Best area to stay in New York
 

"Steve Tustin" wrote in message
...

Someone suggested that I post here to see if anyone has any advice...


Couple of questions if I may...

Carol (the most beautiful woman in
the world!) and I are visiting New York for holiday this year. We fly
in on September 11th and want to stay for 4 - 5 days before picking a
car up and driving to Baltimore where we will stay with a friend.


Where is the most suitable area in New York to stay for us? We are
both late 40's, prefer an apartment (or even B & B!) to hotels, like
eating out at good local restuarants as opposed to posh places, like
art/ theatre/architecture etc. but not drinking, like chatting and
people watching, but not gossiping, we're not sporty types - if we
ever feel like exercise we lie down until the feeling goes away! Our
kids are grown up so we are family types with grandkids now!

We have
not visited before so want to do the normal touristy stuff.

I'm
confused - Manhattan, Bronx, Eastside, Westside, Uptown, Downtown? LOL

You might want to do a little basic research.

New York City is made up of 5 boroughs. Manahattan, which is what everyone
thinks of when they picture New York (Broadway, Times Square, the Empire
State, etc.) is an island. Brooklyn and Queens are two other boroughs which
are on Long Island. Though each have interesting things to see and do, they
are hardly destinations for a first-time visitor. The Bronx is the only
borough on the mainland. It is primarily residential, has some very, very
rough areas, and, like Brooklyn and Queens, is not of much interest to a
first-timer (unless you want to see the Yankees play). Statan Island, or
Richmond, is yet another island-borough, and is primarily residential. It
is of interest only because you can take a ride to it on the Statan Island
ferry -- the ride is free, and offers spectacular views of the Statue of
Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline.

Manhattan is where you want to be.

"Downtown" is lower Manhattan, the oldest part of the city and, primarily,
office buildings. There are things to see in lower Manhattan, but it's not
a convenient place to stay. The upper reaches of lower Manhattan include
Chinatown and, depending on how you carve up the borough, Greenwich Village,
the Lower Eastside and other areas of interest.

Midtown encompasses Broadway, Times Square, the southern edge of Central
Park, Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State building, and
many other places of interest. It also features the greatest concentration
of hotels and restaurants.

"Uptown" isn't accurate as an area designator, only a direction. On either
side of Central Park you will find the upper Eastside and the upper
Westside. Both are primarily residential (and, in most cases, very upscale
residential). On the Eastside, you'll find the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and (if it ever reopens) the Museum of Modern Art. On the
Westside, you'll find Lincoln Center. On either side, you'll find lots of
restaurants.

Above Central Park is Harlem, which has undergone a renaissance and is an
interesting place to visit. Above Harlem is little of interest to a first
time visitor.

I can't recommend apartments or B&Bs. Though I'm a native New Yorker, I
moved away some time ago. When I return to visit now, which is quite often,
I stay at the Marriott East Side on Lexington Avenue at 49th Street. It's
walking distance to Broadway, there are lots of restaurants nearby, and the
hotel has a nice "New Yorky" ambience. For a different experience, the W is
one-block away, and a block beyond that is the Benjamin.




Help!!

Thanks


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