<p>My husband and I wlll be taking D2 to look at schools in Philadelphia during spring break (first week of April).
We’re flying in and out of New York (JFK), so we can spend time in NYC at the end of the week.</p>
<p>I’m looking for a reasonable (but not extremely low-budget) hotel near theaters.
Someone on an older thread suggested the Doubletree Suites in Times Square. Any other ideas?</p>
<p>What should we know about driving in the city, and parking a rental car? Or should we return the rental car once we’re done with Philly and use cabs/subways/buses? </p>
<p>And does anyone have suggestions on a place to stay between NYC and Philadelphia? (We arrive in the evening, and may not want to drive all the way to Philadelphia).</p>
Don’t. It’s difficult, time-consuming, and parking even through a hotel is very expensive - the last hotel we stayed in charged $50/night parking and that was for registered guests!</p>
<p>Return the car. Use a bus if you have time and want to save money; use a cab if you have time and don’t care about saving money; use the subway if you don’t have time, regardless of the money.</p>
<p>IloveLA - return the car and take a shuttle from JFK into the city. You can get around the city by walking, subway, taxi or bus. Depending on the number of days you will be there you can buy a metro card for the subways and busses that is a bit of a discount.</p>
<p>We stayed at a La Quinta a couple of years ago on 32nd or 33rd street which was an easy walk to Times Square. The hotel was clean and breakfast was included. More recently I stayed futher uptown near where my D attends college. What shows are you planning to see?</p>
<p>Definitely ditch the rental car in NYC. (All of the major rental car agencies have places in midtown NYC - check if there would be a drop off charge).</p>
<p>There are several small new hotels in the high 30s just east of 6th (Fairfield Suites, Hitlon Garden Inn, the Strand). I would check expedia for last minute deals and look on tripadvisor for reviews. (don’t stay at the Pennsylvania Hotel on 7th Ave across from Penn Station - it’s a pit!). </p>
<p>For an overnight places on your first night, there are many places off the NJ Turnpike that would probably be sufficient. Again, I would try Expedia and search around Edison NJ. That’s about an hour from JFK and 2 hours from downtown Philly.</p>
<p>The Marriott residence in midtown is very nice although somewhat more expensive, would definitely recommend
Definitely don’t try a car in new york–you’ll waste all your time in traffic. Walking is more interesting, and the subways are safe enough.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed a couple of time this month at the Hotel Indigo on 28th St. Walking distance from Penn Station, nicely decorated modern rooms (modern, 4 star-ish), hotel restaurant is remarkably good for a hotel restaurant. Off season rates (now) are extremely reasonably by NYC standards–under $200. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just stayed with D in the Room Mate Grace 1/2 block from Times Square. Small rooms but D loved the quirky hotel. Be forwarned that breakfast is relatively expensive at $10pp for a contenental breakfast. It was good, but not sure I would have spent $20 each morning for a couple of muffins and coffee if I had realized that it is no longer free. </p>
<p>Agree with the others ditch the car. You can check into your hotel and then have yourself or your H return the car alone while two of you shop!</p>
<p>We stayed at the Doubletree in Times Square a few years ago with son and loved it but it is rather pricey. Great location and it had two rooms. Hubby and I are going up for a weekend in a few months and I looked at the Doubletree and my initial thought is I don’t want to spend that much this time for just for the two of us ($400 a night!). Hubby and I stayed in a reasonably priced hotel about a 4 block walk from Times Square a couple of years ago. It was very nice but I can’t remember the name at the moment.</p>
<p>Philly is only 2 hours from JFK. I live near JFK and my older d lives in Philly. I work in midtown Manhattan near Penn Station and there are many small hotels that have opened in the past few years around the area-Hampton Inn on 31st Street, Hilton Garden Inn, Fairfield and others. There are not many hotels that I can think of right off the NJ Tpke other than the Hilton East Brunswick-which is nice and a major convention hotel with the worst parking garage in the worlde. There are many hotels when you get off at Exit 4 which is the route you generally take to go into downtown Philly. It depends what schools you are planning to see and where you are staying in Philly itself or perhaps on the Main Line suburbs what exit that you would be taking off the NJ Tpke. There are some chain type hotels right off the Staten Island Expressway which might work depending on when you arrive at night and what time you need to be someplace the next day.</p>
<p>Husband and DD went to NYC over Christmas and went to lots of shows. Stayed at the Beacon on a friends recommendation and loved it. Big room with small kitchenette across the street from a large health food market. Great place. One block from subway straight shot to times square. Three blocks to central park. Making your own coffee rather than paying a hotel five bucks a cup. Priceless.</p>
<p>Two hours may be a bit optimistic for JFK to Philly, but 2-1/2 isn’t, at least at non-peak traffic times. It seems a bit much to overnight in Edison, which is way less than two hours from Philly, except during the morning rush when it could easily take three.</p>
<p>It sounds like you already have your plans made, but if you are going to Philly from New York, you would be much better off flying into Newark. That’s really only 90 minutes away in non-traffic times. And it’s about the same distance (but more tolls) from mid-town Manhattan as JFK.</p>
<p>I just returned from NYC last night and stayed there for three nights in Times Square. I wanted that location for this particular visit. Price was the main selection criteria. Got a very low rate for Milford Plaza (have been there before) which is on 8th Ave. and 43rd, which is like a block away from Times Square and so you can walk to shows and so on. The rooms are smallish and basic but I don’t care as I spend very little time in the hotel and they are adequate for me. I got a rate of $140/night that included taxes. (that is very cheap for NYC) Internet was extra. No meals. Very convenient. My in-laws stayed there the final night too and considering they are rather picky and thought the place was just fine…may help to know.</p>
<p>I saw La Cage Aux Folles, Jersey Boys and my daughter’s own musical (which I don’t wish to name here but was the main purpose of my visit!) We usually stay with her and will in two weeks when we go back to see her show again. </p>
<p>Why are you driving from Philly to NY? If you need a car to get around to colleges in Philly then,OK, rent a car at JFK, drive down there, but unless the drop-off fee is totally exorbitant leave the car there. Then take either the Bolt Bus (cheap) or Amtrak (nicer) from downtown Philly (30th St. Station) to midtown Manhattan (Penn Station). (Either way, the earlier you book, the cheaper it will be.). You’ll then be within walking distance to many of the hotels in the high 20s or low 30s described above.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you’ll spend at least an extra half a day driving all the way out to JFK and then getting back into the city, not to mention the aggravation of navigating the (often congested), confusing highways in the NY metropolitan area.</p>
<p>Small rooms but great location, not too expensive, and near good, cheap eats in Hell’s kitchen.Walked within 5 minutes to three shows (D scored cheap tickets!)</p>
<p>I would have the car for Philly and when you are done then return it and catch a train from Philly to NYC and then take a cab which is a flat rate to airport. Go on priceline.com and bid on the hotels for NYC. Pick the area for times square or east side or west side (all quick walking distance. Normally a block is a minute of walking) and bid on the hotel. Usually I get hotels for $120-140 a night before taxes. Pick 2 1/2 stars which are the comfort inns and they are clean and comfortable and free Internet and free breakfast. </p>
<p>I work a lot in NYC and I always just bid on the hotel. </p>
<p>But definitely have the car in Philly and bring your GPS. You can bid on hotels in Philly too. </p>
<p>You can get so much info on tripadvisor, try it. Even tho we know NYC, I still use it for bagel places, random questions, etc- it’s the CC for travel. Much much easier to fly into Newark. It would start you closer to Phila. On the return, drop the car there and use public transport into the city. (Depending on when you arrive at JFK, you could be on the far side of two traffic jams just to get into northern NJ. Really.)</p>
<p>But, no one’s mentioned- I like the Jersey turnpike, but it’s not a scenic route. Not by any definition, at all. I know you you tht of JFK for NYC- but you could fly into Phila, do everything you need, drop off the car and, as ^One says, train it up to NYC. It’s roughly 90 minutes of relaxed time, little over $200 RT for all 3, less with discounts. All you’d need is to get from the drop-off to 30th St station.</p>
<p>If you are also planning to visit Princeton, the train is still a viable option. And, once there, you could have a taxi drive you through the scenic spots.</p>
<p>The pricing “rules” for booking air flights seem to have changed in the past few years - you don’t necessarily have to book a round-trip flight into and out of the same city in order to avoid huge extra charges. And sometimes even if you ARE flying into and out of the same city it can be cheaper to book two one-ways rather than one roundtrip - go figure! Remember when it used to cost a small fortune for a one-way flight?</p>
<p>SO - have you checked into flying into Philly for the college visits (renting a car there, if need be), then taking Amtrak (or the cheap bus) to NYC and flying home from NYC? This may not cost much, if any, extra and could even be cheaper. Seems like it would sure be a lot less hassle…</p>
<p>This is true. I routinely book flights into one city and out another and it’s usually about the same price. They seem to be pricing them separately these days rather than giving a discount for round trip, so it really doesn’t matter. Makes it a lot more convenient when you’re traveling to different cities on the the same trip.</p>
<p>My son recently interviewed for a job in NYC and stayed at a hotel called Element Times Square. It was reasonably priced and he thought it was a very nice place, but apparently all the rooms are one-king-bed rooms, with no space for rollaway beds, so I’m not sure whether it would work well for a family traveling together.</p>