HELP!! Hotel Recommendations in New York City/Manhattan near Central Park

We stayed at a great little boutique hotel in Little Italy called SoHotel on Broome greet. My recommendations are Central Park, Empire State, Katz's Delicatessan, Brooklyn Bridge, Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park, Grand Central Station and the MMA. Try Angelo's on Mulberry Street for an authentic old-style mob hangout.

Playing at Central Park is so much fun. Depending on how much time you have, spending an afternoon there is a wonderful experience. They have a zoo in Central Park that I've heard is great. We took a carriage ride there and had a ball. There are so many sculptures and different parts of the park I think it would be easy to spend an entire day there. When I go back, that's what I hope to do. We ate at little restaurants the locals told us about. The people we had the pleasure of interacting with were helpful and polite. Several times when I was looking at a map, trying to get my head wrapped around where we were, people would walk up and ask how they could help.

The museums are outstanding if the weather is bad. We visited the MET and it was incredible.

Enjoy your son and NYC. I love visiting there. The people are wonderful and the experience is incredible. No place like it!!

You have received a good selection of places to go. If he were a bit older the United Nations building used to have tours. The Guggenheim Museum (the upside down building), the New York Public Library with its lions on 5th Ave and 42nd St (Bryant Park is on the backside 6th Ave & 42nd) which is 4 blocks from Time Square. There are movie theaters as well as plays to go to. Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building are on 34th Street along with Macy's between 5th Ave and 7th Ave. Grand Central Terminal with all of the architectural work and Penn Station/Madison Square Garden (the circus might be in town depending on when you come). The auto show is another event he might be interested in (April 3-12) at the Javits Center 57th & 7th Ave.

Enjoy yourselves. I can think of other things but they are for older children.

the other S.

PS These are a few of the places I have visited in my youth from personal or class trips into New York City. Rockefeller Center had tours and sometimes they had taping of shows and you could sit in and be part.

I'm sure you'll get some great info but in case you didn't know about this site, tripadvisor.com will tell you all you need to know. Reviews, ratings, recommendations, the works on any town you could possibly think of. Have fun!

Well, obviously you have to watch the weather, but the Central Park Zoo is fantastic. Central Park is an expensive area to stay in, though, so be sure you have a good reason for staying there or that you have an excellent hotel deal. Definitely use the on line services that are up-to-date on last minute openings - Trip Advisor, Hotwire, and also Groupon, etc. Not sure how long you will be there, but don't be afraid to stay in Brooklyn or Queens, and take the subway across.

Do the Empire State Building. Skip the Statue of Liberty in the dead of winter - it's a historic landmark but it's a tough water crossing to a wind-swept island, best in the spring or summer. Take the subway from your hotel to any of your destinations, doesn't matter where, just for the experience. And take a NYC cab if he has never done it.

What does he like? The Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium are unbelievable. Not sure if you think he is old enough to watch "Night at the Museum" (PG) or programs featuring Neil Degrasse Tyson (director of Planetarium) but those experiences can make the "real thing" very meaningful for a kid. The Intrepid is an aircraft carrier on the Hudson that has a museum connected to it.

If it's incredibly mild, by some miracle, consider walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. If he likes theater, look for an appropriate Broadway show - there are 2-for-1 tickets on the day of the show.

Chinatown is more diverse than it once was - Thai, Korean,Vietnamese, etc. The main streets to look into are Mott, Broome and Canal. There are plenty of shops for tourists and a zillion restaurants.

Little Italy has more festivals and events in the really good weather, I think. But do contact the NYC tourism office and see what they can offer you, given the length of your stay, the age and interests of your child, and your budget.

South Street Seaport can be fun too but check on ships during the winter. Lots of food options on the Lower East Side, including classic Jewish delis and markets.

Don't forget Harlem - lots of character and history. Same with the outer boroughs. Just keep your trip manageable - you don't want it to be a whole lot of hustling from one area to the next - choose a few things and enjoy them thoroughly.

Are you a AAA member? They have a free travel service and all kinds of coupons, flyers, and guidebooks with updated hotel and restaurant ratings.

My boys favorite things to do in NYC were the Natural History Museum dinosaurs and the Central Park Zoo. There were times that we couldn't get anything else done because of them wanting to just do that. We had the best time!

I love taking my kids to NY!! And honestly, their favorite things are playing in the parks, especially Central Park, and riding the subway. The shopping gets old real fast with me, because they get cranky and we don't need anything..I haven't done touristy stuff with them like Empire State Building and stuff because LINES..I used to live there so I haven't been in mood..I did take them on one Double Decker bus tour which they liked sitting up top...I love taking them to museums (Natural History Museum is great and right on edge of Central Park!). If they behave in a Museum for a while, the MET or Natural History, then we go get ice cream and run around the Park for hours..But the main draw is the people and getting outside and "being there", stopping in delis for snacks, talking to people...as for straight up attractions: Google is your friend! 10 best boutique hotels, 10 best places in NYC for kids, 10 best....you get he idea. Have a blast!

Definitely Central Park Zoo. Also, Serendipity is a fantastic restaurant, very colorful and fun, and is the home of frozen hot chocolate!! Statue of Liberty was fun to see, but the lines and crowds might be a lot for a 7 year old. The M&Ms store in Times Square is a lot of fun, too. If he likes reading, might be fun to go to the NYC Library!

In 2014 we stayed at a hotel called the Four Points by Sheraton. It's in Chelsea, not right on Central Park, but be aware that hotels will be MUCH more expensive the closer you are to the Park. The Four Points was fine, clean, had a pub at street level but we didn't hear it in our upper-floor room, and best of all it was about a 90-second walk to a massive Whole Foods grocery store, where we bought breakfasts each day and snacks to carry with us.

A while back we stayed a a hotel that was more "central" but the cost was twice as much, the room was minuscule, the bathroom was dirty and very old (cracked tile everywhere, faucets that dripped constantly, etc.), and it was overall much better to stay a few subway stops off the Park, or a few minutes' cab ride away, than to be in a crummy overpriced hotel that had only location going for it.

Be sure he gets to the Natural History museum--kids of all ages love it. I also strongly recommend that you take the money you save on a hotel and spend it on taking him to an age-appropriate show. Doesn't have to be Broadway but if you go that route, the musical "Matilda" is a huge hit. Check it out online and look at other possible shows. There are also kids' theatres in Manhattan, top-notch puppet theatres too (not baby stuff but really creative shows that you'll enjoy too.)

Try TripAdvisor to help you with hotels. I bet they also have a list like "top things to do in New York with your child" to help out as well. Enjoy!

Much depends on your budget.
We did a mom daughter trip and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria which was the best!!!

I also stayed at the old Salsbury which was a very old place, very unique and awesome.

Have fun!!
I agree check things out on TripAdvisor!

I just took my son to NYC for his 8th birthday! We had an amazing time. I heard him telling one of his friends that it was "so awesome it was like a dream.". Some of his favorites- walking around Times Square, especially riding the Ferris wheel in the giant Toys R Us and the Hershey store, lunch cruise around the Statue of Liberty, Museum of Natural History, Broadway show. Food-wise, pizza is a must. We also went to a ramen place that was really fun and something we don't have in Phoenix. One of his favorite things was getting Chinese food delivered to the hotel on a whim at 10pm. I had some friends recommend the tour of Rockefeller Center and the Top of the Rock. I was sceptical, but this was one of our best choices! The walking tour was great, fun and educational and both my son and I were engaged the whole time. The guide was great and overall their customer service is top notch. Well, well worth it! The Lego store just next door has some cool a sculptures, but the store itself isn't as amazing as I expected. Worth a quick pop in, just keep your expectations lowish :)

Have a great time!!!

ETA: Oh, and we stayed at the Hampton Inn Times Square North. It was nice and close to everything. I would happily stay there again, but it wasn't really unique or special. Plus, we didn't spend much time in the room! One perk was the free breakfast, we could stock up on Apples and yogurts and muffins for snacks. And free coffee/tea/hot chocolate with 24 hour access, which I always like in a hotel.

For hotels go to tripadvisor, you'll get MANY more suggestions and real, recent reviews than here (also you can search within your budget.)
I would stay somewhere midtown, the last time I was there we stayed at The Hyatt, it was comfortable, clean, affordable.
Stuff to do? For sure the Natural History Museum, trip around Central Park, go to Times Square at night. Just riding the subway is an adventure. The Staten Island Ferry is FREE and a wonderful way to see NY Harbor. If you can afford it get tickets to a Broadway show, especially a kid friendly one like Lion King or Beauty and the Beast. Little Italy is a great adventure too, just walk around and pick a place that looks/smells good. Though be prepared for the VERY aggressive Italian hosts (?) standing outside trying to entice you to come inside lol!
HAVE FUN, I heart NYC!!!