Cultivating Opportunities in
Florham Park, Madison and Beyond!
Do-It-Yourself NYC College Tours
Hamilton Park Eateries
Other Dining Options
New York City!
Local Cab Service
Do-It-Yourself NYC College Tours
While the tour buses are booked, NYC is just a quick train ride away from the Hamilton Park Conference Center or the Best Western Plus. With so many colleges to see in NYC, we thought we'd give you some suggestions for DIY tours. (Make sure you contact admissions to book your campus tour.) In general, streets run East/West and Avenues run North/South. Just to give you an idea of distance in Manhattan, about 20 blocks of streets or 7 avenues is equivalent to a mile (and most of it, except for a few blocks on the East side of the city, are flat.) Don't forget to bring good walking shoes!!
Each school listed below includes some suggested eateries, as well as landmarks nearby. Check the college websites for tour and information session schedules. Gather a group of people to make it more fun! And feel free to contact Deb Shames, Suzanne Rossi, or any of the NYC area counselors for additional suggestions. There's nothing quite like Manhattan in summer, especially on a warm evening!
Here's a link to NJ Transit to help you plan your excursion.
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT - part of the State University of NY-SUNY-system) is located at 27th St. between 7th and 8th Aves, a quick walk from Penn Station's 34th and 7th Ave location (where your train would come into NYC). Possible restaurants nearby include Uncle Nick's (382 Eighth Ave at 29th St.) for inexpensive Greek fare or Ben's Kosher Deli (209 West 38th St. between 7th and 8th Aves).
The New School is located at the northern most point of the West Village, near Chelsea, at 14th St. and 6th Ave. It includes the New School for Social Research, Eugene Lang College, and Parsons School of Design, among others. Walk east a couple of blocks and you'll find Union Square, surrounded by shops and restaurants, including Union Square Cafe (21st between 5th Ave and Union Square West). It's upscale, but fresh and fabulous food awaits! Also, the Union Square Greenmarket is open 8am-6pm Fri and Sat, featuring local produce, as well as award-winning farmstead cheeses, artisan breads, jams, pickles, a profusion of cut flowers and plants, wine, ciders, maple syrup and much more. Other restaurants include pub grub at the Heartland Brewery (35 Union Square West between 16th and 17th) and delicious and inexpensive vegetarian/Middle-Eastern food at Maoz Vegetarian (38 Union Square East, between 16th and 17th Sts).
New York University is located in Greenwich Village, about 30 blocks south of Penn Station. You can walk or catch a subway, bus or cab. Spend an hour people-watching in Washington Square Park and then walk up or down Broadway to visit the unique shops and galleries. Then find some great eats at John's Pizza (278 Bleeker St. between 6th and 7th Aves) or Five Guys burger joint (Bleeker and 7th Ave). You'll be near SoHo as well, with its many art galleries and funky furniture stores. Walk a little further south and you'll find Chinatown, Little Italy, and the South Street Seaport.
School of Visual Arts is located at 209 E 23rd St. (between 2nd and 3rd Ave). Nearby, you can take in lunch at the 2nd Avenue Deli (a NY landmark) at 162 E. 33rd St. (between Lexington and 3rd Ave). Then take a walk uptown to Grand Central Station at 42nd St. to see this beautiful and impressive landmark firsthand.
Marymount Manhattan College is located at 221 East 72st St. between 2nd and 3rd Aves. After seeing the school, head over to 5th Ave to find Central Park (which runs from 60th St. at the south side to 110th St. to the north). There are walking paths, as well as opportunities to rent bikes or rowboats in the park. At the southwest corner of the park is Columbus Circle. You can head down Broadway or 7th Ave to find TKTS, the kiosk for discounted Broadway shows, and Times Square (where there is now a lovely pedestrian walkway running from 47th to 31st Streets along Broadway). If you come out of the east side of Central Park, there are tons of shops as you head down 5th Ave as well including Saks Fifth Ave. And you'll find both Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedra at 51st and 5th Ave.
Hamilton Park Eateries
The Hamilton Park Hotel offers three on-site dining options.
Arrive - is a full service restaurant, with a buffet and a la carte options.
Stir Martini & Wine Bar - provides light fare and adult beverages.
Vanderbilt's Bar & Lounge - offers casual dining in a sports bar setting.
Click here to read more about these options.
Other Dining Options
The Hamilton Park is less than two miles from downtown Madison, NJ. It's about a four minute ride straight down Park Avenue from the hotel to a variety of restaurants on Main Street (an extension of Park Avenue.) Here are some recommended restaurants to consider if you don't want to eat dinner in the hotel.
Shanghai Jazz 24 Main St. Very good Chinese food in one of the 100 best jazz venues in the country! Live jazz at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Soho 33 33 Main St. Casual Northern Italian food. BYOB.
Garlic Rose 41 Main St. Casual dining in a BYOB bistro. Yes, great for garlic lovers!
54 Main 54 Main St. (of course!) Good American food in a very casual, sports bar ambiance. Lively!
Il Mondo Vecchio 72 Main St. Excellent Northern Italian. BYOB. Reservations recommended (973-301-0024). A bit more pricey, but worth it.
For the bottle of wine to have with dinner, stop at
Madison Wine Cellar at 29 Main St.
New York City!
If you have some free time, why not hop the train to Manhattan? Show, visit the MOMA or the 9/11 Memorial or just experience Times Square. Here are some ideas and links to help you plan.
Find train schedules for trips between Convent Station and New York Penn Station at NJTransit.com. From Convent Station (2 miles from Hamilton Park) catch the New Jersey Transit Midtown Direct Express into Penn Station, the heart of midtown Manhattan.
InfoForNYC.com is an excellent site for information (schedules, tickets, etc.) for the top tourist attarctions in Manhattan.
Theatre Development Fund is the link to find out how to buy tickets for Broadway and off-Broadway shows for same day performances at the TKTS Discount Booths. Be prepared to stand on line. Most shows are available. Just don't expect Book of Mormon.
NBC Studio Tour Want to see the studios of the Today Show and Saturday Night Live? Go to Rockefeller Center and take an NBC Studio Tour.
For bus tours around Manhattan try:
Citysightsny.com
Graylinenewyork.com
Onboardnewyorktours.com
If you have been to NYC before, but not in the past year,you'll love the High Line in lower Manhattan. It's a public park built on the abandoned freight rail lines above Manhattan's Lower West Side, open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are many wonderful restaurants in the area, including the Spice Market on West 13th Street and Pastis at 9 Ninth Avenue. Stop in at the Hotel Gansvoort at 18 Night Avenue and go up to the rooftop bar for a drink overlooking the pool and the view of lower Manhattan. Also check out the Chelsea Market at 75 Ninth Avenue for the city's biggest collection of gourmet food retailers. It's a great place to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Local Cab Service
Trustworthy Cab - 973-525-4722
