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.