grace11

My husband and I will spend a week in Manhattan in mid-June. We are leaning toward staying in the Upper West Side and I wonder if it will be too isolated or inconvenient re. our sightseeing plans, which tend toward spending time in the lower part of the city? (how much time will be spent on a subway trip) Also, if we end up around Gramercy Park, is there a pretty good chance it would be fun there but also louder during the night, to the point of disturbing sleep? I've been reading lots of reviews and so many mention the noise. The Gramercy Park Hotel looks interesting.

DalaiLlama

If you mainly will spend time downtown, pick a hotel downtown. You can always use ear plugs (the waxy kind from the Kroeger grocery chain work wonders - just get used to them at home first).

janie

Well, I live on the UWS and get to midtown every day in 10-15 minutes by train.

If you want to be able to walk to downtown sites,(what specifically?) obviously that won't be possible. But many people like to stay in an area that while always lively and populated so you will feel comfortable late at night, is not as hectic as other neighborhoods. It is certainly not an "isolated" area!

BTW, Upper West side hotels may be noisy too. Depends on the hotel and the room I would imagine. Gramercy Park is not a particularly noisy area, so not sure where you are reading that

grace11

Thanks for your comments. If we stay on the UWS, the reviews I've read recommend the Lucerne. We're into photography and are interested in the architecture and also the restaurants in lower midtown. But we like the charm of the UWS. Good to know it could be noisy there, too. Noise in a city is to be expected as long as it's not over the top.

DalaiLlama

Check out this one, great location, quiet, next to World Financial Center complex and the ferry terminal

www.embassysuites.com

102 North End Avenue
New York, NY 10282
(212) 945-0100

AustinTraveler

We stayed in the UWS at On the Ave and loved it. Getting around is no problem. We walked from the hotel to the Rockefeller Center so obviously we don't have a problem with walking. Subway was really convenient too.

If you like the Lucerne, be sure and sign up for their specials. They just emailed me the winter special and it gives you 50% off one bedroom suites during Jan, Feb, and March.

AustinTraveler

Oh, and next time, try a more descriptive title for your post. Back and Forth could be anything, anywhere, and I suspect many NYC experts may miss your question.

mclaurie

On the Avenue and the Beacon are imo much nicer and fresher (Beacon was just redone recently) than the Lucerne. If you look at travelers photos on the reviews page on tripadvisor you'll see what I mean.

Gramercy Park area is pretty quiet. The Gramercy Park Hotel has a popular social scene at night. Btw, if you're considering that hotel you will be very disappointed by the UWS hotel options.

There are dozens of hotel options all over the city and the subway system and taxis make it pretty easy to get wherever you want to go. I'd stay in an area that will provide decent restaurants and nightlife.

mclaurie

What I meant by my last somewhat cryptic comment is I would worry more about the hotel itself (price, amenities, rooms etc.) and less about the location since it's easy to get around using mass transit. When location becomes an issue for narrowing options, it may be more important that the location be good for the evening rather than daytime activities. Any area will have some noise at night but the trendy hotels with popular bars/restaurants do tend to be noisier. The Gramercy Park Hotel has become quite trendy and the UWS hotels are not.

If you prefer staying downtown, the Hampton Inn Soho is new and in a very good location for restaurants. There are also loads of trendy downtown hotels depending on your budget.