Accommodation: What SECTION of Manhattan to stay?

Mother-daughter 1st visit to NYC and plan to do the usual touristy things (St of Liberty, Emp St bldg, Centr Pk, museums, Grnd Central, arch tour, plus a couple Broadway shows..) Since there ar 15 areas to Manhattan, which would be best for us? Thank you.

Accommodation: What SECTION of Manhattan to stay?

What%26#39;s your budget?

Midtown is usually more expensive for lodging.

We regularly stay in the 30%26#39;s (Little Korea) at the Hotel Stanford - a tourist hotel, basic, suits our needs as we are only there to sleep.

It is also right next to a subway station which is a plus for any hotel as public transport is our main way to travel.

Check on the left of this Forum for NYC hotels and reviews.....others will have suggestions - good luck and have fun in the City.

Poppa

Accommodation: What SECTION of Manhattan to stay?

If you can find some well priced accommodation midtown would be great for a first visit. When are you visiting? Quikbook and Travelzoo have had some terrific sales lately.

Any part of Manhattan south of 96th street and near a subway station is fine. I prefer the west side or south of Central Park, mainly for ease of access and number of subway lines. Some neighborhoods are more residentila, and hence would be quiter at night. Others, more bustling. For some reason many people want to stay in or near Times Square because it seems to be central, but, again IMHO, I feel it is too busy and crowded. But because of it%26#39;s popularity it tends to be more expensive.

The southern end of the island has some good accomodations. This ares (financial district) is pretty quiet nights and weekends.

I suspect that most visitors to NYC spend very little time actually in their rooms!

So, as stated, accessibility to transportation is more important than location.

Since you mention';arch tour'; (is that architecture, or the Washington Square arch?) I wonder, tho, about the Washington Square Hotel in Greenwich Village. It is a nice place, right on the park, near the subway, and rather centrally located in that you can go in all directions from there. It is a low key older hotel. There are some good reviews here, and I recommend it, as friends from Europe stayed there and liked it. Just a thought.

Really, any hotel you find in Manhattan is fine for a visitor. As long as it%26#39;s close to the subway (and the majority are), you can get around easily, cheaply and efficiently.

Your nightly budget will determine what hotel you choose, and therefore area. What is your budget? Do you require separate beds? If your budget is low, are you willing to share a bathroom? What are your exact dates (rates fluctuate often, even within a week).

If you can provide some of that info, we can give some hotel recs.

The first thing that you have to realize about New York is that there is no specific area that has a monopoly on places that travelers want to see. From the Cloisers at the northern tip of Manhattan, to the Staten Island Ferry at the southern extreme, there are things to see and do all over the Island. So, where to stay.

To me, this depends more on the type of experience you wish to have. If you like the bright lights and excitement, Times Square is fine. If you prefer a real neighborhood with smaller stores and restaurants, try the Village or Soho. For those seekers of quiet [yet near some truly great sites] check out Downtown. In most areas of the City, you will find a hotel within your budget. With a MetroCard, you can get anywhere else.

Thank you for all your good responses. Our visit will be in September - dates are flexible, but thinking about Sept 12-18 = after kids are back in school and family vacations are over. :) Our budget is in the three star range for hotels as we prefer to spend money on exhibits, fees, et al. ANY ';New York City'; advice is appreciated.

The best places for under $210/night I%26#39;m seeing right now for those dates -- for a reservation that requires not deposit/advance payment %26amp; that can be canceled with no penalty upon reasonable notice:

** Best Western Seaport via Quikbook: $179/night for a room with 2 queen beds.

** Marriott%26#39;s Residence Inn Times Square via its own website: $199/night for a studio-style suite (1 open room) plus kitchenette. But one of you would have to sleep on the sofa bed; these rooms come equipped with just 1 king or queen bed.

FYI, sales tax and other government-mandated surcharges will add just about 15% to your tab.