Never been to NY city...best place to stay??

What is the best place (or even area) to stay in New York if I have never been there? I want something pretty cool. Is being close to shows and stuff very important since you can take cabs everywhere?? I just want a neat place that has the ';feel';.

Never been to NY city...best place to stay??

Best place to stay depends on the individual and your budget. Since the public transit system is very good, it%26#39;s true, not so important to stay near anything in particular. ';Pretty cool'; and ';the feel'; don%26#39;t really mean much to me without some definition and budget. Is pretty cool a hipster downtown vibe (Hotel on Rivington) or a modern skyscraper with great views (Marriott Marquis, Parker Meridien)?

Just keep in mind some of the ';cooler'; hip hotels in NYC have painfully small rooms. If you%26#39;re coming alone, not a problem.

Never been to NY city...best place to stay??

Hotels in Manhattan are expensive. I like both the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side. The Lucerne on he Upper West Side is a good place to stay, not fancy, but very clean. I have previously stayed at The Mark on the Upper East Side, but their rates have gone wonky so I am booked for The Surrey this year.

I like these areas because of their closeness to Central Park and easy walking distance to midtown.

I usually buy a MetroPass to ensure I can ride buses and subways withouit hassle.

My husband always stays at the Marriott Marques for buisness.(hope I spelled that right) He says it is always really nice, but I think 400.00 a nightit the cheapest there. We are staying there the night before Thanksgiving and is costing 500.00.

NYWiz...good point, I will try to define ';cool'; and ';good feel'; better.

I would like a place that is safe to walk around in the evenings, is close to some high profile attractions or buildings, and has fairly nice rooms, and doesn%26#39;t feel too outdated or dreary. This will be for a trip for me and my wife, so we waant something that kind of has some romantic feel to it....even if that comes from the surroundings. BUT I would not enjoy one of those hotels where the rooms are painfully small.

I don%26#39;t know...I just wondered where everyone would stay if they 1) Were going for pleasure instead of work, 2) Were going for their very first time, 3) Were going to get the best feel of the ';Big Apple'; all with a fairly reasonable rate (up to $350 or $400 per night).

Not knowing ANYTHING about NY, I don;t even know what neighborhoods to avoid, which ones have more of a nicer feel, etc. I KNOW NOTHING!! LOL

Someone may know of some slick little hotel with great views, etc. for even less than $350 rate. Maybe there is a little lost gem noone knows about. (ex: what I have read on here about Courtyard by Marriott.

Mid-town is the best location for being able to walk to attractions, shopping, restaurants, theaters, everything. I like the Grand Hyatt on 42nd at Park Avenue. It is adjacent to Grand Central Station, so travel by subway is very easy - you don%26#39;t even have to go outside to enter the terminal. My family stayed there last year the week before Christmas, and are going back again this year. On Hyatt%26#39;s website, you can find rooms as low as $199 per night. For the $400 you mentioned, you can upgrade to a really nice suite, if you want to spend the money. The rooms are nice and roomy, and you can%26#39;t beat the location.

Thanks! I will check that out!

Anyone else have their favorites?

Seems to me you want something a little different than a large convention-type hotel like the Marriott Marquis and the Hyatt. For something in that same 42nd St. neighborhood, how about the Casablanca, a true boutique hotel with less than 50 rooms?

Recently renovated and currently #4 on the TA NYC hotel ';hit parade';, it%26#39;s less expensive and has more ';personality'; than many others in town; the price includes a continental breakfast and wine %26amp; cheese reception in the afternoon in the lounge, Rick%26#39;s Cafe, which is a fun place to simply relax at other times (there is a fireplace and a piano); and although it%26#39;s not a high end luxury hotel, the Morrocan-themed decor is more exotic and romantic than a chain hotel. I think it%26#39;s a great place for a couple who wish to be in the Times Square area; you can read the TA reviews and see candid traveler photos here:

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d113317-鈥?/a>

Thanks for the suggestion!

I am not opposed to the convention types of hotels. Which are rhe best?

What area does everyone think I should stay in? Times Square?

Very few of us locals can get enthusiastic about staying in Times Square -- not because it%26#39;s not safe, it is... but because of the hurly-burly congestion, sensory overload, and because shopping %26amp; dining in that neighborhood isn%26#39;t that great. But many visitors disagree with us :-)

The fact is that not all the major attractions/sights are clustered together in one neighborhood. So there%26#39;s no one area where you will be in close geographical proximity to everything ';very important.'; But, that%26#39;s of little consequence because our subway system is so good. So may I suggest that you take a step back to reflect a bit more on what%26#39;s most important to you... what kind of neighborhood (residential or more touristy), the type of hotel with what kind of ambiance/decor, what kinds of things do you see yourselves doing in addition to going to a show, e.g., museums? There are oodles of places to stay, so without some concrete focus to help yourself narrow the possibilities, you could make yourself fairly batty :-)

Finding a place with ';the feel'; can mean different things to different people. If you want that ';I%26#39;m in New York'; feeling, yes, Times Square has it, even if it IS filled with a lot of chain stores now. It%26#39;s central and easy to get anywhere.

Do you like ultra hip and modern? The ';W'; hotel chain offers the ultra hip, really wonderful beds, and the extended services you get a boring Hyatt or Sheraton.

The ';W New York Times Square'; was the tops in my visits to NYC. The decor is sleek and sexy and all rooms are raised to over the 7th floor, so you get the views without the noise. Make use of the ';Whatever, Whenever'; service (free) and you can%26#39;t lose in finding dinner, show tickets, etc. But be warned, it is a ';modern'; look.

The prices vary wildly by time of year just about everywhere... can be $200 or $500, depending on the size of the room and date.

Use a AAA card for a discount at a lot of chains. (We saved $400 on our most recent stay... it%26#39;s worth the yearly fee!)

BTW, yes you can take cabs everywhere, but that can be pricey... the subway is quick and cheap, as are buses when there is light traffic. I WOULD stick to a cab to/from the airport... less stress, even for the price.