Hi, has anyone stayed at the Beacon, Excelsior, Milburn, Lucerne or On the Ave.Would really appreciate any info and also good, not-too-expensive restaurants in the area. thanks,

My 22 year old daughter & I stayed at On The Ave recently, and I would stay there again. On The Ave had good reviews on tripadvisor.com., but I was a little worried because the fodors.com reviews weren't so glowing. As it turned out, I was satisfied, and can recommend the hotel.

The decor is exactly as it is pictured on their web site. (www.ontheave-nyc.com) Our room was small and the view from both windows laughable (the solid brick wall next door)...but it was tasteful and I didn't want to shell out more money for a larger room with a better view. (I paid the $119/night price advertised on their web site...but I had to ask for that price when booking the room on the phone.)

If you can afford it, the penthouse suite looked awesome. For between $200-$300/night you can have a nice size room on the 16th floor & a private balcony with a great view of the Hudson River. If you are on a budget, like me, you can settle for relaxing on the public balcony, adjacent to the penthouse. There were rarely other people on the balcony when I used it.

The staff was friendly and helpful. The location is very good. (Great neighborhood, so I have learned.) No restaurant on the premises, but a 24-hour diner across the street & many popular restaurants close by (within 2-4 blocks) On The Ave offers "room service" now, but I believe they actually order the food from the diner.

Others on this board recommended the Lucerne to me when I was hotel hunting. (Check out message #139 "NY Trip Advice for Mom/Daughter". #123 "ISO Karebear/UWS Info" has some more good stuff on the Upper WestSide) While exploring the area, I stopped in for some info and to look around the Hotel Beacon. All the rooms there have some form of kitchenette, which could save you money, should you "eat in" for a few meals. The decor in the lobby was not as up to date as On The Ave, and the price I was quoted was higher than what I was paying. A single, double or king studio was $135 + tax. The suite was $180 + tax. (prices vary by season, what's going on in town...and I think by the manager's mood that day.)

When I make my next NYC visit , I may try the Lucerne. But it would have to look pretty good to make me choose it over the "known". (On The Ave)

The other threads I mentioned above list some good reataurants in the area. I tried Ruby Foo's (great atmosphere, what I ordered was just okay)...Isabella's (loved it!)...West Side Restaurant (good, but I bet it's better for breakfast)...Ocean Grill (good, not cheap)...Manhattan Diner (pretty good breakfast, great service)...Fez (above Time Cafe, a bit farther north. Cool lounge, but don't waste your money on the food)...Boat Basin Cafe (everything Suzanne said is completely right on. My daughter thought I was slick because I found a place that is so cool, it barely has a sign to tell you it's there)

Hope this helps. There are others who visit this board who can be very helpful to you, if they see your post.

We have recently stayed at both the Lucerne and On the Ave. Both were good but the Lucerne was better because of a larger room (ask for a corner room--421 is where we stayed) a very good continental breakfast (no breakfast at On the Ave) and a more friendly staff. Both locations are great for subway access and many good local restaurants. Fodor highly recomends the Beacon. Probably cant go wrong with any of the three.

We live a few blocks from the Excelsior (on 112th/Riverside?)You can probebly do better. The rooms are spartan at best and the streets around there get a little squirrely at night.

The Excelsior is at W.81st Street, across the street from Natural History Museum. It is an excellent neighborhood.

We stayed at the Beacon Last week and really liked it! Great neighborhood...we didn't use the kitchen as much as I thought we would but I really liked having TWO beds for my mom and me! (she snores!) Had a great time!