Where to Stay in New York

Midtown puts you within walking distance of the city's biggest landmarks. Central Park's south entrance is at 59th Street and 5th Avenue, 12 minutes from most hotels between 42nd and 55th. Times Square sits at 42nd and Broadway. The Empire State Building is at 34th and 5th. The transit is the real argument: you're on top of the A, C, E, N, Q, R, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 lines. Grand Central at 42nd and Park Avenue connects you to every borough in under 30 minutes. The downside is real: the streets between 42nd and 50th on 7th and 8th Avenues are relentless with crowds and overpriced food. Stay east of 6th Avenue between 48th and 57th and the vibe shifts noticeably. The blocks near Lexington and 3rd Avenues are calmer and still completely central. Book Sunday check-in and you will pay 20 to 30 percent less than a Friday arrival.

Best for

First-time visitorsBusiness travelersPacked sightseeing itineraries

Walk times

Times Square (42nd Street and Broadway) 8 min
Central Park south entrance (59th Street and 5th Avenue) 12 min
Grand Central Terminal (42nd Street and Park Avenue) 5 min

Skip if: You want quiet nights or local restaurant culture. Midtown is a machine that never stops, and not in a fun way after day two.

Local tip: Stay between 3rd and Lexington Avenues on the east side of Midtown. Same subway access, 15 percent cheaper than 7th Avenue addresses, and you can actually hear yourself think.

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$224per night

Chelsea and West Village

Where New York actually lives

Mid-range $160-$380/night

Chelsea and the West Village sit side by side below 23rd Street. The High Line elevated park runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District up to 34th Street along 10th Avenue. Chelsea Market at 9th Avenue between 15th and 16th is worth an hour even if you are not hungry. Walk south and the grid breaks apart. The West Village streets, Bleecker, Christopher, Perry, Grove, get narrow and tree-lined fast. Carmine Street has six genuinely good restaurants within two blocks. Commerce Street is a dead end with some of the best bar seating in the city. The A, C, E runs on 8th Avenue. The L at 14th and 8th gets you to Brooklyn in 8 minutes. The downside is that Midtown is 20 minutes by subway, which adds friction if your meetings are above 34th Street. Prices are about 20 percent below Midtown for comparable rooms.

Best for

Repeat visitorsFoodiesLGBTQ travelersAnyone who wants real New York streets

Walk times

High Line entrance (Gansevoort Street and Washington Street) 10 min
Washington Square Park (West 4th Street and La Guardia Place) 12 min
Hudson Yards (34th Street and 11th Avenue) 15 min

Skip if: You have back-to-back Midtown meetings every morning. The commute is doable but it adds friction to an already full schedule.

Local tip: Stay south of 20th Street. The blocks around Jane Street, Horatio Street, and Bank Street feel like the city in a film. The restaurants on Bleecker and Hudson are the ones worth booking a week ahead.

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$179per night

Upper West Side

Residential calm with Central Park at your door

Mid-range $150-$350/night

The Upper West Side runs from 59th Street up to 110th, sandwiched between Central Park on the east and Riverside Park on the west. Two parks accessible in under 5 minutes from any block. The main street is Broadway, which has Zabar's at 80th and Broadway (a New York deli institution since 1934), good bagel spots, and restaurants that serve actual neighborhood residents. The American Museum of Natural History sits at 79th and Central Park West. The 1 and 2 trains run along Broadway and get you to Times Square in 20 minutes. Fewer hotel options here than in Midtown, and the ones that exist charge close to Midtown rates because of the park access. It is the right call for families. Central Park is the best free activity in the city, and having it five minutes from your room changes how you spend mornings entirely. Quiet evenings are guaranteed.

Best for

Families with kidsMuseum visitorsCentral Park runnersTravelers who want residential calm

Walk times

Central Park west entrance (72nd Street and Central Park West) 5 min
American Museum of Natural History (79th Street and Central Park West) 8 min
Riverside Park (Riverside Drive at 72nd Street) 3 min

Skip if: You want nightlife or easy Brooklyn access. The neighborhood goes quiet after 10pm and the subway to Brooklyn takes 40 minutes minimum.

Local tip: Look for hotels on or near Broadway between 72nd and 86th. The cross streets toward Columbus Avenue are slightly cheaper. Avoid anything above 96th Street unless you specifically want the Columbia University area.

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$168per night

Lower East Side and SoHo

Nightlife and food, cobblestones and late nights

Mid-range $160-$360/night

SoHo occupies the blocks south of Houston between Broadway and the Hudson, famous for cast-iron buildings and high-end shopping on Prince Street and Spring Street. Walk east across Broadway and you are in the Lower East Side proper: Orchard Street, Ludlow Street, Rivington Street. This is where New York nightlife actually happens after midnight. The food is cheap by city standards. Kenmare Street has ramen. Mott Street, five minutes east into Chinatown, has dim sum from $4. Essex Street Market at Delancey has grocers and restaurants under one roof. The J, M, Z run on Delancey. The F stops at Delancey and Houston. The 6 is at Spring Street. The Brooklyn Bridge is a 10-minute walk east. Wall Street is 15 minutes south. The neighborhood gets loud on Friday and Saturday nights, which is either the point or the problem depending on why you came.

Best for

Nightlife seekersFood-focused travelersShoppersRepeat visitors who know the city

Walk times

Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian entrance (Centre Street and Park Row) 10 min
Wall Street (Broadway and Wall Street) 15 min
Chinatown (Mott Street and Canal Street) 8 min

Skip if: You need fast airport transfers or easy Midtown access. Everything takes longer from down here. The A train to JFK is 65 minutes. The subway to Midtown runs 25 to 35 minutes depending on the line.

Local tip: Stay west of Bowery in SoHo for quiet. Stay east on Orchard or Ludlow if you want to be in the middle of the action. Both are the same zip code but feel like different cities after 11pm.

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$179per night

Brooklyn (Williamsburg and DUMBO)

30 percent cheaper and 20 minutes from everything

Mid-range $120-$280/night

Williamsburg is the most practical choice for travelers who want New York without Midtown prices. The L train from Bedford Avenue runs 24 hours on weekends and reaches Union Square in 20 minutes, Midtown in 30. Smorgasburg, the outdoor food market, runs Saturdays on the Williamsburg waterfront at East River State Park on North 7th Street from April through October. The restaurant concentration around Bedford Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue is legitimately excellent and not performing for tourists. DUMBO, 20 minutes south on the G train or a 25-minute walk, sits under the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. The corner of Washington Street and Front Street is the most photographed view in Brooklyn for good reason. Hotels in Williamsburg run 30 to 40 percent less than equivalent Midtown options. The honest trade-off: most major attractions are across the river. Three round trips adds 60 to 90 minutes to your day.

Best for

Budget-conscious travelersYounger visitorsFoodiesAnyone on a second or third New York trip

Walk times

by L train to Union Square (Bedford Avenue to 14th Street-Union Square) 20 min
Brooklyn Bridge Park (Kent Avenue south to Pier 1) 10 min
Smorgasburg on weekends (East River State Park at North 7th Street) 8 min

Skip if: Your itinerary is Midtown-heavy. Three cross-river trips a day adds 60 to 90 minutes of transit. That is a real cost on a short trip.

Local tip: Stay within 5 blocks of the Bedford Avenue L stop. Once you are more than 8 blocks away the walk to the subway becomes an actual commute. The blocks north of Metropolitan Avenue toward North 7th have the densest restaurant options.

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$134per night