<p>My daughter is heading to NYC/Columbia for a summer internship (I am very proud, but also sad that she will be away for the entire summer).
I will fly to NYC with her and we would like to go a few days early and explore the city. Hoping for suggestions for hotels near Columbia and a few “must dos” in the area (I have never been to NYC)</p>
<p>Last time I checked, there were no “chain” hotels near Columbia. However any hotel in midtown between 6th and 8th Avenues will leave you only about a 15 minute subway ride away from Columbia at 116th Street & Broadway. Of course they cost a small fortune.</p>
<p>Hotel Newton, Broadway @ W. 95th… maybe?
I stayed there 6 years ago - no lobby but affordable. Current reviews look okay, and rates still good…
My recollection: well located, plain, no amenities but you’re in a neighborhood full of cafes, etc.</p>
<p>If you love science or anthropology, in that neighborhood you can enjoy the Museum of Natural History and the newly expanded Rose Planetarium (reservations needed for planetarium). Neil Tyson narrates!</p>
<p>Know that the 1 and A subway lines go to Columbia U – the 1 stops right there, the A needs an 8 minute walk to campus. Tip: before you book any hotel, don’t accept the catchall phrase, “Near subways.” It matters which subway line. Before booking, ask: “From your hotel, how many blocks to walk to the 1 Subway” (best) or to the A Subway." (second best). Locating yourself this way will keep you from having to transfer subway lines. That’s not impossible, but just adds a little extra time and stress when your time is precious. </p>
<p>If subways are intimidating to you, there are plenty of taxicabs.</p>
<p>More suggestions of “to-do” all on the West Side of the city: Museum of Modern Art (big!) or the Museum of Art and Design at Columbus Circle <a href=“http://www.madmuseum.org/”>http://www.madmuseum.org/</a> (smaller). See if there are tix at Lincoln Center (big concert, opera, or film). Smaller concert venue: Merkin Hall at the Lucy Moses School of Music. For naval and military history: The Intrepid Museum. Somewhat distant but still on that side of the city: The Cloisters Museum - Medieval European art and architecture.</p>
<p>For special events, weekend festivals and so forth: TimeOut.com</p>
<p>Walk into Central Park, it is so lovely to explore. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for something on a Sunday morning or Wednesday, take a tour of Harlem, with the focus on gospel music: <a href=“http://www.harlemspirituals.com/harlem-gospel-tours.php”>http://www.harlemspirituals.com/harlem-gospel-tours.php</a> </p>
<p>When deciding where to eat, look for a letter in the restaurant window. That’s the city Health Department grade for hygiene/cleanliness, not a food critic’s review. A is best, B still fine. Beware of a C. If you see no letter posted, don’t go in – that means they flunked and are working to return to code. At this time of year, you can also picnic in the park or enjoy sidewalk restaurant/cafes in the sunshine.</p>
<p>Have fun! I hope you enjoy watching all the people, it’s amazing. It’s a great city.</p>
<p>There’s a youth hostel around 103 street and Amsterdam:</p>
<p><a href=“http://hinewyork.org/contact/directions/”>http://hinewyork.org/contact/directions/</a></p>
<p>Here’s the list of hotels from the Columbia University website. <a href=“http://worklife.columbia.edu/local-hotels-subcat”>http://worklife.columbia.edu/local-hotels-subcat</a></p>
<p>Their list begins with “Upper West Side/ Morningside Heights” neighborhood, which is close but not adjacent to the university. I’d start by looking there.</p>
<p>Remember that the city streets follow a grid, so you can gauge distances. Columbia U. is between W. 112th - 116th Streets at Broadway. So, for a hotel located, for example, at W. 92 near Broadway, do quick math - (112 minus 92= 20… that hotel is 20 short blocks south of campus, around 1 mile. If a hotel is on W. 72nd, it’s 40 blocks south of campus, etc. Consult a map, of course, especially for where the hotel is relative to Broadway… but that’ll get you started. </p>
<p>More wonky detail on The Grid: walking down an “Avenue” or Broadway, you’re moving from North to South. You’ll cross the numbered “Streets” (like "West 111th St…) which themselves run east-to-west. To walk between any two Streets is a “short block” of distance; between any two Avenues the block or distance is twice as long. Only use this grid if it helps you think. Your daughter will surely catch on as she lives here. </p>
<p>During your visit, as you consider things to do, please notice if a street address says East (number) or West (number). For example, something on “321 West 92nd St.” is in a completely different neighborhood than “321 East 92nd St,” </p>
<p>Since you asked about staying/doing somewhat near Columbia University, I kept all my advice on West Side attractions. Manhattan is a pretty small island, however! There are also great things to do on the East Side, too – the Metropolitan Museum, Guggenheim Museum, fancy shopping on Park or Madison Avenue, a concert at Carnegie Hall… but I just have mentioned sites on the west side of town here as asked. But please don’t hesitate to taxi over to the East Side if you’d rather do things over there. </p>
<p>If other members have actually stayed at a listed hotel from Columbia U’s list, <a href=“http://worklife.columbia.edu/local-hotels-subcat”>http://worklife.columbia.edu/local-hotels-subcat</a> that’d be better advice for OP.</p>
<p>When my D was at Columbia, we loved the Lucerne. Once it was booked and we tried Milburn, which is a couple of blocks away. It was old-style hotel with huge rooms and quite clean and serviceable. </p>
<p>D stayed at the Courtyard which was less than 2 miles or so from Columbia. At about $160/night, it was the cheapest available option at the time. Nothing special, but it had the typical Courtyard amenities, was clean, comfy, and conveniently located. </p>
<p>Aloft in Harlem is quite nice and reasonable. Have fun! About 1 mile from Columbia.</p>
<p>I stayed a little bit from campus when D had a medical emergency and I had to stay a couple nights at the last minute.While it’s further away, it was right across from Lincoln Center and right by Columbus Circle which made subway access easy. It was called The Empire Hotel and I’d happily stay there again, even if it isn’t right by campus. </p>
<p>Yes, the Empire Hotel is very convenient, safe and clean. It’s about a 15 minute or less subway from Columbia. The West Side neighborhood essentially begins at 66th Street/Lincoln Center.</p>
<p>I live only an hour outside of NYC, but the above posts made the Empire Hotel sound so tempting I though I might stay overnight next time I visit my D, just for the fun of it–until I checked out the prices! Over $450 a night! Maybe we should ask OP about a price range…</p>
<p>^^^ for $450 a night, why not stay in Parker Meridian? Near everything, not too expensive. I used to live next door for $90/MO! share an apartment. It was early 80’s and it was under rent control.</p>
<p>I didn’t pay anywhere near that, although I was staying Sunday and Monday night. BarnardGirl was having an outpatient medical procedure done at Beth Israel and I wanted to be close to the hospital since I was taking her back to the hotel with me. If there were complications that night, I wanted to be near the hospital. I booked it using hotels.com and I think I paid around $279 a night (which still sounds outrageous to me but for NYC- not bad). It was winter too, which might make a difference. They ended up having to upgrade us too- at the same price, which was OK with me! We needed two beds since I didn’t want to disturb my D if she was in pain. </p>
<p>We loved the YOTEL, and got a special rate for premium queen room of $139 a night in August last year…</p>
<p>You can usually get really good deals at Times Square-area hotels (close to the right subway lines) via Expedia or other online bookers. Because 18-year-olds usually can’t sign into hotels without someone 21+ in NY, I recently helped the daughter of an online friend sign into her room for a 2-day stay. She was at the Edison Hotel on W. 47 St. between Broadway/7th and 8th Aves. It was $85 a night for a perfectly acceptable clean room with a nice-enough bathroom (not ultramodern but very clean) on a high floor with 2 double beds. Her mom booked it a couple of months in advance via Expedia.</p>
<p>I booked the Lucerne thanks to the suggestions above! It is walking disatnce or short cab to Columbia (no subways to deal with with suitcases etc.) Now I am just looking at fun things to do in our 3 days…thinking we should eat at Central Park one day…Anyone recommend The boathouse or Tavern on the Green (I hear it is reopening?) or are they too touristy?</p>
<p>The Lucerne is a great hotel that I’ve been in when friends visited here. The boat house is superb too, especially for dinner at dusk when the sun is setting and the skyline is lit up in the distance over the pond. It’s not touristy, nor cheap, but it is a bit dressy. Do not show up in flip-flops and cargo pants! New Yorkers go there often for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or romantic evenings. I’ve yet to try the new Tavern on The Green though. </p>
<p>You may need a cab to lug her stuff to Columbia, but otherwise save your money. The Lucerne is one block away from the Broadway line, and the ride is about 15 minutes to Columbia’s front door. that line also takes you right into Times Sq if you want to go to the theater, shopping at Macy’s, strolling through the Village, or down to World Trade Center memorial, and the Staten Island ferry. All the West Side touristy things. </p>
<p>And if your daughter hasn’t been to NYC before you all must take her on the subway to Williamsburg, the new hipster central of NYC. She’ll get a kick out of it. And so might you. </p>
<p>Since you’re staying at the Lucerne on West 79th St @ Amsterdam Ave, you are wonderfully positioned to enjoy Central Park. It’s also a great neighborhood for finding restaurants and cafes. especially along Amsterdam, Columbus or Broadway.</p>
<p>Overlooking the park, here’s one restaurant: top floor of the Museum of Art and Design (the MAD). <a href=“http://robertnyc.com/”>http://robertnyc.com/</a> click “Gallery” to see the room. Amazing view. I enjoyed a meal with my grad school daughter there recently, appreciating the jazz music at low volume for conversation. </p>
<p>It’s not footsteps from your hotel, but easily reachable.You could walk the interesting 20-block walk south on Broadway, full of shops,or walk down Central Park West ducking in and out of Central Park as you go. On your way, stop in between 71-74 Street at C.P.West to see “Strawberry Fields” dedicated to John Lennon, with the “Imagine” tribute plaque on the ground. <a href=“Strawberry Fields in Central Park”>http://www.centralpark.com/guide/attractions/strawberry-fields.html</a> My husband toured a group of teens to NYC who would not rest until they saw that! </p>
<p>Or from your hotel, take a quick taxi or the 1 subway just a few stops southward to Columbus Circle, enjoy a meal, then enter the park there for a big walk. </p>
<p>You asked especially about the Tavern on the Green and Boathouse, inside the park. Some CCers commented on them already, but perhaps more will chime in to advise.</p>