thinking of vacation in nyc in 2004....when is the most economical time of the year to travel there??

any suggestions on hotels &/or things to do?

My personal viewpoint is that it is never really cheap, but of course, there are a lot of money saving tips you can use anytime.
There is no "low" season. When the weather is bad and there are no holidays, that's when the conventions hit, so you still can't usually get good hotel deals. There are special deals off and on all the time, but they are as likely to be for a weekend in May as they are for a mid week in February.

I love walking in New York, and being a Floridian, I'd aim for nicer weather. April or May, late September, early October come to mind. The only reason I'll head up there in the winter is for some time around Christmas, but as many have been saying lately, don't look for bargains then.

Fall & holiday season are the most crowded. I'd suggest visiting in the Summer, with the exception of holiday weekends.

For suggestions, do a search of this forum and you'll find hundreds or helpful discussions.

Enjoy NYC!

Our favorite months for visiting, weatherwise, are May, June, September and October as well.

Hotel rates tend to be lower in July and August, though the weather is typically quite hot and humid. But, you can predict either for certain.

Hotel rates tend to be at their lowest in January, February, and March.

We're heading over to NYC for Thanksgiving and have noticed hotels are cheaper then as there is no business occupancy. Lots of tourists but still cheaper.
Obviously weather is not great that time of year.
We were over in early July last year and both the weather and hotel rates were favourable, but I'm not sure if thats because tourism was still recovering in NYC.

I would not recommend New York in July or August. The weather is frequently unbearably hot and humid - and walking is no fun. And that's one of New York's greatest joys. I enjoy the winter months - its' usually not too cold for walking briskly (rarely lower than 30 during the day). May and October may be best for most people - both in terms of weather and also in terms of shows/activities.

I too travel NYC several times in the winter- Jan- Feb. Great hotel rates, good availability for shows and usually you don't get long streches of bad weather. Dress for it and enjoy. Summer is crowded hot and humid.

From a pure "best weather/walking" perspective, you can't beat October. NYC is justly famous for its lovely autumns when the air is brisk, the city is humming and all seems right with the world.