Hello,
I know this is a very general question, but I have never been to NYC, and would like to know which area in Manhattan would be best convenient for 2 people without a car. I would like to be centrally located, in an area where I can walk and see shops and other interesting things, and where I can use public transportation from.

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Wow... perhaps you should search on this site first and education yourself on NYC. You do not need/want a car, there is public transportation everywhere, there are many different neighborhoods, etc., etc., etc.

That should have been "educate" yourself. Apologies for typo.

You can certainly search this forum on various NYC topics and get loads of great info. Don't worry about not having a car; a car is more of a liability than an asset in Manhattan. Getting around is pretty easy. It is a very walkable place. Look into transit options at www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/general/index.html. Taxis abound, too, though at rush times or bad weather it can take a while to find one and you have to deal with traffic congestion.
In terms of lodging location, people seem to have their favorites. I prefer Midtown East (Murray Hill area) or Upper West Side. MTE is central, out of the tourist fray but near enough for easy access to popular spots, and has lots of moderately priced (by NYC standards) shops and restaurants. UWS is busier, more commercial but very well served by public transport. Times Square area is clogged with tourists, not to my liking.
NYC offers so much to see and do it is virtually impossible to get it all in during one visit. Do some research, choose your priorities, and enjoy!

Almost any location has access to mass transit, and is walking distance to interesting things, restaurants and shops. No one location is walking distance to everything unless you love to walk (several miles). SUbways are generally the fastest way to get around. Buses are OK depending on the time of day and the bus schedule, and there's always taxis which are the priciest (and could be slow if in traffic).

Most midtown locations are fine (midtown east, west and south). Midtown west is probably the most popular tourist location but not necessarily the best location (that's the times sq area and theater district). It's chaotic, has lots of traffic (both people and vehicular) and many overpriced restaurants (there are good restuarants too, you just have to be selective) and tourist-oriented shops.

Areas around Central Park are also nice. I would say anything as far south as 20th st, or north as 80th st are fine. Another nice area where there are some nice hotels is Soho. There are many nice shops and restaurants down there and good access to public transportation.

I suggest too that you do a little homework and get more famaliar with the lay of the land. There may be an area near a particular site or 2 that interests you more than another area, although with public transportaion, everything is very accessible.

ALso, if you give a hotel price range, poeple may be able to give you some good recommendations. ALso if you are looking for vale, you may consider using priceline. CHeck out biddingfortravel for more info on that.

Tali,
How long are planning to stay?? If you are
just staying a few nights, then the Times Square area is a good choice for a first visit.

For a first stay I would say stay in the 40s or 50s, East or West. You can walk home from the theatre at night and you're near Times Square, St Patrick's Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, the fancy department stores, Madison Avenue, Central Park (if in the 50s).

For small boutique shopping, if that's your focus to the exclusion of everything else, stay in Greenwich Village or Gramercy Park as a base, or Tribeca or Soho if you have a big budget, and walk to the various boutique-y neighborhoods (SoHo, East VIllage, NoLiTa).

Tali, I'm not trying to be a smarta$$ but your very best plan of attack and the best way to get the most for your money would be to purchase a guidebook and start reading.

Either Lonely Planet, Fodors, Frommers, Birnbaums, Time Out New York, or NYC for Dummies are all great places to start.

After you read, you'll get an idea of what you want to see and what you want to do.

Pick no more than two major things per day to do.

Example, you can do the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a Broadway Play on the same day but don't try to cram in a nice restaurant.

You can do Ellis Island and dinner at Babbo but don't try to add a Broadway Show or the Museum of Modern Art.

There are a few things that take less time than other and they are The Frick, Grand Central, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge etc but just ask and you'll find out.

Most first timers make the mistake of trying to cram in too many activities.

After you read a guidebook, come back and read the boards. You'll see a pattern start to form.

Tali, I just came back from NYC and stayed at the Marriott East Side on Lexington and 49th street, which i guess is the Murray hill area (?)
We found that location to be very convenient, as it is walking distance to Times Square and grand central station, but not too crowded with tourists. This is the same area that the W hotel is at. Once you figure out the subway system, you can pretty much go anywhere you want. It's confusing at first, but as was my experience, New Yorkers are very friendly and helpful if you have any questions. You'll figure it out before you know it! We actually had no trouble finding taxis, even in the rain

Oh, and PLEASE bring good walking shoes. Even with all the public transportation, you will walk A LOT. Also, set up a free tour with the big apple greeters. Our tour was great!

www.bigapplegreeters.org