well - not so nice. On the way back to the hotel - we called ahead to the hotel and had a taxi meet us at the subway station. The fare was pretty cheap.

Saturday night was the concert at the Hammerstein. What a great small venue for a concert - we had a great time. As if New York City wasn't enough, it certainly made the trip that much better.

The rest of the weekend was spent exploring Central Park and nearby museums. We ate brunch at the Ben Ash Delicatessen (857 7th Ave). A bit pricey and the food was just okay. I think we would have been better served going to the nearby Carnegie Deli.

We arrived back in DC on Sunday night just in time to catch the next long term shuttle back to our car. Did I mention how we don't use long term parking anymore?

Hotel: Crowne Plaza at LaGuardia Airport
Airports: Reagan National (DCA), LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Food: Ben Ash Delicatessen (857 7th Ave)

Dec 14, 2003
Author: BT

There really is something about New York during Christmas. Sure it's cold (and some of you might even like the cold... I don't) - but the lights, the shopping, the people watching - it all makes New York City a great place to visit before the holidays.

However it wasn't just the holiday sites that brought us to NY this trip. It was sports. Madison Square Garden consistantly gets great sporting events (not to mention concerts). And the great thing about MSG, is that its big and consiquently tickets aren't that hard to get. Of course that statement is relative and varies wildly depending on the event. But in my experience, I've never had any trouble getting tickets either through Ticketmaster or E-Bay.

So we went to an afternoon game at MSG. The Dreyfus Classic which pitted top 25 ranked Duke and Texas. While the game should have been close - Duke ultimately walked away with a lop sided victory. Hey - it's a long flight from Texas - you can never margalize the effects of jet lag.

With the rest of the weekend we went out exploring parts of the city. We visitted Radio City Music hall. Their Christmas display was in full swing. We noticed some giant Christmas ball orniments next to Radio City and when we went for a closwer look, a friendly couple offered to take a picture of my wife and me. See - even New Yorkers are nicer during the holidays (...I know, I know, they probably weren't New Yorkers).

Next we headed over to Rockfellar Center. The big Christmas tree was up and drawing quite a crowd. We walked around, did some window shopping, and eventually stopped and watched the ice skaters. I use "ice skaters" loosely - it really should be "people wearing ice skates". In spite of that (or maybe because of that) they're always fun to watch.

After a great weekend away from DC, we checked out of our hotel, the Marriott East Side. I must say - I really enjoyed the Marriott. The building is very old - but the rooms have been remodelend serveral times for sure. The bed's are the newer Marriott beds and provide a restful sleep. The hotel is very convenient for site seeing and hopping the subway to your next destination. The hotel is pricey though (as are most hotels in NYC) but we had a Marriott coupon that made the stay very reasonable.

Hotel: Marriott East Side
Airports: Reagan National (DCA), LaGuardia Airport (LGA)