metronycwheels

Wheelchair Accessible Taxis Coming to NYC!

Jan 122012

This is super exciting for those who both live and visit New York City who use wheelchairs – the City is adding accessible wheelchair taxis! I was surprised about some of the arguments against this effort since the taxis will be able to be quite useful to larger parties traveling together as well…it’s not like the cabs will *only* be for disabled people. In any event, here’s the article, and I’m anxiously awaiting more details:

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/153909/officials-unveil-new-wheelchair-accessible-cab

Woman, where have you been?

Edgewater, NJ, Indian, Italian, Murray Hill, NJ, Seafood, Stuff, Weehauken No Responses »

Sep 182011

Hello all,

I’ve chatted with some of you on Twitter over the past month, and I certainly apologize for not being all that current with updates. To be honest, my real world job has taken over a bit, and I haven’t had as much time to devote to the site as of late. However, I’ll give you some quick hits:

Tomaso’s in Edgewater, NJ – avoid at all costs! The decor is tacky, there’s a “charming” (meaning horrid) accordion player on Friday nights, and the food is terrible. This place is near our house and we thought we’d give it a shot. Not even worth the time for its accessibility, which is good. I don’t care how great a place is accessibility-wise if the food is worse than tasteless.

The Chart House, Weehauken, NJ – good food, good accessibility. Yes, it’s a chain but it doesn’t feel like one. Parking is a bit tight but valet is available as is a large, free parking lot across the street.

Bhatti in Murray Hill, NYC – went with a friend of Indian descent to this BYOB establishment. If you want “non-traditional” Indian food, this is your spot. However, if you crave Chicken Tikka Masala, what you receive won’t be what you’re expecting. Also, there is no real dessert menu, nor are there any non-lactose filled beverage options. We were not impressed.

The Glass House Tavern

American, Food, Theater District No Responses »

Aug 142011

The Glass House Tavern
252 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 730-4800

We have had a crazy month as I started my new “traditional” job, so although we’ve been out and about, we haven’t been anywhere particularly new to us for a while. Last night, my husband and I met up with his aunt in NYC and decided to give the Glass House Tavern a shot as it was convenient to her hotel and the weather was iffy.

The Glass House Tavern does, indeed, have lots of glass for people watching, which if you’re in the City is a great thing to do. However, the area where people using wheelchairs can sit to dine is rather limited to the front of the restaurant (the main dining room is upstairs and the bar is down a couple steps). That being said, the waitstaff is quite aware and accommodating all things considered. Also, the entry is a little awkward for someone who isn’t comfortable navigating tight quarters in a wheelchair. I didn’t even ask about the bathroom!

As for the food – the restaurant had a nice pre-fixe meal for $35 – I went with the steak and garlic cheddar mashed potatoes (those were scrumptious!) and both of the others had fish meals which were delicious. The portions were appropriate – not too little, not too much. I liked the meal and the restaurant although it wasn’t particularly memorable. So far, the standby restaurant when all else fails which is close to theaters is Nios.

Nios Restaurant

American, Bar/Pub, Food, Hell's Kitchen, Theater District No Responses »

Jul 052011

Nios Restaurant
130 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 485-2999

Nios Restaurant is located in the Muse Hotel in New York City. I found it when my husband and I were looking for somewhere to go to dinner after the show in my previous post. The reviews on other sites were very good for the food, and people also mentioned how glorious the bathrooms were, so we figured we’d give it a go.

What a great find Nios turned out to be! They have a pre fixe dinner option for $42 (per person) which includes an appetizer, dinner, and dessert. Additionally, Nios is known as a wine bar and has excellent cocktails. I enjoyed a fresh green salad accompanied with a pasta and beef ragout and freshly made churros for dessert. The Mr. enjoyed a short rib “sandwich” for his appetizer along with a seafood risotto and an apple crumble dessert. The portions were generous without being heavy, and the same can be said for their wine and cocktail choices.

Now…onto the bathrooms…they are their own masterpiece. It’s a unisex bathroom with individual stalls (with doors, no worries) and each bathroom is themed on one of the 7 deadly sins. Not only is the theming great, but they even have 2 types of accessible bathrooms, one for a full wheelchair setup with private sink, and the other for an ambulatory person (and it even said so…check out our Twitter account for a pic!). So, there are zero accessibility problems at this restaurant.

Nios is definitely one of our favorite discoveries since moving to the NYC Metro area…we will probably go back in the fall to try some of their seasonal selections.

Helen Hayes Theater

Activities, Theater District No Responses »

Jul 052011

Helen Hayes Theater
240 W. 44th St.
New York, NY
Tel: (212) 944-9450

Over the weekend, we went to go see Rock of Ages at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York. The show was pretty much what I expected (in a good way), but this review is about the building itself.

The theater is small, just over 500 seats. Wheelchair accessible seating is in the very first row, so be prepared to have your head up and back pretty much the whole time. Also, wheelchair seating consists of the theater staff removing a seat for you, so if you have a large chair, seating might be a bit difficult to accomplish.

Entry to the theateris a side entrance with a slightly steep, but not very difficult ramp to navigate. There is also an accessible bathroom (male and female) built just inside the women’s room (don’t worry, there’s a proper door). The theater staff will assist you with entering the building and bathroom (it’s locked) and getting around.

The one note I will make is that the theater is quite old and so all wheelchair access is retrofitted. Therefore, the walkways and such are all rather narrow.

However, in saying all that, because of it’s small size, it’s actually a really good, intimate place to see a show.