I'm going to be going to Manhattan in April to see a concert at the Irving Plaza. My plan is to stay at a hotel near the Empire State.

What do I need to know about getting back to the hotel AFTER the show, likely around midnight? Safe to walk? Taxi? How long would said walk be?

Thanks!

I'm not sure how much walking you do but the walk is definitely "do-able". I would say around 15-20 minutes depending on where the hotel is.

26th Street to just below ES between 5th and 6th is a little scary to me late at night so depending on where your hotel is, I would just stick to Park north and then cross over.

Taxi should be no problem as well if you choose that option.

Hope that makes sense.

It's definitely doable, but ataxi ride would take about 5 minutes, so if you are uncomfortable about walking, just flag down a taxi.

I walk a LOT so the time and distance aren't a problem. I was just more concerned about safety issues that late at night. Maybe, for NYC midnight isn't late.

I was in NYC for New Years 2003, and had a great time and walked everywhere. But with the ball drop and increased security, I never felt a problem.

Thanks for the input!

It is no problem to do this walk. You may feel safer sticking to the avenues, since they are brighter and have more traffic. Also, the subway close by at Union Square is a good option at that hour.

Definitely you can walk. Not far at all, and I've never had any problems in that area at that time, safety wise. If you haven't already decided on a hotel, check out the Four Points Chelsea. We loved it.

The walk back to your hotel will be safe and fine - but you may NEED to take a taxi if you're going to a show at Irving Plaza - unless you're a mucky-muck with a record company or the band (they get reserved seating upstairs) - Irving Plaza is standing only, and I know for me, after standing for 2 or 3 hours, any walk is too long!

If your hotel is east of 5th Ave, walk if you're in the mood.

But if your hotel is west of 5th, take a taxi. The area around 34th Street west of 5th is kinda desolate & nasty at night.

Thanks again everyone!

Well, I got my tickets to the concerts. Actually, my favorite band is doing 2 nights at Irving Plaza and I got tickets to both nights. A Tuesday and Wednesday.

I'm going to look for a room at either the Red Roof Inn or Herald Square Hotels. They're recommended here and look good at Trip Advisor. I think both are near the Empire State.

Now I need to figure out what else to do. I was thinking in on Monday and out on Thursday, but I may go in on Sunday. Empire State, MOMA and maybe something on Broadway. Hmmmmmm.

But anway, my second trip to New York and now I'm getting excited.

Thanks again!

On Broadway, see SPRING AWAKENING. It's excellent, with great music; it's being called the new "Rent."

MoMA is fantastic, of course. Start at the top with the permanent collection.

Instead of the Empire State Bldg, go to Top of the Rock.

I've already done the Empire State, so I welcome any other options. I'll certainly do the Top of the Rock. Does the Chrysler have an observation deck?

I've booked the Red Roof Inn and the Belvedere. RRI at $180 and Belvedere at $250. I'll keep one, if anyone wants to help me choose. Price isn't an issue really. Just want clean, safe and quiet. And a good location. Belvedere gets better reviews on Trip Advisor. Leaning that way.

Now I'm off to get air tickets.

Thanks Gekko!

Also looking at the Hampton Inn Times Square on 8th at $280. Looks nice than the Belvedere but not as good of reviews on TA.

Can't understand why you'd want to stay near the Empire State. Either stay closer to Irving Plaza (the Park South is usually affordable on quikbook.com--rooms are small but place is better than Red Roof imo) or do a Priceline bid for a 4* hotel anywhere in Manhattan. You'll pay $110-150 for a nice place. Check biddingfortravel.com to see what others are getting/paying.

Are the prices you mention for 1 night or 2? If just for 1 night, even more reason to consider Priceline. Book something cancellable now though. Belvedere and HI Times Square are fine, but not at those prices.

I wasn't wanting to stay by the Empire State, it was just the location of a few places I saw mentioned. I'll give Priceline a try.

I just tried Priceline for a hotel in Omaha next month when I go to see family and got a 3* that gets terrible reviews on TA.

The prices I mentioned are per night. The last time I was in NYC, I stayed at the Parker Meridian and loved it but price wasn't an issue. Price is only an issue this time, because the less I spend the more I can travel. Lots of plans for this year.

I'll look at BFT, but do you know any of the Priceline zones in Manhattan to avoid?

If you liked Parker Meridian (Central Park South) , it has been yielding some good Priceline wins lately (sourceFT) ... of course, it's all about supply / demand for the dates in question, as you know. Booking a cancel-able affordable back-up is a good idea before playing with Priceline.

Personally I'd stick to the Midtown East / Midtown West / Central Park South zones, and use taxis or the subway to get further downtown to play. (But I'm old now, and probably wouldn't even be allowed into the Irving .

Rock on.

I wouldn't avoid areas on Priceline but I would stick to bidding ONLY at the 4* level. There are some clinker 3* hotels and by staying with 4*s you have 2 free re-bid zones, upper west side and upper east side.

You might not want to stay in the "downtown, soho, financial" area only b/c it's not as central and you could wind up at the Millenium Hilton in the Financial district. The hotel's fine but it's not as convenient as other options.

The area closest to the concert is Midtown South but I rarely see any wins in that area. I don't know if that's 'cause people don't bid it or some other reason. The two 4* hotels in that area are Morgans and 70 Park, both reasonably nice.

The area next closest/convenient for transport from Irving Plaza is midtown east. In midtown east recent wins have been the Grand Hyatt and the Barclay Intercontinental.

Upper midtown/Central Park South is the area the Parker Meridien is in and there have been some wins of that lately at $160 (vs. the other 4* areas at $115-140).

The only area I haven't mentioned yet with 4*s is midtown west (theater district) which is generally the most popular. Usual wins there are one of the Hiltons and occasionally the Sheraton.

Have patience with Priceline. Keep a booking that you can cancel in the meantime. Wins tend to be closer to the stay. Don't overbid. You can rebid every 24 hrs.

Hey mclaurie,

It's now about 2 months out from this trip. Is it too early for priceline? I'm not having a lot of luck today even with the multiple zones and rebids. I also don't see anything on biddingfortravel.com for this time frame. I have a backup so I'm OK, but I've always had pretty good luck with PL and was just thinking it's too early.

Thanks again for the PL help!

It's not too early to bid, but if you look at BFT you'll see people are winning rooms much closer to their trips. I also don't know when in April this is, but if it's around holidays, it might be tough. Have you tried getting rooms/prices at the likely hotel wins for your dates? That should tell the story.