Staying in Lincoln Square, Manhattan

What Lincoln Square is like

Lincoln Square is the name for the blocks around Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, on the Upper West Side between Columbus Circle and the low 70s. The neighborhood takes in the plaza and the buildings that surround it, the diagonal stretch of Broadway, and the first numbered streets north of 59th Street. West End Avenue, Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue are mostly residential, with prewar apartment blocks, schools and churches. Broadway and Central Park West carry the traffic, the offices and most of the hotels.

The street grid follows the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, so numbered streets run east-west and avenues run north-south, with Fifth Avenue dividing East from West. Broadway cuts across the grid at an angle, creating small triangles and plazas, most obviously at Columbus Circle, the roundabout at the southwest corner of Central Park. Days here are busy with students, office workers and concertgoers; evenings around the theaters can be crowded, while the side streets turn quiet early. The tone is residential and cultural rather than commercial.

Who it suits

Lincoln Square suits travelers who want culture on the doorstep and a calm base at night. Staying here puts Lincoln Center, Central Park and two large museums within walking distance, and Midtown is one or two subway stops away. Families appreciate the park entrances, the wide sidewalks and the short walk to the American Museum of Natural History. Couples and solo travelers who plan around concerts, opera, ballet or theater find the location practical, since the halls sit within a few minutes of most beds in the area.

It suits less well if you want late-night bars on your own street, or the older, irregular streets of downtown. The southern Upper West Side is quiet after performances end, and some blocks have few open shops late in the evening. Travelers who want to be inside the Theater District should look a little further south, and anyone planning to walk to the 9/11 Memorial, about 4.5 miles (7.3 km) away, will rely on the subway. Light sleepers should ask for a room away from Broadway.

Getting around and to the airports

The subway is the quickest way around, and it runs 24 hours a day. Columbus Circle and the stations along Broadway and Central Park West serve the neighborhood; payment is by tapping a contactless card or phone at the turnstiles, and the MetroCard is being phased out. Buses run along Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues and across the park on crosstown streets. Walking often beats both for short hops, and Central Park is close enough for a morning on foot.

For the airports, allow time for the connections. JFK is about 14 miles (22.8 km) away in Queens, and the AirTrain links the terminals to the rail and subway network. LaGuardia is about 5.8 miles (9.3 km) away and closest by road. Newark Liberty is about 12 miles (18.6 km) away in New Jersey and involves a rail change at Penn Station. Journeys from Midtown typically take 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic and connections, so build in a margin for a flight.

• JFK: the AirTrain links the terminals to Jamaica, for the Long Island Rail Road or the subway, and to Howard Beach for the A train.
• LaGuardia: closest by road, with the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus connecting to the subway.
• Newark Liberty: AirTrain to the airport station, then NJ Transit or Amtrak to Penn Station, about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from the neighborhood.
• Grand Central Terminal: about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east, a short subway ride or a walk across Midtown.

What is nearby

Central Park begins at 59th Street, about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from the neighborhood at Fifth Avenue, and is free to enter. The park's 843 acres hold meadows, lakes, a running loop and carriage roads, and the southern end is the easiest section to reach on foot from Lincoln Square. The American Museum of Natural History, on Central Park West at 79th Street, is about 0.7 miles (1.2 km) away. Across the park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art sits on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from here.

Midtown sights are close. The Museum of Modern Art is about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) away, the Theater District around Times Square about 1 mile (1.6 km), and the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson about 1 mile (1.6 km). Times Square itself is roughly 1.1 miles (1.7 km) south. The 9/11 Memorial and its reflecting pools are about 4.5 miles (7.3 km) south in the Financial District, a straightforward subway ride. Observation decks, the High Line and the free Staten Island Ferry are all reachable within a morning or an afternoon.

• Central Park, about 0.9 miles (1.4 km): free to enter, with the southern meadows easiest to reach on foot.
• The American Museum of Natural History, about 0.7 miles (1.2 km), on Central Park West at 79th Street.
• The Museum of Modern Art, about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) away, for modern and contemporary collections.
• Broadway and the Theater District, about 1 mile (1.6 km) around Times Square.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, about 1.2 miles (1.9 km), on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street.

Eating in the area

Restaurants cluster along Columbus Avenue, Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, with a mix of everyday places and rooms that fill before performances. Expect Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cooking, plus burgers, pizza by the slice, diners and bakeries for breakfast. Delis and small groceries on the side streets suit a quick lunch or a picnic in Central Park. Near Columbus Circle there are food halls and a larger supermarket, useful for families or a self-catering stay.

Hours follow the neighborhood: breakfast places open early, lunch is busy with office workers and students, and dinner service around Lincoln Center starts before curtain and runs late on performance nights. Book ahead for tables within a few blocks of the halls on concert evenings, and expect queues at popular brunch spots at weekends. Many kitchens close earlier than in Midtown, so a late meal may mean walking south or ordering in. Tipping is customary; check the bill for what is already included.

Choosing a hotel and staying safe

Hotels here line Broadway and Central Park West and the blocks around Columbus Circle, with smaller buildings on the side streets and apartment-style stays further north. Choose by what you plan to do: closer to Columbus Circle is better for subway connections and Midtown, while quieter blocks north of the Lincoln Center campus suit light sleepers and families. Ask for the total price with taxes and fees. City and state taxes and a per-night occupancy charge are added, and some hotels charge a facility or destination fee. Check what breakfast covers and whether the room faces Broadway.

The neighborhood is busy and well lit for most of the day and evening, with pedestrian traffic around Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle until late. As anywhere in Manhattan, keep valuables out of sight, stay aware near cash machines and subway entrances, and take a licensed taxi or a ride app after midnight. Watch for cyclists in the bike lanes and for turning cars at Columbus Circle, where traffic is heavy. Sidewalks can be icy in winter, and summer afternoons are hot and humid.