Where you stay in New York shapes the whole trip more than which hotel you pick. A nice room in the wrong neighborhood means long subway rides every morning. A tiny room two blocks from where you want to be is often the better deal.
Here’s how the main areas compare, with a few specific hotels we like.
Midtown
Midtown puts you close to Times Square, Broadway theaters, Rockefeller Center and most of the big sights. Almost every subway line passes through, so getting anywhere is simple. The downside is that it’s crowded, noisy and short on good, affordable food, especially around Times Square itself.
Stay here if it’s your first visit and you want to walk to the famous places. The Refinery Hotel near Bryant Park is a good pick, and its rooftop bar is one of the better ones in the area.
Lower Manhattan and the Financial District
FiDi is busy on weekdays and noticeably quieter on weekends, which often means lower hotel prices on Friday and Saturday nights. You’re close to the 9/11 Memorial, the Staten Island Ferry, Battery Park and the Brooklyn Bridge, and there are fast trains uptown. Evenings can feel a little empty in some blocks.
Chelsea and the Meatpacking District
This is the High Line, the Whitney, Chelsea Market and a lot of nightlife. Hotels here lean stylish and expensive. It suits couples and people who want to walk out the door into restaurants and bars. Subway access is fine, but the far west side is a hike from the nearest station.
Greenwich Village and SoHo
The Village and SoHo have the street life most people imagine when they picture New York: small blocks, cafes, bars and shops. There are fewer big hotels, and the ones that exist charge for the location. If you can afford it, this is the most enjoyable part of Manhattan to wake up in. Read our SoHo guide for what’s nearby.
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is residential, calmer and close to Central Park and the Natural History Museum. It works well for families and for anyone visiting for the second or third time. The trade-off is that nightlife is limited and you’ll take the subway to most of the tourist sights.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg has some of the best hotels in the city outside Manhattan, many of them with serious views. The William Vale and The Hoxton are both on or near the waterfront, and both have rooftop restaurants or bars worth visiting even if you stay elsewhere. The L train gets you to Manhattan in minutes, though weekend service changes are common.
DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge sits right in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with the bridge and the Manhattan skyline outside. It’s a splurge, but few hotels anywhere have a better setting. The area is quiet at night.
Long Island City, Queens
LIC is one stop from Midtown on several lines and has plenty of newer hotels at lower prices than Manhattan. The waterfront parks have excellent skyline views. It’s not the most exciting place to stay, but it’s the best value for people who plan to be out all day.
A few booking tips
- Look at the total price, not the nightly rate. Many New York hotels add a daily “destination” or “facility” fee on top of taxes.
- Check the room size. Standard rooms in Manhattan are often small, and “cozy” usually means it.
- Look up the nearest subway station and which lines stop there before you book.
- Be careful with short-term rentals. Since 2023, New York City has required hosts renting for fewer than 30 days to be registered with the city and to be present during the stay, and listings that ignore this can be cancelled.
When you’ve picked a neighborhood, our list of things to do this weekend can help fill the days.
