NYC Downtown/Financial District - great place to stay!

[The Nice Family]

The vast majority of postings on this board seem to point pre/post-cruisers looking for NYC accommodation, in the direction of mid-town. I'm here to present another option following our experience.

 

Having just returned from our first NYC visit and stayed downtown (right by the Brooklyn Bridge/Seaport), I can highly recommend this area for those who want to experience and enjoy the shoulder-to-shoulder ever-moving throngs of tourists in the mid-town area but then have a thankful escape when it all becomes too much.

 

I had read a lot of negative things about the Seaport area and the lack of restaurants downtown. That was far from our experience. There were loads of options for drinking and dining within steps of our hotel and, with Chinatown and Little Italy a quick 10-minute walk or 25 minute taxi ride away (just kidding, but, those who know NYC traffic will know what I mean), I can't imagine anyone not finding everything they want downtown.

 

The subway was always there, ready to take us uptown, in a quick and easy 20 minutes or so (well, except for the time we ended up in Brooklyn on Fulton instead of Manhattan on Fulton:confused: :) )

 

The thick and creamy icing on the cake is, great hotel at less than half what a mid-town of the same calibre would have cost.

[Name game]

As someone who lives in Manhattan I couldn't agree with you more. The hustle and bustle of midtown is insane. It's a great place to visit but it's nice to stay away from it. Manhattan is one of the easiest cities to get around. The seaport is a great area, as is Chinatown and Little Italy.

[The Nice Family]

You know, just as the vast majority of responses to the "where should I stay" question seems to be mid-town - the overwhelming feedback I've received on these boards from locals is . . . downtown is a far better option. I initially sent out an e-mail to cc'ers after booking downtown then reading all of the many, many postings recommending hotels in mid-town. That is when I received all the reassuring replies from the New Yorker's out there who know their city. Now, if only we could figure out who keeps sending everyone mid-town:confused: .

[willysgrandma]

What hotel did you stay at?

 

There are many great hotels down south - The Cosmopolitan hotel is very affordable.

[The Nice Family]

What hotel did you stay at?

 

There are many great hotels down south - The Cosmopolitan hotel is very affordable.

 

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Seaport. It's somewhere around #15 out of 300 plus hotels on Trip Advisor for NYC. $167/night with breakfast is what we paid - and that was a Christmas/New Year!

[willysgrandma]

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Seaport. It's somewhere around #15 out of 300 plus hotels on Trip Advisor for NYC. $167/night with breakfast is what we paid - and that was a Christmas/New Year!

 

Great price!!

[Name game]

People tend to recommend midtown hotels because that's what people ask for. I always try to recommend a hotel that's a bit away from midtown, but close enough to walk to midtown. A lot of people who have never been here before would rather stay in an area where they can get to easily because they are a little afraid of taking the subways at night or being in an unfamiliar area.

[The Nice Family]

People tend to recommend midtown hotels because that's what people ask for. I always try to recommend a hotel that's a bit away from midtown, but close enough to walk to midtown. A lot of people who have never been here before would rather stay in an area where they can get to easily because they are a little afraid of taking the subways at night or being in an unfamiliar area.

 

Okay, I wrote a typically wordy reply which got lost in "maintenance" so - I'll summarize - if someone's never been somewhere before, ALL areas are unfamiliar.

 

We found the subway very safe and easy to use but, you can take a heck of a lot of taxis for the hundreds of dollars you'll save in hotel charges over 3 or 4 nights.

 

We have always relied on the opinions of those who've "been there, done that" (CC and Trip Advisor are two of my favourite sites) and have been re-directed to places we had not considered staying by people who knew the ropes and we've never regretted taking their advice. IMHO, if people are "asking you" (i.e. if you are in a position to guide people), you should be thinking outside the box and considering somewhere other than mid-town.

 

We would have stayed in Greenwich Village by initial choice but, with the hotels at more than double downtown (and very few accepting 2 adults plus 1 child) - we were more than happy with our compromise.

[reallyitsmema]

Okay, I wrote a typically wordy reply which got lost in "maintenance" so - I'll summarize - if someone's never been somewhere before, ALL areas are unfamiliar.

 

We found the subway very safe and easy to use but, you can take a heck of a lot of taxis for the hundreds of dollars you'll save in hotel charges over 3 or 4 nights.

 

We have always relied on the opinions of those who've "been there, done that" (CC and Trip Advisor are two of my favourite sites) and have been re-directed to places we had not considered staying by people who knew the ropes and we've never regretted taking their advice. IMHO, if people are "asking you" (i.e. if you are in a position to guide people), you should be thinking outside the box and considering somewhere other than mid-town.

 

We would have stayed in Greenwich Village by initial choice but, with the hotels at more than double downtown (and very few accepting 2 adults plus 1 child) - we were more than happy with our compromise.

It is really personal preference and asking for advice and then making your own decision. I read the NYC threads here a lot since we live near Boston and go to NYC once or twice a year. Many people suggest the hop on, hop off busses, we prefer to walk and explore on our own since we know if we miss something, we will see it next time. I can see where the busses are a great option for the Australian visitor on a once in a lifetime trip, just not something we would do.

 

As far as hotels, we love staying near Time Square, but have also stayed at Embassy Suites down by the WTC site. It was a great hotel but we prefer to be able to jump on and off the subway and feel safer walking through Time Square at 1 am than we do walking through a deserted neighborhood we don't know.

 

We will do some research on the hotel that you have recommended and might try that next time.:)

[Name game]

You are correct about "unfamiliar", although I think people feel more familiar with midtown because it's what they see quite often in the media. I'm glad you really liked the seaport, it's a great place. The West Village would be my choice of a place to live but the prices make it untouchable.

[bubbachief]

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Seaport. It's somewhere around #15 out of 300 plus hotels on Trip Advisor for NYC. $167/night with breakfast is what we paid - and that was a Christmas/New Year!

 

Just checked the Hampton Seaport web site. Almost $1500 for 3 nights in April. Your $167 was a real steal. Did you use Priceline?

[The Nice Family]

Just checked the Hampton Seaport web site. Almost $1500 for 3 nights in April. Your $167 was a real steal. Did you use Priceline?

 

Nope, no Priceline. I always book direct with the source - whether it's a cruise, hotel or car rental. I find it much easier, and usually cheaper, to deal direct. That's not to say I don't shop around. I look, I note, then I call direct and quote. I've never been refused a price-match.

 

What I also always do is book WAY in advance. My reservation with Hampton was made in early May, for end of December. Again, from my experience, if you know what you want it never pays to wait for last minute deals - otherwise you're stuck with what other people DON'T want!