First trip to NYC
 

Hi - please ignore my screen name - this isn't a question about a honeymoon in NY. I was a bit short-sighted when I set up this account several years ago.

I'm hoping to get some advice on where to stay in NYC - not specific hotels (although I'm happy to hear about those too). But which areas... My husband and I are planning our first trip to New York over Memorial Day (Thur - Mon) and I'm finding hotels all over the map - quite literally.

Any suggestions for areas to be in for our first trip? For instance, I've heard Times Square can be loud and tacky (I can handle loud if there's enough to walk to but tacky I think I'd prefer to avoid), upper West side may be nice but not sure how central it is to things we might want to see, etc.

We'd like to do some exploring by foot, have some great meals and select two or three tourist must-sees (Met, a show, etc). I haven't mapped out an itinerary yet as I was thinking it may help narrow our choices if I start with best area to stay in first.

Any advice or sample itineraries would be most appreciated!

The UWS is an excellent neighborhood in which to stay. It's a 15 minute walk across Central Park to get to the Met, you're close to the Museum of Natural History. It's easy to get around Manhattan by walking, cab, or public transportation. The UWS is convenient to the theater district as well.

The neighborhood is residential, but chock full of cute moderatley priced restaurants and nice boutiques. Access to the park is easy. The Lucerne, Excelsior, and I think the Beacon are all hotels on the UWS that get good reviews.

UWS = Upper West Side (sorry!)

Unless you're doing a ton of theater I wold avoid Times Square. It's loud, garish and mobbed at all hours - often with packs of teens - either local or on school groups - and the sidewalk is often so crowded you have to walk in the sttreet. Also - it;s filled with a lot of poor and expensive restaurants- among some good choices.

I would definitely reco the upper west side for access to Central Park (cool, pretty and you can boat and bike a well as stroll), may museums nearby (Natrual History and NY Historical Society on the west side; the Met, Guggenheim and lot of others on Museum Mile on the east side).

The west side has 2 subway lines and you can be in Times Square and midtown in 10 minutes and South Ferry (for SOL and Ellis Island ferry) in 25 or less.

And since it's a mid/upscale residential area there are tons of great inexpensive and moderate restaurants of every possible ethicity (many New Yorkers work so late they routinely eat out or order in during the week). Street life is busy - with lots of shops and sidewalk cafes - but not frenetic like Times Square - or quiet at night like the more business districts in midtown.

Thanks! I'll start checking out the UWS hotels (now that i know what that means ;)

I'd also like to endorse midtown east - we stsyed at the Doubletree on Lexington last year and found it convenient to everything. We walked to Central Park and the Met, Bloomingdales, Rockefeller Center, Times Square in the evenings for shows, UN Building, Grand Central Terminal, Chrysler Building etc. etc. There is a subway station (#6) a few yards from the hotel entrance. There are several other hotels in the neighborhood - the Affinia 50, for instance, if the Doubletree is not to your liking.

For UWS you could try the Lucerne, On the Ave, Belleclaire for better prices or even the Beacon.

Midtown East has more hotel options, but I would still do UWS. Midtown East has a dearth of moderate good restaurants, and the neighborhood isn't very charming.

As someone who grew up on the UWS, DON'T STAY THERE. You are too far out of the action if you are taking a short trip and seeing the sights. Above 60th street, Central Park divides the city in half into two residential districts. The expensive convenience of staying in a Manhattan hotel is negated by having to cab or subway it up to change clothes, retrieve something, take a nap, etc.. When you are walking all day in the rain/heat/cold you will want easy access to your stuff/bed/bathroom. That is why the hotles are so expensive. Stay in Midtown West, in the 50's on 7th avenue, just North of Times Square. All the subways have stops there, it's safe at night and you are just a few blocks away from the noise of Times Square. Try the Park Central, or the Edison, they are not too expensive.

I live on the UWS. It is convenient to everything: 15 minutes to the Met (by bus), Greenwich Village (by train), two large parks (Riverside and Central), Lincoln Center is on the UWS and Carnegie Hall or Times Square are 10 minutes subway ride away. Also, the area is not as built up as other areas, and retains many pre-war buildings and some residential character. I can't imagine why anyone would want to stay near Times Square, its ugly and crowded.

I'm sorry, Jerry, I loved living on the UWS, but if you're doing a NY trip of only a few days, it pays to stay in Midtown, just North of Times Square in the 50's along 7th is a good base to see theater, 5th avenue and a jumping off place to go downown as all the subway lines cross in the West 50's. If you're walking all day its worth it to pop up to the room and take a break, much more convenient when you're below 60th street.

I used to live in the UWS, and I think it's one of the prettiest neighborhoods in the city. GIven that the OP wants moderately priced restaurants and access to the Met, midtown would not be a good idea. It's also very convenient to the theater district.

If they wanted to stay in the financial district, THAT would be inconvenient, but I really don't understand your reasoning.

LOL: Nytraveler, to those of us that live in small towns and take a first trip to NYC sometimes Times Square is what we want!

Seriously, your suggestion is good but I LOVE staying close to Times Square. I try to stay at the Hilton or a little place called Hotel 41.

Most tourists stay in midtown (34-59 st.) east (of Fifth ave.) or west (of Fifth Ave) on a first visit. Midtown west encompasses the Times Square area (west 42-52 st.) as well as just south of it (west 30's)and just north of it (west 50's). I don't think there's one "right" location for everyone. I think the upper west side is very nice and gives you easy access to midtown but also a flavor of a more residential area. I think midtown east does the same thing. For a short weekend visit, I also think staying in the west 50's would be very convenient so you could walk to the theaters and other tourist venues (like tour bus offices). The Blakely is a lovely smaller hotel. blakelyhotelny.com
The Michelangelo is also in the same general area and often available on quikbook.com at good prices.

In midtown east, the San Carlos is another good smaller hotel.

There are a few hotels that offer both very near Times Square locations but quieter streets. The Casablanca, the Muse and the Sofitel are a few examples.

There are often very good discounted prices for Memorial Weekend, so try not to get booked into something uncancellable. Check specials on travelzoo.com

One of the best ways to spend an afternoon is at the South Street Seaport...

http://www.southstreetseaport.com/html/

There are a number of shops around the seaport itself and a huge food court where you can sample a number of NYC foodstuffs. And have a drink.

I've walked there from 30th Street station but it's a hike from midtown.

Pjk

The UWS is very convenient to lots of major attractions (including Cenral Park and most of the major museums). If you're staying in midtown you will have to cab or subway to get to them.

Attractions in NYC are so spread out that no one place is near all or even most of them

So - people can pick an area based on what they want to spend most time doing, or where they can get the best deal.

But saying that the UWS is very inconvenient is simply incorrect.

It seems we have opened up a can of worms here, but, for the record, I love the UWS, grew up there in the 1960's and go back often. However, for a short trip like the original poster described (Thur-Mon) staying on the UWS is NOT convenient. Close to Midtown, either East or West is the ticket. If u are roaming around NYC, a handy place to change clothing, shower or nap is a godsend. Having to travel back and forth to the UWS is a time-killer when time is in short supply. the ONLY reason to stay on the UWS if it was substanitally cheaper than Midtown!

agreed. Also love the UWC, but wouldn't (and haven't ever) recommend that to first-time visitors. Staying in midtown gets you closer to the action, especially since the subway can be initimidating for many during the first few days.

It's a matter of taste, but I would recommend not staying in midtown, especially over a weekend, when almost everybody around you is a tourist or restless kids from the suburbs.

I'd rather stay in a neighborhood where actual New Yorkers live. The Upper West Side is a good choice. You can walk across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum, or take the bus across 79th Street. In fact, riding the buses is a good way to get a feel for the city, if you can deal with the slow pace of the trip(s).

Chelsea is another very interesting neighborhood to stay in.

Times Square is definitely worth a visit, but unless you want to be in a tourist ghetto, I wouldn't stay there.

Two afterthoughts:

1. You don't need to be afraid of the subway. just consult a subway map, and know before you go downstairs which train you need and what stop you'll be getting off at. The subway is a vital part of the NY experience.

2. With a city as big as New York (or London or Los Angeles), I think it takes a week or so to really learn your way around. You don't have a week, so I would spend lots of time with a good guidebook beforehand.

Enjoy your visit. It's a wonderful city.