Where's Johnny Jet? From Germany to NYC and Philly

Greetings from the good ol' U S of A! I'm back in the States, this time in New York City. The flight from Düsseldorfto New York was easy; immigration was not. This week, we're covering some highlights in New York City and some lowlights, too. It's been quite a week. So, turn on your air conditioning, sit back, relax and I'll tell you all about my trip to New York.

Düsseldorf to JFK

Last week, I left off in Düsseldorf, Germany, at one of the best airport hotels around. From there, I walked literally, just 200 yards and checked in for my eight and a half hour flight to New York on Air Berlin. I'm a friend of the PR person's so I got upgraded and that made the flight as easy as can be. Otherwise, I would have paid the extra $60 to reserve an exit row seat. FYI: A few weeks ago, I wrote a whole review of my experience on Air Berlin. You can check it out here.

JFK Customs

I'm always ragging on the appearance of the international arrivals areas at US airports. Well, JFK's Terminal 4 caught me off guard! It was actually quite pleasing (new interiors and no garbage). That is, until I got to the immigration hall where I was rudely greeted to a zoo -- it was packed! Seriously, there must have been 700 people in each section (US Citizens and Visitors). When I finally reached the front of the line, I asked an officer (let's call him Officer D), what the heck was going on . . . with a smile, of course! I explained that it had taken me 40 minutes to get to the front of the line and that it's like a prison, since you can't use cell phones. And why can't we use cell phones, anyways? All of these passengers had likely gotten off a long-arse flight and want to contact their loved ones and catch up with friends and family. Why can't we at least text legally? Because, let's be honest, many of us are doing it anyways! Officer D's response to why the line was so long and slow was shocking to say the least. He said, and I quote: "This place is a human sewage factory." He went on to say that I was lucky not to be in the other line (Visitors) because it was full of "smelly A . . . rabs". What the ??? Why would a low-life like this be permitted to welcome visitors to our country? I think it should be a prerequisite that every single customs official do something they've most likely never done before … travel overseas. Maybe then they'd be more educated and welcoming and realize that our customs policies suck.

JFK to Manhattan

I've frequently written about the different ways to get from JFK to the city and vice versa. The quickest and most expensive is via U.S. Helicopter; fares start at $159. There are two car services; Dial 7 (tel. 212/777-7777) and Carmel (tel. 212/666-6666) that are basically the same price as a taxi ($45 flat fare plus toll and tip). You can always pay with a credit card with these guys but some taxis now offer the service as well. I usually use Dial 7 because Carmel's phone number reminds me of the Devil and Lord knows I don't need any run-ins with that bastard. The cheapest (and also my favorite) method during rush hour is taking Air Train ($5) to Jamaica Station, then jumping on the E train ($2) to 53rd Street on Manhattan's east side. Door-to-door, it takes just under an hour but it's not convenient if you've got a lot of bags and don't like to walk. But this time, I decided to try a new way. I took the Air Train to Jamaica Station but instead of taking the screeching, loud, bumpy old E Train, I took a train to Penn Station. This train is much more comfortable and it's quicker, too but it's double the price. It costs $5 when using one of the ticket machines on the platform or $10 if you pay on the train. Yes, I learned about that price difference the hard way.

NYC to Connecticutt

The train to depressing Penn Station took 20 minutes and I decided to go to my hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut (45 miles outside of the city). To get to Connecticut from Penn is a complete rip-off. They charge $40 one-way for the regular train and $63 for the high-speed Acela train, which is, get this, a whopping three minutes quicker! What genius figured out that pricing?! The trains leave every hour, which is the same from Grand Central . . . except that Grand Central Terminal is not only one of the nicest stations in America (thanks to Jackie Onassis), but fares to Connecticut on Metro North are a fraction of the price. Check this out: an off-peak train to Norwalk costs $12! Next time, I will take the E train to 53rd, walk two blocks underground and jump on the 6 or 4 subway and travel one stop to Grand Central.

THE CARLYLE HOTEL

It really hasn't been a great summer for my sister. First, there was the news about my brother; then a wild animal killed their beloved pet duck. And her brother-in law, Steven Calicchio passed away. My family was there for his funeral and we decided to get some rooms at a hotel to be near the funeral home. The 187-room Carlyle Hotel, which also has 60 residential apartments, has to be one of New York City's finest. It's been around since 1930 and is located at Madison Avenue and 76th Street in the Upper East Side. The hotel has incredible service but of course, it doesn't compare to hotel service in Asia. But hey -- they have white-gloved men whose only job it is to operate the city's slowest elevators. Seriously, the tiny original elevators are really cool until you have a room on the 19th floor and are in a hurry. It sometimes took five to 10 minutes just for the elevator to arrive.

Our Room

The Carlyle is obviously not cheap and I was glad I wasn't footing the bill. I shared a room with my dad so he took the bed and I slept on one of the most comfortable cots around; the sheets, blankets and pillows were divine. Some highlights and lowlights: The bathrooms are stocked with swanky Kiehl's amenities, including lip balm. Heck, that bad boy alone must have cost $5. However, the maid doesn't restock them if you try to be slick and pack them in your toiletry bag before they come in to clean. The bathrooms have white marble and a sterling silver wastebasket. What stinks is that they don't give guests the option to reuse the same towel. Twice a day, they come in and take the dirty towels, even if it's hanging on the door. I also didn't love the fact that I could hear hallway traffic but the bedroom, where my dad was sleeping, was in a separate room, so you can't hear it unless you're sleeping on a cot in the living room like I was. I passed on paying $14.95 a day for Internet access by using my RovAir.

NYC Laundry Tip

Instead of paying the jacked up prices of a hotel's laundry service, grab your dirty clothes and walk a few blocks. You will be sure to find a dry cleaner that will charge a fraction of the price at hotels. To get my shirt and jacket dry-cleaned and pressed for cheap, I walked four blocks to CarePlus Sophia Cleaners (150 East 79th, tel. 212/879-5887). Not only did I get same-day service for the pressing, but I brought them my dirty clothes the following day for them to wash. They charge only a dollar a pound ($8 minimum). It sure does make it easy to have someone clean your dirty knickers for cheap.

One Lucky Duck

I don't eat much fast food, if ever, actually. But I did happen to notice that law now requires all of New York's fast food chains to list the calorie intake on menus. Hmm . . . that 540-calorie Big Mac suddenly doesn't look too appetizing. If it's time to change your eating habits, there are numerous places to try in NYC. Two fine options are the famous Candle Café on 75th and 3rd and One Lucky Duck down on 17th Street, between Irving Place and 3rd. One Lucky Duck is one expensive raw and organic cafe but they have the best tasting smoothies (the Strawberry Blonde is insane at $8.50!) and wheatgrass will set you back $4.50 for a two-ounce shot.

Expensive Chinese Food

New York has some of the world's best and most diverse restaurants. When I'm in a hotel, I like to log on to Menupages.com to find menus for places in the city (and other locales, too!) One menu you'll find there is for Philippe Chow's. It's one of the city's best and most expensive Chinese food restaurants. It's as loud and pretentious as can be but there's plenty of people-watching to keep you occupied if you go. Philippe Chow was born in China, worked in various kitchens in Hong Kong and came to the U.S. in 1979, when he started working in the kitchen of Mr. Chow. He left Mr. Chow's in 2005 and opened his own place. Check out the website for more information and to drool over their menu.

NYC Waterfalls

Did you know that from now until October 13, New York City is hosting an exciting art exhibit featuring spectacular man-made waterfalls that are between 90 and 120 feet high? The project is Danish artist Olafur Eliasson's brainchild. The four waterfalls are located on the East River and New York Harbor. The locations are: under the Brooklyn Bridge, between Brooklyn's Piers 4 and 5, Pier 35 in Manhattan and Governors Island. For more information, log on to www.nycwaterfalls.org.

Hot Air Ballooning in Central Park

I (sort of) conquered my fear of heights last year when I went on not one but two hot air balloons. The first was in Albuquerque and the second was in South Africa for an early morning photo safari; it was one of the coolest things I have ever done! Well, my third time may very well be in Central Park. That's right. From now through August 22, AeroBalloon is offering a birds-eye view of the 843-acre park. It costs $25 per adult and $17.50 for kids. Flights go up between 7am and 10pm, weather permitting. Don't worry about hot flames and lots of noise because this balloon doesn't operate on hot air; instead, it's filled with helium and the 45-foot-diameter envelope is tethered to the ground and raised and lowered by a winch for the 10-minute hover above the park. FYI: The FAA does not permit balloons in New York City to soar above 500 feet.

The Phillies in Philadelphia

Before I wrap things up, I should mention that this past Saturday, my cousin A.J. and I went on a road-trip to Philadelphia. It's a 100-mile, two-hour drive from New York City (depending on traffic), or an hour and a half on Amtrak; fares were $90 return. I wanted to take the train but A.J. didn't and since he arranged the tickets, I had no pull. This was my first trip back to Philly (besides the airport) in years. The city is a lot nicer than I remembered it. One of A.J.'s good friends is Mike Hampton, starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, who hasn't pitched in two and a half years. Naturally, A.J. wanted to be there to support his good buddy and I tagged along for the ride. I had met Mike only once at this year's Super Bowl (Go Giants!) and he was great. I was stoked when A.J. invited me because not only were we assured incredible seats, a trip to the locker room and dinner with the players (we went to Dave and Buster's), but I also got to add another baseball park to my list of those I've visited. I'm up to 15 out of 30. Citizens Bank Park is spectacular. Almost all the Philly fans donned red and white team shirts, which reminded me of the loyal St. Louis Cardinal fans, though Cardinal fans still take the cake. Our seats were right behind home plate but I took a stroll around the whole park to check it out from different angles and to see everything it had on offer. Man, there's lots to see, eat, drink and do. I tried an old Philly-style sandwich from Tony Luke's and a mango sorbet from the Philadelphia Water Ice Factory. If you are in the Philly area and the Phillies aren't in town -- don't worry! You can still take a tour of the ballpark (though I'm sure it's not going to be as good). Tours are offered year-round and during the season, on non-game days. For more information, click here.

Johnny Jet has been featured over 1,000 times in major publications, including USA Today, Time, Fortune and The New York Times, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, FOX News Channel, and PBS. JohnnyJet.com has been named "one of the top best money-saving web sites for travel" by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it "one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the internet." In the May 2007 issue of Outside Magazine, Johnny Jet was touted for having one of the world's best "dream jobs". Every week Johnny hosts a "travel website of the week" for several radio stations around the country, he writes weekly for Frommers.com and he has written for USAToday, The Boston Herald and Coast Magazine. Sign up today for Johnny Jet's free weekly travel newsletter at www.johnnyjet.com.