“Mixed feelings”
The location could not have been better. As for the room itself, it was clean except for excessive mold on all the grout in the shower. The bed was great. The very nice television only received four stations in English. It was a nice TV/DVD unit, but no DVDs were available to rent or buy in the area. The only light was a harsh overhead one, no reading lamp of any kind. No window. No drinking glass. No washcloths. No bath towels, just two hand towels. The management was pleasant, but they would not honor my request for early check in. Many guests were unsavory, and at least one drug deal was consummated while I was there. It was extremely noisy, with guests screaming and slamming doors at all hours. If you go, PACK DVDs!
Area recommendations
At this point, New York is so much safer than it was decades ago, that I would recommend almost any area in Manhattan. I am not currently familiar with most areas of the other boroughs, but I understand they are also safer than they were in, say, the 1970s. I like this neighborhood, because it is in Chinatown, where the best cuisine in the US is readily available. It is walking distance to Little Italy, Soho, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, etc. Subways were relatively close as well.
Getting there
Please be advised that taxi rates are strictly limited to $45 from LaGuardia, so do not allow a driver to charge you more. There are three major airports serving New York, plus a major railway station and bus terminal. Locate your hotel on a map before traveling to New York.
Getting around
It is easier to get around New York than practically anywhere else in the US. The subway system is far more extensive than any other, and there have been improvements in track conditions, speeding one's trip. However, off-hour service is much less prevalent than in the past. It is a walking city. While New York is, by far, the most populous city in the US, Manhattan is actually rather small, physically. It is easy to travel in much of Manhattan on foot, if you are a walker. There are also city buses, sightseeing buses, and many cabs. In Manhattan, you can catch a cab from practically anywhere. Be sure to get a subway map, and a good street map would also be very helpful. You might acquaint yourself with the names of areas in New York, so that you can more easily find what you are looking for.
Must see
The Statue Of Liberty
The Empire State Building
Ground Zero
The Staten Island Ferry (at least in warm weather)
Live plays and musicals. There are many Broadway shows, but also Off-Broadway shows can be both less expensive and more risk-taking in content. There are two discount ticket lines. The famous one is in Times Square at 46th to 47th Streets. There is also one in lower Manhattan, near city hall.
Museums. Whatever your interest, museums covering it are located here. From large art and history museums, such as the Museum Of Natural History, and The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, also specialty museums such as art galleries, the TV/Radio museum, tenement museum, and many others.
If you like architecture, walk the streets and look up. Above the ground floor shops you will see many interesting architectural examples of periods from 1785 to the present.
Central Park carriage rides. These carriages can also transport you throughout the city.
If you have time, seek out locations in other boroughs, such as The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, The Brooklyn Museum, and The Bronx Zoo.
The Yankees are in The Bronx, and the Mets are near LaGuardia Airport.
The Rangers and the Knicks play in Madison Square Garden.
Dining
New York ex-patriots will tell you they miss the food as much as anything else. You can try cuisines here you have never heard of. Restaurants come and go, but there are some landmarks. You can eat the best Italian and enjoy the best pizza in Little Italy. You can find all kinds of superb Asian cuisines in Chinatown. There are steakhouses, such as The Homestead, which have been in business for years (in this case since 1840). The deli is the best in the US. Whatever you want to eat, or try, you will find it in New York.
Events and shows
A recent trip discovered 9th Avenue closed in the 40s and 50s, for a street fair. There are free concerts in Central Park during the summer. There is opera, ballet, modern dance, theaters from the avante garde to Broadway. The Julliard School, perhaps the finest music school in the US, offers concerts. The Museum Of Modern Art has free showings of classic and historic films. Concerts of all kinds are performed in the city. You might check New York magazine to help plan what you would really like to attend.
