teens in manhatten

i%26#39;m coming for a long weekend with two 15 year old girls. we are gonna do a quick overview of the city (TS, WTC, the village, central park etc,)

if we pay a little extra to stay on times square, would the girls be able to have a little freedom? by this i mean, would you be comfortable letting the girls walk alone around times square itself during a weekend afternoon?

i%26#39;ve been reading on here and it seems like i can get a nice hotel for a bit cheaper if i go a few blocks closer to MSG or the UN as opposed to staying right on times sqaure, but am i giving up the chance to let the girls enjoy the excitement of an unchaperoned walk over to the mtv store? they%26#39;re not walking ANYWHERE alone if we stay by penn station ;o)

i know this is a very subjective question, but any help would be appreciated.

teens in manhatten

I am going to let those with teens be the experts on this and give their opinions %26amp; experiences, but if you choose to stay near MSG or UN it is totally out of the question.

Times Square is very busy, lots of police, and lots of places that they could go to and be safe.

This depends on their maturity level and street smarts, being comfortable in a very crowded %26amp; busy city, and your comfort level at letting them do it.

So, those who came with teens, chime in here with your expert advice.

teens in manhatten

I -- a rather ';protective'; mother when my now college-age son was younger -- am stumped as to why it%26#39;s been opined that you should say ';no way'; to the idea of letting the high-schoolers explore the neighborhood around the UN during the day or even around MSG (e.g., Macy%26#39;s). West of MSG is not visually appealing, so I think it unlikely they%26#39;d be drawn to that rather more desolate area anyway.

I don%26#39;t consider TS to be at all dangerous, but the crowds, sensory overload, and the natural tendency to gawk at all of it means they may not take be alert to surreptitious pick-pocketing. Were I you, I%26#39;d opt to stay on the East Side because I think in poking around there and seeing the locals go about their lives, the teens would feel more like they are ';real'; New Yorkers :-)

Cheers from a transplanted Ohioan!

You are right, I amend my opinion, I was referring to nighttime, did not read the post correctly. If the kids are mature enough for it then all the areas would be ok.

Sorry.

Happytails, I consulted my 14-year-old daughter for you on this question. She has been to Times Square many times, as we live on Long Island. She is sort of a cautious kid when it comes to the city, but she surprised me and said ';Sure, they%26#39;ll be fine as long as it%26#39;s during the day.'; She advised they bring their cellphones with them, but what teen is separated from her cellphone these days?!

But do forewarn them that the MTV store is very small and expensive, of course. They can do that store in five minutes. The teens I know are invariably disappointed with it.

I like the previous post that suggested the Upper East Side. My daughter loves walking down Madison Avenue from the 80s to the 50s/60s. There is a fabulous flagship Juicy Couture shop that is a mecca for teens, and there is a great store called E.A.T. Gifts in the 80s that has all sorts of kitschy and funky things teens love.

And a big bonus of strolling the Upper East Side is they will be so much more likely to spot a celeb there! The last time we walked down Madison we got to witness a phalanx of paparazzi waiting for Sienna Miller to come out of La Goulue restaurant.

Don%26#39;t forget Soho/Broadway for teen shopping. Enjoy, and let us know how things turn out.

thanks for you%26#39;re advice everyone!

i figured with the weekend crowds they%26#39;d be fine on TS, but better safe than sorry. i%26#39;ve been in the underwhelming store mtv has, i was just throwing it out as an example.

i%26#39;ve only ever stayed on TS or at herald square, and have enjoyed being so close to the subway stations.

we are gonna leave the minivan at the hotel and see the city by subway all weekend. since you%26#39;ve all been kind enough to help me so far, i might as well push my luck.

forget the idea of my girls walking around alone for a moment and tell me this:

which neighborhood would YOU stay in if you were planning a trip such as this?

Since this trip is with two 15-year-olds, I would stay close to Times Square. Check into the Belvedere Hotel. It is only a few blocks from TS, but in a very nice, quiet area. Then, the girls could have some daytime freedom to wander around all the TS action, but you would still have a quiet place to come ';home'; to.

Radio City Apartments would be a good choice, too, right near Times Square, a great location.

lig1006 is there right now and says it is a very nice place to stay.

radio city apt.s is booked.

anyone else have thoughts or a preferred neighborhood for me and the girls?

thanks~

How about the Upper West Side? Everyone who has stayed there has loved it and there are lots of hotels, such as the Beacon, On the Avenue, Belleclaire, Lucerne, Milburn for starters, and you would be in a great residential area near lots of sites, restaurants %26amp; shopping.

Personally, I would not allow my 15 year old son explore TS by himself. We were there during the day and it was the only part of NYC where I felt uneasy. There were large groups of men just standing around when we were there and I can%26#39;t imagine my son roaming around there by himself. That said, I guess I would see how you feel once you get there and look around.