ITINERARY: DAY FIVE

It’s our final day in New York City!!! It’s heartbreaking to say goodbye, so we must do so in style! My Dad and I will wake up early and enjoy a fabulous breakfast served by the Plaza. We might ring in a little room service as well, just to pay homage to Morty and Helen’s stay there.

My Dad and I are both athletic and love working out – often together. We go on runs whenever the weather permits it. So today, we’ll go for a run through Central Park. It won’t be anything too serious, but the May weather is perfect and the scenery through the park cannot be beat. It will be like the time in Seinfeld when marathon runner Jean Paul runs the route through the park – we’ll just have to be mindful that Kramer isn’t nearby with scalding hot coffee for us.

George happy to be working for the Yankees

We’ll return to the hotel, shower and freshen up, and then head over to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Even though the Yankees moved stadiums in 2009, we will still feel the Seinfeld connection there; George worked for the team, not the building after all. We will go on the “Classic Tour” which lasts about an hour and will feature Monument Park, New York Yankees Museum, and the Clubhouse. We can then grab a bite to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe located inside.

After Yankee Stadium, Dad and I will return to our hotel, and change into our Leafs jerseys before we head down to Madison Square Garden to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs face off against the New York Rangers in a semi-final game, on the road to the Stanley Cup. (Hey, it’s a DREAM vacation right?) We’ll cab to its 8^th St. location, between 31^st St. and 33^rd St., and endure the heckles from the Rangers fans, as we take our seats, beer in hand. And obviously the Leafs will win. There are no promises, but I’ll try to be a little less hyper than David Puddy when his favourite team, the New Jersey Devils, won a game.

After the game, we’ll cab home to the Plaza, a little tired, but incredibly happy with our vacation. Before settling down, I’ll call the front desk asking for an early wake up call as we have a 6:30am flight back to Toronto.

Good night New York, I’m going to sleep, even though you never do.

ITINERARY: DAY FOUR



Sue Ellen Mischke



It’s hard to believe that my Dad and I have been in NYC for three days and have not hit Fifth Ave. for some shopping yet! After a relaxing breakfast, my Dad and I will walk to Fifth Ave. (no cabs necessary for this short distance) and shop the streets aligned with stores that only Sue Ellen Mischke could properly afford (Seinfeld character, heiress to the O’Henry! candy bar fortune).

We’ll be sure to stop in at Barney’s and complain about the “skinny mirrors” they have installed there. Elaine once threatened a sales clerk at Barneys that she would report the store to the “department of whatever” for “false reflecting”.



Jerry in his "puffy shirt"



After shopping and grabbing a bite to eat, we’ll walk the short distance to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, aka 30 Rock, the NBC Studios. This building obviously has a huge significance in Seinfeld. It’s the sitcom’s production studio. Jerry and George went to NBC to launch their sitcom, a show about nothing, called Jerry. The President of NBC, Russell Dalrymple, fell in love with Elaine. George became engaged to a former-NBC executive, Susan Ross. And of course, who can forget when Jerry was forced to wear the Puffy Shirt on the Today Show, at NBC.



30 Rock



My Dad and I will take two tours once there: the NBC Studios tour and the Top of the Rock Observation Deck tour. The NBC Studios tour will take us backstage of some of the studio’s most popular shows, while the Top of the Rock tour offers a beautiful view of Central Park and the surrounding concrete jungle of Manhattan.

After our tours, and our feet are heavy and arms are tired from the weight of our shopping bags, we’ll have a nice dinner at Brasserie Ruhlmann, a beautiful dining experience within the Plaza.



ITINERARY: DAY THREE

Today we’ll venture from the comfort of the Plaza Hotel for breakfast and visit H&H Bagels, located at 639 West 46^th St. In the Upper West Side. It’s a favourite of many Upper West Siders, including one such Cosmo Kramer. After years of wondering exactly what Kramer did for a living, audiences discovered in the show’s final season that he in fact works at the bagel bakery, but has been on strike for the last 12 years. Now that the strike has finally settled, Kramer returns to work.




Jerry Seinfeld speaking with David Letterman
on the Late Show



After breakfast, we’ll head over for the taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. Now, despite the fact that on Seinfeld, Jerry only ever did his stand-up on the Tonight Show, which is hosted by Jay Leno down in L.A., this visit is still in keeping with our Seinfeld theme: out of character, Jerry Seinfeld often performs on and interviews with Letterman.

A taping of the Late Show is almost an all-day event. The taping itself starts at 5:00pm, but you need to wait in multiple lines for tickets. Once you have your tickets, you’re allowed to venture off for a bit, but it is advised to stay close by to the theatre, as you’ll need to be seated well before 5:00pm. The Late Show with David Letterman is filmed at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, located at 1697-1699 Broadway Ave. In the time we are allotted to leave the theatre before the taping, my Dad and I plan to take in the sights of Broadway and specifically, Times Square, located a stone’s throw away from the theatre.

After Letterman, my Dad and I will venture over to one of the many “Original Soup Man” restaurants, a chain started by the man who inspired Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, Ali "Al" Yeganeh. We’ll make sure to abide by his posted rules to avoid him bellowing “No soup for you!” and ejecting us from his restaurant.

Soup Nazi's Rules:

1. Pick the soup you want.
2. Have your money ready.
3. Move to the extreme left after ordering.
4. Do not mention the word "Nazi" (an added rule, created after the Seinfeld episode).

ITINERARY: DAY TWO

Coney Island

Today my Dad and I will enjoy our breakfast at the Plaza before travelling over to Coney Island, located in Brooklyn. Jerry once went to Coney Island with someone he met on the subway – a naked Met’s fan. He ended up at Nathan’s and that is exactly where my Dad and I plan on going.  Nathan’s Famous is a world famous restaurant, known for its hot dogs. It is here that the hot dog was first introduced, at the World’s Fair.

After stuffing our faces and taking in some rides and games, we’ll head back to Manhattan and cab down to 1^st and First, or as Jerry would call it, the “nexus of the universe”. This intersection of New York is thriving with restaurants, entertainment, and shopping. It’ll be fun to take in the atmosphere and buy a few keepsakes.

We’ll head back to the hotel, freshen up, and then make our way down to Seinfeld character Kenny Bania’s favourite restaurant, Mendy’s, for dinner. We’ll visit the one at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, right next to 30 Rock, NBC’s studios (Seinfeld’s studio, of course).

Here’s the well-known Seinfeld clip where Bania and Jerry and ordering at Mendy’s. Jerry has agreed to take Bania out for a meal to thank him for the new Armani suit Bania gave him. However, Bania orders a soup, claiming it doesn’t count as a meal, and expects Jerry to take him out again for a real meal. People still argue about whether or not soup is a meal. What do you think?

Elaine with JujyFruits

After dinner , I would have loved to have gone to the Regency Theatre, a frequented movie theatre of the Fab Four, but it unfortunately shut its doors in February 1999. This was the theatre where Newman caught Jerry making out during Schindler’s List and where Elaine opted to buy some JujyFruit after discovering her boyfriend was in a car accident. It would have been great to see a movie there, but we’ll settle with watching one at the new Cineplex Odeon Biograph Cinema, located at 225 West 57^th St. This revival theatre’s movies are operated by the Regency’s former manager and programmer, Frank Rowley. Hopefully it’ll provide the same comforting feel the Regency seemed to offer to the Seinfeld characters.

ITINERARY: DAY ONE

After my Dad and I have checked into our room and washed up from the flight, I think it would be nice to explore our hotel. It is such a beautiful building decorated to excess that it would be shameful to let much of it go unnoticed.

After some exploring, we will need some grub in us. Jumping in a cab and heading to Monk’s Diner will no doubt seem like the only reasonable option. This establishment served as the backdrop to the diner the Fab Four frequented almost every episode of Seinfeld’s running. Called “Monk’s” in the show, it is actually Tom’s Restaurant, located at 2880 Broadway, at 112^th St. Like many tourists do, we will be taking plenty of pictures outside here. Did you know because of its fame from Seinfeld, Tom’s is the most photographed restaurant in the world?



Tom's Restaurant, known as "Monk's Diner" on Seinfeld



Next we will head to the New York Public Library. I love libraries, and I know that this beautiful building will not disappoint. The NYPL plays an integral role in some of my favourite Seinfeld moments.

Kramer dates a librarian. George encounters his old high school gym teacher living homeless on the building’s steps. And Jerry meets Mr. Bookman, possibly one of my favourite Seinfeld characters (“It’s like and ice cream man being named ‘Cone’”), who is a library cop hounding Jerry for a late fee on the book Tropic of Cancer.

Our last stop for the day will be a visit to Central Park. So much happens in this park in Seinfeld. George knocks out Bette Middler in a celebrity soft ball tournament. Kramer faces off against a monkey at the park’s zoo. The Ross’ are forced to abandon their carriage ride through the park when their horse Rusty reacts poorly to eating a can of Beef-A-Reeno.

My Dad and I will dine in one of the many restaurants situated in the park, and then enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride back to our hotel where we’ll probably call it a night. Likely watch one or two Seinfeld episodes beforehand though.

ACCOMODATION



Morty and Helen Seinfeld



My Dad and I will be staying at the world famous Plaza Hotel, situated right in the heart of Manhattan. In Seinfeld, Elaine was to stay at the hotel for a business meeting with a prospective employer, but when she hears that Jerry's parents are in town and unable to stay at his apartment because it is being fumigated, she invites the Seinfelds to take her suite instead.

We will be staying in a Deluxe Room, which offers all the amenities. The price is steep, but well worth the comfort, luxury, and experience.

The room costs $795.00/night, and we will be staying for a total of five nights. Taxes included, the price of our hotel will be $4,561.35.

The Plaza at Night

Information about the room and its rate can be found at these websites, respectively:

http://www.fairmont.com/theplaza/Accommodations/GuestRoomIndex.htm?rb=DLX&DisplayType=popup&DisplayType=popup

http://www.fairmont.com/EN_FA/Reservations/RoomRate?hc=PLZ&rpc=RAC&rtc=350&tr=3975&ad=02%2f05%2f2011&na=2&nc=0&nn=5&cc=USD&bc=&tax=8.875+PCT+New+York+State+Tax+5.875+PCT+New+York+City+Tax+New+York+Javits+Tax+New+York+Occupancy+Tax+&BaseRate=795&DisplayType=popup

TRAVEL

Flight:

• Flight No: AC764 (Air Canada)
• Depart from Pearson Internation Airport in Toronto, ON (YYZ), Terminal 1 @ 8:35am on Monday May 2, 2011.
• Arrive at Newark International Airport in Newark, NJ (EWR), Terminal A @ 9:58am on Monday May 2, 2011.
• Flight Duration - 1 hour and 23 minutes.
• Price: $318.00

Return Flight:

• Flight No: AC763 (Air Canada)
• Depart from Newark International Airport in Newark, NJ (EWR), Terminal A @ 6:30am on Saturday May 7, 2011.
• Arrive at Pearson Internation Airport in Toronto, ON (YYZ), Terminal 1 @ 7:58am on Saturday May 7, 2011.
• Flight Duration - 1 hour and 28 minutes.
• Price: $298.00

Both flights will be "Tango Plus" seats (in Economy Class).

Total Cost
 = Flight + Return Flight + Taxes
 = $318.00 + $298.00 + $245.82
 = $861.82
Cab Fares:

Everything we need to know about cabs in NYC can be found here:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/home/home.shtml

The cab fare from EWR to Manhattan is about $50-$75.