There are plenty of cities in the world where it's easy to choose accommodation because the interesting sights are clustered in a central area. New York City is not one of those places, and the choice of location can dramatically affect the quality of the trip. The most important aspect of preparing for a visit is to make a determination of which of New York's countless attributes are most deserving of attention. Will it be the theatres and skyscrapers of Midtown? The ethnic enclaves and bohemian neighbourhoods of Downtown? Central Park and the museums of Uptown? Or the up and coming, diverse, hipster neighbourhoods in Brooklyn and Queens? If you aren't planning on staying a month, it's virtually impossible to do and see everything. It's also important to peruse a subway map carefully. Unless you are planning to take car hire vehicles exclusively, proximity to a subway station should not be underestimated as an important feature of any accommodation. Midtown East and the Lower West Side have surprisingly large areas that are fairly remote from any subway line.
Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown, offers a huge variety of ethnic and historic neighbourhoods and can occupy a traveler for days on its own merits. Some excellent choices are Union Square, Greenwich Village, Soho, Tribeca, and the South Street Seaport. Most of these areas are accessible to each other on foot or by short taxi trips, as well as to Chinatown and Little Italy. The Lower East Side, the Battery, and parts of the East Village are a little on the gritty side but might offer less expensive options to budget travellers.
The most attractive areas in Midtown Manhattan are Chelsea and Midtown East.
Times Square and the Theater District shouldn't be missed but probably aren't an ideal location for a base. Don't expect to find many budget options in Midtown.
The advantage of Uptown Manhattan is the proximity to Central Park and many of New York's top museums, as well as the upscale surroundings of some of New York's priciest real estate. As with Midtown, budget options Uptown are few and far between. As one gets further and further uptown the accommodation prices do decline but neighbourhoods become decidedly more blue collar and less convenient to tourist attractions.
The outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are much better locations for visiting New York now than they were twenty or even ten years ago. The most convenient neighbourhoods in Brooklyn are Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg, which abut the East River. Aside from easy access to Manhattan by road or public transportation, these areas have been reinvigorated in recent years and are now hotspots for restaurants and nightlife.
The best neighbourhoods in Queens are likewise those on the East River which include Long Island City and Astoria.
Long Island City is a small neighbourhood that is rapidly becoming more prominent with art galleries and trendy restaurants and breweries.
Astoria is one of New York City's foremost ethnic melting pots and is close to fascinating Queens neighbourhoods such as Jackson Heights and Flushing as well as to Brooklyn and Manhattan.
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@zzlangherhans has toured the globe with his family, having visited over 55 countries. He writes about their journeys on his excellent blog - Fledgling Explorers
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