Where to stay in New York

[lavigne101]

Any suggestions on hotels near LaGuardia or should we stay closer to the port. Thanks.

[Pisti]

We stay at the Edison, 47th and 8th which is only a few blocks from the port ( 51st and 12th). We are paying $225. for a twin double.

[sboh]

I'm not sure where the port is but we stayed at the New York Hilton on 6th Ave (also called Avenue of the Americas) between 53-54th Streets last summer and can highly recommend it. It's a great midtown location if you're going to be doing some sightseeing before your cruise- easy walking distance to Rockefeller Center, Central Park and Broadway/Times Sq. I booked online and paid $202. per night for a weekend last July. A great deal for this property/location. If you book ask for a renovated room-they're wonderful.

[Jane110]

Any suggestions on hotels near LaGuardia or should we stay closer to the port. Thanks.

 

There's nothing to see, do or eat near LaGuardia airport so don't stay there.

 

Stay someplace....anyplace...in Manhattan. It's not very big, so a taxi from your hotel to the port won't cost much.

[Budget Queen]

A Manhatten location is a MUST if you want some touring. There is no sense wasting a lot of time in transit back and forth to hotels. Having a hotel within walking distance is a great advantage.

 

I go to NYC 3-4 times/year. I like the Super 8 (tough to make all those trips with costly hotels :) ) Key is to keep checking pricing after booking an easily canceled room. My next trip is 4 days between Christmas and New Year's. The rate has dropped $100/night since my first booking a couple months ago, to now about $150/night. (+++ taxes) End of July rate dropped three weeks before $60/night to $123. The location is excellent, 1 long block to Times Square easy access to subways and buses, and I walk from Grand Central.

 

Free continental breakfast another bonus. Busy safe area for walking back from shows. With my other "cheap" options on 8th gone and bought out Days Inn and Hojo, this is a gem for me.

 

Priceline can be a good option, late booking, IF you only need one bed. Look at midtown east and west.

[Keith1010]

There are so many hotels to choose from. I would not stay at the airport. Not sure what time you arrive in New York. And, you do not need to stay right by the port. There are so many hotels to choose from. You might want to search for New York City hotels at tripadvisor.com to figure out where you would like to stay.

 

Keith

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I agree with the other posters--don't stay out at Laguardia!! Even if you just hve overnight in New York, if it's your first trip, you should be in Manhattan to experience it, it's wonderful. As everybody else has said, getting to the cruise port from any reasonable location is a breeze, whereas transport from LG is a nightmare.

[agabbymama]

I vote for the Edison also. Really neat old hotel with art deco decor similar to Radio City Music Hall. I started looking at hotel rates last year for my Sept/Oct cruise and found a website called Hotel Club. They had a rate of $183 + taxes total of $210 per night when everyone else was wanting $300-359. Even Super 8 was like $285. I decided rather than spend that on Super 8, I would go with a novelty hotel like Hotel Edison. I kept checking to see if prices would go down, they actually went up. The Hotel Edison room that I paid $210 per night for two beds, the day before we left 9/22 was going to $359 + taxes. NYC is very expensive, so you have to be prepared that if you're going there, it's going to cost you. It's

been the most expensive place I have ever stayed, including London, Vienna, Budapest, Sydney, Rome, Amsterdam, and on and on. Do some research, compare and book it. Then don't worry about it anymore. Have a great trip.:D

[kelmac]

lavigne101,

 

I would first try Priceline, Hotwire or Easyclick. We are making two visits to NYC in May and June. The June date (in on the 2nd/out on the 4th) we were able to pick up the Le Parker Meridien (4*) on Priceline for $150 per night + tax. It is located at Central Park south.

The May date is for the Memorial day weekend and demand seems to be up. We have booked a nice budget type hotel in Chelsea (Chelsea Lodge) for $114 a night + tax (for two nights).

 

http://www.chelsealodge.com/

 

Good luck,

Kel

[jetskier]

What can anyone tell me about the W New York on Lexington Ave? I took a chance on Hotwire on a 4-star and got it for $157. Just for kicks, I tried booking directly and the rate came to $523 on their website. We will be in town one day in advance of our 15-day repo cruise on the NCL Spirit. It is going from NY to New Orleans.

Dave

[Jane110]

What can anyone tell me about the W New York on Lexington Ave? I took a chance on Hotwire on a 4-star and got it for $157. Just for kicks, I tried booking directly and the rate came to $523 on their website. We will be in town one day in advance of our 15-day repo cruise on the NCL Spirit. It is going from NY to New Orleans.

Dave

 

I can tell you that you scored! Pat yourself on the back!

 

I've never seen the rooms, but W has a great reputation. I live only a few blocks away, so I can tell you it's an excellent location. You'll be on 39th Street, so you can easily take the crosstown buses on 42nd St. or 34th Street to get to the west side. Within quick walking distance is the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station.

 

A very nice bar for a drink near your hotel is the Silverleaf Tavern on 40th Street and Park Ave. It's only one block away. The bar at the W is popular, crowded and noisy. If you like that, great.

Another very popular bar is El Rio Grande which you can enter on either 37th or 38th Street between Lexington and 3rd Ave's. You can also have dinner there. (mexican).

 

If you'd like a good italian restaurant in the neighborhood, I recommend Notaro on 2nd Ave between 34th and 35th Street. Or if you want some excellent spanish/mexican food, El Parador on 34th Street, just east of 2nd Ave is also a very popular spot.

[Jane110]

lavigne101,

 

I would first try Priceline, Hotwire or Easyclick. We are making two visits to NYC in May and June. The June date (in on the 2nd/out on the 4th) we were able to pick up the Le Parker Meridien (4*) on Priceline for $150 per night + tax. It is located at Central Park south.

The May date is for the Memorial day weekend and demand seems to be up. We have booked a nice budget type hotel in Chelsea (Chelsea Lodge) for $114 a night + tax (for two nights).

 

http://www.chelsealodge.com/

 

Good luck,

Kel

 

I lived down the block at 200 W. 20th for most of my adult life, so I can tell you that the Chelsea Lodge is an excellent location! Tons of restaurants and bars on 7th, 8th and 9th Ave's as well as a short walk to the Meat Packing District and the West Village. Also, the Joyce Theatre on 8th Ave and 19th St has excellent dance companies performing.

[kelmac]

I lived down the block at 200 W. 20th for most of my adult life, so I can tell you that the Chelsea Lodge is an excellent location! Tons of restaurants and bars on 7th, 8th and 9th Ave's as well as a short walk to the Meat Packing District and the West Village. Also, the Joyce Theatre on 8th Ave and 19th St has excellent dance companies performing.

 

Jane,

 

Thank you so much for your insight! It's nice to get some "inside" info from one of the locals. We wanted to try something different, and this area seems to have some real charm!:)

 

Thanks again,

Kel

[jetskier]

I can tell you that you scored! Pat yourself on the back!

 

I've never seen the rooms, but W has a great reputation. I live only a few blocks away, so I can tell you it's an excellent location. You'll be on 39th Street, so you can easily take the crosstown buses on 42nd St. or 34th Street to get to the west side. Within quick walking distance is the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station.

 

A very nice bar for a drink near your hotel is the Silverleaf Tavern on 40th Street and Park Ave. It's only one block away. The bar at the W is popular, crowded and noisy. If you like that, great.

Another very popular bar is El Rio Grande which you can enter on either 37th or 38th Street between Lexington and 3rd Ave's. You can also have dinner there. (mexican).

 

If you'd like a good italian restaurant in the neighborhood, I recommend Notaro on 2nd Ave between 34th and 35th Street. Or if you want some excellent spanish/mexican food, El Parador on 34th Street, just east of 2nd Ave is also a very popular spot.

 

Jane,

Thank you so much for the information. We now have three of the 26 couples staying at the W New York. I am still trying to get the others to go ahead and book. What is great is our cruise is still 11 months away and we already have a large rollcall going.

Dave

[greatam]

I can tell you that you scored! Pat yourself on the back!

 

 

Wow, did you score!!! W is usually in the neighborhood of $300 and up.

 

One of my favorite hotels in Manhattan.

 

If you want a quickie, cheap dinner, on the corner of 34th and 6th (SW corner) is one of those cafeteria like steak houses. They are very prevalent in NJ. Kind of like Sizzler, but better. Steak, baked potatoe and salad run about $15.00. Can't beat that hardly anyplace in NYC and the steak is pretty darn good for the price. No ambiance, not fancy, just good, plain, cheap food.

[Jane110]

Jane,

 

Thank you so much for your insight! It's nice to get some "inside" info from one of the locals. We wanted to try something different, and this area seems to have some real charm!:)

 

Thanks again,

Kel

 

Kel,

 

My pleasure, glad to help.

 

If you'd like some restaurant recommendations for places near either of your hotels, let me know what kind of food/ambiance/price range works or doesn't work for you and I'd be happy to come up with some idea's.

 

There's a french restaurant called Seppi's in the Parker Meridian which is nice. It's a tad overpriced for it's typical french bistro fare, but not terribly so. So while it wouldn't be my first choice, if you're tired or feeling lazy, it's a good option. A friend of mine who's a singer from Paris sometimes performs there and I go to see her. If she's perfroming during your visit, definitely go see her, even if it's just for a drink at the bar. (no cover charge either!) She's terrific. Her name is Nicole Renaud www.NicloleRenaud.com

[denims]

I lived down the block at 200 W. 20th for most of my adult life, so I can tell you that the Chelsea Lodge is an excellent location! Tons of restaurants and bars on 7th, 8th and 9th Ave's as well as a short walk to the Meat Packing District and the West Village. Also, the Joyce Theatre on 8th Ave and 19th St has excellent dance companies performing.

 

Jane, my wife and I are cruising out of NY late next Oct. We are going to come in about 3 days early to enjoy the City! How far is the Chelsea from the theater/Times Sq. area?

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

[Jane110]

Kel,

 

She's terrific. Her name is Nicole Renaud www.NicloleRenaud.com

 

oops, that's www.NicoleRenaud.com

[Jane110]

Jane, my wife and I are cruising out of NY late next Oct. We are going to come in about 3 days early to enjoy the City! How far is the Chelsea from the theater/Times Sq. area?

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

 

Not far.

 

The theatre district covers approx. West 42nd St. to about West 50th St. and covers 7th Ave, Broadway and 8th Ave. Chelsea is from West 15th about West 25th (the heart being West 16th - 23rd St's) and covers 7th Ave all the way west to water (12th Ave). The main avenues being 7th - 10th Ave's.

 

So for example, if you're in Times Sq. (42nd & B'way) and want to go to Chelsea, you'd simply walk down 7th or 8th Ave's (or hop the bus down 7th) to about 23rd St and you'd be in the heart of it. Since 20 city street blocks equals one mile, that would be an easy one mile walk. City blocks are rectangular and so an avenue block (say 6th to 7th Ave) is equal to 3 city blocks. Hence, it would be 7 Ave blocks to make a mile east to west. I think Manhattan is only about 2 miles wide in total. Be aware that Broadway is a tricky Ave as it's the only one that runs diagonally and is the longest street we have. So, in the theatre district it's on the west side near 7th and 8th Ave's, by the time it gets to 23rd Street, it crosses 5th Ave and that triangle is where the famous Flat Iron building stands.(5th Ave is smack dab in middle and is the divider between the east and west side). South of 23rd Street, Broadway is on the east side.

 

The Meat Packing District is 9th Ave from 15th Street to about 12th Street and is a very small area. South of that is the West Village.

 

If you look at a map, I promise this is all very easy to digest.:)

 

October is a great time of year to be here. You'll have a blast!

[smeyer418]

while the bus is fine. The Subway is much faster. Trains on the 6th, 7th eight and broadway lines run every few minutes(except late at night when they may be 15 minutes apart). Given traffic in the Theater district the subway is much faster- example 23 to 50th street on the eight avenue line is less than 5 minutes. A bus can take an 1/2 hour or more.(and the bus is only one way up 6th or 8th avenue down 7th or broadway....)and you almost never get a seat on the bus in Midtown...

[denims]

Thank-you both for your information. One of the main reasons we booked this cruise was because it gave us a chance to visit NY again!

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Larry

[BlueHerons]

Jane,

Thank you so much for the information. We now have three of the 26 couples staying at the W New York. I am still trying to get the others to go ahead and book. What is great is our cruise is still 11 months away and we already have a large rollcall going.

Dave

 

Dave: Have everyone in your party books their rooms ASAP!!! That is the weekend of the NYC Marathon and the city will sell out with average rooms going for $400+ per night.

 

If they wait past June when the marathon lottery comes out, they may have trouble finding rooms at all.

 

The Park South Hotel, a gorgeous little boutique hotel on Lexington about 20 blocks south of you (it really isn't that far even though it sounds like it is) has rooms on www.Quikbook.com for about $200 per night.

 

Your $157 score that weekend is fantastic!

 

I'm not joking when I say have your 23 other couples book right now.

[jetskier]

I'm not joking when I say have your 23 other couples book right now.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I have passed the info onto our roll call.

Dave

[BlueHerons]

Thanks for the heads up. I have passed the info onto our roll call.

Dave

 

Good job and I'm sure they will be thankful you gave them a heads up. To give you an idea of the kind of crowds you will run into, this is a good short article:

 

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2006b%2Fpr378-06.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1

[madelinerose]

oops, that's www.NicoleRenaud.com

 

Hi, Jane!

 

Wow, how truly ironic that Nicole is your friend! We were totally entertained by Nicole at Seppi the last time we stayed at Le Parker Meridien. We loved her, but, I think DH fell in love with her. ;-) The last time we were in NY, we dropped by Seppi, at DH's insistance, but she was no longer there.

 

Seems to be there really are only 6 Degrees of Separation.

 

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

 

Karen