{"id":3312,"date":"2019-07-01T23:02:45","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T23:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandboxworld.com\/travel\/?p=3312"},"modified":"2019-07-25T20:48:36","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T20:48:36","slug":"yes-believe-it-or-not-new-york-has-downtown-dream-pool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandboxworld.com\/travel\/yes-believe-it-or-not-new-york-has-downtown-dream-pool\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes, \u201cBelieve it or not,\u201d New York has downtown \u201cDream\u201d pool"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BEACH AT DREAM DOWNTOWN:<\/strong> Have you ever heard about New York City\u2019s most unique hotel pool \u2014 The Beach at Dream Downtown?  The famed 4,800-square-foot beach boasts private cabanas, fresh sand imported from the Hamptons, flat-screen TVs, lounge chairs and a glass-bottom swimming pool looking into the hotel lobby. One side of this upscale 300 room hotel closely resembles that of a cruise ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Channeling\nthe glamour of the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur in the heart of New York City\u2019s Chelsea\nneighborhood, my family and I were most fortunate to be invited to spend the\nday there. We have been to New York in the summer a number of times in recent\nyears and frankly always sought a day at a pool on a hot and steamy day. Well\nwe hit the jackpot for our chosen date. Community and Social Media Manager\nLauren Saxe gave me a tour of the gorgeous facility and then set my family up\nwith some chairs in a perfectly shaded area. Tabitha, a lifeguard who was busy\nmanaging the steady stream of sunbathers, was kind enough to get us an\numbrella.  There is a restaurant right\nnext to the pool and servers will bring food and drinks right to your chair.\nThe water was warm and exceptionally comfortable. Any of our troubles seemed a\nmillion miles away for that afternoon. There was complimentary Wi-Fi with a\ngood signal as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pool\npasses are available to the public Monday to Friday from 11 am to 8 pm. They\ncost $65 a day per person, and guests can purchase them\non site from 11 a.m. \u2013 5 p.m.  Hotel\nguests can access the facility from 8 am to 8 pm daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis another Dream Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as well as locations in Miami,\nHollywood, Nashville, Thailand and many more to come. Dream Hotel Group is a hotel brand and management company\nwith a rich, 30-year history of managing properties in some of the world’s most\nhighly competitive hotel environments. Home to its Dream Hotels, Time\nHotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels brands, Dream Hotel Group encompasses\nthree business lines: proprietary brands, hotel management and dining &\nnightlife.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\ndowntown location opened in June 2011 with a celebrity VIP party which included\nthe likes of actor Leonardo Di Caprio on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream Downtown Hotel is located at 355 West 16th<\/sup> Street near 9th<\/sup> Avenue. For more information call 646-625-4828, Info: www.dreamhotelgroup.com<\/a>. Or email frontoffice@dreamdowntown.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RIPLEY\u2019S BELIEVE IT OR NOT:<\/strong> I have previously visited Ripley\u2019s Believe It or Not! In Niagara Falls and London, England.  Despite walking by the place every time I was in the Big Apple, I never ventured inside what is recognized as a historic Times Square museum. This one-of-a-kind attraction welcomes visitors to immerse themselves in the unusual, the unexpected and the unbelievable. It features a collection of over 500 unusual artifacts from all over the world, as well as amazing interactive exhibits that are sure to make you say \u201cWOW!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ripley\u2019s Believe It or Not!\nTimes Square (https:\/\/ripleysnewyork.com<\/a>) showcases some of the most incredible\nexhibits found in New York City, many of them discovered and owned by Robert\nRipley himself!  This family friendly\nattraction is the largest Ripley\u2019s in North America!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert\nL. Ripley was a cartoonist, explorer, reporter, adventurer, and collector who\ntraveled to 201 countries in 35 years seeking the odd, the unusual, and the\nunexplained. He led a life of adventure and excitement, and he will forever be\nremembered for coining the phrase \u201cbelieve It or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nhis search for incredible stories to draw in his popular newspaper cartoons, he\nacquired hundreds of exotic artifacts from around the world. Collections of his\nnewspaper cartoon drawings were released in book form. The success of his first\nbook led to a live radio show, and then to a weekly television program. He\nshared his unique artifacts at World Fairs in exhibits called odditoriums,\nwhich were the precursor to the museums that bear his name and famous phrase. but none are more unique or more interesting than Ripley\u2019s\nBelieve It or Not! Times Square!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ripley\u2019s\nBelieve It or Not! Times Square is the largest Ripley\u2019s attraction in the\nworld. From shrunken heads, Megaldon jaws, a Tibeton skull, the world\u2019s tallest\nman and a real meteor the amazement never ceases in this place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All\nchildren must be accompanied by an adult. Most guests spend between an hour and\na half to two hours exploring the strange and unique artifacts, exhibits and\ninteractive experiences at Ripley\u2019s Times Square. As with any attraction or\nmuseum, your personal tastes will determine how long it takes. If you plan to\ndive into every item and read each caption, you\u2019ll be here a bit longer. If you\nplan to focus on featured galleries, you will find that two hours is\nsufficient. I found the visit both educational and entertaining,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ripley\u2019s\npersonal treasures can be seen in Believe It or Not! attractions around the\nworld. Each museum is unique in its collection of oddities and in their\npresentation. No Ripley\u2019s Believe It or Not! museum would be complete without\nthe \u201cold favorites\u201d however \u2013 the incredible people whose stories Ripley\ngathered on his journeys around the globe. These strange people are brought\nback to life in detailed wax figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ripley\u2019s\nTimes Square is handicapped\naccessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL:<\/strong> Through commemoration, exhibitions and educational programs, The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a nonprofit in New York City, remembers and honors the 2,983 people killed in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993, as well as those who risked their lives to save others and all who demonstrated extraordinary compassion in the aftermath of the attacks.  I visited Ground Zero on my most recent trip and it is absolutely chilling to stand in that very spot where terrorists committed a most unspeakable atrocity. Info: https:\/\/www.911memorial.org\/national-september-11-memorial-museum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RUPERT JEE<\/strong>: For 22 years Rupert Jee was a regular on Late Night with David Letterman on CBS \u2013 all because  he<\/g> operated a deli (The Hello Deli) right next to the Ed Sullivan Theatre. These days Rupert remains busy running his deli and meeting with his fans, so when you’re in New York, don’t forget to stop in for lunch at 213 West 53rd<\/sup> Street! He’ll even sell you a t-shirt or mug to remember him by.  I dropped in and got to meet Rupert in person. What a friendly guy. Naturally<\/g> the Letterman appearances were great for business. Now that Dave has retired, Rupert still benefits from the recognition. Log on to https:\/\/www.hello-deli.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEW\nYORK YANKEES:<\/strong>  I checked off\na major item on my Bucket List with an afternoon in the Yankee Stadium press\nbox as New York hosted the Toronto Blue Jays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only a year after they changed\nBaseball forever with the purchase of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, the\nYankees made another buy that would forever change the way the game was\nwatched.  On February 6, 1921, the\nYankees issued a press release to announce the purchase of 10 acres of property\nin the west Bronx.  Yankee Stadium was\nbuilt from 1922 to 1923 for $2.4 million ($33.9 million in 2016\ndollars). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stadium went through many\nalterations and playing surface configurations over the years. The condition of\nthe facility worsened in the 1960s and 1970s, prompting its closing for\nrenovation from 1974 to 1975. In 2006, the Yankees began building a new\n$2.3 billion stadium<\/a>. It opened in 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yankee Stadium is located at One East 161st Street in the Bronx. The No. 4 train (East Side) and the B and D trains (West Side) make stops at 161st Street\/Yankee Stadium. A trip from Midtown Manhattan takes approximately 25 minutes. I would strongly recommend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n