Square 42

About Square 42

Square 42 suits travelers who want a simple base west of Times Square and plan to spend most of the day out in the city. The address on West 42nd Street puts theaters, the Port Authority area and the subway within a walk, so a room here works for short city breaks, concert weekends and first trips to Manhattan. Couples, small families and business travelers who treat the hotel as a place to sleep and shower tend to get the most from this kind of stay.

Square 42 is a 2-star hotel in Hell's Kitchen, on the Midtown edge of the neighborhood. Two-star hotels in Manhattan are built around the basics: a place to sleep, a place to wash and a location that keeps travel time down. Expect a straightforward, unpretentious stay rather than long hours in the building. It suits a short city trip more than a long stay. The star rating is the official category, and it is the clearest guide to what the property offers before arrival.

Rooms and listed facilities

The listed facilities at Square 42 are free wifi, shuttle service and wheelchair accessibility. For couples, free wifi covers trip planning and messages home; for families it keeps several devices connected; business travelers can work from the room and confirm with the property whether a desk is provided. Late arrivals should confirm reception hours and the shuttle arrangements directly with the hotel before travel, since the timing and route of the shuttle are set by the property. Guests who need step-free access should confirm the details of the accessible rooms with Square 42.

The setting

Square 42 stands at 360 West 42nd Street, on the block between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, where Hell's Kitchen 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), Grand Central Terminal about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) and the edge of Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street about 1.1 miles (1.8 km). The Port Authority Bus Terminal sits a short walk east. This is a working Midtown block of offices, storefronts and through traffic, with the theater lights a few minutes south.

Location and neighborhood

Hell's Kitchen sits on the west side of Midtown, between the Theater District and the Hudson River, with Eighth Avenue as its eastern seam and the waterfront a short walk west. Ninth Avenue carries most of the neighborhood's everyday eating, and the side streets between Ninth and Tenth hold smaller places that fill at lunch. For a work trip the position is practical: offices in Midtown are within walking distance, and the long blocks west of Ninth Avenue are quieter at night. Square 42 puts you inside that grid rather than at its edge.

Morning on these blocks moves fast: deliveries along Ninth Avenue, commuters heading east toward Midtown offices, and full coffee counters on the corners. Times Square lies just east of Eighth Avenue, close enough to reach on foot and easy to avoid on an ordinary working day. Broadway cuts diagonally across the grid, so a route that looks simple on a map takes longer than expected; allow for it. Between meetings, the Hudson River Greenway offers a flat, car-free stretch for a short walk, and the river piers are open public space. Square 42 keeps the working day within walking reach.

Getting there and around

Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station are both within easy reach, around 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from the area center, which matters on a morning when a train leaves early. Airports are the variable: JFK and Newark are typically 45 to 75 minutes from Midtown depending on traffic and connections, and LaGuardia is the closest by road, with the free Q70 bus linking to the subway. From Square 42, count around 14 miles (22.3 km) to the airports and around 0.4 miles (0.6 km) to the Midtown core. The subway runs 24 hours a day; tap a contactless card or phone, and check service changes with the MTA before a tight connection.

Nearby sights and food

Most of the well-known sights sit within a short walk or one subway ride. Times Square and the Broadway theaters of the Theater District are just east of Eighth Avenue. Central Park begins at 59th Street, and the observation decks at Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and Hudson Yards are all within a few kilometers of the area center. The High Line starts at Gansevoort Street and runs north to Hudson Yards, a useful weekend walk. The 9/11 Memorial and the Staten Island Ferry terminal are further south, best reached by subway.

Eating is the neighborhood's other business. Ninth Avenue is the spine of it: Thai, Turkish, Greek, Mexican, Peruvian and Japanese kitchens, pizza by the slice, ramen counters, bakeries and delis open from breakfast, plus a run of casual places where a solo diner can eat quickly between meetings. Restaurant Row on West 46th Street packs more places into one block, with formal dining rooms and a pre-theater rush in the early evening. West of Ninth Avenue the blocks turn residential and quieter, with small wine bars and takeaway counters. Book ahead for dinner on a show night.

A day from Square 42

Start with coffee and breakfast on Ninth Avenue, then walk east across Eighth Avenue to a morning of meetings in Midtown; the grid keeps blocks short and addresses predictable. Break at midday in the Hudson River Greenway, where a bench and the water give a short pause. Spend the afternoon in the western blocks of the Theater District, or take the subway north to Central Park and walk a loop from 59th Street. Eat early on Ninth Avenue to beat the curtain crowd, then see a Broadway show; evening curtains are typically at 7 or 8 pm, so check the show. The walk back to Square 42 is short and mostly west.

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.

• Free Wi-Fi
• Housekeeping
• Shuttle service
• Wheelchair accessible