Where to Stay in New York City With Limited Time!

Where to stay in New York City with limited time in the city! New York City is such an iconic city, but its GIANT and if you have limited time there, you need to be strategic about where you stay!

This guide is BEST for travelers who are visiting NYC for the first time (or maybe second) and are interested in seeing the iconic sites of NYC!

For instance, we visited New York City for a weekend at Christmas and had to REALLY maximize our time while there. Therefore, where we stayed really help to minimize wasted travel time!

Here is everything you need to know about where to stay in New York City including a quick breakdown of the boroughs of NYC, the BEST boroughs to choose with limited time and where I would choose to stay (on a mid-range budget) in each location! Plus, where we stayed and why!

• NYC Burroughs and Geography (With a Map)
  • Where to Stay in New York City: Best Borough for Limited Time?
• Where to Stay in New York City: Best Locations in Manhattan
  • Midtown
    • Alternative Areas in Midtown
  • Lower Manhattan
    • Nolita (Near SoHo)
    • Alternative to Nolita
• Where to Stay in New York City: Best Location in Brooklyn
• Final Thoughts on Where to Stay in New York City!

Before you decide where to stay, you should probably have a lay of the land in NYC. New York City is GIANT, but that is mostly due to being spread out within 5 boroughs. While most people automatically think of Manhattan, there are 4 other boroughs that make up New York City.

Manhattan– This is the borough most people think about when they think of NYC. The towering skyscrapers, Times Square, The Empire State Building, etc.

Brooklyn– Located just across from Manhattan via the Brooklyn bridge and known for its more charming architecture in the neighborhoods.

Queens– Located east of Manhattan and Brooklyn, it is the largest borough and known for its cuisine and galleries.

The Bronx– Located north of Manhattan, it is full of history and known for Babe Ruth and the Yankee Stadium and birthplace of hip hop.

Staten Island– The southernmost borough known for having more nature and greenery than the other boroughs and good views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. It is connected to Manhattan by the State Island Ferry.

If you are visiting New York City for 2-4 days, it is best to stay central and near a subway station to get around the city as quick as possible. Especially, if this is your first time in NYC!

Manhattan- This is the BEST borough to be in if you are taking a quick trip to NYC and want to make the most of your time!

Brooklyn- This would be my second choice, as it can be a quick commute from near DUMBO and can be cheaper than Manhattan. It also boasts nice view of the Manhattan skyline!

However, Manhattan is LARGE and Brooklyn can be far if you don’t stay in the right area. So keep reading for more information on the best areas of both Manhattan and Brooklyn and the perks of each!

Where to stay in New York City for those who want to see the iconic sites of NYC such as Times Square, The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Square, Sak’s 5th Avenue, etc? If this is you, midtown is a great place to stay!

This is especially true if you are headed to NYC for Christmas! Midtown is where you will find the biggest number of epic Christmas decorations and must-see spots!

I don’t recommend staying in Times Square, which is in the heart of midtown. It will cost you a boat load and it’ll probably be loud. But I do recommend being within walking distance to this area!

We stayed in Midtown South near Bryant Park. It was a little further from the hustle and bustle of Times Square, but we were able to walk to everything on our first day in NYC!

Where We Stayed in NYC!

We visited NYC for a QUICK Christmas weekend! Plus, it was our first time in the city.

So our priorities were a central location that was walkable to a lot of Christmas activities + being “reasonably” priced (as much as NYC at Christmas can be.)

The Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Time Square South fit the criteria for us! Though the room was small, it was clean and had a great location for us!

Book a Room!

Midtown East- Midtown south and East are pretty close together. But on the east side you will be in a little quieter area but can still find things like the Grand Central Station.

Where I would stay in Midtown East: Club Quarters Hotel Grand Central, New York– A comparably-priced hotel located near Grand Central Station.

Hell’s Kitchen- Hell’s Kitchen is basically Midtown west. It is closer to a lot of the docks that provide Hudson River cruises and is just a few blocks west of Times Square. Hell’s Kitchen is located just north of the popular Chelsea neighborhood, so it can give you a more affordable option that still has nearby trendy cafes and things to do.

Where I would stay in Hell’s Kitchen: Comfort Inn Manhattan Midtown West– Hell’s Kitchen is more residential than Midtown, so your hotel options are going to be more limited or pricier. This is a reasonably priced hotel in a good location.

Where to stay in New York City if you want to be in Manhattan, but not so close to the prime tourist spots? Consider Lower Manhattan!

Lower Manhattan is on the southern tip of the Manhattan Peninsula where you will find things like the Financial District (Wall Street) and many of the towering skyscrapers as well as good shopping and food!

SoHo or Tribeca are the most widely-known neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan. They are similar to each other, both known for their stylish architecture and high-end shopping and dining.

However, both of these are also widely residential, with less hotel options. And the hotels that are there are quite pricey.

However, Nolita is JUST on the outskirts of what is considered SoHo. So you can be close to the sites that draw people to this area, but with less price tag.

Where I would Stay in Lower Manhattan!

While SoHo and Tribeca look very appealing, my pocket books probably won’t allow these neighborhoods.

However, Nolita is a good, nearby alternative that keeps you within walking distance, but for less money!

I would stay in the Nolitan Hotel SoHo! It is located SO CLOSE to SoHo and is reasonably priced (for Manhattan.)

Book a Room!

Greenwich Village– This neighborhood in Lower Manhattan has charm and a bohemian feel while being a little more affordable than that of SoHo and Tribeca (although nothing is going to be cheap in Manhattan!)

Greenwich is located just north of the popular neighborhood of SoHo, which keeps all of the shopping and dining in SoHo within a walkable or short subway ride away.

Compared to Nolita, it is more sprawling and will be more vibrant. It is known for its art scene and nightlife!

Where I would stay in Greenwich Village: Washington Square Hotel– This hotel is usually comparable to that of the Nolita hotel.

If you are wanting to be away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, but still close enough to travel to Manhattan pretty quickly and be close to popular sites, Brooklyn is where to stay in New York City!

Many who visit NYC want to visit the iconic spot just below Brooklyn Bridge (DUMBO), so this is a good alternative if you plan to visit anyway!

With limited time, stay as close to DUMBO as you can afford. This will keep you close the Brooklyn Bridge and save time when commuting to Manhattan.

However, there aren’t a lot of hotels that are actually IN DUMBO. And while Brooklyn Heights has great views of Manhattan and its incredible skyline, it is largely residential like DUMBO OR is really pricey!

Therefore, the best place in to stay in Brooklyn will be the Downtown Brooklyn area!

** TIP: If you have 3 or less days in NYC, I wouldn’t recommend staying in Brooklyn. I would try to stay in one of the more affordable areas in Manhattan if you want to do sightseeing!**

Where I would Stay in Brooklyn!

For the most central location for the best price, I would stay at the Hampton Inn Brooklyn/Downtown Brooklyn!

(Plus it has great skyline views from the rooftop bar!)

Book a Room!

Trying to decide where to stay in a city as large as New York City can be overwhelming! However, if you are visiting the city with limited time, it can really help narrow down your options!

Also, remember if you are staying central at a popular time (Manhattan at Christmas!) you should mentally prepare yourself for the cost!

However, the FURTHER IN ADVANCE YOU BOOK, the better the price will be!