01
Getting There
The Drive In
Leave Rochester
Five hours to White Plains.
White Plains Metro-North Station
Not the TransCenter, that's the bus terminal next door. The actual train station has its own parking garage right beside it, across Ferris Ave from the TransCenter building. Metro North Harlem Line train to Grand Central, 38 minutes. Buy at the machine, no reservation needed.
Passing Through Grand Central
Grand Central Watch, 45th St Passageway near Track 38, family run since 1952, open Mon through Fri until 4:30 or 5pm, real price range well within budget, worth a quick look on the way out of the terminal
Drop Bags, Romer Hell's Kitchen
851 8th Ave. Standard check-in is 4pm, verified with the property, not 2:30. Bags get held at the desk, no need to carry them around.
1 to 4pm, Real Free Time
Room genuinely isn't ready till 4, this isn't padding
Lunch in Hell's Kitchen, or walk to Times Square, 10 min away
Nintendo NYC at Rockefeller, free, Pokémon section, 15 min subway
Check In, Romer Hell's Kitchen
851 8th Ave. Confirmation 42184SG140243. Cot requested. Incidental hold, $100/night, released at checkout, up to 10 business days to clear.
Confirmed
02
Wednesday Night
First Night Out
On the Rocks
696 10th Ave. 360 plus scotch and whiskey. Tell the bartender what you like and let them run with it. One of the best scotch bars in the city and the neighborhood barely knows it exists. Confirmed open Wednesdays, 5pm to 4am. Small, intimate room, they take reservations, worth calling ahead for a party of three right at opening.
Consider a Res
Want Mezcal Instead of Scotch
Añejo, 668 10th Ave, one of the deepest tequila and mezcal lists in the neighborhood, five minutes from the hotel,
website Freshen Up Before Dinner
On the Rocks to Frena is a two minute walk, hotel's right there too. Wrap the bar by 6:40, duck back to the room for a quick reset, then over to Frena for 7. Twenty real minutes, no rush.
Dinner · Frena
773 10th Ave. Free frena bread lands on the table before you order anything. Roasted octopus, lamb meatballs, shareable plates. Good room, unhurried energy. Frena closes at 9pm Wednesday, but with golf at 9 you've got the full dinner window, no clock to watch, just head out when you're done.
If Frena's Full or You Want Something Else
Kohoku-Ku Ramen, 709 9th Ave, (646) 478-7886, small independent Japanese ramen spot, open until 10pm, no reservations
Bocca di Bacco, 828 9th Ave, Italian, open until 10pm, call ahead to confirm since listings vary on hours
Kashkaval Garden, 852 9th Ave, (212) 245-1758, Mediterranean small plates and fondue, open until 11pm, walk-ins welcome
Uber/Lyft to Herald Square · ~15 min, ~$14-18, evening but past the worst of rush hour
Five Iron Golf, Herald Square · Main Event
883 6th Ave, Floor 3. The centerpiece of the first night. Private Trackman bay, 1.5 hours, ends 10:30. Full sports bar so drinks and food keep coming, no need to leave for a nightcap. This is where the trip really kicks off, relaxed, no reservation fighting it, Ryan front and center. Book the 9:00pm slot once the window opens July 23. Verified open Wednesdays until 11pm.
Book July 23
Uber/Lyft back to Hell's Kitchen · ~15 min, ~$14-18, late and easy
Rudy's Bar · Quick Closer
627 9th Ave. NYC institution since 1933. Cheap beer and free hot dogs with every drink. No pretense, right by the hotel. Open until 4am, so one drink to close the night or push on if everyone's got legs.
If the Night Keeps Going
Dutch Fred's, 307 W 47th, craft cocktails, 24 taps, smoked old fashioned, open until 3am
Late Night · If Anyone Has Legs
Piano Bar at the Romer · hotel speakeasy, stumble distance, open till midnight
Bar Centrale, 324 W 46th, second floor brownstone bar, good closer
Blue Ruin, 538 9th Ave, cash only, dark, pool table, a grungier second dive bar if Rudy's isn't enough
Both bottles are already open from arrival, so upstairs and pour another if that's the move