Where To Stay In New York Book A Hotel In The Right New York Neighborhood
The main thing to watch out for in New York is where you want to stay. The best place to stay in New York for your trip depends a lot on how long youll be staying and what youre planning on doing.
Whichever New York neighborhood you decide on, you should always make sure theres a subway station nearby. Now lets find out which part of town is the best one for you.
Our tip: By the way, read our New York Pass comparison to find out which pass is the best for you.
Final Thoughts On Where To Stay In New York
New York is one of the greatest cities in the world. Its fast, fashionable, iconic, and fun. Whether youre a history buff, culture fanatic, fashionista, dedicated foodie or first-time traveller, theres something amazing for you in New York City.
To recap Williamsburg is our top recommendation for the coolest neighbourhood in NYC. With its hip eateries and trendy bars, theres always something going on in this central Brooklyn hood.
Our top choice for the best hotel is the Freehand New York. Located in Midtown, this hotel is close to iconic sights, historic landmarks, and some of New Yorks best restaurants and bars. Youre never far from the action when you stay at the Freehand New York.
Still not sure where to stay in New York City? Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below!
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Our Methodology For Choosing The Best Hotels
In addition to the criteria previously listed above, we considered these additional factors:
Price: We looked for typical starting room rates under $230 per night, with most hotels coming in under $200 per night in low season.
First-hand experience: Every hotel on this list was stayed at and vetted by our team. We considered the value rooms offered, location, decor and design, and more.
Reviews: In addition to our own first-hand stays, we thoroughly researched reviews and ratings on trusted traveler sites such as Trip Advisor, Hotels.com, and Booking.com, and took into account the experience and reviews of other recent guests.
Guests: We chose the best cheap hotels in New York City for a wide audience, including families, couples, solo travelers, and business travelers.
Amenities: We looked for hotels with great amenities that go beyond the usual chain offerings, from excellent dining options and rooftop bars to free bike rentals.
COVID-19 safety: In light of the pandemic, we selected hotels that prioritize the health and safety of guests with strict new cleaning policies.
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Make Sure To Get Discount Broadway Tickets
Obviously, catching a Broadway show is one of the things to do in New York City. And yesyou can do it on the cheap!
Heres what you do: check out the TKTS Booth in Times Square . There, you can find theatre tickets with steep discounts: sometimes up to 50% off! Get there early in the day to grab tickets before theyre gone.
Pro tip: If you do choose to pick up tickets in Times Square, be on your guard. Although New York City is safe, Times Square is a tourist hub, and pickpockets know it. For more info on common scams, talk to someone who lives in New York.
Brooklyn Where To Stay In New York City For Return Visitors
Brooklyn is renowned for its diverse residential neighborhoods. The most populated borough of New York City is huge and covers over 3 times the land area of Manhattan Island.
The Dumbo area close to Brooklyn Bridge is extremely touristy but not in a gimmicky way like Times Square. However, the area we recommend you consider staying in Brooklyn is Williamsburg.
If youre looking for hipster, bars spilling out onto streets, artsy, chilled and quite frankly awesome, Williamsburg is the place you should book. You can always get a subway into Manhattan.
The reason we say Brooklyn / Williamsburg is where to stay in New York City for return visitors is because most first timers will stay in Manhattan, explore Brooklyn and Williamsburg, then say Ahh, next time we will stay here.
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Things To Do In Times Square
Times Square in itself is a major tourist attraction but it is also incredibly convenient for visiting almost all of Midtowns best things to do including:
- Broadway
- Grand Central
If you do decide to book a hotel in Times Square, our top tip is to visit at night to see the chaos unfold, but then go again just before sunrise to see Times Square all but empty.
Williamsburg Coolest Place To Stay In New York City
Across the East River in cool Brooklyn, youll find Williamsburg, a hipster hood that oozes cool around every turn.
Williamsburg isnt just the coolest neighbourhood in New York City it routinely ranks as one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in the world, characterised by its thriving arts scene and vibrant nightlife. This is the place to see and be seen in New York.
At the centre of Brooklyn, Williamsburg is well connected to Manhattan and easy to reach from the rest of NYC. Its home to eclectic restaurants, boutique shops, stylish bars, hip tattoo parlours, and rustic rooftop patios.
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Why Is Soho Of The Best Places To Stay In Nyc
SoHo is about style and appearance but in a more gritty way than the Champ-Elyses in Paris. Is it pretentious? Maybe a little, but SoHo is better for its swagger.
SoHo has the most local and residential feel in Manhattan among this list of where to stay in New York City.
However, if youre looking for a more authentic NYC stay, you should look at hotels closer to Chelsea and Greenwich Village.
Hotels range from the top end of budget to luxurious but it is a little isolated in the Manhattan landscape. Long walks either direction are required to get to the next touristy area.
Best Place To Stay In New York First Time
If it is your very first time visiting the Big Apple, you need to stay in places that allow you to truly immerse yourself in this iconic citys culture.
This means a place where you have easy access to things like the famous New York 1$ pizza slice and must-see attractions like The Statue of Liberty and Broadway.
In all of New York City, there are 2 areas that offer all this and more making them the ideal places to stay as a first-time visitor.
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Where To Stay In New York The Best Neighborhoods On A Map
To help you find your bearings, weve compiled a map for you with all the best places to stay. To give you an even better sense of where everything is in Manhattan, weve added 10 popular tourist attractions.
We recommend staying in one of these 5 areas:
- Midtown: Ideal for your first visit to New York.
- Upper East Side: Ideal for luxury, shopping, and museum lovers.
- Chelsea & Greenwich Village: Ideal for New York romantics.
- Soho & Lower East Side: Ideal for hipsters and coolhunters.
- Queens: Ideal for travelers on a budget.
In the next sections, well take a look at each of these areas to help you find the right one for you.
Best Airbnb In New York Fully Furnished Studio Overlooking Magnolia Bakery
Perfectly located in West Village, this serviced apartment with every amenity you can imagine also has a shared garden with a bubbling fountain. It has a high-security monitoring system with 16 cameras throughout the buildings public areas and entry doors controlled by electric fobs. This place is recommended for where to stay in New York City if you want to have a home away from home.
If this is still not the right catch for you, check out the other amazing Airbnbs in Manhattan instead.
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Take Advantage Of Museum Deals
Lots of frequently asked questions about NYC concern its museums. Which ones are the best? Whats absolutely worth seeing? Do I have to go to the Met and the MoMA? Are they expensive?
Heres the truth: in New York, no one pays the full price at museums. Thats because most museums in NYC have free days as well as pay-as-you-wish daysso do a bit of research and youll have no trouble staying under budget! Psstthe Brooklyn Museum and the American Museum of Natural History are always pay-as-you-wish. And theyre both awesome!
Why Is Central Park One Of The Best Places To Stay In Nyc
This area is where to stay for a relaxing, quiet and calm New York City visit but with fairly easy access to the touristy spots in Midtown and Downtown Manhattan.
It is a very safe area, extremely family friendly and more upmarket than the likes of Times Square. Those who prefer to travel in luxury should look at hotels in Upper East Side.
Visitors who would like to walk or run around Central Park on a morning couldnt ask for a better location. Subway access is good but not the best. However, this is a very walkable part of the city.
It does take longer to reach the top sights in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, plus this is a more expensive area in general to stay and eat for those traveling on a budget to consider.
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Cheap Budget Hotels In Nyc
Manhattan Budget Hotels Less than $100 per Night
Cheap budget hotels in NYC are somewhat difficult to find. After all, one of the most expensive things in Manhattan is space! We all pay a LOT of money to live here and the price and size of many apartments would likely shock you. There are plenty of clean cheap budget hotels in Manhattan, NYC, some with really interesting rooms and great amenities.
- See Also: West Village
The rooms at The Jane are designed like a ships cabin. The low rate catch is there is only a single bed and the coed bathroom is down the hall. Some rooms offer bunk beds and the captains cabin with private bathroom starts at $225. The hip, but tiny rooms, come with free wi-fi, 23-inch LCD television, DVD player, iPod dock, built-in drawers and a luggage rack plus bicycles are complimentary and they are right on the Hudson River. Brunch at the Jane Hotel is a NYC favorite.
More Downtown Cheap Hotels:
- 309 W 14th St, NY, NY 10014
- Redford Hotel comfortable, budget friendly, free breakfast. 136 Ludlow Street. Formerly Comfort Inn
Why Is Lower Manhattan One Of The Best Places To Stay In Nyc
Lower Manhattan might not be the first place you think of when considering where to stay in New York City. However, it is filled with tourist attractions and access to unmissable landmarks.
Also, the financial district area is booming with tourists after new shops and hotels have been developed in recent years around the 9/11, One World Trade Center and Oculus area.
No, that doesnt mean you should stay in Lower Manhattan because yes, you could just visit and then take a subway back to another area.
But anyone hunting the best NYC photography locations should consider this area because it is right next to Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and One World Observatory.
And another huge bonus in this area? Many hotels here offer discounted rates at weekends when business trippers vacate hotel rooms otherwise occupied at inflated rates during the week.
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More Places To Stay With Easy Access To New York City
Jersey City
Jersey City is one of the top places to stay outside of NYC. It is a city in New Jersey, but its rapidly becoming one of the popular neighborhoods for people working in Manhattan.
Although it is in a different state, Jersey Citys proximity to Manhattan has made it a perfect neighborhood for people who want to live outside the city.
With the heavy commuter traffic in Jersey City, it means that the best things to do are around the PATH stations.
From various regions of Jersey City, one can easily get to Manhattan within 20 minutes via the PATH. Besides, there are various options to get to Manhattan as you can use a public bus, subway, ferry, train, or a hotel shuttle.
Most people, including travelers and locals, prefer staying in this area since it is close to the city but cheaper than staying in Manhattan.
There are several hotels in the area that offer accommodation, but you can start your search by checking out Candlewood Suites and , which is near the Hudson River.
The two hotels are elegant and offer quality services.
While the accommodation rates over the weekends are comparable at both hotels, Candlewood Suites is $100 cheaper over weeknights.
See Related: New York Pass Review
Edgewater
Edgewater is another incredible town that should be on your list of where to stay outside of New York City.
It is next to Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from Upper Manhattan.
While in Edgewater, you dont need to go to Manhattan to enjoy what NYC has to offer.
Nyc On A Budget: 15 Tips For Cheap Travel To New York
Sure, New York City can be expensive . But heres the thinga vacation to NYC really doesnt have to break the bank. In fact, there are a lot of ways to keep your trip to super affordable. Seriously! Here are 15 ways to travel to New York City on a budget.
Questions after reading our *two cents* ? Send us a message!
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$200+ Is Normal For A Hotel In New York City
Lets just set your expectations before we go forward. $200-$250 per night is a standard rate for a hotel in Manhattan in a convenient location. This article includes hotels in the $100 to $150 range, so you can imagine that you have to sacrifice something if you get something cheaper.
If youre open to it, hostels in New York City can be a bit more affordable than this, but its cheaper to share a room with a friend than to have a dorm bed in New York City probably.
Where To Stay In The Lower East Side
Historically the epitome of multiculturalism, the Lower East Side is today one of Manhattans most exciting neighbourhoods, with the citys best vintage-clothing stores, restaurants and especially happening spots for drinking, dancing and live music.
Best for traditional meets modern: Blue Moon Hotel
Lower East Side tenement transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel, with rooms named after 1930s and 1940s starlets and decked out with period iron-frame beds and the odd antique.
Best for boutique charm: The Ludlow
Chic boutique hotel with gorgeous terraces, black and cream silk rugs, white-marble tables and round brass chandeliers from Morocco.
This feature contains affiliate links you can find out more about why weve partnered with booking.com here. All recommendations are editorially independent and taken from The Rough Guide to New York City.
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Long Island City Where To Stay In New York On A Budget
Were heading up to Queens next, more specifically to Long Island City , a cool and a kind of underrated area in NYC. This neighborhood is located very close to Midtown , which I think is a great advantage because youll be able to avoid the huge accommodation fees in the center while still being close to all the important landmarks!
And yes, Long Island City is also THE place to be if youre traveling to NY on a tight budget and dont want to spend a fortune on accommodation. Youll have plenty of options here!
Where To Stay Outside Of New York City: 7 Top Options
Categories United States
Are you planning to travel but dont know where to stay outside of New York City? Well, if you are a budget-minded traveler seeking cheaper accommodation with easy access to the Big Apple City, here is your answer.
With over 65.1 million visitors each year, over 20% of which are international travelers, New York is undoubtedly a hub of activities.
Popularly known as the Big Apple, the city is an ultimate representation of a cosmopolitan destination, and a true definition of urban living.
This has made the cost of living here quite unforgiving, and even the long-time dwellers are increasingly searching for alternatives.
For budget-conscious travelers, staying in NYC during your vacation, therefore, becomes something you should try to avoid.
Life here is quite expensive, and accommodations costs wont spare your wallet. For this reason, you should have an idea of where to stay outside of New York City before you even travel.
New York City comprises 5 boroughs, namely Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.
But, when people talk of the high-cost NYC what they are mostly referring to is Manhattan.
Manhattan is the most expensive of all NYCs boroughs, and its the epicenter of NYCs economic activities.
It also serves as the Citys administrative center, as well as its historical and cultural identifier.
So, when looking for where to stay outside of New York City, youre probably being pushed away by the high costs in Manhattan.
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