Where to Stay in New York City for First Time Visitors

Stay between 42nd and 57th, west of Lexington, and you can walk to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the New York Public Library on Fifth, and Bryant Park without touching the subway. The 7th Avenue corridor near Carnegie Hall stays calmer than the Times Square bowtie. Skip anything labeled Midtown South of 34th unless it's near Bryant Park. The Theater District streets between 8th and 9th have the best dinner pre-show scene, especially Restaurant Row on West 46th. Penn Station and Grand Central both sit inside this zone, so day trips to the Hamptons or Cold Spring are a five-minute walk from your lobby.

Best for

First-timers who want to walk out the door into the New York from movies

Walk times

Times Square 5 min
Central Park south entrance at Columbus Circle 10 min
Empire State Building from 42nd Street 12 min

Skip if: You're a light sleeper or you hate crowds, because the sidewalks never empty

Local tip: Book a room facing an interior courtyard, not 7th Avenue. The horns and sirens run until 3am on the avenue side.

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$314per night

Greenwich Village and West Village

Brownstones, jazz clubs, and human-sized streets

Luxury $320-$580/night

The grid breaks here, which is the whole point. Stay near Washington Square Park or along Bleecker between 6th and Hudson and you'll walk past the Stonewall Inn, Cafe Wha, and the brownstone from Friends without trying. Carmine Street and MacDougal hold the late-night pizza and old-school Italian spots. The West 4th, Christopher Street, and 14th Street stations all run the A, C, E, B, D, F, M, and 1, so you can reach Midtown in 10 minutes when you want skyline. Restaurants here take reservations seriously. Book Via Carota, I Sodi, or Don Angie three weeks out.

Best for

Couples and anyone who wants NYC to feel like a neighborhoodnot a megacity

Walk times

Washington Square Park 5 min
High Line northern entrance at Gansevoort 12 min
SoHo shopping on Spring Street 10 min

Skip if: You need a subway directly under your hotel, since some West Village blocks are a 10-minute walk from any train

Local tip: Walk Bleecker east to west on a Sunday morning. Murray's Cheese, Faicco's Italian, and Magnolia Bakery sit on the same three blocks.

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$358per night

SoHo and NoLita

Cast-iron storefronts and the best shopping in America

Luxury $340-$620/night

SoHo runs from Houston to Canal between 6th Avenue and Lafayette, and the cobblestones along Mercer, Greene, and Wooster hold the cast-iron buildings the area is named for. NoLita, just east of Lafayette, is smaller and quieter with the boutiques on Mott and Elizabeth. You're 10 minutes from the Brooklyn Bridge, 15 from One World Observatory, and you can cross into Chinatown for dumplings at Joe's Shanghai in under 10 minutes. The downside is transit. The 6, R, W, and N at Prince and Spring help, but the closest express is Canal Street. Saturday afternoons on Broadway between Houston and Spring are walking-pace at best.

Best for

Shoppersdesign loversand anyone planning to spend a day in Brooklyn

Walk times

Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan entrance 12 min
Washington Square Park 10 min
Little Italy on Mulberry 5 min

Skip if: You want quick access to Midtown attractions, since the trip uptown takes 25 to 30 minutes

Local tip: Eat at Lombardi's on Spring before 6pm. The first pizzeria in America. Cash only used to be the rule, but they take cards now.

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$381per night

Upper West Side

Central Park out front, museums next door, calmer rates

Luxury $240-$420/night

The blocks between 70th and 86th, west of Central Park, give you the most relaxed first-time base in Manhattan. The American Museum of Natural History sits at 79th and Central Park West. The Met is a 15-minute walk across the park. Lincoln Center anchors the southern end at 65th. Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam between 72nd and 86th hold the dinner scene, and Levain Bakery on West 74th is worth the line. The 1, 2, 3, B, and C trains all run under Broadway and Central Park West, so you reach Times Square in 10 minutes and Battery Park in 25. Weekend rates often run $80 to $120 below Midtown for the same room quality.

Best for

Familiesreturning visitorsand anyone who values quiet streets at night

Walk times

Central Park entrance at 72nd Street 5 min
American Museum of Natural History 8 min
Lincoln Center 10 min

Skip if: You want to walk to Times Square, since it's a 25-minute walk or one subway stop

Local tip: Enter Central Park at West 72nd and walk to Bethesda Terrace. Five minutes, no crowds, and the same view from When Harry Met Sally.

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$269per night