I will be driving into NYC next month and want to find a spot to stop the evening before so that I can time my crossing the GW Bridge. Looking for a nice hotel in a safe area. I usually fly into the city so would like some suggestions in and around Parsippany for a good spot to stay. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Parsippany is an uninteresting spread out suburban town located at the crossing of 2 major highways. It has some less attractive areas (along rte.46) but it is safe. There is no downtown. If you just need a full-service hotel - Sheraton Parsippany is strategically located and built in the pseudo gothic style. Town has office parks with hotels so you can find a bargain on weekends. Any 3/3+ star hotel through Priceline Express Deals should be OK.
If you want to venture out - nearby Denville has some kind of downtown with cafes and restaurants. Parsippany has a sizable Indian population so there should be some good Indian restaurants although I do not have specific suggestions. If you are into Moroccan food you may want to check this little gem:
http://www.marakesh.com/
Note that belly dancing is every Friday and Saturday and you have to call for weekday schedule
I live in the area, CCD kind of describes Parsippany, it is a big town. There are plenty of Hotels, the Parsippany Hilton is on Route 10, the Marriot across the Street is Hanover Township (I can see that from where I live), there are other hotels like Red Roof Inn, Ramada and so forth, ton of Hotels. It is typical suburbia, lots of chain restaurants, some good Indian Restaurants. Denville has a nice little down town area (it borders Parsippany), and if you like ice cream, highly recommend Denville Dairy, some of the best Ice Cream I have had. A little to the north of Parsippany is Boonton, which has on its main street a number of restaurants as well. And there are good diners in the area, too, if you want something a little less fancy, one of the things the area is known for:).
Are you committed to Parsippany? Fort Lee is right next to the GW Bridge and there is a DoubleTree right there.
Let me suggest Hilton at Short Hills on RT 24. It is very easy to get to from 278 or 80. It is across from Short Hills Mall, and 45 min from NYC.
Bernard’s inn in Bernadsviile. About 15 miles south of parsipanny
^^^^
Great restaurant as well!
There are many decent hotels in Parsippany right off Rt 10, which is very close to 287, 80 and 46. If you do stay around Rt 10, go to Penang for dinner. It is a great Malaysian restaurant.
Morristown
The only decent hotel in Morristown is the Hyatt.
The Gouvernor Morris Westin is nice in Morristown, not in the center of town
If you do stay in Parsippany, go over to Denville and go to the Denville Dairy. My mouth waters thinking of the superb ice cream of that temple of dairy delights.
Many thanks to all of you! I’ll be coming into the area on 80 so a certain level of proximity to get back to 80 the next day and to head into Manhattan is good. Any info/suggestions/recommendations about timing, etc. for the GW Bridge would also be appreciated.
Not at all tied to Parsippany, by the way, it just seemed like it might be a good spot to stop.
I like Denville better than Parsippany. I’d suggest looking at the Hampton Inn in Denville. I’ve never stayed there, but the proximity to the aforementioned Denville Dairy is in its favor. There are some good restaurants in Boonton.
GW is not the only way to NYC. If you were to come down south a bit to Morristown, Madison, Short Hills or Summit, you could take 78 into Lincoln or Holland.
Come on! If you are paying this toll you are entitled to the view so the Bridge all the way. Drive in Manhattan along the Hudson is nice too. If you do not have EZPASS you will be stuck in Cash lane and pay $14 bucks. If you have EZpass there are peak and off-peak hours. Take the lower level and keep to the right.
http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/tolls.html left.
In 15 miles after Parsippany Route 80 will split into Express lanes and Local lanes but it is not clear which option may be the best.
OP sounds like she is planning a major military campaign. It is not that scary - some people cross this bridge twice every day. Some people cross this bridge and another bridge twice every day and they still live. ;))
The morning traffic around the Parsippany area can be terrible. Depending on what time you need to be in the city, I would probably try to get closer to the bridge the night before to avoid some of the morning mess.
Trust me, I am not scared. 
I have been driving for 47 years and when I was 17, I drove over the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia several times a week to my first part-time job. In the many years since, I have driven thousands of miles across the U.S. and Canada with five kids, and often alone. When we lived in NYC, I drove in the city often but that was many years ago and even then, I never came into the city on the GW Bridge. For most of my adult life, I’ve lived in Toronto and am used to city driving. Thanks for your EZpass info.
If you like deli foo
d, there are two deli restaurants not far east of Parsippany, both in Livingston, Irving’s and Eppes Essen (I prefer Eppes Essen, Irvings used to be great, but has been so so recently though they can have amazing pastrami). Both are on Route 10, so not hard:).
If you are driving over the GWB, I find that the local lanes usually are a better bet, in large part because the upper desk feeds right onto the Cross Bronx aka the Robert Moses perpetual traffic jam, and it is a lot easier accessing the Henry Hudson from the lower level.