Review of Acela Express Service from Philadelphia to New York

Why drive when there are so many other options available to travelers today? Amtrak’s Acela Express between Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and New York’s Penn Station takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and, parking at 30th Street Station is much less expensive than parking in Manhattan.

There is plenty of seating at 30th Street Station and the attendants and customer service representatives are very helpful. The station boards are very easy to read and updated often.

Once you board the train, there are overhead compartments for luggage, plenty of legroom and very comfortable seats. The trains also have a café car that offers drinks - both alcoholic and non - sandwiches and snacks, a first class car, and immediately in front of the first class car a quiet car that does not allow phone calls or loud talking (perfect for sleeping, napping, working, or relaxing on the trip). The trains also offer free wi-fi to all passengers and outlets at every seat, making it perfect for business travelers (or bloggers).

At Penn Station, the Acela Express passengers have a special waiting area with benches and wifi, however, it is further away from the station board; so if your arriving close to the time of your train, you may not get a chance to enjoy this service.

Acela Express travels between Boston and Washington, DC, making stops in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

There is also an Amtrak Guest Rewards program, where you can earn 500 points for each round trip ticket bought on Acela Express, and free travel on the guest rewards program begins at 1,000 Guest Rewards programs.

Review of Cooper Square Hotel, New York City on the Bowery

A unique hotel near Cooper Square is the Cooper Square Hotel. An interesting hotel with no signage on the front door, with the exception of the address number, and once you enter the front doors, someone is kind enough to open the main doors to the hotel for you.

Head into the library and have a seat and maybe a drink, while someone checks you in for your stay. The library is full of books of varying topics, both fiction and nonfiction. The seats are comfortable and the atmosphere is relaxed, and there is water, tea and wine to choose from while you wait or relax.

In the newly constructed 21-story building in the heart of downtown Manhattan, the rooms are beautiful. The rooms are small, but the large windows with unobstructed views of Manhattan make the rooms feel much larger.

Much more interestingly is the public spaces in the hotel. Many are “hidden” behind doors that look like walls, in a 1920’s Prohibition-style speak-easy. This makes it very interesting for the guests at the hotel, as the main bar and restaurant is hidden behind one of these fake walls.

That said, the Cooper Square Hotel’s staff and bartenders are very professional and helpful, and are more than willing to help navigate you around the hotel and around the city.

They offer complimentary wireless Internet and have a deal worked out with the gym across the street that guests also can get complimentary guest day passes.

If you do decide to stay here and are planning on taking a taxi ride to the hotel at any point, make sure to have the hotel address and phone number on hand, just in case. Our cab driver didn’t know of the hotel and had to call for cross streets to find his way there.