Where to stay · New York City · United States
Where to stay in New York City
9 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Midtown. Times Square, Broadway theatres and the classic skyscrapers. Best alternatives — budget: Lower East Side and East Village; nightlife: Chelsea and the Meatpacking District.
Key facts
- First visit
- Midtown
- Families
- Midtown
- Budget
- Lower East Side and East Village
- Nightlife
- Chelsea and the Meatpacking District
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Midtown | Times Square, Broadway theatres and the classic skyscrapers |
| Families | Midtown | Times Square, Broadway theatres and the classic skyscrapers |
| Couples | Chelsea and the Meatpacking District | The High Line, art galleries and Chelsea Market |
| Budget | Lower East Side and East Village | Old tenements, dive bars and some of the city's best cheap eats |
| Luxury | Upper East Side | Museum Mile, Madison Avenue boutiques and grand townhouses |
| Nightlife | Chelsea and the Meatpacking District | The High Line, art galleries and Chelsea Market |
| Food lovers | Chelsea and the Meatpacking District | The High Line, art galleries and Chelsea Market |
| Solo travellers | Lower East Side and East Village | Old tenements, dive bars and some of the city's best cheap eats |
| Shopping | Midtown | Times Square, Broadway theatres and the classic skyscrapers |
| Quiet stays | Upper West Side | Brownstones, Central Park and the Natural History Museum |
New York City neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and shopping
Midtown
Midtown Manhattan holds Times Square and the Broadway theatres, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, MoMA and the shops of Fifth Avenue, with Central Park at its northern edge. It has the largest choice of hotels in the city and subway lines in every direction, but it is crowded and commercial.
- Good
- Walk to many top sights; Huge choice of hotels; Subway lines in every direction
- Watch out
- Crowded and noisy around Times Square; Chain restaurants dominate the busiest blocks
- Nearby
- Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal
$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and culture
Upper West Side
Between Central Park and Riverside Park, the Upper West Side is a residential district of brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings, with the American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center and food institutions such as Zabar's on Broadway. The 1, 2, 3 and B, C subway lines run straight to Midtown and Downtown.
- Good
- Family-friendly and calm; Two big parks on the doorstep; Fast subway to Midtown
- Watch out
- Quiet nightlife; A subway ride from Downtown sights
- Nearby
- American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Lincoln Center, Riverside Park
$$$$ · Best for luxury, culture and quiet stays
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side faces Central Park along Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile — the Met, the Guggenheim, the Neue Galerie and Cooper Hewitt — while Madison Avenue is lined with luxury boutiques. It is elegant and quiet, served by the 4, 5 and 6 trains on Lexington Avenue and the Q train on Second Avenue.
- Good
- Walk to the Met and Guggenheim; Quiet, elegant streets; Central Park on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels; Little nightlife
- Nearby
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Central Park, Madison Avenue
$$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, culture and couples
Chelsea and the Meatpacking District
West Chelsea has hundreds of art galleries between 10th and 11th Avenues, the High Line running overhead and the Chelsea Market food hall, while the cobbled Meatpacking District to the south has the Whitney Museum, rooftop bars and clubs. Hudson Yards and the Little Island park are at either end.
- Good
- Free galleries and the High Line; Excellent restaurants and bars; Walk to the West Village
- Watch out
- Expensive; Fewer subway lines on the far west side
- Nearby
- High Line, Chelsea Market, Whitney Museum, Hudson Yards
$$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers and nightlife
Greenwich Village and West Village
The Village's crooked, tree-lined streets break Manhattan's grid. Washington Square Park and NYU sit at its centre, Bleecker Street has cafés and pizza by the slice, and jazz clubs such as the Village Vanguard keep its music history alive. The West Village, towards the Hudson, is one of the most charming areas for an evening stroll and dinner.
- Good
- Charming, walkable streets; Excellent restaurants and jazz clubs; Central for Downtown sights
- Watch out
- Few hotels, mostly expensive; Confusing street layout
- Nearby
- Washington Square Park, Bleecker Street, Stonewall Inn, Hudson River Park
$$$$ · Best for shopping, couples and food lovers
SoHo and Nolita
SoHo's cast-iron façades and cobbled streets hold flagship stores and designer boutiques, while neighbouring Nolita and Little Italy have smaller shops and cafés along Elizabeth and Mott Streets. Chinatown's dumpling shops and bakeries are a few blocks to the south-east.
- Good
- Some of the city's best shopping; Attractive historic streets; Walk to the Village and Chinatown
- Watch out
- Very crowded on weekend afternoons; Expensive hotels
- Nearby
- Prince Street, Little Italy, Chinatown, Washington Square Park
$$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, food lovers and solo travellers
Lower East Side and East Village
The former immigrant neighbourhoods of the Lower East Side and East Village are packed with bars, music venues and restaurants, from Katz's Delicatessen on Houston Street to ramen, dumplings and natural-wine bars along St Marks Place and Avenue A. The Tenement Museum tells the stories of the families who once lived here.
- Good
- Lively bars and music venues; Excellent, good-value food; Local, creative atmosphere
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights; Fewer subway lines on the far east side
- Nearby
- Tenement Museum, Katz's Delicatessen, Tompkins Square Park, St Marks Place
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and budget
Financial District
Lower Manhattan holds Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, One World Observatory and Battery Park, where ferries leave for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Hotels often cost less at weekends, when business travellers leave, and most subway lines reach the area.
- Good
- Weekend hotel deals; Ferries to the Statue of Liberty; Excellent subway links
- Watch out
- Quiet in the evenings and at weekends; Fewer restaurants open at night
- Nearby
- 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge
$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, solo travellers and shopping
Williamsburg
One stop across the East River on the L train, Williamsburg has converted factories, vintage and record shops along Bedford Avenue, Domino Park on the waterfront with Manhattan skyline views, and a dense scene of bars, music venues and restaurants. The Smorgasburg food market is held on the waterfront at weekends in the warmer months.
- Good
- Lively bars and restaurants; Skyline views from the waterfront; Often cheaper than Manhattan
- Watch out
- Relies on the L and J/M/Z trains; Further from Midtown sights
- Nearby
- Domino Park, Bedford Avenue, East River Ferry, McCarren Park
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Midtown | $$$$ | Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal |
| Upper West Side | $$$ | American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Lincoln Center, Riverside Park |
| Upper East Side | $$$$ | Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Central Park, Madison Avenue |
| Chelsea and the Meatpacking District | $$$$ | High Line, Chelsea Market, Whitney Museum, Hudson Yards |
| Greenwich Village and West Village | $$$$ | Washington Square Park, Bleecker Street, Stonewall Inn, Hudson River Park |
| SoHo and Nolita | $$$$ | Prince Street, Little Italy, Chinatown, Washington Square Park |
| Lower East Side and East Village | $$$ | Tenement Museum, Katz's Delicatessen, Tompkins Square Park, St Marks Place |
| Financial District | $$$ | 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge |
| Williamsburg | $$$ | Domino Park, Bedford Avenue, East River Ferry, McCarren Park |
Getting to your hotel
From JFK, AirTrain links to the subway at Jamaica and Howard Beach, and to Long Island Rail Road trains at Jamaica, about 20 minutes on to Penn Station or Grand Central; yellow cabs charge a flat fare to Manhattan. From LaGuardia, the free Q70 bus connects to the subway at Jackson Heights. From Newark, AirTrain links to NJ Transit and Amtrak trains reaching Penn Station in about 30 minutes.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in New York City for first-time visitors?
Midtown. Midtown Manhattan holds Times Square and the Broadway theatres, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, MoMA and the shops of Fifth Avenue, with Central Park at its northern edge.
+Where should families stay in New York City?
Midtown: Walk to many top sights.
+Which area of New York City is best for a budget stay?
Lower East Side and East Village ($$$): Old tenements, dive bars and some of the city's best cheap eats.