Pod Times Square

About Pod Times Square

Pod Times Square suits travelers who want a simple base in Hell's Kitchen and plan to spend their days out in the city. The address on West 42nd Street keeps the Theater District and Times Square within a short walk, so evening plans need little organizing. Couples on a city break, friends sharing a short trip and business travelers with Midtown meetings all fit here. Late arrivals work too, because the front desk is staffed around the clock.

Pod Times Square is a 3-star hotel with a compact, practical approach to a Midtown stay: a place to sleep, shower and leave your bags while the city does the rest. The booking supplier's guest score is 4.1 out of 5 from 2,799 reviews, a broad average across many stays. Short city visits fit the format best. For longer stays or heavy luggage, confirm room size and layout with the property before booking.

Rooms and listed facilities

Pod Times Square lists air conditioning, free wifi and internet access, a safe, lifts, luggage storage, laundry service, a terrace and a bar. Parking and valet parking are listed, as is a shuttle service, and the property is wheelchair accessible. A 24 hour front desk with 24 hour security makes late arrivals manageable. Families can ask the property about a cot, and pets are allowed. Couples and business travelers may want to confirm room size, bed type and workspace before booking.

The listed facilities are the ones to plan around. Guests arriving on a night flight can rely on the 24 hour front desk, and the lifts and luggage storage help if bags arrive before the room. Couples and solo travelers usually need little more than wifi, air conditioning and a safe. Families and longer stays should confirm bed arrangements and floor space with the property, since those details decide how comfortable a small base feels.

The setting

Pod Times Square stands at 400 West 42nd Street, on the edge of Hell's Kitchen where Midtown's west side meets the Theater District. Times Square is about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away in a straight line, Penn Station about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) and Grand Central Terminal about 0.9 miles (1.5 km), so trains in several directions are walkable. Central Park, at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, is about 1.1 miles (1.8 km). The 9/11 Memorial is about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) south. Nearby observation decks are about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) away.

The street itself sits on the western side of Midtown, a short walk from the avenues that carry traffic north and south. Hell's Kitchen begins immediately west and north, which gives the address a quieter feel than the blocks around Times Square while keeping the theater district close. For a stay built around walking, subway hops and evenings out, the position saves time that would otherwise go on crosstown trips.

Location and neighborhood

Hell's Kitchen fills the west of Midtown, from Eighth Avenue out to the Hudson River and from the edge of the Theater District up toward Columbus Circle. For couples, the shape of the neighborhood matters more than any single street: dinner, a show and a walk along the water all sit within a few blocks of each other. Ninth Avenue carries most of the everyday eating, while Restaurant Row on West 46th Street draws a pre-theater crowd. The streets between them stay residential enough for a quiet morning, which suits a slow weekend better than the blocks around Times Square.

The western edge gives the neighborhood its breathing room. Tenth and Eleventh Avenues run long and straight toward the river, and the Hudson River Park greenway gives couples a flat path for an unhurried morning or an evening walk with the water on one side and the skyline on the other. Piers along the route offer benches and open views. Look west at sunset and the light comes off New Jersey rather than down a street canyon, which makes the west side feel calmer than the middle of Midtown. Subway stops along Eighth Avenue and Broadway connect the area north, south and across town.

Getting there and around

Most trips begin at one of the airports. JFK and Newark Liberty sit around 14 miles (22.3 km) away, with rail and bus links into Midtown, and LaGuardia is closest by road. Penn Station is around 0.9 miles (1.5 km) from the area, and Grand Central is a short ride east. The neighborhood center sits around 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from the blocks where most hotels stand. Within Hell's Kitchen, walking covers nearly everything, and the grid makes navigation simple. Subways run along Eighth Avenue and Broadway; buses cross town on the major streets. Check current service and airport connections before you travel, since routes and schedules change.

Nearby sights and food

Two of the city's main draws sit within easy reach. Central Park begins at its south edge a short walk or ride north of the neighborhood, with the open lawns and the reservoir loop suited to a long, unhurried morning. The observation decks cluster midtown and downtown: the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and SUMMIT One Vanderbilt are all close, and Edge and One World Observatory are a subway ride south. The High Line starts west of the neighborhood at Gansevoort Street and runs north to Hudson Yards, an easy add-on to a river walk. Check opening hours and timed entries before you go.

Dinner is the main event here, and couples can eat well without booking far ahead. Ninth Avenue holds a long run of casual rooms: Thai, Greek, Cuban, Mexican, pizza by the slice, and bakeries for a slow breakfast. Restaurant Row on West 46th Street is the theater crowd's strip of Italian and steak places, busiest before curtains. Between Ninth and Eleventh Avenues the mix widens to ramen, Korean, Middle Eastern and seafood. Many kitchens keep late hours, and walk-ins are often possible outside the pre-theater rush, though weekends in season fill fast. Check times and reserve where you can.

A day from Pod Times Square

A day from Pod Times Square can stay slow and still cover ground. Start with coffee and a pastry on Ninth Avenue, then walk west to the Hudson River Park greenway and follow the water north until you decide to turn back. Cut inland for lunch around Restaurant Row, quieter at midday than before a show. In the afternoon, ride north to Central Park for the lawns and the reservoir loop, or stay local and take in an observation deck for the view. Return to Pod Times Square to change, eat early on Ninth Avenue, then walk to a Broadway curtain. Check show times and deck tickets in advance, and treat Pod Times Square as your fixed point between outings.

Distances

Facilities listed by the supplier

As listed by the booking supplier; a facility not listed here may still exist. Confirm anything important with the property.

• 24 Hour Front Desk
• 24-hour security
• Air conditioning
• Bars
• Bathroom
• Cleaning
• Crib
• Desk
• First aid
• Free Wi-Fi
• Garage
• Hairdryer
• Internet access
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Luggage storage
• Non smoking rooms
• Parking
• Pets allowed
• Safe
• Shower
• Shuttle service
• Sink
• Smoke detector
• TV
• Terrace
• Toiletries
• Towels
• Valet parking
• WC
• Wheelchair accessible
• Wi-Fi