I'm taking my husband to New York City for his first visit as a surprise for his 60th birthday. We'll be arriving by train from Boston.

Lucerne is offering a special at $290 including dinner at Tavern on the Green. Additional nights are $175 excluding tax. Is this worth looking into?

I planned a trip to London and Paris 2 years ago and had less trouble making an itinerary than planning a long weekend in New York.

I can't get the logistics under my belt. Everyday I'm on the board looking for info, checking out hotels, location, rates, etc. I think I have a moderate budget but don't know if I should book with breakfast included or just the room. Each hotel seems to have a different rating. We really don't need a super luxurious room, but I don't want a worn down flea bag hotel either. Should be stay near Times Square (hope to get tickets to 42nd Street and Rockettes)so we can walk back to our hotel after the show or should I book near Central Park and walk to Times Square and theater district during the day and then cab back to Lucerne after the show? I have our plans tentatively in mind, Empire State, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, St. Patricks for Mass on Sunday morning, 5th avenue, Little Italy, Greenwich (the typical tourist stuff as it's his first visit). I'm really having a problem here. Also, how much should I expect to spend on cab fares. Is the TKTS booth worth a try for 42nd Street or should I order ahead? I saw the posting for dinners pre-theater which helped. I really need help! Any and all suggestions would really be appreciated. Not planning on New York until October so I have time, but would like to get everything set in my mind.

I should have mentioned that I really don't want to pay over $175/night for the room, if possible, and even less would be great. Is this really unrealistic? Does anyone know what the Riverside Tower Hotel is like. It's advertised all the time in the Sunday Globe.

I don't have a whole lot of advice to offer redhat, but if I had my choice, I would much rather stay closer to Central Park, not the Times Square area. It will be quieter and it is prettier. Times Square, although kinda neat the first time around, loses it's appeal after a little while.
I would also be tempted to order tickets for Broadway ahead of time.

Your husband is very lucky!! Have fun.

If the Riverside Tower hotel is the one that has an address like 80 Riverside Drive, STAY AWAY!, My relatives, hardened former New Yorkers literally ran out of the place--they said it was a dump.

As far as your other deal(Lucerne), well, the $295 deal seems to be charging you $125 for Tavern on the Green. You should be able to do it on your own for that price, so the hotel deal may not be that important to have. The hotel's location is in a residential area, about a 10-15 minute train ride into midtown.

You should also know that most people here agree that Tavern on the Green, while in a pretty location (and not very far from the hotel) is not known for great food. If you do want to go there, consider lunch, bruncg or a pre-theater dinner--much less of an investment...

Have you looked at Priceline for hotels? May be a good option for you. Suggest you stay away from Times Square - its very loud, garish, noisy etc. Staying on Central Park South or the upper west side is much more pleasant - and there are many better, less expensive restaurants than some of the tourist traps in Times Square. The Lucerne gets generally good reviews but I would not take the TOG package - the food is poor to mediocre and not worth the price. It's a pretty location - and if you must go do it for lunch and order defensively (salad or something really simple). There are many much better restaurants for less money.

I think you should have little trouble getting 42 St at TKTS - it's not SRO as far as I'm aware - but someone who's done that recently may have more info.

For transport plan on walking a lot and taking the subway - the most practical way to get to most of the places you want. Cabs are not that expensive - a relatively short ride will be $8/9 plus tip - but thay can be hard to get in rush hours and if you hit heavy traffic the fares can shoot up quickly.

Don't be overfaced - this is all really simple - just get the first piece (hotel) in place and the rest will be easy.

I agree with the advice you've gotten so far. Picking where to stay is so hard. Most NYers just don't understand wanting to stay in Times Square but there are a number of hotels in that area but not right in TS. You don't mention when you're going so I can't check prices. I would look at the Michelangelo hotel. It's in the TS area but not right in the hubbub.

I was also reading the reviews of the Avalon hotel today on tripadvisor. It sounds great but not the very best location but life is a compromise . The Belvedere is also worth checking.

The Park South hotel in a totally different area (east 20's) often has special packages that might interest you.

BTW, I'm not discounting the Lucerne. I think it's good. I also think the Excelsior on the upper west side is good.

You can easily gets tickets to 42nd st at the TKTS booth. One tip, if you're downtown at the South Street Seaport, there's also a TKTS booth there that is much less crowded and will sell matinee tickets the day before the show. Another option is to buy them online from one of the discount codes that appear on playbill.com, theatermania.com or hitshowclub.com

I personally wouldn't worry about breakfast at the hotel. If it comes with fine. If not, there are so many options for breakfast from diners to delis to Starbucks.

We loved our recent stay at the Lucerne. Try to call the hotel direct and ask about discounts for AAA, Costco, Sams, etc. I got a AAA discount for a $160 a night rate (in April.) The location was perfect - just a block from Central Park and close to the subway. There is a great little bistro attached to the hotel we loved for breakfast or lunch.

IMO, Tavern on the Green is enchanting on a warm summer night. If you want to eat there, walk there at sunset, have dinner and get a carriage ride through the park afterwards.