24 Hours in New York

One of the great things about living in Baltimore and within the I-95 Megalopolis is the ability to take quick day or overnight trips to Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Getting away for a quick, 24-hour slice of the Big Apple is one of my favorite escapes. There is a never-ending list of things to do, restaurants to try and neighborhoods to explore. Plus, 24 hours generally means you can get back home without having spent a month's salary, which is easy to do in New York, given the fact that money seems to evaporate from your pockets while on the island of Manhattan. There are a million ways to spend 24 hours in New York and here are just a few.

GETTING THERE

Driving is an obvious option for me, but there is the matter of that small but always annoying stretch of the Delaware Turnpike (don't get me started). Amtrak trains run regularly and deliver you right in the middle of Manhattan, but the prices have gotten really high and can run more than a plane ticket. Flying really defeats the point of a close getaway when you factor in the time needed for security, the inevitable delays and the fact that you still have a fairly pricey cab ride from either of LaGuardia, JFK or Newark airports (you can catch a train into town from Newark Airport but it's still a schlep). Enter a great new option: several new non-stop bus service companies that make frequent daily runs between Washington or Baltimore at one end and New York at the other end. There are several bus companies offering the service, but we recently had a good experience with the Bolt Bus when we took our son to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Note to self: bring headphones along next time to drown out the annoying and non-stop chatter of fellow passengers. The Bolt Bus has comfortable seats with enough leg room for someone who's 6 feet or taller (like me) and free WiFi. They also offer movies on some runs, if the passengers are in agreement.

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS

If you're going to have just 24 hours, the first order of business is deciding whether you want to try and catch a Broadway show. Particularly in a tough economy, New York theater tickets are expensive. One good, price-busting option is the newly remodeled TKTS discount ticket window in Times Square, which sells tickets to whatever is playing for as much as 50% off. If you do want to try to see Hugh Jackman or the latest production of a Neil Simon play for less, you need to expect to spend at least an hour in the queue for tickets and be prepared to adjust your choices as different shows sell out while you wait your turn.

WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO, GETTING AROUND

The theater call made, what to do next? Museums? Shopping? Eating? Yes, to all, of course. I like to focus on a different neighborhood each time I visit New York. SoHo, Tribeca, Upper West Side, Meatpacking District, Harlem, Midtown, Chelsea. Each offers great attractions and you can spend a lot or less no matter where you are. If you're from a public transportation-phobic place, you just have to get over that. The New York subway is the easiest way to get around at a reasonable cost. There are daily fare cards that are a good deal. Having said that, cabs are plentiful in Manhattan and I love the fact that you now can swipe your debit card for the fare and include a tip, eliminating the stress of having to worry if you will have enough cash when you get where you're going (back to that money evaporating thing).

PICK ONE OR TWO

In no particular order, here are a few options to consider if you're in New York for a quick visit. It's not possible to do everything on the list in one trip; it's just some of this writer's current personal favorites.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge: Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is one of my all-time favorite New York experiences. This iconic symbol of the city and America, completed in 1883, is a spectacular engineering achievement, the beauty of which you cannot fully appreciate unless you are standing on it and make the trek across. It's a pretty good hike from the Manhattan approach near South Street Seaport to the Brooklyn shore, so be rested up and make any needed pit stops before you begin. Take your time walking across to appreciate the bridge itself and the views at each point. If you're a fan, you can visualize the scene in the movie, Sex and the City, when Miranda surveys the crowd on the bridge to see if Steve will meet her at the appointed time, confirming they both want to stay together.

When you get to the Brooklyn side, make your way to the adjacent neighborhood of DUMBO, which stands for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass, the next bridge across the East River to the north. Here, you will find some funky stores and a few casual dining options. Make your way to the waterfront in DUMBO and enjoy the awesome views of the Manhattan skyline. If you're worn out from the hike, you can catch a ferry back to South Street Seaport in Manhattan.

Check out Brooklyn: Brooklyn is a fascinating destination in its own right. At the turn of the last century, a huge percentage of American manufacturing production occurred along its teeming waterfront, several former buildings of which now offer condo owners amazing views of Manhattan. There are other great neighborhoods like Park Slope, which has thousands of beautifully maintained brownstones that make me want to become a New Yorker. Manhattan, of course, is stuffed with some of the world's greatest museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum. Yet, Brooklyn has its own cultural jewel, the Brooklyn Museum. In any other city without such an embarrassment of riches, this would be a must-see visitor sight. If you do venture off the beaten path to the Brooklyn Museum, you will find an impressive permanent collection of art spanning the centuries. There also are frequent, top-notch exhibitions and the building itself is beautiful. The museum sits off Grand Army Plaza and near the entrance to Prospect Park, Brooklyn's impressive answer to Central Park and definitely worth exploring. Being smart about security in any big city is important, so I should note that, if staying in Manhattan, it's best to make your Brooklyn excursion a daytime one to avoid traveling back late at night on the subway when the ridership inevitably gets more interesting.

Drinks with a view: Manhattan has some of the most expensive and amazing hotels in the world. If you're unwilling or unable to pony up $500 or more a night for your temporary crib, you can still soak in the atmosphere of these luxury lodgings by having a drink or a meal, and all the better if there's a great city view. One good choice is the Ritz Carlton, New York Battery Park, which features spectacular views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. In Midtown, occupying the 35th floor of the Time Warner Center, the lobby lounge of the Mandarin Oriental has amazing views of Central Park from its vantage point on Columbus Circle. These lounges are very popular and sometimes are restricted to hotel guests who are paying the big bucks, so it's best to check ahead about reservations or restrictions before just showing up.

Checking out the sales: It's no surprise to anyone that you can drop serious cash on retail therapy in New York. If you can't find it in Manhattan, you probably should re-think whether you really need it. But, great deals also can be found if you know where to look. One regular stop on my trips to town is the flagship location of Barney's New York at 61st and Madison. What's on sale at this high-end temple of fashion is generally great stuff (e.g., Prada, Zegna) and the sale prices may lead you to convince yourself you were meant to own it. For a more athletic adventure, go early to Century 21, a discount retailer across from Ground Zero with the marketing tag, "Fashion worth fighting for." You definitely can find deals like Armani suits for $500, but the crowds are aggressive so be well-caffeinated and watch your limbs.

Eating and sleeping: There are literally thousands of outstanding restaurants in every corner of New York, so I won't include any extensive list, except to note one reliable place for dim sum and sushi right off the chaos of Times Square. Ruby Foo's offers a diverse and tasty menu, is kid-friendly and has really interesting cocktails. As for lodging, again, the choices are many. A recent discovery for us was the Hotel Roger Williams, a well-located property at 31st and Madison that was convenient to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. It features small but stylish and well-appointed rooms at rates that are quite reasonable by New York standards (we paid $200, which was a real deal for what we got).

MY RULES

Because this was not an air escape destination, my Southwest Airlines rule did not apply, though I note Southwest does now fly to LaGuardia Airport. As far as rule number two, it would be hard to find a more open and gay friendly destination than New York. Take note, though, that incidents of homophobic attacks are not unheard of, perhaps because of such visibility.

Jacksonville: A decade after leaving home

ALL GROWN UP: I have to confess that, growing up, I had a chip on my shoulder about my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. We had moved here when I was in middle school from South Florida and Orlando, two more obvious visitor destinations in the Sunshine State. In my mind back then, Jacksonville was backward and, well, redneck, lacking the sophistication of more tourist-oriented parts of Florida or other larger cities in the South like Atlanta or Nashville. Jacksonville also was way too conservative for my tastes (and probably still is from a taking up residence standpoint), so I was always looking at other cities as more attractive options, and was anxious to leave for the right opportunity.

I have lived in the Washington-Baltimore area since 2000 and am quite spoiled by the wealth of professional opportunities, things to do and see, and places to dine and have fun in and around the nation's capital. But, I have been returning frequently to Jacksonville in the decade since I left town, particularly as my parents' health declined before their deaths in 2005 and 2010. And, I have watched with a certain parental pride as Jacksonville has grown and added new attractions and taken on a more sophisticated feel. Having also traveled to 49 of the 50 states, I can now appreciate the fact that Jacksonville holds its own with many so-called, second tier cities in offering diversions and attractions worth the effort to explore for a weekend. This city with a metro population of about 1.2 million does not wow visitors with blockbuster attractions like Orlando, and it does not offer the gustatory and retail therapy abundance of Miami. Jacksonville's charms are more low-key and small-scale. Taken together, however, they can make for a very pleasant getaway.

WATER EVERYWHERE: Jacksonville is defined by water. Named for President Andrew Jackson who also served a gig as military governor of Florida before statehood, the city sits at the northeast corner of the state and straddles the wide St. Johns River as it flows north and into the Atlantic Ocean. This is the largest city in Florida in both land and population, thanks to a 1968 merger of the city with Duval County. As a result, Jacksonville's city population of more than 800,000 dwarfs that of Miami, Tampa and Orlando, though each obviously is much larger on an MSA basis. A busy working port and key Navy base of operations, Jacksonville is first and foremost a working town, not a tourist town. It's also a regional operations center for several financial service companies, including Bank of America. Still, this is Florida and fun can be had. The adjacent beach towns of Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach offer miles of opportunity to swim, surf and sunbathe. Unlike the high-density beach towns further south along the coast, Jacksonville's beach towns have a more residential feel and feature smaller-scale resorts. There are a few upscale beach resort options, including the old school but still beautiful Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. One reliably good dining choice in Atlantic Beach is the Ragtime Tavern, a New Orleans-themed, casual dining spot located almost exactly where Atlantic Boulevard, a major east-west artery, dead-ends at the Atlantic.

Back in town, some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Florida line both banks of the St. Johns River. This is North Florida and, while there are palm trees for sure, the plant life is more like Savannah or Charleston with giant oak and magnolia trees draped in Spanish moss lining the streets. San Marco, on the south bank, has beautiful old homes of varying architectural styles from the early decades of the 20th Century. San Marco has its own fun shopping and dining district, two signature features of which are a statute of three lions in the center of the square and the historic San Marco Theater, which shows first run films a few weeks behind but in a setting where you can order food and drinks. There are several good dining options in the area. The original branch of the local chain, Loop Pizza Grill, serves Chicago style pizza and burgers that are reliably good. For more upscale fare, two of my favorites are bb's bistro, which offers great daily specials and fabulous desserts, and Bistro Aix, a sophisticated space with - what else - a French-inspired menu.

Jumping across the St. Johns, you will be in downtown, which is less moribund than when I lived here, but is still a work in progress in terms of visitor appeal. One attraction worth checking out is the new main branch of the Jacksonville Public Library, which opened in 2005 and is an excellent example of giving an old building new life with beautiful space. A less successful, mid-1990s project, the Jacksonville Landing is really nothing more than a collection of bars, but the North Bank river walk starts here and now extends into Riverside. If you throw in one or two of the bridges and the South Bank river walk, you have a nice route for your run.

Immediately to the south of downtown are the two historic neighborhoods of Riverside and Avondale. Although each has changed over the years and grown towards each other, both have distinct personalities. Riverside's residential stock typically is smaller bungalow homes and is centered on Five Points, a counter-culture (well, by Jacksonville standards anyway) meeting place with interesting stores, tattoo parlors and decent dining options. One store I like, a branch of the Clothing Warehouse, sells classic vintage clothes, so you can let your inner 70s person out if the mood strikes. On a recent visit, I picked up a great messenger bag made of recycled billboard materials, so I felt really green.

Riverside also is home to the small but very well done Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. The collection is worth a morning's or afternoon's visit and the riverside gardens behind the museum are beautiful year-round.

On to Avondale, where the homes are more elegant and larger. Like San Marco, Avondale has a small, upscale dining and retail strip along St. Johns Avenue. The older sibling to bb's bistro, Biscotti's serves similarly great casual fare and offers the same mondo, delicious desserts. Across the street and a few doors down, the Brick is another good dining option with outdoor seating in the good outdoor dining months (i.e., NOT July and August). As the parent of an almost 9-year-old, I now make regular stops on my trips to town at the Green Alligator, a small, well-stocked toy store with a good selection of Lego and Playmobile products, two of our son's favorites.

NEW AND OLD: Unfortunately, Jacksonville, like much of Florida, suffered from the obsession to build newer and better further out, so it sprawls tremendously and the the look is not always pretty. A few projects are nicely done. For more upscale shopping and dining, St. Johns Town Center is a pleasing, non-mall complex on the busy Southside that includes such stores as Apple, Louis Vuitton and West Elm.

One obvious attraction to Jacksonville is its close proximity to St. Augustine, the nation's oldest continually inhabited European settlement. Founded by explorers from Spain in 1565, St. Augie has a wonderful colonial quarter, a fort built by the Spanish, miles of beaches and attractions like the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Ripley's Believe-it-or-not. Sure, it's touristy, but so what. You are in Florida after all. One of St. Augustine's gems is the Moorish-inspired campus of Flagler College. It's well worth a stroll through this small college adjacent to the colonial quarter. A great lodging option in the center of St. Augustine is the beautifully restored Casa Monica Hotel, which has a look and feel more like Palm Beach or, well, Spain.

MY RULES: Jacksonville is well served by Southwest Airlines, so it meets my first general travel rule of easy getaways via Southwest. There also are daily nonstops via other carriers to Boston, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington, so Jacksonville is easily reached.

As to my second rule, I would not put Jacksonville at the top of gay friendly cities, but its citizens are generally gracious and welcoming. If you're looking for rainbow party venues, however, keep heading south to Miami or Key West.