Bwino

Well I have taken all the great advice given here on board and booked a hotel - http://www.suttoncourt.com. It is an apartment hotel and does not have daily cleaning which is fine by us. I have booked a 1 bedroom apartment with River and City views for $269 per night. Seems a great price and required a credit card for confimation though no monies are deducted. Cancellations 3 days prior to arrival incur no charge. So I hope after many, many, many hours of searching we may have found what we were looking for. Reviews I have found are very good.

I am intrested in comments on the area please.

Thanks again for all input.

DebitNM

I have no first hand knowledge of hotel, but it looks wonderful!

The location is not in the hub of the city that most tourists stay in, but I don't think that is a bad thing. In fact, I think it will affort you a bit of insight into what it's like to live in the city.

Ya done good!

Bwino

Thanks Deb, it says 2klm from Times Square, so to me that is very close to the 'madness' for this small Tropical Island living girl

Bwino

Also on the subject of this area, we have the following shows booked as well and would like to know if we can walk / catch train home or if we should try and get a taxi at night.

Radio City Christmas Show
Ice Hockey at Madison Squate Garden
Straight no Chaser at the Beacon Theatre
Merchant of Venice at the Broadhurst Theatre

Thanks for your input. For those who use both forums please excuse this being posted on here and on TA.

yk

Bwino, do you know about hotstop? It's very useful for subway/bus directions. http://www.hopstop.com/

Bwino

Thanks yk, will take a look.

HowardR

It's about a mile to the Radio City Music Hall, about 1 1/4 miles to the Broadhurst, about 1 1/2 to 2 miles to the other two sites.
It won't be easy to get a cab after any of the events.

Bwino

Thanks Howard, they are fairly short distances so should give us a chance to walk off some of the great food we plan to eat in NYC.

ellenem

The location is a busy residential neighborhood. While Sutton Place itself is considered a bit posh, your location is around the corner on 57th St--a perfectly fine block. (The apartment hotel developers have chosen a name that that enhances its image by referencing a more exclusive neighboring street.) The location is a bit far east, with the closest subway station half a mile away. There are some crosstown buses nearby on 57th St that may be helpful to you.

ciaony

It's a nice residential area, kind of close to the hospital though. You will probably find yourself spending a lot of money on taxis unless you don't mind walking out a few blocks to transportation or sights. The bridge is really nice. There are great views in that area.

nytraveler

It's an upscale residential area but not great for transit/or tourists.

Considering the season - and the greater difficulty in finding cabs - esp if the weather is bad it can be VERY difficult - you should get yourself subway (not near the place y u are staying) and bus maps - and study them to learn your transit options.

Usually NYC is a great walking city - and if you get good weather (you might get temps in the 40s) that will be fine. But if you get substantial snow or sleet - or just damp, windy and temps in the 20s - walking can get cold very fast.

Bwino

Thank you ellenem and ciaony, maybe I am naive but walking 2klm no matter the weather seems a very easy distance to us, we walk much further than that every day, but maybe walking in NYC is so totallly different we don't understand?

Nytraveler thanks for your input, from our rsearch and from what you have previously advisd it rarely snows in NYC before Christmas so I am sure we can walk or catch the bus, yes? it is a short distance for us to walk 5klm, we do that every day.

HowardR

Fear not, NYC is a great city for walking.

starrs

In winter I prefer staying closer to a subway station.
Be sure to dress warmly if the temps are low.

ellenem

"Thank you ellenem and ciaony, maybe I am naive but walking 2klm no matter the weather seems a very easy distance to us, we walk much further than that every day, but maybe walking in NYC is so totallly different we don't understand?"

You are unusual in that respect. New Yorkers are accustomed to walking, but many visitors complain about walking more than 10 minutes. Even those accustomed to walking may be unprepared for how a day of "pounding the pavement" feels on tired feet at the end of a day. (In more central areas of Manhattan, the subway stations would be much closer, perhaps a five-minute walk at most.)

starrs

<waving hand here>
Ahem. ellenem would be talking about visitors like me.
First of all, I can't keep up with her pace and have learned to request we slow down the walk.
As she said, walking on pavement all day is something many of us are not used to. Be sure to take 3 pair of comfortable shoes to switch out often.
I love NYC but in bitter cold with the wind sweeping through the canyons of buildings? Brrr!!! Coming from the tropics you run the chance of having your breath taken away from the bitter cold. But, if you are prepared for it and dress warmly you'll be okay. If you are too tired and cold for the walk "home" from the subway, go to a hotel and pick up a taxi to bring you home. The line may be long (I'm thinking of the usual line at the Hilton on 6th) but it's a good option if you can't catch a cab on the streets.
I, for one, have absolutely no qualms about paying for taxis. IMO it's money well spent. I LIKE seeing the sights and lights of neighborhoods of NYC from the window of a car vs going underneath everything in the subway. Buses are a good compromise.

nytraveler

NYC is a great walking city and I don;t even mind walking during much of the winter - but I like cold weather.

However, if it is 30 and raining/sleeting and windy (it's often quite windy since the tall buildings filter all of the wind from the rivers on either side of the island into the cross streets - numbered streets - like 57th etc - so it can take your breath away) - walking can be no fun.

It's true there is rarely much snow before Christmas - although an inch or two often turns up - but about 6 years ago we had 12" on Christmas day. So you need a warm coat, scarf, gloves, hat and waterproof shoes or booties with non-skid soles if you'll be walking much.

And frankly - at night when the temp can be 20 and feel like 10 or below with the wind chill - walking more than a couple of blocks becomes unpleasant.

Most areas of the city are closer to the subway (the best way to get around) - but you can use the bus to get to it - or just buses - if you run into a really cold spell.

genio67

Since you are seeing the Christmas Show, I assume you are travelling in November or December. It is rarely freezing cold at that time of year. The really frigid cold is generally January/February. Dress warm and just go, you will be fine. If you really get tired of walking and think the subway is too far, there is a crosstown bus on 57th street and a bus up 1st Ave and down 2nd ave. I lived between 1st and York for several years and I walked to the train on Lex and back every single day, regardless of the weather. Actually, I usually walked to the westside every morning. This location is just fine and personally, I would much rather stay there than anywhere near times Square or other tourist hubs.

Gretchen

It is 'way on the east side. It is fine, but I think walking to Broadway is just not an option in my world. Investigate the buses.
NYC is a good walking city, but the east side is not that part of the walking, in my opinion. And I lived and worked there.

Bwino

Thanks everyone for your input. The distance seems very short to me but the cold will be a factor.

Someone on tripadvisor has told me this hotel is illegal, any opinions? www.suttoncourt.com