BoomerGirl Diary

Pick your price range. Pick your flight. Pick your hotel. One-stop trip planning.

Let's face it, New York is a big city. It takes a lot of Internet surfing to find a decent hotel. To book your flight. To get show tickets, an airport shuttle or whatever else you want to include in your getaway. Have you ever considered letting the getaway planning pros put your getaway package together for you? Saves you a ton of time, a lot of headaches and money, too.

Midwest Airlines Vacations is currently offering some NYC package specials. Take a look at their Website and see how easily you can put together a hotel, flight and location all within a price that suits you and your girlfriends.

I'd suggest you base your hotel location on what activities you are planning for your stay. Here are some ideas and areas in which you might want to book your hotel.

Lower Manhattan Bargain Shopping. TriBeCa. Downtown Financial District. SoHo. Greenwich Village. (These would be the areas for Canal Street/Chinatown shoppers (knock-off purse heaven), Century 21, Ground Zero, street vendors as well as trendy shops in SoHo and the Village.)

Times Square. Theatre District. Not too far from Macy's on 34th Street. Current shows include Chicago, Lion King, Jersey Boys, Rent, Monty Python's Spamalot, Wicked, Hairspray, Color Purple and many more.

Midtown. Rockefeller Center (Today Show). Madison Avenue & 5th Avenue upscale shopping — Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Henri Bendel, Lord & Taylor, Macy's on Fifth, Saks Fifth Avenue, Takashimaya. Also the Garment District.

Upper East/West Sides. Carnegie Hall. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim and lots of other museums. Very upscale boutique shopping on Madison Avenue including Barney's New York. Central Park is right there — try dining at Tavern on the Green.

Meatpacking District. Very hot, very trendy area. Would appeal to the 20-30s-early 40s age group — if that is a market for you. Hotels, trendy shops, dining and chic clubs.

TIPS:

1) Two to a Room. Many NYC hotels will only accommodate two people to a room — with the price of real estate in NYC, hotel rooms are generally quite small. Check that out if you're traveling with three or four people — you may have to take a second room. I believe some of the “chain” hotels, especially around Times Square, may accommodate more than 2 in a room.

2) Use the Subway. Even though you may be focusing on activities in one area of Manhattan, feel free to use the inexpensive and quick subway system to get to another part of town.

3) Extra Perks. Of course, if you book a getaway package, you'll be flying on Midwest Airlines — “The best care in the air.” Now that's a nice start to any trip. But your package will also include 500 bonus Midwest Miles (plus flight miles) and a free pass to the Best Care Club at the Milwaukee airport — for those departing or connecting in Milwaukee. My girlfriend and I recently spent our pre-flight time in the quiet, restful environment of the Best Care Club — and now we're spoiled. Coffee and pastries are complimentary. It's the civilized way to wait for your flight's departure!