Staying in Midtown and Times Square

What the area is like

Midtown and Times Square takes in the center of Manhattan island, from the Garment District blocks north of 34th Street up to Central Park South. The official area runs through Times Square and the Theater District, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center and the stretch of Fifth Avenue known for flagship stores. Street numbers follow the Commissioners' Plan of 1811: numbered streets run east to west, avenues north to south, and Fifth Avenue divides East from West addresses. Broadway cuts diagonally across that grid, which is why some corners sit at odd angles.

This is the part of Manhattan many visitors picture first: tall office towers, large illuminated signs around Times Square, and crowds that thicken through the evening. It is a working district as much as a visitor one, with offices, theaters, shops and hotels sharing the same blocks. The Theater District fills before curtain time and empties after it. Side streets a block or two off Broadway are noticeably calmer, and Bryant Park and the plaza at Rockefeller Center give the area open air and somewhere to sit.

Who it suits and where to stay

Midtown and Times Square suits travelers on a first visit who want the main sights within walking distance, and anyone attending a Broadway show who would rather walk back to the hotel than cross town afterwards. It also works for short stays built around a train from Grand Central Terminal or Penn Station. It suits less if you want quiet residential streets, a neighborhood feel, or a base close to downtown sights such as the 9/11 Memorial, about 3.5 miles (5.7 km) away.

Choose by how you will arrive and leave. A hotel near Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station or a subway entrance saves time on short trips. Rooms facing Times Square are the loudest and brightest at night; ask for a higher floor or a room on a side street. Much of the accommodation is in larger, full-service buildings, so compare what each one includes before you book. Decide too whether you want to be inside the Theater District or a few blocks out, where mornings are calmer.

Getting around and to the airports

The subway runs 24 hours a day and is the quickest way to move around. Fares are paid by tapping a contactless card or phone at the turnstiles, and weekly spending is capped after a set number of rides in seven days. The MetroCard is being phased out, so tap to pay where you can. Times Square has a large station interchange, and Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal are all within walking distance of the area's core.

LaGuardia Airport is the closest by road, about 6.0 miles (9.6 km) away, and the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus connects it to the subway. John F. Kennedy International Airport is about 14 miles (21.8 km) away: take the AirTrain to Jamaica for the LIRR or the subway, or to Howard Beach for the A train. Newark Liberty International Airport is about 11 miles (17.7 km) away, with the AirTrain to the Newark Liberty International Airport station and then NJ Transit or Amtrak to Penn Station. Allow 45 to 75 minutes from Midtown depending on traffic.

• The subway runs 24 hours a day; pay by tapping a contactless card or phone.
• Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue, is about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) from Times Square.
• Penn Station, on 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away.
• The free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus connects LaGuardia Airport with the subway network.
• Congestion pricing applies to vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street; check the current toll.

What is nearby

Broadway theaters in the Theater District are a short walk from almost any hotel here; evening curtains are typically at 7 or 8 pm, so check the show. The Museum of Modern Art is about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) away, and observation decks are about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) from Times Square, including Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt next to Grand Central, and the Empire State Building. Central Park begins at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) away, and is free to enter.

Grand Central Terminal is about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) away, and the Intrepid Museum about 0.9 miles (1.4 km), on the Hudson. Hudson Yards and the Vessel are about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) to the west, and the 9/11 Memorial is about 3.5 miles (5.7 km) downtown; its two reflecting pools are free to visit, while the museum is ticketed. The Staten Island Ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal at the southern tip of Manhattan, is free, and passes the Statue of Liberty on a crossing of about 25 minutes.

• Broadway theaters and the Theater District are about 0.1 miles (0.1 km) from Times Square.
• The Museum of Modern Art is about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from Times Square, an easy walk.
• Observation decks, including Top of the Rock and SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, are about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) away.
• Central Park starts at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) away, and is free.
• Hudson Yards and the Vessel are about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) west; the 9/11 Memorial is about 3.5 miles (5.7 km) downtown.

Eating in Midtown

Midtown and Times Square covers the full range, from a slice of pizza eaten standing up to a long dinner before a show. The Theater District runs on pre-theater service, when tables turn early and reservations matter; the same rooms are calmer after the curtain. Around Times Square the larger chain places are busy and quick, while side streets and the blocks toward the Garment District hold smaller rooms. Food halls and market counters suit a mixed group that cannot agree on one cuisine.

Cuisines follow the city: Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Indian, Greek and steakhouse cooking, plus seafood and diners that serve all day. Lunch hours are the busiest time in the office blocks, and some counters close between lunch and dinner, so check opening days and hours before you set out. Walk west toward Hell's Kitchen for a dense spread of small restaurants, or east toward Murray Hill for quieter rooms away from the crowds.

Safety and practical tips

Midtown is busy and well covered by police, and the main risks are ordinary city ones: traffic, bicycles and crowded sidewalks. Cross with the signals, since one-way streets and turning cars surprise visitors. Keep bags closed in the Times Square crowds, and buy theater tickets from a box office or an authorized seller rather than from someone on the street. Public restrooms are scarce; museums, parks and the main stations are the reliable options.

Walking is often quicker than riding for short hops, and the grid makes distances easy to judge. Summer is hot and humid, winter is cold with snow in some years, and spring and autumn are the mildest seasons. December is the busiest holiday period, when the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit, usually around the end of November or early December with the date set each year, and Fifth Avenue store windows are dressed from late November into early January. January to early March is usually the quietest.