Pod 39

About Pod 39

Pod 39 suits travelers who want a Midtown base within walking distance of the day's appointments and sights. The hotel stands on East 39th Street in Murray Hill, close to Kips Bay, a short walk from Grand Central Terminal, so commuters, business travelers and couples on a city break can reach most of the island quickly. Late arrivals land well here: the front desk and security cover the clock around, and luggage storage helps if a flight lands before check-in. Families traveling light also fit, though the setting rewards guests who plan to spend the day out.

Pod 39 is a three-star hotel, and the booking supplier gives it a guest score of 4.2 out of 5 from 3818 reviews. That rating comes from guests who booked through the supplier, so treat it as a steer rather than a promise. The building is a straightforward city hotel: a place to sleep, shower and leave your bags while Manhattan does the rest. Couples, solo travelers and people in town for meetings tend to be the core audience. Read the total price with taxes and fees before you book.

Rooms and listed facilities

Facilities listed for Pod 39 cover the practical side of a city stay. Air conditioning, free wifi and a safe appear on the list, as do a fitness center, a terrace, laundry service and luggage storage. There are bars and a restaurant listed, plus a pool bar. Couples can ask the concierge about the terrace; families can confirm whether a cot fits the room they choose; business travelers should check workspace and wifi details at booking. Parking and pets are listed, so confirm both with the property before arrival.

Every arrival is different, and the listed services cover most of them. A 24 hour front desk, 24 hour security and lifts make late check-ins simpler, while luggage storage handles the gap between a morning train and an afternoon room. Couples often want quiet and a terrace table; families need space for a cot, which is listed, so ask about it early. Wheelchair access is listed too. Confirm anything you rely on directly with Pod 39, since opening times and services are set by the property.

The setting

Pod 39 stands at 145 East 39th Street, on the edge of Murray Hill where it meets Kips Bay in Midtown Manhattan. Grand Central Terminal is about 0.2 miles (0.4 km) away in a straight line, which makes the hotel easy to reach from the suburbs and from the airports by rail. Times Square is about 0.7 miles (1.2 km), Penn Station about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) and the stretch of Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street about 1.1 miles (1.7 km). The surrounding blocks are a mix of offices, apartment buildings and small shops.

Location and neighborhood

Murray Hill and Kips Bay sit on Manhattan's East Side, roughly between 34th and 42nd Streets, in the flat middle of Midtown. The neighborhood takes its name from a colonial-era country estate, and its quieter character survives in the brownstone side streets south of Grand Central Terminal. Numbered streets run east to west and the avenues run north to south, so a short walk covers a lot of ground. Fifth Avenue divides East from West street numbers. People live and work here rather than sightsee, which keeps the sidewalks calm at weekends.

For a first visit, the appeal is position. Grand Central Terminal is a short walk west of Pod 39, and from there the grid opens up: the Theater District and its Broadway houses to the northwest, the Museum of Modern Art and Fifth Avenue to the north. The Morgan Library and Museum, a few blocks away, holds a celebrated collection in a restrained East Side setting and makes a good first stop before a longer day. Subway stations line the avenues. Check current service with the MTA before counting on a particular line.

Getting there and around

John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International are the long hauls, around 13 miles (20.6 km) from Pod 39 and typically 45–75 minutes from Midtown depending on traffic and connections. LaGuardia is closest by road. Grand Central Terminal, around 0.2 miles (0.4 km) away, is the nearest major rail hub; Penn Station is a short ride west. The subway runs 24 hours: tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile. Buses cross the avenues. Congestion pricing applies to vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. Check the MTA and the airport operators for current timetables and service changes.

Nearby sights and food

Grand Central Terminal is the obvious first stop: the main concourse, the ceiling and the levels below are open to anyone passing through, and the building works as a shortcut between streets. North of it, Fifth Avenue leads to the Museum of Modern Art and on toward Museum Mile. Observation decks are spread across Midtown, each with a different line of sight; check hours and reserve ahead at busy periods. The High Line and Hudson Yards, with the Vessel, are a longer walk or a short ride west. Broadway theaters cluster around Times Square, with evening curtains usually at 7 or 8 pm; check the show.

Eating around Murray Hill and Kips Bay is mostly a matter of picking a street. Third Avenue and Second Avenue hold the busiest concentration: Indian restaurants and curry houses, Irish pubs, steakhouses, sushi counters, casual Japanese noodle places, and the delis and pizza counters that fill the gaps. The Lexington Avenue stretch known as Curry Hill, a short walk south, adds more of the same. Most of the trade is quiet, mid-priced and sustained by people who live nearby, so tables are easier to find than in the Theater District.

A day from Pod 39

A day from Pod 39: start early and walk west to Grand Central Terminal while the concourse is still quiet, then continue up Fifth Avenue to the Museum of Modern Art for the opening hours. Break for lunch on the walk back east. In the afternoon pick one observation deck; clear days are worth waiting for, and booking ahead saves time at busy periods. Return to the neighborhood to change, then head northwest to the Theater District for an evening curtain, usually 7 or 8 pm, booked in advance. Finish with a late meal nearby and walk back to Pod 39.

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
• Bath
• Bathroom
• Carpeted
• Cleaning
• Concierge
• Crib
• Desk
• Express check in
• First aid
• Fitness Center
• Free Wi-Fi
• Game room
• Hairdryer
• Housekeeping
• Internet access
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Lounge
• Luggage storage
• Non smoking rooms
• Parking
• Pets allowed
• Pool bar
• Restaurant
• Safe
• Shower
• Sink
• Smoke detector
• TV
• Table tennis
• Terrace
• Toiletries
• Towels
• WC
• Wheelchair accessible
• Wi-Fi