Dream holiday to New York - Areas to look for hotels?
Discussion
Having never been to New York, I have absolutely no idea about where to stay. I've seen a couple of places that are near to Times Square etc. but most I see on Thomas Cook et all are a few miles from the main attractions.
How much should I worry about the star ratings? Two hotels I've seen in great locations are 1.5 stars and 2 stars respectively. We'll not be going all inclusive or anything, so it'll just be a place to sleep. We're not loaded and it would be a trip to see the city, not the hotel!
Also, how worried should I be about being mugged/shot etc?!
Oh, and I will definitely be hiring a Mustang, although being in NY might dilute the driving experience somewhat!
How much should I worry about the star ratings? Two hotels I've seen in great locations are 1.5 stars and 2 stars respectively. We'll not be going all inclusive or anything, so it'll just be a place to sleep. We're not loaded and it would be a trip to see the city, not the hotel!
Also, how worried should I be about being mugged/shot etc?!
Oh, and I will definitely be hiring a Mustang, although being in NY might dilute the driving experience somewhat!
I'm Rick james said:
I went NY two years ago, stayed in the Hotel Edison. Lovely place, two seconds walk from times square. 4* but still resonable rates. No worries with being shot etc, It's one of the nicest cities I've been to just don't go to Brooklyn.
Brooklyn's fine, I'd only be a bit worried about the Bronx. I'm Rick james said:
I went NY two years ago, stayed in the Hotel Edison. Lovely place, two seconds walk from times square. 4* but still resonable rates. No worries with being shot etc, It's one of the nicest cities I've been to just don't go to Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is a great place. It's like saying Oh yeah London's great, just don't go north of the Thames! Brooklyn is huge, and well worth going to. It does have it's bad bits littered throughout the borough but these are blatantly obvious. The good bits are amazing and you'll get some of the best food the world has ever known. There is a lot of crap, and there are bits you don't really want to be walking around at night if you're in tourist mode, but to say avoid Brooklyn altogether is foolish. Hell even the Bronx has bits worth checking out, and that's a lot worse than Brooklyn. Common sense is the key.NYC is a working city therefore the 'main attractions' aren't concentrated in any one particular area so this isn't really something to worry about. It will be cheaper to stay outside of Manhattan but you have to offset this against the amount of time it will take to travel into Manhattan each day. The others boroughs are very interesting and destinations in themselves but I'd save them for another time or if you had say a week.
The good thing about booking rooms in the US is that like the UK you can usually cancel your room up until the day before arival, what I've done in the past is book a room at a rate I'm happy with then look for deals as it gets closer. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I find travelzoo pretty good for finding deals.
Some first time visitors get into their heads that Times Square area is a good central location, it's not a bad location per se but has allot of chain restaurants and tourists traps, I'd only really stay there if I was planning going to the theatre allot.
Last time I went I stayed at the Belvedere, managed it get it for around £80 a night good location near plenty of restaurants, and places for breakfast, sort of just off Times Square. If you want a cracking view have a look at the Affinia Dumont.
NYC I've always found very safe, wlaking around at all times of night. Doesn't mean to say there isn't some petty crime but just use common sense. The Subway is your friend, really easy to use and cheap way to get around.
ETA
Forgot about the car. Forget it unless you're planning on getting out of NY, I can't think of many places where I'd like to drive less than Manhattan, it's nuts.
The good thing about booking rooms in the US is that like the UK you can usually cancel your room up until the day before arival, what I've done in the past is book a room at a rate I'm happy with then look for deals as it gets closer. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I find travelzoo pretty good for finding deals.
Some first time visitors get into their heads that Times Square area is a good central location, it's not a bad location per se but has allot of chain restaurants and tourists traps, I'd only really stay there if I was planning going to the theatre allot.
Last time I went I stayed at the Belvedere, managed it get it for around £80 a night good location near plenty of restaurants, and places for breakfast, sort of just off Times Square. If you want a cracking view have a look at the Affinia Dumont.
NYC I've always found very safe, wlaking around at all times of night. Doesn't mean to say there isn't some petty crime but just use common sense. The Subway is your friend, really easy to use and cheap way to get around.
ETA
Forgot about the car. Forget it unless you're planning on getting out of NY, I can't think of many places where I'd like to drive less than Manhattan, it's nuts.
Edited by andrew311 on Tuesday 30th August 07:43
Webber3 said:
Bad Sir Culation said:
Oh, and I will definitely be hiring a Mustang, although being in NY might dilute the driving experience somewhat!
Take it across the river to New Jersey 
NYC is a very safe city - Cheap hotels in NYC are getting very hard to find - even the "scuzzy" ones can be $150 a night
have u considered a hostel - id prefer a nice hostel to a cheap hotel - last 2 times ive been ive stayed at the main one off central park. clean, single rooms and great people. in hostels you get interesting people travelling the world - in cheap hotels you get bums. leaves you more cash for the fun bits too.
http://www.hostels.com/findabed.php?ChosenCity=New...
and any city is safe if you have common sense
http://www.hostels.com/findabed.php?ChosenCity=New...
and any city is safe if you have common sense
Car hire? New York?
Not even New Yorkers drive in New York!
Top Tip:
1. New York's service economy runs on tipping. You will have a much nicer experience with hotels, restaurants, bars, etc if you add 15 per cent in cash to the tab ($1 a drink in bars, $1 per bag for porter). Don't think about the rights or wrongs. Just do it. Look on it as an Enjoyment Tax.
(2) Book a limo to pick you up from the airport. Not much more than a Yellow Cab and way cooler.
Not even New Yorkers drive in New York!
Top Tip:
1. New York's service economy runs on tipping. You will have a much nicer experience with hotels, restaurants, bars, etc if you add 15 per cent in cash to the tab ($1 a drink in bars, $1 per bag for porter). Don't think about the rights or wrongs. Just do it. Look on it as an Enjoyment Tax.
(2) Book a limo to pick you up from the airport. Not much more than a Yellow Cab and way cooler.
Edited by audidoody on Tuesday 30th August 10:33
I'd stay at the Affinia 50, get a corner 1 bed suite and you also get a lounge, balcony and kitchen. The rooms are seriously massive and also it's about a 10 min walk to Times Square. Subway just round the corner and about a 15 min walk to the Met, and a 10 min walk to Central Park from there...We've been to NYC loads of times and never stay anywhere else now.
OK thanks guys, maybe forget the car hire then. I've just always fancied driving a Mustang in America, but in all honesty if I hired one it might only get one day's use.
We are thinking about going for a week. Problem is, we are currently stuck on when to go. It's either a week in October, or it's Christmas, from the 20th to 27th December. That in itself brings its own probs. If we go at Christmas, it would be amazing and we'd see all the store displays and decorations etc. But we'd have to find somewhere to have Xmas lunch at short notice and wouldn't want to spend Xmas Day in a grotty hotel on our own.....
If we go in October we get a much better price than Summer, plus the extra time to save up, but none of the cool Xmas stuff.
The problem I have with where to stay also, is because I don't know where anything is, I don't know how far away from the main attractions I should be happy to go. I.e. I saw a hotel that said it was 5 miles from the Empire State Building and other such things, but I have no idea if that's anything to care about or if the transport system is as good as London and I can get to places like that with great ease?
From the sounds of it, a lot of you book your hotels and flights seperately? I've been looking at package deals. Is that a bad move?
We are thinking about going for a week. Problem is, we are currently stuck on when to go. It's either a week in October, or it's Christmas, from the 20th to 27th December. That in itself brings its own probs. If we go at Christmas, it would be amazing and we'd see all the store displays and decorations etc. But we'd have to find somewhere to have Xmas lunch at short notice and wouldn't want to spend Xmas Day in a grotty hotel on our own.....
If we go in October we get a much better price than Summer, plus the extra time to save up, but none of the cool Xmas stuff.
The problem I have with where to stay also, is because I don't know where anything is, I don't know how far away from the main attractions I should be happy to go. I.e. I saw a hotel that said it was 5 miles from the Empire State Building and other such things, but I have no idea if that's anything to care about or if the transport system is as good as London and I can get to places like that with great ease?
From the sounds of it, a lot of you book your hotels and flights seperately? I've been looking at package deals. Is that a bad move?
Bad Sir Culation said:
OK thanks guys, maybe forget the car hire then. I've just always fancied driving a Mustang in America, but in all honesty if I hired one it might only get one day's use.
Good move OP.Bad Sir Culation said:
It's either a week in October, or it's Christmas, from the 20th to 27th December.
I'm pretty sure all the Chritmas trees etc stay up until the end of January, but double check this. I can see the attraction with going at Christmas, but it will be more manic than usual, and hotel prices rise accordingly. It can be bitterly cold or rainy at that time of year October could be a nice time of year of year to be pounding the pavement sightseeing.
Bad Sir Culation said:
Stuff about not knowing where attractions are, locations etc.
No Offence OP but you haven't read the previous posts too well. There is no central location for Manhattan it's all dotted all over the place. i.e. you can stay close to the Empire State but that will move you further from other attractions, my advice would be close proximity to a subway stop which is most places. Everywhere has pros and cons, there are nice neighbourhoods that will give you that 'New Yorker' life style feel or high rises in down town or Times Square. Google a map of New York attractions and this will give you an idea of the geography.
Bad Sir Culation said:
From the sounds of it, a lot of you book your hotels and flights seperately? I've been looking at package deals. Is that a bad move?
Don't see the point in going package, it's easy to DIY. Check skyscanner for flights, when I've travelled to NYC AA, BA, or Continental have been the cheapest.andrew311 said:
Bad Sir Culation said:
It's either a week in October, or it's Christmas, from the 20th to 27th December.
I'm pretty sure all the Chritmas trees etc stay up until the end of January, but double check this. I can see the attraction with going at Christmas, but it will be more manic than usual, and hotel prices rise accordingly. It can be bitterly cold or rainy at that time of year October could be a nice time of year of year to be pounding the pavement sightseeing.
Bad Sir Culation said:
Stuff about not knowing where attractions are, locations etc.
No Offence OP but you haven't read the previous posts too well. There is no central location for Manhattan it's all dotted all over the place. i.e. you can stay close to the Empire State but that will move you further from other attractions, my advice would be close proximity to a subway stop which is most places. Everywhere has pros and cons, there are nice neighbourhoods that will give you that 'New Yorker' life style feel or high rises in down town or Times Square. Google a map of New York attractions and this will give you an idea of the geography.
Bad Sir Culation said:
From the sounds of it, a lot of you book your hotels and flights seperately? I've been looking at package deals. Is that a bad move?
Don't see the point in going package, it's easy to DIY. Check skyscanner for flights, when I've travelled to NYC AA, BA, or Continental have been the cheapest.I would like a nice view of some of the city I think, but again, I've no idea which hotels and areas would provide this. It's a bit of a minefield. I do really fancy Christmas though. Haven't really thought about the weather diluting the experience. I'd expect snow, but hopefully nothing that would make me regret going!
It really is a doddle getting around OP. As for rooms with a view, check out On The Ave, Affinia Dumont has the best view of the places I stayed in. The Affinia group as a rule have really big rooms with kitchen which includes cooker, toaster, fridge, useful if you want a few things in your room.
Room from Belvedere:
And from the Affinia Dumont
Room from Belvedere:
And from the Affinia Dumont
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