The Central Park North

About The Central Park North

The Central Park North suits travelers who want a simple, well-placed base in Harlem and a short walk to the top of Central Park. Couples, small families and friends traveling together can use it as a place to sleep between days of museums, walking and Broadway shows. The listed kitchenette helps keep breakfast and light meals simple. The address puts you close to the park's north end, and the subway connects you quickly to Midtown and downtown. It is a practical choice for a city break built around sightseeing rather than time spent in the room.

This is a 2-star hotel, so expect a straightforward, unpretentious stay rather than a full-service one. The booking supplier's guest score is 3.9 out of 5 from 340 reviews, a middling rating that suggests a workable base rather than a treat. The building sits on a residential block in Harlem, and it is a sensible pick for travelers who treat a hotel as somewhere to sleep and shower between days out. Bookings open in the IMPT app.

Rooms and listed facilities

Facilities listed by the supplier are family rooms, free Wifi, internet access, a kitchenette and a safe. Couples may find the kitchenette useful for coffee and simple meals, while families can ask about how the family rooms are laid out. Business travelers get Wifi for email and calls. Late arrivals should confirm reception hours and the key collection arrangement with the property before traveling. It is worth checking directly with The Central Park North about room size, bedding and what the kitchenette includes.

The rooms are best understood as a base rather than a destination. Travelers who plan long days at museums and on walking routes will value the safe for documents and the Wifi for planning the next day. Groups sharing a family room should confirm how many people the room holds and what bedding is provided. Anyone arriving on a late flight should arrange the handover in advance with The Central Park North so the first night runs smoothly.

The setting

The Central Park North is at 137 W 111th Street in Harlem, on a side street in the upper part of Manhattan. The area around it is residential, with the north end of Central Park a few blocks south and the Apollo Theater on West 125th Street a short ride away. Straight-line distances give a sense of scale: about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to Central Park, about 3.3 miles (5.3 km) to Times Square, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to Grand Central Terminal and about 4.0 miles (6.4 km) to Penn Station. Distances are straight-line, so road routes run longer.

Location and neighborhood

Harlem sits at the top of Manhattan, running north from the edge of Central Park to the Harlem River. West 125th Street is the neighborhood's main cross street, and the Apollo Theater's sign above the sidewalk is the landmark most first-time visitors look for first. South of 125th Street the blocks are a mix of brownstones, churches and low apartment buildings; north of it the streets climb toward Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights. Street numbers rise as you go north, and Fifth Avenue divides East from West, so an address tells you which side of the block to walk.

Sunday morning is the time many first-time visitors plan around. Several churches in Harlem hold gospel services that welcome guests, and the sound of a choir is part of the neighborhood's weekend rhythm. Services are acts of worship rather than performances: arrive early, dress neatly, keep phones away, and follow the seating instructions you are given. Times vary by congregation, so check with the individual church before you set out. Weekday mornings are quieter, and the brownstone side streets south of 125th Street reward a slow walk with a look at stoops, carved doors and small front gardens.

Getting there and around

Harlem is well connected by subway, and trains run 24 hours a day. Stations along 125th Street put the rest of Manhattan within a few stops: tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile and check the current service before you travel, since weekend diversions are common. The Central Park North is around 3.3 miles (5.3 km) from Midtown's core, around 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Grand Central Terminal and around 14 miles (23 km) from the airports. Allow 45 to 75 minutes for JFK or Newark depending on traffic and connections. Buses run along the main avenues, and walking works well for the blocks around the hotel.

Nearby sights and food

Central Park starts at Harlem's southern edge, at 110th Street, and its 843 acres are free to enter; the northern end, with its Meer and wooded paths, is quieter than the lawns further south. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, where Museum Mile begins, and the American Museum of Natural History is on Central Park West at 79th Street. All three are a short subway ride or a long walk from The Central Park North. Check opening days and ticketing before you go, and book timed entry where a museum offers it.

Eating in Harlem covers a wide range. Soul food kitchens serve long-standing neighborhood staples, and Caribbean, West African and Latin American cooking is easy to find along and around 125th Street, from counter-service places to family-run dining rooms. Bakeries sell bread and pastries through the morning, delis and groceries fill the gaps, and coffee shops on the side streets are good for a sit-down break. Weekend brunch is busy, so a later lunch on Sundays is easier. Check opening hours on public holidays, when some kitchens close.

A day from The Central Park North

Start with a walk south into Central Park at 110th Street, where paths lead past the Harlem Meer and the North Woods; morning is the calmest time. Break for coffee and a late breakfast near 125th Street, then take the subway down to Museum Mile for an afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, checking opening days first. Return to Harlem in the late afternoon to walk the brownstone blocks and to see the Apollo Theater's block on West 125th Street. Have an early dinner nearby, and if a Sunday gospel service is on the plan, build the morning around it. From The Central Park North, most of this is a short walk or a few subway stops.

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.

• Alarm clock
• Bathroom
• Coffee
• Desk
• Express check in
• Family rooms
• Fan
• Fax
• Free Wi-Fi
• Hairdryer
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Kitchenette
• Microwave
• Non smoking rooms
• Radio
• Refrigerator
• Safe
• Shower
• Smoke detector
• TV
• Toaster
• Toiletries
• Towels
• WC
• Wi-Fi