cathycon

Have searched several (hundred!) threads,hotel sites and links and am despairing of finding hotel which can take us 3 adults and 4 kids for 27th 28th June. Will consider two rooms or suite or whatever. Have come up with Affinia Eastgate which appears reasonbly priced and gets good reviews but we are only there for 2 nights and it seems to be a bit off beaten track. Is this true? Kids range from 5 to 10 so don't want too much walking. Budget about $500 dollars per night. Can anybody help

GoTravel

The Affina Eastgate is in Murray Hill and while it is residential, it isn't off the beaten track.

Also look at Dumont and Shelbourne Murray Hill at Affina.com.

The Salisbury has a two bedroom apartment but I think it is more than $500 per night.

wantsomesun

I'd suggest the Doubletree Suites in Times Square. That way you would certainly have lots of room, they offer pretty good rates and you are in the HEART of the city.

Another suggestion would be the Dumont Suties on E 34th St. It is between Lex and 3rd Ave so you are close to the subway, and the M16 and M34 bus stops right in front of the hotel.

There are alot of restaurants in the immediate area, on 3rd Ave up and down the avenue.

Another suggestion would be the Travel Inn. My cousin and her family of 5 stayed in one room, 2 adults and 3 kids and they did a nice job of providing a couple of cots.

Try www.hotels.com for more options.

Have a geat time while you are here.

MFNYC

The Eastgate is in a perfectly good location. The DOubletree that wantsomesun recommends is perfectly fine too, but I don't consider times sq the 'heart' of the city....not even close. Times Sq is a touristy congested area with lots of chain and theme restaurants and souvenir shops. It's worth seeing but not necessairly the best to stay in. The city has many 'hearts' but I don't think Times Sq is one of them.

Your hotel location is also near several subway and bus lines. The Affinia Shelbourne is in the same area and is also very nice.

cathycon

thanks for your ideas. Have already tried Doubletree, Dumont and Travel inn - all booked. I'll trust your wisdom if you think Eastgate is convenient to places. First time in NYC so don't realy know where "Heart" is. Thanks again

ronijeni

I have found www.tripadvisor.com to be helpful in planning trips as well as this site. There are some great hotel review's written by people that have stayed in the hotel's. Good Luck! I hope you have a great time in N.Y.!!

wantsomesun

You are kidding when you say it's not the heart of the city. Times Square is called the "Crossroads of the World", so yes I would think almost any NewYorker would say it is the heart of the city.

That said, there are so many hotels in the city and this is the start of the tourist season, and yes I know tourist season is really all year long, HOWEVER the warm months the city is jammed with tourists. Sometimes it difficult to walk in the more populated areas because it is so crowded.

Have you tried www.hotels.com yet? It will give you an idea of all the hotel rates in the city and gives location, distance to sites and all amenities.

There is also a Ramada Inn on Lex and 30th St that might fit the bill as well and you can get adjoining rooms there. It's a residential area, but very close to subways and buses. There are some good restaurants in the immediate area, and for the kids a McDonalds is not far either.

nytraveler

Well - I'm a native New Yorker - unto the third generation - and no I don't consider Times Square the heart of the city. The city has many hearts - and this is the heart only for theater - and not a particularly pleasant one at that.

Native New Yorkers generally avoid Times Square as much as possible - since it is loud, tacky, dirty, garish and mobbed with unpreposesing t-shirts shops and tourtists. I understandwhy someone not used to cities might want to see it - but frankly after one visit - why bother - when there is so much of real value to see in all the other hearts of NYC.

And if I had to pick a single place it would proably be Rock Center - or Central Park and all the museums which it contains/is surrounded by.

GoTravel

I'd give Central Park as being the heart of the city or even downtown. Probably anywhere but Times Square because Times Square is the most generic and un-NYC like as it comes. With the exception of the theaters, it is just too much.

wantsomesun

Just curious, do you live in Manhattan? Half the fun of living in the city is having theatre, restaurants, shops, movies and just about anything you want right at your feet.

I love walking through Times Square, to see the lights feel the vibrations of the city. For visitors, I think that Times Square is half the fun of being here.

We are there probably once a week, to see a movie or try a new restaurant or just walk through the crowds.

Marilyn

cathy, first of all, I sympathize. I went through the same thing before our April trip. I wanted to be on the west side, not the east, and found all the hotels I wanted already booked.

We ended up staying at another Affinia hotel, the Southgate, which is located on 7th Ave and 31st St. Great access to major subway lines just 2-3 blocks away.

It was a little pricier than your budget, but not too much, and you might get some kind of deal.

By the way, I booked it with quikbook, which was great. You might try calling them directly and telling them what you are looking for. They have a good cancellation policy which doesn't charge anything as long as you cancel within the hotel's parameters.

starrsville

Times Square may not be the sentimental "heart" of the city, but it is definitely the center of tourist activites in NYC. Great location for Broadway shows, sightseeing and walking the streets safely at night and feeling the pulse of the city.

It's a far cry from the neigborhoods of the island, but it is the image most tourists have - and want - of NYC. I agree with wantsomesun.

nytraveler

Yes - I live in Manhattan - and have since college.

As for Times Square being pleasant - you have a very odd idea of pleasant. It is in fact perfectly safe in terms of your person- but has a (comparatively) large number of pickpockets and scammers (attracted by all the tourists).

Any one of many other Manhattan neighborhoods is much more representative of NYC (upper east or west sides, village, lower east side, chelsea, nolita, downtown, etc) and has much less street crime/cons.

Plus, while they have a nice amount of steet life - you are unlikely to be trampled to death by the unconscious thundering herds.

As for theater - yes NYC is a world capitol of theater. It is also a world capitol of serious music and dance, art, culture, education, cuisine, fashion, finance, medicine, literature and practically every other human activity you can think of.

NYC is not DisneyBigCity - it is a hugely diverse and vibrant world capitol - and by characterizing it via Times Square you are missing about 95% of what NYC has to offer.

MFNYC

I agree with NYTraveler, and I too live here (for almost 20 ys in Manhattan) and am raising my family here.

My NYC heart is downtown, south of 14th street. I love lower Manhattan. I live in the village, and to me, my neighborhood is like a small town in a big city.