A Grand Tour of New York City's Theater World: Day 1

Heather Bailey is the winner of the Heritage Travel Reviews Contest, which we held back in the spring on our pre-launch website, GoWithaPurpose.com. She won a grand tour of New York City's theater world -- complete with special backstage tours of New York's most famous venues, tickets to Broadway shows and a stay at New York’s oldest hotel.

For a big trip, I like to try and mix in being a quintessential tourist, along with attempting to blend in with the locals. That gives me a sense of how an area balances the services for the out-of-towners with those for the local residents. So when we arrived at LaGuardia, we opted to try our hand at public transportation rather than snagging a cab. We took the M60 from Queens into Harlem and then hopped on the subway to take us south into Manhattan. The bus ride was exciting and a great way to see that bit of the city. I sat back and avidly listened to conversations to see what the pressing issues were on the minds of residents. Healthcare was the big topic for adults, but the conversations of teenagers were focused on the same interpersonal topics that I had heard back in Nashville, on the bus in Queens and Harlem and even on the subway in Manhattan.

We walked to our hotel and were very excited when we saw the awning that said "Algonquin." At that point, even though I was still impersonating a packhorse with my luggage, I rummaged around and found my camera. We were informed by our porter that the Algonquin is the oldest hotel in New York, and that it was the first hotel in the city to utilize electronic passkeys. There is charm wherever you look, but also a lot of quirkiness (a plus in my book). The lobby has a Japanese-themed mural on the walls, ornate wood paneling and columns, and a cushy little bed right by the front door for the hotel cat, Matilda, who is even on Twitter as Algonqueen. The walls in the hallways leading to the hotel rooms have wallpaper featuring cartoons from The New Yorker, several of which take jabs at the Algonquin. I love that this luxury hotel has a sense of humor about itself; it adds to the sense of welcome and relaxation.

After getting settled, we set out to do some obligatory tourist things. We walked up Fifth Avenue, stopped in a diner for lunch, then a Barnes & Noble for coffee and scoping out three floors of books! Very exciting. And finally, we made our way to Central Park. We just skirted the edge of the park, taking in the beautiful fall colors and the crush of tourists. The line of horse-drawn carriages offering rides into the park put up quite the odor, and it got me to thinking about what this city must have looked and smelled like a century ago. A history professor at Middle Tennessee State University enjoys shocking his students with the idea of scratch-and-sniff history because his conclusion is that history is smelly.

Then we decided to head back to the hotel and traveled the 15 blocks back to the Algonquin along the Avenue of the Americas (aka Sixth Avenue). We took shots of Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center, where there was a solid group of children ice skating, even one dressed as Red Riding Hood in anticipation of Halloween. After resting, we met up with the cozy group joining us on the theater tour of New York City, and we were led through the theater district by our fabulous guide, Reynaldo Calderon. He was lively and full of great stories.

After a great dinner at Mont Blanc (the waiter said that we'd made a good choice in selecting the no-flour chocolate cake and after finishing it, we heartily agreed), we stumbled back to the Algonquin, exhausted. Along the way we strolled through Broadway, which has been temporarily turned into a pedestrian area. Rey had pointed this out to us on our way through the theater district, and we took the opportunity to snap a few shots of locals and tourists hanging out in Times Square, making full use of the pedestrian area. A great first day, with much more to come.