Many thanks to the travel tips I got here earlier! Travel between JFK and the Hilton Garden Inn on E 52nd was a breeze. AirTrain/E train takes under an hour. I learned the little things as I went: it's the second to last E exit on the way back, figuring out the best exit for me to street level at Lex Ave/53rd, (later on) getting from the 6 stop on Lex to the hotel (I mistakenly thought I was back at the E station), etc. All part of the fun. It's easy to go any direction on the subway.

There's plenty of cheap food and drink in the area: I had a super-juicy burger at Turtle Bay Tavern, good chicken at Fields Good Chicken, nice ciders at Niall's on 52nd, and goodies from Paris Baguette, Nuts Factory (my wife loved the Swedish gummies I brought home), and Buttercup Bake Shop.

I would have liked to visit Strangelove and Insomnia Cookies too, but I ran out of time as it was a very quick trip - 48 hours mostly for the parade Monday.

Lastly, Greenacre Park right behind the hotel is a gem!! (Sadly it was raining while I was there.)