Chelsea Market & Whitney Museum in NYC Before Long Island

 

I woke up in my room at the Hyatt Place Chelsea. It was my first full day in New York City, and I had a lot planned.

 

I began by finishing the massive chocolate cake from the previous night’s dinner at Hav & Mar. I then got dressed and ready to go to Chelsea Market.

 

When I first started planning my trip, Like A Local Tours* had approached me about taking one of their tours. The Chelsea one caught my eye and the idea of staying in this emerging neighborhood came about.

 

It was rainy so I didn’t want to ride my scooter down to the Chelsea Market. It was nice to be somewhere where there were accessible rides available. I took a Lyft and arrived before my cousin, Marissa.

 

The Like A Local Chelsea Market +Highlands + Yards Food & History Tour* had just started when I arrived. The group was in front of Fat Witch Bakery and the leader, Chris, got me one of the delicious brownies they were eating.

 

That was just the beginning. We continued with a selection of food throughout the Chelsea Market. Among them were unique flavors from Doughnutery, such as Chai Me To The Moon, Pumpkin Pie  Brulee and Paris Time (Lavender, Vanilla & Pistachio); Pasties de Nata (Pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon); Takumi Carnitas; and Zach & Zoey Honey (I took home some of the wildflower).

 

Tables and chairs were set up between shops and restaurants, encouraging people to gather with friends, even if they had decided to sample from various places. There were a few places I couldn’t get to because of stairs, but most of it was easy to ride my scooter through.

 

We continued sampling across the street at Market 57, after Chris filled us in on some of the history of the area. In this area of Hudson Yards, we had the James Beard Ultimate Experience and a look at Little Island through the large windows. It was still cloudy so the views of the Hudson River were not as scenic as they could be.

 

From there we headed through the Meat Packing District with more of a history lesson of the area as we passed landmarks, including Diane Von Fürstenberg’s apartment. We were also able to get a look at some of the Highlands. That was to be the next part of the tour, but we were running a bit late for our next stop, so we bid the group goodbye as they headed up there.

 

Marissa and I went to the Whitney Museum of  American Art. I had never been there before, and I was excited to go. The museum was very accessible, and I was able to wheel all over without any problems.

 

The art was all on the modern side of American art. I especially enjoyed the collections of New Yorker Edward Hopper, to which they had they largest selection in the world, and Georgia O’Keefe. The Whitney was getting ready for a collaboration they were doing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

 

Marissa went back with me to the hotel, where we said goodbye. We would meet up again in few days at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. In the meantime, I had arranged to take NYC Wheelchair Transportation to Long Island, where I had spent most of my life before moving to the Midwest.

 

I was spending a few days in Westbury at the Viana Hotel & Spa, visiting with friends and family. I had discovered the hotel online, while searching for something convenient. I had not previously heard of the property. It belongs to the Wyndham family.

 

I loved the property from the moment I walked in, with an open lobby, and my extremely large, accessible room. Then, I became even more impressed when I had dinner at the Marco Polo restaurant. The potstickers were great and presented beautifully. The Korean BBQ Pork Ribs, which were slow roasted in a Korean glaze, were fork tender and tasty.

 

It looked like I was really going to enjoy my stay at Viana Hotel.

 

*To receive a 10% off a Like A Local Tour, click here and enter FROST10 at checkout.

 

I was hosted on this trip by ILoveNY, but opinions are my own.

Arriving in New York for Fun, Family, Friends & Food

 

I am a New Yorker, who didn’t move to the Midwest until my late 40s. I have never regretted the decision. It’s much more affordable here and I prefer the lifestyle. After years of living near the ocean, I’m also more than happy to enjoy beautiful Great Lakes, with no hurricanes, sharks, jellyfish, or Nor’easters. 

What I do miss a lot about New York is family and friends. It’s also nice to check out what there is to offer in the big city and my former home of Long Island. I decided to arrange a trip that would encompass all of this: time with loved ones and discovering some of New York I didn’t know before. For the latter, I worked with the ILoveNY team to create an itinerary.

The trip did not start off well. American Airlines cancelled my flight from Champaign to Chicago. I didn’t want to delay the trip a day so I had someone take me to Chicago so I could still catch my flight to LaGuardia. Unfortunately, he was late picking me up and I missed my flight!

This was made worse by the fact that it was my very first trip alone in a wheelchair. I was unable to go anywhere without hoping someone would come by and hear me call. I managed to accomplish that for one trip to the nearby Starbucks for food, and another to the bathroom. After five hours sitting at the gate, I finally was able to get on the plane.

Things were hectic on the other end too. My scooter had been damaged on my previous trip by the airlines. It had not been fixed yet, so they were renting one for me.( My new power chair hadn’t come in yet.)

The scooter that they had waiting at LGA baggage claim was not what we discussed, and it wasn’t easy getting in my cousin Marissa’s van, but she was a trooper and managed to do it.

We were off to Manhattan, aka the most famous borough in New York City. I had decided to check out the Chelsea neighborhood on this trip. I had never been and had a few offers in the area that sounded perfect.

My home for the night was Hyatt Place Chelsea. Marissa dropped me off so she could run some family errands, and I could get some rest.

The Chelsea area is around the Hudson River and is known for its waterfront eateries and walkways, and the Chelsea Market (on my schedule for day two). The hotel was near where I wanted to be and had a spacious accessible room ready for me, with a view that included the Empire State Building.

Although the Hyatt Place Chelsea has a rooftop restaurant, I was invited to a special dinner. Marissa and I were going to Hav & Mar, a Marcus Samuelsson eatery with a James Beard nominated chef.

I soon found out that what the New York tourism group told me was true, there were plenty of options to get around the city in a wheelchair. I used my app for a Lyft and a van with a ramp was there within 10 minutes. The cost was comparable to any other car service ride, about $15.

From my description, you might think Hav & Mar was pretentious, but it definitely is not. It’s modern and friendly, with an open kitchen. Executive Chef Fariyal Abdullahi greeted me and made sure to note my seafood allergy and Marissa’s gluten intolerance.

 

It’s hard to define the food at Hav & Mar. The menu is predominantly seafood, and there are a lot of Mediterranean dishes, there are also hints of other cultures, such as an Indian curry, and a French crème brulee. The only thing in common was that they were all delicious!

 

We wanted to sample as much as possible and, since most items are small plates, it worked out well. I had the cornbread, sweet and savory, with tomato jam and humus , vegetable curry and rice, and a chocolate cake that was so large I had more than enough for breakfast the next day.

Marissa went all out with the fish theme, starting with a spinach salad and continuing with oysters, scallops, a whole grilled fish, and the crème brulee.

 

I can say this was one of the best restaurants I’ve been to, and I’ve certainly had my share around the world. I was disappointed Chef Abdullahi didn’t win the James Beard Award, but she did truly seem to appreciate the nomination.

We easily caught another accessible Lyft back to the Hyatt Place, where Marissa left me for the night. I had been up since four in the morning and was ready for some sleep. I quickly drifted off with the New York City Skyline in the background.

I was hosted on this trip by ILoveNY, but opinions are my own.