Herald Square and Penn Station

What the area is like

Herald Square sits where Broadway and Sixth Avenue cross 34th Street, in the west of Midtown Manhattan. It is a small paved triangle with benches, a subway entrance and a steady flow of people, named for the newspaper office that once stood nearby. Penn Station lies a few blocks west at 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Madison Square Garden sits directly above the station, so event nights bring extra crowds to the sidewalks.

The district has several characters within a few blocks. Koreatown runs along West 32nd Street, where restaurants and shops often sit on upper floors. The Empire State Building rises at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, with its observation decks open to visitors. West of Penn Station the blocks turn toward the Hudson Yards towers; south, the streets lead down through the Garment District toward Chelsea and the Flatiron District. Much of the building stock is offices, hotels and apartment blocks from the twentieth century.

Who it suits

This area suits travelers whose trip runs on trains. Penn Station handles commuter rail, intercity trains and several subway lines, so a hotel within a few blocks removes a taxi ride at both ends of the day. It also suits short city breaks, first-time visitors who want Times Square and the Theater District within walking distance, and anyone attending a concert or game at Madison Square Garden, where the walk home is short.

It suits less well if you want quiet evenings. Traffic, deliveries and station announcements carry through the night, and the blocks around the station empty and refill on a schedule set by trains rather than by neighbors. Travelers who plan to spend their days in Central Park, on Museum Mile or in the museums of the Upper West Side may prefer to stay further north, where the streets are calmer and the walk to those sights is shorter.

Getting around and to the airports

Most of Midtown is laid out on the Commissioners' Plan of 1811: numbered streets run east to west, avenues run north to south, and Fifth Avenue divides East from West street numbers. Broadway cuts across the grid on a diagonal, which is why Herald Square is a triangle rather than a square. Addresses are easy to follow once you know the nearest cross street, and several major sights lie within a short walk.

The subway runs 24 hours a day and fares are paid by tapping a contactless card or phone; weekly spending is capped after a set number of rides in seven days. From Penn Station, the airports are straightforward. For JFK, the AirTrain runs to Jamaica, with commuter rail and subway connections, or to Howard Beach for the subway. For Newark Liberty, the AirTrain reaches the rail station, then NJ Transit or intercity trains run to Penn Station. For LaGuardia, the free Q70 bus connects to the subway.

• Penn Station sits at 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, with commuter rail, intercity trains and subway lines.
• Grand Central Terminal is about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) east, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue.
• Tap a contactless card or phone to pay the subway fare; the MetroCard is being phased out.
• For JFK, the AirTrain connects at Jamaica with commuter rail and subway, and at Howard Beach with the subway.
• The free Q70 bus links LaGuardia with the subway network in Queens.

What is nearby

Almost everything in Midtown is within walking distance. Times Square and Grand Central Terminal are each about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) away, the Broadway theaters around Times Square about 0.6 miles (1 km). Hudson Yards and the Vessel are 0.8 miles (1.3 km) west, the High Line 0.9 miles (1.4 km), and the Museum of Modern Art 0.9 miles (1.5 km). The observation decks, including the Empire State Building's open-air deck on the 86th floor and the glass-floored deck at Hudson Yards, are close at hand.

Further afield, Central Park begins at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, about 1.2 miles (2 km) north, and the 9/11 Memorial is 3.0 miles (4.8 km) south at the tip of the island. The Staten Island Ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal near the memorial and is free to ride. Madison Square Garden sits directly above Penn Station, so concerts and games fill the surrounding streets on event nights. Koreatown's West 32nd Street is a block south of the square.

• Times Square and the Theater District: about 0.6 miles (1 km) north.
• Grand Central Terminal: about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) east at 42nd Street and Park Avenue.
• Hudson Yards, the Vessel and the High Line: 1.3 to 0.9 miles (1.4 km) west.
• The Museum of Modern Art: about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) north.
• Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street: about 1.2 miles (2 km) north, and the 9/11 Memorial about 3.0 miles (4.8 km) south.

Eating and drinking

Koreatown, on West 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, has a dense cluster of restaurants. Korean barbecue, stews, fried chicken and noodle dishes are served in rooms on the ground floor and on the floors above, often late into the night. Bakeries sell pastries and coffee, and small grocery shops stock snacks for a train. The streets north toward 35th Street hold delis, pizza counters, diners and coffee shops that serve the office crowd on weekdays.

Around Penn Station, the concourse and the blocks on Seventh and Eighth Avenues offer quick options: sandwich counters, salad places, food halls and coffee bars aimed at commuters. Expect queues before theater curtains and at lunch on weekdays. For a slower meal, the side streets south of 34th Street and the blocks around Madison Square Park have a wider spread of cuisines, including Italian, Indian, Thai and Middle Eastern cooking. Check opening days, since some rooms close on Sundays.

Safety, practicalities and choosing a hotel

The area is busy at most hours, which helps. Standard city care applies: keep a hand on bags in crowds, watch for pickpockets on packed subway platforms, and stay aware late at night on the quieter blocks west of Eighth Avenue. Penn Station can be confusing, with levels, concourses and exits that do not line up with the street grid above, so allow extra time for a first train and follow signs rather than memory. Ask station staff if you are unsure.

Hotel bills in New York City add state and city taxes and a per-night occupancy charge to the room rate, and some hotels add a facility or destination fee. Check the total price with taxes and fees before you book. This site shows no prices; every booking button opens live prices in the IMPT app. Drivers should note that vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street pay a congestion toll, in force since January 2025, so arriving by train is simpler.

Choose by distance to the station you will use most, then by noise. A block or two back from Seventh and Eighth Avenues brings quieter nights at the cost of a short walk. Ask for a room on a high floor away from the street, and check whether the room faces the station concourse or an air shaft. Confirm what is included: breakfast, a staffed desk at night, and a lift. Read the total price with taxes and fees, not the headline rate.