On The Ave. ***

I've recently had the pleasure of traveling to the great state of New York on three separate occasions, two of them being to the fair island of Manhattan. During one stay, I crashed at the modernly sleek On the Ave Hotel on the Upper West Side.

On the Ave is in a great neighborhood that is a quiet retreat from the bustle of downtown or mid town. It's very modern with the classic black, white and red palate - back-lit photography of Manhattan architecture, piano player after 3pm, flat-screens in the hotel rooms, nice bed linens, guest robe, slippers, and turn-down service. The rooms are small by normal standards, but not bad for New York standards. But the best perk is the price. I was traveling for business and stayed for $279/night. Not bad for New York at all, and the best deal in the city at the time. They seem to be running a current $199/night special for the summer. There's no restaurant, so that's a downer, and the elevators were having a bit of difficulty although that didn't really affect me at all. With a few cute restaurants in the neighborhood, and independent shops and groceries within a few steps, the hotel is a great find, and I'm giving it three stars. Have a nice stay... ***

Planes and Trains ***

The two most popular methods of travel between DC and Manhattan are by plane (i.e., "the shuttle") or by train, which means The Acela. Most people fall into one category or the other. Those who chose plane, I find, are more likely to be afflicted with ADD. As you can probably tell, I'm a train girl. But specifically, a fan of The Acela, which is the faster, nicer (all business class) train. And on the Acela, I find myself at home in the "quiet car", where loud-talkers, cell phones, and children are banned. Well, technically, I suppose that children can't be banned, but you never see them there. It's a small piece of utopia, especially en route to the bustling city of Gotham. While it's true, the plane may get you there faster, the train takes you from one downtown to the other without any standing in line. On the train, you have more leg room, larger seats, and that nice, gentle, rocking motion that always lulls me to sleep. Granted, the security is lacking, and this day in age that's a little scary. But I still love the train and give it three out of four stars. ***