I will be traveling to NYC in November from NH. Going to a concert a MSG. Where to stay?. Want to be relatively near MSG but also near Midtown - Rock Center that area. read alot about different hotels. Want something decent but not too expensive. Also, how difficult driving right into the city?. Have been to NYC before on either a bus or last time on the Metro North. Never stayed overnight so figured driving in was the better bet this time. Just dont know about parking and if we take the train having to drag our luggage with us. Can we do that? What do most people do?. Any help would be great! Thanks

First, DON'T DRIVE. Prepare to be inundated with posters about that alone. Do a Fodor's search about driving and New York City and you'll read plenty.

The train is a cinch. You pop upstairs (MSG is attached, by the way), a line of cabs await you, you'll be at your midtown hotel in 15 minutes.

I personally liked the Mayflower on the Park a lot. A nice price, VERY convenient to buses, subways, everything, you can walk to Rock Center, Central Park across the street (ask for a park view room, up high, well worth any few extra bucks. Or ask for an upgrade to a park view at check-in.) Subway right on the corner, buses a straight shot to anywhere you want to go, cheap cab ride to MSG or anywhere else midtown. Have fun.

While Chris' advice on not taking your car is right on the mark, he/she is in error about which station most (if not all) Metro North trains come into, which is Grand Central Station. And, it's Penn Station that's connected to MSG.
As for a hotel, what price range do you consider as "decent but not too expensive"?
While the Mayflower is a good suggestion, it's not the most convenient for going to MSG.

Oops, sorry bout that, you're right, Howard, about Grand Central vs. Penn Station. Just to add that I know the Mayflower isn't the most convenient to MSG, but to me anyway everything in midtown is "close enough," and the Mayflower's location is so PLEASANT compared to the area around MSG.

Wendy: I vote for Metro North to Grand Central. The Roosevelt, Grand Hyatt and Fitzpatrick Hotels are right at Grand Central, you can wheel your luggage directly to any of these without a problem. The Grand Central location is very central and leaves you within walking distance of Rock Center, Times Square, Empire State Building and even MSG is you get good weather and don't mind walking about a mile.

Sorry to quibble guys, but nobody in NY ever called Rockefeller Center "Rock Center" Why not set the tourists straight so they'll be more comfortable when they're here.
Like everyone else, I add DON'T Drive. You'll pay $30-40 a day to park and you won't want to use it when you're in the city. As for specific hotels, let us know your price range. People on this board have posted many times on getting good times square hotels using priceline or other promotions--do a search and you'll find lots of details. Also, who are the travelers? A couple of people in their 20's might be more interested in staying in Times Square rather than a place like the Mayflower

xxx: When responding to this forum I almost always use Rock Center, it's just a lot easier to type and everyone knows what you're refering to. I generally do not use it when talking (probably showing my age) but I have noticed over the past 10-15 years, many of the younger people in New York now refer to it as Rock Center.

Hey Frank, I agree that typing Rockefeller often trips me up but I'll risk it. Tourists who come to NY get snickers and dirty looks when they ask how to get to Hew-stun (i.e. Houston) street or for details on the "Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art" so
I was hoping to be helpful rather than rude--hope it didn't come across as unhelpful.

We drive to NYC from NH several times a year. Just plan your route to your hotel in advance (taking care to note the one way streets). Note also that the motor entrance of some hotels is not their "address" but perhaps around the corner or even the next street over. We've had great luck with www.hotwire.com for Boston and Baltimore, but haven't tried it yet for NYC. With the favorable rates, though, location (other the general areas you are able to select) isn't that important. The savings will pay for a lot of taxi rides (and the overnight parking). We went to Madison Square Garden weekend before last and "strolled" back to our hotel. We started off thinking we'd grab a cab if we felt like it later on. Walked all the way from 31st St. to 56th St to our hotel. There's so much to see along the way. The best way to see NYC and enjoy NYC is walking. And, you're never far from the subway or bus. You can download fabulous maps of the subway and bus routes at the NYC transit website. We've considered parking the car in Hartford and taking the train, but have never done this. Easier to haul the luggage in the car.

I will get blasted for my comment, but NYC is not hard to drive in, drive out or get around.

Parking CAN be a problem, and can be expensive at times. It really depends.

Don't be afraid of driving in the city. Just plan ahead (where you need to be and how to leave).

Mass transit is preferable, but NYC is not like LaPaz, Cali or other 'make-up-the-rules' cities.

Thanks for all the input. It seems like the train thing is the way to go. As far as hotels, there are so many to choose from and location is key too. I am figuring on spending or would like to spend between 120-150 dollars. I know there are some good deals out there right now. I took the metro north a couple of years ago into NYC and it seemed pretty simple. Does anyone know if any of the train stations in Conn are secure? We parked at a station that was just a big lot and not secure at all but we were only going for the day. We will be in NYC 2 nights this time. Thanks.