New York hotel, for me and two kids

[S8QUATTRO]

Hi, any advice on a reasonable priced hotel for myself and my two teenage kids, first one to New York, will be sight seeing and shopping, usual stuff.

I know it's New York and it will be pricey, so upto £200 a night really, ideally Manhattan as I've been told most tourist attractions are easily accessible from here.

Staying five or six nights

Any advice from people who have been welcome.

Many thanks

[S8QUATTRO]

Thanks for the reply, it's five nights, just checked. But will have another look around the Times Square area

[S8QUATTRO]

Thanks for the reply, it's five nights, just checked. But will have another look around the Times Square area

[S8QUATTRO]

Wow thanks for the responses, like minded people on here so advice is appreciated from you. Dates are last week of this month, I found one that looks pretty good called the Manhattan at Times Square. I just wasn't sure if Times Square was worth the extra cash, but I think I might stick with it. Thanks again

[S8QUATTRO]

Olivero said:

I have lived in NYC for the last 8 years. Times Square is horrible. Only the tourists go there. Overpriced and not the real New York.
AirBnB can be a good option if you are on a budget.

What are you most interested in and I can give you some better options of where you might want to stay.

Thanks, much appreciated..we would like to see the tourist main attractions, Empire State, trade centre memorial, history museum, toy shop from movie BIG, and really to have a look around and walk a bit. Maybe the movie tour, we will be doing a Tuesday to Sunday. I'll have a look at what you advise and take it from there, also want to check our little Italy and china town. If there is something you think we should definately see, please do say. It's my daughters 16th birthday present too.

[S8QUATTRO]

Thanks for the feedback so far, I'm going soon so needed to book somewhere as the prices were going up..

Booked the Salisbury hotel, looks old but reviews look balanced and it's near the park but about 15 min walk from Times Square so hopefully this is close enough and still
Gives us a little space.

Thanks

[S8QUATTRO]

This is the kind of New York I'm after seeing, aswell as the standard sights...hopefully 5 nights will be ok for a first visit

Hotel is near Central Park and cost us £200 a night, so right on my budget.

How safe would you feel walking in the evenings with two kids? Or should we stick to cabs at night?

yellowbentines said:

We spent a week in Manhattan earlier this year and saw a fraction of the sights, New York is HUGE, I think it's impossible to see everything in 3 days unless you are simply choosing the top 15 'attractions' in Manhattan on tripadvisor and rushing around ticking them off without stopping to take anything in!

My few recommendations:

- Don't just see the Brooklyn Bridge, walk across it, go and wander around DUMBO on the other side and have some great food, walk along the promenade for great photos of Manhattan, and walk into Brooklyn proper, grab lunch and a beer in a tree-lined street where real New Yorkers live, then jump on the underground a few stops and see a Basketball game at night. This was a full day very well spent.
- Walk the full length of the High Line North to South, stop and take in the hundreds of different views, then at the South end wander around the meatpacking district and Chelsea market for a ton of great food options and photo opportunities.
- Take the night boat tour around the southern tip of Manhattan and under the bridges, again see things from a completely different angle, the guide on our boat had amazing stories and facts to share, same applies to the bus tours up into Harlem and beyond, well worth the time.
- Completely avoid the whole area of Times Square, I've no idea what the attraction is - billboards, chain restaurants, terrible impersonators on the street, I don't get it!

[S8QUATTRO]

yellowbentines said:

We were there as a mixed group of 5 with no kids, and honestly didn't feel unsafe anywhere and we walked most neighbourhoods in Manhattan South/West/East of Central Park, we saw North on the bus. I'd just use the same logic as I do in any big City, stay on the main streets, preferably where there's a lot of other people around which is easy in NY, and it feels perfectly safe. Quite a visible police presence too which helps.

We didn't use cabs as I'm told they are slow due to the heavy traffic, used the underground a lot and there were a lot of people coming on begging and walking the carriages with their story, but you either have some pocket change ready to give them or ignore them and they move on. The underground was always busy though so I didn't feel unsafe.

I am from Glasgow however so nothing felt any worse than back home

hahah good reply!!

[S8QUATTRO]

Fyi, we stayed at the Salisbury on 57th street, one block from Central Park. Was behind the Plaza from the home alone movie.

Very good location, subways across the street, ten mins walk from times square, less than five mins to the park,

It was a bit old, but was originally apartments so the rooms were very big and the staff were good. Recommended for a first time.

Thanks to all who replied with advice.

Ended up not doing bus tour but lots of walking and subway use instead. Subway was very quick, seemed safe and was not that hard to figure out.