@ossobuco,
Well, that file is a tad bleak after a computer melt down but I did find this article which has reader's suggestions (some hilariously expensive, and some you have to look up online...)
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/travel/04readers.html
A Room with a View (Maybe) in Gotham
TOP reader suggestions on visiting New York, compiled from user comments on the Travel section’s Web site. You can read more comments, as well as post your own, on this and other cities, at nytimes.com/travel.
WHERE TO STAY
On the Upper West Side, the Lucerne (201 West 79th Street; 212-875-1000, 800-492-8122;
www.thelucernehotel.com) is a great hotel. I have stayed there several times over the years. It is one block from the subway, two blocks from Zabar’s and three blocks from Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History. It is clean and modern and the staff is friendly and helpful. The area has several good restaurants within a few blocks and some quirky shops to browse in close by.
Posted by Pamala Pruitt
As crazy as it sounds, the Econo Lodge Times Square (302 West 47th Street; 212-246-1991;
www.econolodge.com) is a great hotel. Two years ago I needed a place to stay on a whim and I stumbled on it. Yes, the rooms are very small, but it has a great shower and if you are not entertaining people it’s fine. Also, housekeeping puts little water bottles and bags of chips for free every day when they clean. I found a room for $111.99 a night. This is a real gem if you can stand a very small room.
Posted by John Tackeff
Just returned from six days in NYC. My daughter and I stayed at the Pod Hotel (230 East 51st Street; 212-355-0300, 800-742-5945;
www.thepodhotel.com) at 51st & Third. Had a bunk bedroom; own TV and light at each bed. Comfy and very clean. Great air-conditioning. Fantastic location. So much within walking distance; cafes, stores, subway. Four bathrooms/showers on floor, with light in room letting you know which was occupied. Never had to wait. Bathrooms very clean (one had a sauna). Hotel also has rooms with private baths, but bunk room was economical for us; can’t beat $99 a night (prices vary depending on availability). Staff was helpful and friendly. Would gladly return.
Posted by Jana Prado
Just back from a one-night stay at the Mansfield Hotel (12 West 44th Street; 212-277-8700, 800-255-5167;
www.mansfieldhotel.com) in a “petite chambre” suite. Good furniture (think Pottery Barn), new window-unit A/C in each room of the suite (really, really loud), low lighting (not good in the bathroom). Good location (easy walk to Times Square, NYPL, Empire, etc.). Overall pretty, spacious room for a NY hotel. Prices vary, corporate rate was under $400 after fees and taxes.
Posted by Melody D. Parker
In Chelsea, the Inn on 23rd (131 West 23rd Street; 212-463-0330, 877-387-2323;
www.innon23rd.com) is a lovely B&B! Friendly, cozy, reasonably priced; close to subway so it is easy to get around. Comfortable rooms are spacious enough for three; management is gracious and helpful. One warning note: Dorothy, the cat, may pique your allergies.
Posted by Linda Knippa
Have stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel (95 West Broadway, at Chambers; 212-566-1900, 888-895-9400;
www.cosmohotel.com) in Tribeca area for past three years and love it. The hotel is no-frills but has clean, large rooms with sofa beds. The best part is the price. If you are looking for a clean, low-priced hotel then this is the place.
Posted by Karen Cunningham
I stayed at the Bryant Park Hotel (40 West 40th Street; 212-869-0100;
www.bryantparkhotel.com) this past Labor Day... very reasonable for NYC ... great location ... the ambience is somewhat “hipster” but the staff lacks that “too-cool-for-school” attitude. I would definitely go back.
Posted by Shaun Rangel
WHERE TO EAT
Mimi’s Restaurant and Piano Bar (984 Second Avenue; 212-688-4692). Good Italian food at reasonable prices. A great piano bar, with diners encouraged to sing. Some wonderful voices out there! A wonderful New York experience.
Posted by James M. Reilly
I can recommend two Chinese restaurants: The first is Oriental Garden (14 Elizabeth Street; 212-619-0085). I go for seafood and they make it well at a reasonable price. Décor is good, good lighting. Plan reservations on weekends. The second is Wu Liang Ye (36 West 48th Street; 212-398-2308). Hot, spicy. It’s about the authentic taste, not compromising for Western taste buds. Décor is pleasant, if a bit dark. Plan reservations during peak times.
Posted by Ran Zhang
We live in Nottingham, England and come to NYC two or three times a year. We go to Di Fara Pizza (1424 Avenue J; 718-258-1367) at East 15th Street in Brooklyn (It will be worth the wait!); Caserta Vecchia (221 Smith Street; 718-624-7549) also in Brooklyn. Excellent Southern Italian food. For a genuine New York diner, try Broadway Restaurant (2664 Broadway; 212-865-7074) at Broadway between 101st and 102nd Streets. Great food at great prices, with great staff.
Posted by Andy Lane
WHAT TO DO
The Brooklyn Museum of Art (200 Eastern Parkway; 718-638-5000;
www.brooklynmuseum.org) is one of the best art museums in the country and adjacent to it is the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (1000 Washington Avenue; 718-623-7200;
www.bbg.org). Plan on going when the Japanese garden is in full bloom.
Posted by Dennis Fox
For the book lover, Argosy Books (116 East 59th Street; 212-753-4455;
www.argosybooks.com) on the Upper East Side is almost unique. Five floors, family owned. The fifth floor, rare books, is a delight. The Cloisters, in Upper Manhattan, is a bit off the beaten path. The expensive taxi ride is worth it if you enjoy a bit of Europe transplanted, stone by stone, to New York.
Posted by Bob Davis
Check out the great playground basketball on Sixth Avenue just south of West Fourth Street (free), then stroll to Washington Square Park and hang out. On weekends there are an array of street performers. The rest of Greenwich Village is a walker’s paradise.
Posted by Dan Broad
If you like classical music, NYC offers a ton of opportunities to hear great music, including New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall concerts. But for the more budget-conscious, or if you only like certain styles like Romantic, Baroque, early Classical or contemporary, there are several other choices. One is the Musica Bella Orchestra of New York (www.musicabella.com), of which I am a member, a nonprofit donation-only orchestra that gives concerts every month or so on the Upper West Side and in Park Slope in Brooklyn.
Posted by Evonne Cho
