First time in NYC and need help picking hotels and where to go besides seeing shows.

[wonkit]

Walk the High Line and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to have lunch in DUMBO. 

Go to Battery Park and ride the Seaglass Carousel, especially at dusk. 

Go to the Morgan Library and Museum and Library and have lunch in the sun filled atrium.

Look for free Shakespeare all over NYC in the summer.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Worst hotel ever:  New York Inn.  Sure, it's centrally located, but it's like a Third World Country version of a hotel room.  Nice places:  There is an Econolodge really close to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  Also, I've stayed at the Washington Jefferson a couple of times.  Nice building and close to the  Gershwin Theatre.

[Phantom4ever]

For hotels, I would stay away from the New York Inn (rough) and The Row. The Row's location is perfect but getting in and out of the lobby and getting in and out of the elevators can take upwards of 20 minutes from your hotel room door to the street. That's some serious time when it's 7:30 and you have an 8pm curtain to get to. The front desk staff is shockingly rude and seemingly happy about being shockingly rude and they charge an exorbitant "resort fee". 

I would suggest the Paramount Hotel, the Crowne Plaza, Millennium Broadway or, if you really want to save but still be clean and comfortable, the Mayfair hotel. I can usually book the Mayfair for close to 125-150 a night. The decor is hideous and makes the room feel claustrophobic, but it is super cheap, clean, and convenient. The other ones run closer to 200-250 a night. If you want to indulge yourself but still be reasonable, try Hilton Garden Inn on 8th and 48, the Westin on 43rd. Note: no real theater lover would ever stay at the Marriott Marquis since we had to lose five beautiful historic theaters and gain one ugly one for this hotel.

I use hotels.com because every 10th room is free. You need to keep checking back for prices, and do your search in the middle of the week; the prices are always lower when you search midweek. 

By the way, your show list is AMAZING I AM SUPER JEALOUS. 

As for non Broadway stuff to do: when I show people around New York, I like to do downtown days and midtown days. 

Downtown: 

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Staten Island Ferry, South Street Seaport, Wall Street Bull, Federal Hall, Museum of Finance, World Trade Center Memorial, WTC Museum, Battery Park, Canal Street, Little Italy, Soho shopping, Union Square, Brooklyn, Williamsburg Bridge.  No, this stuff cannot be done in one day, but mix and match them. And if you're doing the Statue, buy tix ahead of time, ignore anyone who approaches you in Battery Park, and plan to spend at least half the day doing that. 

Midtown: Grand Central, NY Public Library, Fifth Avenue shopping, Rockefeller Center, Rock Center/Radio City tour, Central Park South stroll, Central Park, Times Square, Intrepid, MoMa the Met and Museum Mile (kinda uptown but still), Circle Line Cruises, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock United Nations. Again this stuff cannot be done in one day but that's the fun of mixing and matching.

Big Onion Walking tour: go to their site and see the schedule of walking tours they have on your dates. 

I suggest you visit the top of Empire State, World Trade and Top of the Rock. They all have their unique attributes. Empire State is open til 2am, and if you go after a show, or better yet, after a show and then after a bar, it's nice and quiet and you get to walk past these enormous spaces that would be full of people if you came earlier in the day. I prefer World Trade observation deck in the daytime, and Top of the Rock is perfect right before a show. 

Don't be afraid of the subway and remember what you really need to know is are you going downtown or uptown. The colors all have several different trains running on them, some local some express, so say you just saw a show, and you want to head down to the Village for some booze and good times. At Times Sq, you could hop on the "red line" (don't ever call it that) and since you're going from Times Sq/42 to 14th, you would need a DOWNtown train. This is where you will need to look at the map til you get the hang of which stations are express and which are local. Usually, all trains stop at 14, so you could take the 1, 2 or 3 (red) trains downtown. But if you want to go another stop, to Christopher, then you could only take the 1 train. 

One special place in Manhattan I love is the former Ladies Mile along 6th Avenue from 14th to 23rd. It is full of beautiful, gorgeous old 19th century department stores that have been lovingly kept up over the years. And one of my favorite pizza places in the city is right at 14th and 6th, Slice & Co. 

Don't feel bad if you spend one or two (or three) mornings lounging in bed instead of lining up early for more tourist stuff--you are on vacation after all. 

I know some people are saying that you should save money by staying away from Times Square but I caution against this. There is nothing as heavenly as having a long day on your feet seeing tourist site after tourist site, grabbing some dinner, then collapsing on your bed, setting your alarm for 7pm, hop in the shower, be ready to go and 7:30 and casually stroll to your theater with time to spare. If you have to add walking to the subway, waiting for the subway, riding the subway, walking out of the subway doing all that hotel stuff, then repeating that subway stuff.......no the cheaper cost is not worth the aggravation. 

And finally, the number one, super important, more important that all other suggestions combined for visiting New York

BRING 

COMFORTABLE

WALKING

SHOES. 

You will be walking more than you ever thought possible. I don't care if you take a taxi or uber everywhere. You will be walking walking walking walking walking walking. It is crazy. And great. and insane. And terrible on your feet.  So bring comfortable walking shoes. 

[BobChapski]

I would highly recommend the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side.  It is not an art museum, but they provide guided tours of apartments that recreate immigrant life in the 19th and 20th centuries. It's truly fascinating.  While you're on the Lower East side, there are some great food options such as Russ and Daughters or Katz's delicatessen, so it would make a nice morning itinerary.

I also recommend the Highline, as another poster has mentioned.

[jo]

  "Sure, it's centrally located, but it's like a Third World Country version of a hotel room."

 

LOL!

Have you ever stayed in one ( maybe in Southeast Asia) ?  For the same price that you might pay in a fairly standard room in a theatre district hotel -- you are waited hand and foot here  ... Not kidding - you could probably stay in a luxe hotel for that price.

I remember having lunch at the Mandarin in Bangkok -- a waiter would hover around me ( to take care of my chair whenever I would leave or return to my seat) while I continue to choose from the sumptuous buffet table.

[Stage Door Sally]

As a former destination expert for TripAdvisor, I know that you really can get a 4* hotel at 2* prices. For all the shows you are seeing you would be better off near Times Square (Theater District) rather than Queens or downtown. I recommend the website betterbidding.com for hotel advice. Scroll down to the New York board and post a question about hotels giving your check in and check out date, and your budget. They will give you good advice about what's available on Priceline and Hotwire, and bidding tips if necessary. Lately, I've found good deals on Priceline without having to bid through their "EXPRESS DEALS," where you get at least 60% off the room rate. My favorite midtown hotels are the Grand Hyatt and the Sofitel. I've gotten both on Priceline and Hotwire.

I also highly recommend walking the Brooklyn Bridge, and once across, walk to Juliana's Pizza at 19 Fulton Street for some true New York Style Pizza  (Juliana's is run by a member of the Grimaldi family which used to run nearby Grimaldi's but has since opened Juliana's and it is terrific.) From the bridge you'll get a distant view of the Statue of Liberty. And in case you are wondering, my husband is ghastly afraid of heights, but the bridge doesn't bother him in the least. It's cool.

As others have mentioned, the MET Museum (a national treasure trove) has a suggested listed admission price but you can pay whatever you like. Just hand the cashier some money and say this is for one admission.

If it's a nice day, a stroll through Central Park is fun. There's an entrance near the MET so you could do both easily. If you are up that way and want to try some delicious Viennese pastry, Cafe Sabarsky is nearby. It's located in the Neue Art Gallerie. (You don't have to pay for that museum to go to the cafe).

Have fun, and pm me if you want any more info about any of these things.

 

 

 

 

[HSky]

Pricing varies (but I've had steals for barely over $100 in winter and it can be had for less than $250 most other times), but my usual hotel is the Hilton Garden Inn at 49th and 8th. It doesn't have the endless elevator wait like the one on 54th and the location is very convenient yet being on 8th makes a world of difference compared to 7th/Broadway in Times Square. The rooms are also a nice size for NYC. There's also an A/C/E subway stop directly across the street. 

Walking the High Line is one of my favorite activities and the Frick is one of my favorite museums that isn't the usual rec like the Met. The free NYPL exhibit on Hamilton was better than what was on display at Hamilton Grange.

[mpkie]

Definitely visit The Metropolitan Museum (main building) as some have suggested here! Pay what you can. I always try to visit at least once a year. As a lifelong New Yorker, it has my favorite view in the city. Head up to the rooftop garden (where you can buy a drink) and take in the view of the city while overlooking Central Park. The current exhibit on the rooftop is "PsychoBarn" -- replica of the Bates Hotel from Psycho. When will you be coming? A stroll through Central Park would be warranted as well -- Belvedere Castle is kind of cool (you can see Delacorte from there, where they put on Shakespeare in the Park) or you can chill a bit on the Great Lawn.

We have a lot of wonderful museums, and I agree with the other posters on their suggestions like MoMa, AMNH, and Tenement Museum (which is not your typical museum but guided only). Use your student ID for discounts if you have one.

You can take a nice walk through historical financial district (e.g., Trinity Church where Alexander & Eliza Hamilton and other notable NY'ers are buried) and check out American Museum of Finance (has a room dedicated to Alexander Hamilton) or check out Battery Park City (Brookfield Place, Memorial Fountains, World Trade Center, etc.).

If you are interested in getting views of the city and Statue of Liberty from the water, you can ride the Staten Island Ferry roundtrip for free (at Whitehall Terminal). You can bring your own lunch onboard.

The High Line is also a wonderful walk. I've walked the whole stretch, and if you keep walking past the end of it, you can head down towards the pier, which is a really lovely place to take in the view and grab a drink/bite on The Frying Pan, a docked vintage red ship.

For hotels, I like to use hotels.com (they're owned by the same parent company as Tripadvisor), since I can use the app and a lot of hotels have a free cancellation policy, so it lets me hang onto a couple of different hotels while I figure out the best option or my exact travel plans. However, as a person who has never booked a hotel in New York, I don't know how applicable it will be here.

So much to do! Welcome to NYC! Yay!

[MarkBearSF]

All sorts of great advice on hotels and daytime activities in this thread.

If I may offer some additional suggestions for your visit, here are some ideas for Broadway hangouts.

- Joe Allen is the quintessential Broadway joint. With the infamous flop wall, great burgers and menu (also known for the calf's liver and lobster roll). You can only book one week in advance. Seeing the dining room in action for a pre-show dinner is a marvel. 

- My favorite pre-show (and post-show) bar is the upstairs bar at Sardi's. Just head up the stairs to the right. Lots of show talk and it still is a hangout. On a recent visit, on Thursday night after the show, three members of the cast of The Humans (including Reed Birney) were there, as well as the director, Joe Mantello (who came with Carol Kane) and Alex Brightman from School of Rock. Good quesadillas at the bar. 

- Keep your eyes open if Seth Rudetsky starts doing his "Chatterbox" interviews again. They take place Thursday nights at 5:30 in the rearmost room of Don't Tell Mama on 46th St. Cost is $20 (?) donation to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS - 2 drink minimum. Great interviews, gossip and performances in a very intimate venue with more than enough time to grab a bite and head to a show later.

- Yes, it looks like tourist central (and yeah, it is to a degree) but Juniors on 45th & Shubert Alley has great legit NY deli food with huge portions and fast service. They're famous for their cheesecake, but I've always been too full to order it by the end of the meal.

 

[disneyschildren]

A big thank you to everyone who have replied! I think I will start to book things in the next few days.  I also just might do two or three different hotels like someone suggested.

[gregnyc2]

While until recently was a manhattan dweller, i decamped.  I came into town in april just concentrating on three shows (king i, dear e h, hamilton - !) and stayed at the Casablanca and have only great things to say.   It's a true quiet oasis steps from times sq (which i kinda hate) -- quiet, lovely hospitality, a really nice full continental bfast spread (an amazing one for a nyc hotel), wifi, the second floor (where the bfast is) is large, sofas, beverages/cookies etc throughout the day, all of the newspapers etc.  Their rates vary wildly but i got a great rate thtough hoteltonight app , a terrific app but it books seven days prior to your arrival.  Casablanca is part of the library hotel group which includes the Giraffe at park and 26th, a hotel i truly adore.

[gregnyc2]

PS.    I wouldn't split up your hotels......that's a hassle with checkout times, checkin times.

Not in t sq, but ian schrager's newish Edition Hotel on Mad Sq Park (subway there just thtee quick stops to 42nd) is an absolutely brilliant hotel.

[LizzieCurry]

I agree on not splitting up your hotels.

AND especially with the person above who recommended good walking shoes. I'd also recommend bringing more socks and underwear than you think you need, especially in the summer, since you may be taking multiple showers a day (depending on what kind of heat you're used to).

[StephieElise]

We stayed at the Edison and loved it so much that we'll be back in September. We liked being close to the theatres as we were there every night and enjoyed the short walk home, plus being able to go back to change, etc. beforehand. They also have a deal where if you stay a certain number of nights you get a discount plus free pizza! 

I would suggest looking into the New York Pass - we got a lot of value out of it. Highlights were the river cruise (we did the full circle but I think I'd recommend the half), the Radio City tour and the Soho/Little Italy/Chinatown tour (definitely going to do more of those tours next time). The Inside Broadway tour was pretty rubbish as we knew pretty much everything our guide told us (he dubbed me 'Broadway Girl'...which was kinda cool when I live on the other side of the world!) and the only 'inside' we saw was our own hotel. So unless it's going to be groundbreaking news to you that Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis played daughter and father in TLM and then lovers in POTO, I'd give it a miss. Both Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building are on the pass so you can do I've by day and the other by night if you want. The ESB stays open late - we went after a show and got up in a matter of minutes.

[Robyn2]

I stayed at the Marriott Courtyard Central Park and thought it was a good location.  If you have a AAA or Marriott card you can get a room for close to $200 a night. 

 

[jbird5]

A caution about the subway: they like to reroute trains on the weekend. If you go somewhere late Friday night don't plan on coming back the same way. I once had to walk to Penn Station from downtown when they shut down the Red Line south of 32nd. They post signs and make announcements but they are meaningless if you don't know the system.

[Jane2]

If you go to South Ferry, be aware that the subway won't stop there until some time in July, for construction. The best way to go is by taxi.