New York City Lodging

[Rinkydink]

The better half and I are planning on flying into the city for a 4-5 day visit in 2-3 weeks or so. Looking for reasonable lodging in a decent (midtown?) area of Manhattan. All good eat recommendations welcomed also. Really just wanting to avoid questionable areas for our hotel. TIA

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I think any lodging that's actually in Manhattan is going to be overpriced.  Not sure what your definition of "reasonable" is, but as an alternative to midtown Manhattan, consider the west shore of the Hudson.  There's a Courtyard by Marriott in Jersey City, literally just a couple hundred feet from the PATH station, which takes you straight into Manhattan.  If you're looking for something a little more upscale, try the Westin hotel just a block south of there; you'll still be less than a 1/4-mile from the PATH station.

 

While you're on that side of the river, the Jersey shoreline has a nice riverfront walkway for pedestrians, with great views of the Manhattan skyline.  This page has links to an interactive map and a printable map.

 

What's good to eat in Manhattan?  Ermagerd, there are literally 24,000 restaurants there.   Not sure what your taste is, but wherever you go, consider making a reservation first!

 

Balthazar has a really nice poached egg on avocado toast for breakfast; I would/will go back there for that, and would happily try their other dishes as well. 

 

Like ramen?  Try Hide-chan (pronounced hee-deh-chahn).  Haven't been to their midtown location, just the Hell's Kitchen location.   Would definitely go back.

 

For authentic non-ramen Japanese, my wife really liked Sakagura.

 

Get down to Breads Bakery and buy some chocolate babka to bring back home; you can thank me later.

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

Street (kart) food & coffee

 

Obao Noodles & BBQ

No trip to NYC is complete without dinner at Peter Luger

 

We usually stay uptown (57th & Lexington) at the Fitzpatrick within an easy walk of Central Park, shopping and other tourist sites.  Subway makes it an easy trip south to Liberty Park, Wall Street, etc..  Register early for top of Empire State and NBC buildings if that's your thing.

 

 

The Fitz isn't luxurious but we like it.  Rates w/o taxes appear to be under $200/night.

 

Have a great trip. 

Catch a show. 

Visit St. Pat's.  (Don't have to be religious to appreciate the architecture)

World Trade Center is a must see.  Plan to spend a couple of hours. 

Little Italy is a snoozer.  For Italian, try Arthur Ave in the Fordham U area

Take the free ferry to Staten Island

Make reservations for the boat ride and tickets into the Statue of Libery (not just the grounds) and Ellis Island (usually have long ticket and boarding lines) 

 

If your SO is into fashion, sewing or other fabric crafts, the Garment District is a must see.  I wasn't enthralled by stores with nothing but lace or spandex or buttons or ...

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

25 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

Visit St. Pat's.  (Don't have to be religious to appreciate the architecture)

 

Haven't seen St. Pat's, but as an alternative, I'll nominate the Cathedral of St. John The Divine (upper west side) for its jaw-dropping Great Organ and Moria-like acoustics. You can catch a demo on Mondays at 1PM.  in the spring and fall they also offer Sunday afternoon organ concerts by guest recitalists, but this may not be happening in the May/June timeframe.  If you're not into organ music, they do offer tours of the cathedral itself, which is one of the largest in the world.

[Rougarou]

2 hours ago, Rinkydink said:

 All good eat recommendations welcomed also.

 

Try Dorsia's (you need a reservation here, if you can get one) or Barcadia, Pastels, or Crayons, all are highly recommended

[ltljohn]

Virgils BBQ 150 block W 44th St right off Times Square

 

If you want a superior steak go to the Vault at the New Yorker hotel corner of W34th and 8th Ave.  It is actually in an old bank and has seating in the vault.  It is pricey but very good.

 

I have found other places just by walking around you can always look reviews as you are standing outside.

[MikeRC]

 

We have used the Affinia boutique hotels and been very happy.  Easy access to the subway and they offer some good deals on their "Special Offers" page.  A former Affinia hotel (Stewart Hotel) seems to still be highly rated.   

 

Two activity recommendations:  Lower East Side Tenement Museum  and Foods of New York Tours (we've done three different tours with this company).  

 

Check out the Central Park calendar to see if you want to drop by.   So many museums, so many shows, so many restaurants..... 

 

Mike Cassidy

[Mike the Ghoul]

Look into Long island City.   There's a bunch of reasonably priced hotels.  We stayed in one with a rooftop garden and beautiful night view of midtown Manhattan and the queensborough bridge.  One subway stop from east side central Manhattan. Or you can walk across the bridge to 59th street.  Nice morning walk.  The nearby  Astoria neighborhood has a huge number of excellent Greek restaurants.

 

My absolute favorite space in New York is the Temple Of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum.  It is such a serene atmosphere and setting. If not crowded.

 

 

[Skywagon]

Haven’t been in a few years but Carmines family style Italian on 44th was a must for us when we use to travel there often. It’s midtown in the theatre district. Reservations a must.  Check recent reviews but suspect it’s still good   One entree will feed 2-3 so sharing is what you do. Calamari appetizer is very good