I happen to like New York in the spring

PRIME – May 2013 By Mark G. Auerbach Special to PRIME New York City's at its finest in spring, when the weather invigorates and everything's in bloom. Broadway, leading into Tony Awards season, sparkles with openings night after night. Restaurants are laden with fresh produce from upstate farms. A day trip from Western Massachusetts is easy to do, and a day in the Big Apple is a great way to shake off the post-winter mud-season blahs. Don't think about driving to New York City. Parking, although plentiful, is expensive, and the combination of traffic and city drivers is frustrating. Two rail options make the journey a breeze. From Springfield, Amtrak runs several trains a day into Pennsylvania (Penn) Station on the west side of Manhattan. Buy your tickets online at http://Amtrak.com in advance – the price increases when you walk up, and there are some attractive online discounts for seniors, AAA members, military, student and other groups. Also, the earlier you buy the ticket, the cheaper the fare. Alternately, drive to New Haven – there's plenty of parking at and near the station – and jump on Metro-North's New Haven line. (Check out http://MTA.info). Trains leave hourly (or more often) for Grand Central Terminal, which is a beautiful destination unto itself. If you're visiting Grand Central, there's a decent food court on the lower level, and the high-end Oyster Bar is a seafood lover's delight. Grand Central just turned 100 years old, and it sparkles day and night. Taking in the sights I used to live in Manhattan, so I look to explore the new sights when I visit. When the weather's nice, the new hot spot is The High Line, on Manhattan's West Side, running from West 34th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues downtown to Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District. It's a city park built on an abandoned elevated rail line, which opened in 2009. Plantings of indigenous wild flowers and trees line the way, and there are some grassy spots and benches, where one can rest, survey the skyline, and people watch. It's free. The High Line is managed by a non-profit, so if you're impressed, you might consider supporting the project. Another fun option is to see Manhattan from the water. The Circle Line offers two cruise options, one going completely around Manhattan to see glimpses of the Cloisters, Yankee Stadium, the bridges, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and more. The other option is a half-circle cruise along the Hudson River. You can buy tickets at the pier at West 42nd Street at 12th Avenue, but buy online at http://circleline42.com in advance for discounts. A cheaper cruise option is the Staten Island Ferry, which runs frequently between the Battery (South Ferry) and Staten Island on a 25-minute, 5-mile course, directly by The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Seeing the shows Broadway this time of year is a reason to visit New York City. You could stand in line at the TKTS discount ticket booth on Times Square. You can also buy discounted tickets in advance at http://Playbill.com , http://BroadwayBox.com , or TDF, the Theatre Development Fund ( http://tdf.org ) if you qualify for the TDF discounts for students, seniors, military and other groups, such as those who work for a non-profit. One of the "must see shows" of the moment is "Pippin," a revival of the Steven ("Wicked") Schwartz musical which originated at the ART Theatre in Cambridge. The show, once a showcase for Bob Fosse choreography, has been reimagined in a circus setting. "Glee" fans will get the chance to see Jane Lynch make her Broadway debut as the "in your face" Miss Hannigan in the revival of "Annie." Arriving on Broadway as a London West End hit is the musical "Matilda," based on a Roald Dahl novella. Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein have collaborated on an edgy musical, "Kinky Boots," based on an obscure English film. Encores presents a rare, May 8 to 12 revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical "On Your Toes," best known for the jazzy ballet "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue." The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical legend, "The Phantom of The Opera," just celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway, and it has spectacle for days. If you're star-struck, Alan Cumming (from TV's "The Good Wife") stars in a one-man "Macbeth." Holland Taylor stars in "Ann," a one-person play she wrote about flamboyant Texas Gov. Ann Richards. Alec Baldwin is playing in "Orphans," Tom Hanks stars in "Lucky Guy," and Bette Midler's in a new one-person play, "I'll Eat You Last," about Hollywood super-agent Sue Mengers. Check theatre listings in the New York Times, New York Magazine, or Time Out New York for your many viewing options. Dining New York style A daytrip to New York City is bound to work up an appetite, and if you're planning on catching a show, the neighborhood around the Theatre District, known as Hell's Kitchen or Clinton, offers multiple options. Skip Times Square and Restaurant Row for pre-theatre food. Times Square is a cavalcade of national chain restaurants, and Restaurant Row – West 46th Street between 8th and Ninth Avenues – is crowded and geared toward tourists, with one exception: Firebird (http://firebirdrestaurant.com), an elegant restaurant featuring Russian cuisine. The borscht is better than my late Russian grandmother's, and the prix fixe menus are affordable. The atmosphere is old-world but relaxed. One recommendation for after-matinee eating is a small Japanese restaurant, Kodama (http://kodamasushi.com), on West 45th between 8th and Ninth Avenues. It's low on ambience, but also low in price and quite good. If you show up just after a matinee and before the pre-theatre dinner crowd, you may see cast members of the Broadway shows, relaxing over sushi and Saki. I used to live down the street from Kodama. The nasu miso eggplant appetizer is consistently savory. The locals find their food along Ninth Avenue. Bali Nusah Indah (http://balinusaindahnyc.com), at West 45th at Ninth, is one of New York City's best Indonesian restaurants (actually the only Indonesian restaurant I've seen in Manhattan). The cuisine is similar to, but differently spiced, than Thai or Malaysian. The decor and ambience is nondescript. Another option is Bann (http://bannrestaurant.com), at West 50th at Ninth, which offers exquisite Korean cuisine in a lovely setting. For dessert, meander down West 45th to Ninth Avenue and West 44th to Poseidon, the Greek bakery. A box of baklava or any other pastries of the day (cherry or apricot strudel), is a great snack for the train home. Mark G. Auerbach is principal at Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, a Longmeadow, Mass., based marketing, public relations, development and events consultancy. For more information about information about Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, visit Facebook and LinkedIn.