which NYC hotel?
Sep 17th, 2006, 05:27 PM
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which NYC hotel?
Some friends are visiting next month, and after hearing me talk about my visits to NYC, they want to drive up (I live in Baltimore) and spend one night while they are visiting. And they want ME to make the hotel reservations and plan the itinerary! Perhaps I've boasted too much about my extensive New York knowledge.
I whined to my husband about how our time will be so limited, and it would be such a shame to have to stay in New Jersey (using his free Marriott points) and spend so much time commuting, so he has agreed to give us points to pay for ONE room in Manhatten, but we will have to cover the cost of the second room, which won't be so bad since we will split it four ways.
There are two Marriott Courtyards we're looking at....The Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East at 866 Third Avenue, and the the Courtyard NY Manhatten/Times Square So. at 114 W. 40th Street. Which of these two hotels would be the better choice?
Thanks.
Vicki
I whined to my husband about how our time will be so limited, and it would be such a shame to have to stay in New Jersey (using his free Marriott points) and spend so much time commuting, so he has agreed to give us points to pay for ONE room in Manhatten, but we will have to cover the cost of the second room, which won't be so bad since we will split it four ways.
There are two Marriott Courtyards we're looking at....The Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East at 866 Third Avenue, and the the Courtyard NY Manhatten/Times Square So. at 114 W. 40th Street. Which of these two hotels would be the better choice?
Thanks.
Vicki
Sep 18th, 2006, 06:14 AM
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Doug, no doubt you live in New York so crowds are best avoided. Those of us who live in little towns across America go to New York so we can mingle with the big crowds. We don't want to go to a place and stay in a quiet neighborhood perhaps with treelined streets. Gee, if we wanted that, we'd stay home. We pay the big bucks to go to New York to get what we can't get at home -- noise, lights, crowds, and excitement!!!
As a tourist I'd choose the 40th Street location over the Third Avenue one.
As a tourist I'd choose the 40th Street location over the Third Avenue one.
Sep 18th, 2006, 06:29 AM
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That part of Third Avenue is hardly tree-lined or residential. But I must admit that I prefer to be a little bit removed from the "action" of Times Square, one of my least favorite parts of town: expensive, mediocre restaurants, huge crowds. Good to visit, not good to stay in, in my opinion.
Sep 18th, 2006, 06:42 AM
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Agree the Third Ave location is better. Not because it's quiet - there are very few places in Manhattan that are quiet - but because it's more civilized.
Times Square is not just busy - it is also quite tacky - filled with cheap tee shirt shops, tons of (very expensive) chain restaurants and millions of flashing lights - most of them to very little purpose.
I understand that people from a small town would want to SEE Times Square - but to stay there - and have to deal every minute of the visit with shoulder to shoulder crowds, having to walk in the street because there's no room on the sidewalk, being pushed aside by troops of teens on group tours - simply is not very pleasant.
Third Avenue is busy enough for anyone in their right senses - with masses of people pouring out of high rise office buildings and apartment houses and the entire street lined with restaurants of all types and boutiques/shops of every variety.
Times Square is not just busy - it is also quite tacky - filled with cheap tee shirt shops, tons of (very expensive) chain restaurants and millions of flashing lights - most of them to very little purpose.
I understand that people from a small town would want to SEE Times Square - but to stay there - and have to deal every minute of the visit with shoulder to shoulder crowds, having to walk in the street because there's no room on the sidewalk, being pushed aside by troops of teens on group tours - simply is not very pleasant.
Third Avenue is busy enough for anyone in their right senses - with masses of people pouring out of high rise office buildings and apartment houses and the entire street lined with restaurants of all types and boutiques/shops of every variety.
Sep 18th, 2006, 06:47 AM
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Sure, my point exactly. Most of us are "visiting" not staying.
Didn't mean to imply that Third Avenue was treelined. That was meant to suggest that as short term visitors many of us aren't necessarily looking for the same kind of neighborhood that we'd want to live in -- not that it described that area.
And if like some of us, we are seeing two shows some days and certainly one every night -- it is soooo much more convenient to be near there and travel to other neighborhoods during the day than to try to fight for a taxi to and from Broadway every night and "deal" with the crowds you have to get through even if you are arriving and leaving the area.
It's not unlike here in Florida. I live about 10 blocks from the beach. You couldn't pay me to live right on the beach. Yet I certainly understand why someone coming here for a few days would want to stay right on the beach. Same idea.
Didn't mean to imply that Third Avenue was treelined. That was meant to suggest that as short term visitors many of us aren't necessarily looking for the same kind of neighborhood that we'd want to live in -- not that it described that area.
And if like some of us, we are seeing two shows some days and certainly one every night -- it is soooo much more convenient to be near there and travel to other neighborhoods during the day than to try to fight for a taxi to and from Broadway every night and "deal" with the crowds you have to get through even if you are arriving and leaving the area.
It's not unlike here in Florida. I live about 10 blocks from the beach. You couldn't pay me to live right on the beach. Yet I certainly understand why someone coming here for a few days would want to stay right on the beach. Same idea.
Sep 18th, 2006, 06:53 AM
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By the way -- 6th Avenue and 40th Street is not exactly like standing in the middle of Broadway and 45th!!! Don't be fooled by the name "Times Square" on the hotel. In fact, it's relatively quiet -- perhaps quieter than the traffic of Third Avenue! Yet it allows you to easily walk to and from the shows without having to get a taxi and fight the traffic.
Sep 18th, 2006, 06:59 AM
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Yikes! I'd better learn how to spell Manhattan!
Anyway.... Thanks for your replies. I know I've got to make a decision ASAP. The Courtyard Manhattan/Times Square South is only $229/night, with purchase at least 14 days in advance. What a price! But, for some crazy reason, it costs 15,000 more Marriott points than the Third Avenue location. (How can that be?) So, my husband says if we want a "free" room, we must stay there. A room there is $329, so splitting the cost four ways would make it around $90 each, I guess, with taxes.
But, now I'm wondering if we ought to try the Travel Inn, which has gotten such great reviews, and is only about $188/night (How can that be??) and has free parking. Don't know why I'm bring that option into this...I guess it's the free parking.
*sheesh*
It's hard to be a trip coordinator when you have ADD.
Vicki
Anyway.... Thanks for your replies. I know I've got to make a decision ASAP. The Courtyard Manhattan/Times Square South is only $229/night, with purchase at least 14 days in advance. What a price! But, for some crazy reason, it costs 15,000 more Marriott points than the Third Avenue location. (How can that be?) So, my husband says if we want a "free" room, we must stay there. A room there is $329, so splitting the cost four ways would make it around $90 each, I guess, with taxes.
But, now I'm wondering if we ought to try the Travel Inn, which has gotten such great reviews, and is only about $188/night (How can that be??) and has free parking. Don't know why I'm bring that option into this...I guess it's the free parking.
*sheesh*
It's hard to be a trip coordinator when you have ADD.
Vicki
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