New York Hotel Confusion
 

Well, our next trip is to New York. I have read extensively about the city but am quite overwhelmed. I am confused as to where to stay(like most posters on this board) We are hoping to find something between 80.00-150.00. It's most important that we feel safe walking back to our hotel at night so we like a hotel that is located on streets with resturants that have lots of people out etc. but we also like our room to be free from street/traffic noise so we can get our rest. We enjoy theatre(not just the big shows... off-broadway too), shopping(at funky places) in and dining in resturants(that are inexpensive and unique). We also love to walk and usually cover a lot of ground on foot when we travel. My instinct says the theatre district.. but are there any other suggestions for areas? What about the Garmet District? We can get a reasonable rate at the "Pennsylvania Hotel"... any feedback? What about Greenwich Village? or UWS......Help?

well, I've done some searching on this site and definately I have crossed the Penn. Hotel off my list. I am also hearing mixed to poor reviews about the Milford--so I might 86 that one as well.<BR><BR>Here is what I have narrowed it down to:<BR>1. Edison<BR>2. West Park @ colombus circle<BR>3. Wellington<BR><BR>The Millennium Broadway also looks GREAT but might be a bit too pricey (for us) but I think I'm going to try a bid on priceline.<BR><BR>Any feedback would be appreciated<BR><BR>Cheers!

The Garment District is where they manufacture/sell/distribute apparell made in NYC..it is busy,noisy,crowded during working hours,quiet and sort of dead after hours and not an attractive area in the city...this of course being just my opinion...there are so many much more pretty/nice/pleasant areas to stay in.<BR>The Village is great, right in the middle of parks,great eating,shows,shopping,sightseeing.<BR>The Theater district can be hectic,noisy,and a little cheesy but still a good tourist destination.<BR>Then there are quieter small hotels a little away from the mania of New York City..<BR>The great thing about the city, you can walk everywhere, and where it is too far,you can easily take buses,cabs,and if you are adventurous,take a subway:)<BR>The hotels that friends of mine go to are pretty pricey,but there are so many,go through old threads and see what names of hotels pop up a lot, and check those out.<BR>I also like the Soho area, those hotels may be pretty pricey too but they are the Soho Grand and the Mercer.

Another site you might find useful found useful for checking hotel reviews is:<BR><BR>www.newyork.citysearch.com

The Theatre District is not a bad idea for a tourist, except that it will be very noisy and crowded 24/7. For those reasons, most locals avoid it like the plague. For your purposes, though, it will be near lots of tourist sites, easy walking distance to others, and will have a myriad of hotel choices at various price points.<BR><BR>I would skip the Garment District. It is dirty and deserted at night. Very few restaurant options. Just not where you want to stay. Ditto on the Pennsylvania Hotel.<BR><BR>Many people have had success using Priceline for NY hotels. You might try bidding for midtown east or midtown west. Either would be good options.<BR><BR>Otherwise, here are a few options:<BR><BR>Habitat Hotel -- 57th near Lexington. It's around 100 a night. Relatively new, tourist-class hotel in a nice area, close to Bloomingdale's, Madison & Fifth Aves shopping, walking distance to Rockefeller Center, easy bus or subway to Metropolitan, Whitney and Guggenheim museums, short walk to theatre district. www.habitatny.com<BR><BR>Pickwick Arms -- a little further from the sites you want to see, but tucked in a quiet side street on 51st between 2nd & 3rd. Plenty of restaurants/bars nearby. Very reasonably priced. They even have single rooms.

Priceline would be my first tactic if I could live with having only one bed per room (you might get two if lucky but no guarantees on that anywhere, particularly in NYC). You're wise to rule out Garment District - there are a couple places there which are okay (e.g. Ramada New Yorker) but the slightly seedy daytime character of the 8th Ave strip and the relative absence of nighttime pedestrian traffic make it a less than ideal choice for tourists. Park West and Wellington are both great locations - the latter in a slightly quieter spot but in any hotel a room facing airshaft or side of building will tend to be quieter than front or rear. It depends - I stayed once at radio City Apartments on 49th between 6th and 7th on the 4th floor front and it was remarkably quiet. Park West is a few blocks closer to a subway stop - this can be convenient when you're coming and going fromt he room a few times each day. the selection of hotels in the Village and Soho is limited and frequently pricier than midtown or the Theatre district. With the wide range of activities you're mentioning, a central location such as you're suggesting is good. When you arrive, get an up to date pocket sized subway map and get either a one week metrocard or get the one day cards by the day (unlimited rides). Just remember that the east and west numbered streets start at 5th Ave and go in each direction. You'll find it very easy to find your way around. In the village it's a bit tougher but get oriented with 7th Ave South, Broadway, and Houston as locating points - easy to get "un-lost". Traveling on foot between subway rides is THE way to see and enjoy the city - you'll love it. Lots of interesting dining and offbeat shows available - I second the Citysearch recommendation. I live in the area and it remains my primary reference for finding out about less than mainstream events of interest.

Wow! Thanks so much for all the great advice. I am currently looking into the properties you have all suggested. With the feed back you all gave me I feel much more confident about making my final selection<BR><BR>Cheers!

I agree, the Theater District is the perfect choice for your needs. We always stay in that area. Try looking at either Quikbook.com or Express-res.com We have the Time Hotel for next weekend at $159, but they offer "budget" hotels in a lower range. I do have a friend who loves the Hotel Edison. Its a great location.

I was in NYC last month and stayed at the Best Western President in the Theatre District (48th & 8th). I was quite pleased with the area. I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt twice before but I like this locale much better. There's a cute little area right around the corner call Restaurant Row, with all different types of eateries and pubs.<BR>The hotel was priced well (125.00 per nite), the rooms were small, but clean and that's all I cared about.<BR>Just a quick stroll to Times Square as well. I choose this hotel based on much of what was said about it on this board, good feedback.<BR>Do a search and read the reviews.<BR>Have fun, it's a great town to visit!!

Carol:<BR><BR>Be sure that when asking a hotel rate, you find out what the final rate will be once tax is included. There is quite a bit of taxe on hotel rooms in NYC and it will add about $10 per day to the rate.<BR><BR>

We've reserved at the Buckingham Hotel on 57th st and 6th Avenue. Have asked about it on this site, but nobody's had first hand experience. Looks good on their web site, location is great. Usually reserve by the month but have nightly rates - $139 for a studio, $159 for a one bedroom with kitchen. We'll find out!

Personally I had a wonderful experience with Priceline by getting the Millennium Broadway for $90. I had the choice of a king size bed or two "extra large twins" and took the king, but there would have been plenty of room for a rollaway if I'd needed it. Yes, you take a chance with Priceline, but when you're only in your room to sleep, as we were, you can't go wrong when you get a four star hotel!

I just came back from New York, and actually posted on one or two other threads about this same topic. I stayed at the Beacon this time, on the recommendation of several people who had stayed there and liked it. I paid $145, for which I got a standard room (they also have small suites) which included a well-equipped kitchenette. There's a great supermarket right across the street. The hotel is on the upper west side, which is a mixture of residential and upscale shopping, within walking distance of Lincoln Center; the subway is 2 blocks away and it's also a short cab ride or long (but do-able) walk from the theater district. I felt very safe walking around at night. There are lots of people out because of the large number of restaurants in the area. <BR> I've also stayed at the Best Western President and found it absolutely fine. I just like the Beacon's neighbourhood a little better and I have friends who live nearby so it was very convenient. <BR> I stayed at the Pickwick Arms quite a few years ago and didn't think it was a very nice place - not all that clean and not in particularly good shape. However, that was a long time ago and things may well have changed since then.<BR> Another one I like a lot is the Salisbury. It's quite pricy but some of the discount sites had it listed at around $125 this past month. It's across the road from Carnegie Hall, very close to the theater district and Times Square. If you can get that for the price you want to pay, it would be terrific; the location is ideal and it's a very nice hotel, in a very safe neighbourhood. Have a great trip!