Where would you stay in New York? Near Grand Central Station (Hyatt) or near Times Square (Hilton?)

[holidayadviceplease123]

Just that really

Planning to take the dc there for xmas and can't decide between the two

tia

I would think a 6 y o would be quite disappointed by Times Square, but the Rockefeller Center at Christmas is exactly the ticket!

I would choose Grand Central over Times Square, which is very noisy and full of pickpockets and scammers.

There is a McDonald's less than a 5 minute walk from Hyatt Grand Central as I went there and got us all take away one night when my children were exhausted!

Honestly, it was my first time in New York having wanted to go for years and it did not disappoint! I was so happy to be there and it was just wonderful. We went in the summer months so opposite problem to you - it was flipping sweltering! But we expected that and it was wonderful. I'm dying to go back but for a family of five it's a lot of money!

Thank you!

It's super important that I have a McDonalds on hand for dd 😄

I can imagine that it was hot in the summer! I'm hoping for snow 🤭 if we go, but I don't know if it'll get that cold

agree, the prices are insane and we wouldn't even be going for a long time!

Really? She does like lights but I guess it'll be overwhelming by the sounds of it

If anyones been at Christmas, have you done the Dyker heights christmas lights tour? It looks good but expensive!

I am a local, we drove around Dyker Heights one Christmas in our own car. It is actually quite delightful, quite Home Alone. People go to such lengths. As a tourist staying in Manhattan, I'm not sure what the cheapest way to do it would be. Maybe check out public transport, or an uber to the neighborhood, and another one back (actually, I'd take public transport there and an uber back)? I'd walk around without a guide, personally. It's around 4 blocks by 4 blocks, quite small really. Not sure what a guide would tell you that you couldn't find out on the internet. It's a really lovely thing to do with small children, and probably a bit of an adventure from Manhattan.

I'm so jealous of you, getting to live in New York! It's my dream location 😄

So it's only 4 streets? Easy to walk for a 6 year old?

If it was easy to get to, I'd definitely want to save on tour guide fees

Lucky you! Christmas in New York is fabulous. I have stayed in a hotel on 42nd Street and also a Hilton Garden Inn off Times Square. If I went again I would stick with 42nd Street. As others have said, Pershing Square is definitely worth a visit - food very good - and just across the road from Grand Central. Bryant Park has a Christmas Wonderland which includes a lovely Christmas market, as well as an ice rink which is open from early to late. Bryant Park Grill is another good restaurant and not desperately expensive. If you want a burger but can't find a Macdonalds, I recommend Sarabeth's - I like the one at the top of 5th Avenue, looking onto Central Park.

Ah, don't be envious! New York is like any major city: cripplingly expensive, all the stresses of housing and commuting and neighbors and services. It's freezing in the winter and boiling in the summer, and it's full of people who think they're the best thing since sliced bread! Honestly, visiting is the best way to experience NYC!

Don't hold me to 4 blocks x 4 blocks (which means 16 blocks total!), it could be a couple more here and there. Have a look online. There'll be information on which streets are the best to wander around. In fact, you could print off the relevant section of google earth and, with your DD and photos off the internet, plot your best route. That'll be fun in and of itself. It'll take an hour, hour and a half max. Basically half a day (second half, because you want to be there when it's dark).

You haven't asked but perhaps you'd like to know other things that would be fun to do with a small child: personally I think Central Park is really just a park, and it's been years since we had snow at christmas so it likely won't be fairytale magical, but there's ice skating there and 5th Ave is lovely with all the fancy stores decked out. Like Regent's St, but bigger.

The High Line is a nice and car-free walk. They have an amusing enormous pigeon which makes everyone smile. Lovely way to tour, and there are great restaurants and shops at Hudson Yards.

A good indoor experience would be one of the views: One World Trade, Hudson Yards platform, the one that's just outside Grand Central. They're pretty expensive but a great way to appreciate just how much water there is around Manhattan, and that it is indeed an island.

There are lots of random museums around town too: a slime one, optical illusion one, ice cream one, candy one, all sorts. Definitely worth a google.

And, of course, you should take the NY Ferry for a trip. It's the price of a subway ticket and is a commuter ferry. Lots of stops especially around the southern tip of Manhattan and into Brooklyn and Governor's Island. It's also sitting down and warm inside!

I've been several times, last was 2024.

I've always stayed in Midtown - between Times Square and Madison Sq Garden area.

I would not stay there again. Last time was a total shock for me as the drug use in that area was absolutely awful (I'm not exaggerating when I say multiple (LOTS) of people passed out on the streets, or swaying whilst standing totally out of it). Fentanyl use is obvious everywhere - needle piles on the roads (right outside the NYPD base..), totally out of it people everywhere. It just wasn't a pleasant place at all, and pretty scary tbh when walking back to the hotel in the evening. If you're going with kids - just avoid Midtown entirely. The city is walkable, and there is also their underground to get around so you can still visit Midtown/get from Grand Central station but you don't need to stay there!

Brooklyn used to be awful when I went ~15yrs ago. Now it's where I'd stay as it was just a lot less grimey, fresher and nice.

Thank you for this 🙌🙌❤️

We'll probably see if we can do a bus tour for the Xmas lights as I can imagine dd moaning about walking 😄

😄😄 I laughed at your description of new yorkers - I'm dying to hear the accent of a busy new York man on the subway 🤭

So scary 🥺 - we'll definitely be careful

Fentanyl seems to be raging over there, so sad

I'm so annoyed

I'm sat to book the trip, and the price has gone up by 500 per person!

WTF!? 😳