NYC is a wonderful city with a unique atmosphere - OH and I have visited 4 times in past 5 years, most recently last month. We were lucky enough to stay in the Upper Westside on our first trip at the Hotel Lucerne on West 79th Street (also try On the Avenue Hotel). Since then we have returned to the Lucerne once and the last two trips rented apartments in traditional Upper Westside brownstone buildings. The neighbourhood is residential on the cross streets - lovely brownstones,but busy and bustling on the Avenues (Amsterdam, Broadway and Columbus). There are great restaurants, cafes and diners where the locals eat and some really nice 'different' shops. It's a great area to stay as you can walk out in the evening amongst the local New Yorkers and feel safe - if you've been out all day exploring downtown/other neighbourhoods, it's great to know that there are such good places to spend the evening. (In fact, we have always felt safe in New York even although we travel on the subway and buses at all hours) You are also five minutes walk from Central Park which is a must see, particularly on a Sunday, when the locals are out in force to enjoy the space.
There is so much to see and do, that it's worth getting a Lonely Planet or Time Out Guidebook to plan your trip. Also worth investing in the open top bus tours where you can hop on and off - doing this on first day gives you a real picture of the layout and which areas you want to explore further.
For us it's about a few of the iconic things to see once and then exploring the neighbourhoods on foot - we love Brooklyn Heights, free Staten Island ferry, Gramercy Park area, the West Village, Soho, Tribeca, etc., etc.!
Whatever you do - I bet you'll want to return!
Enjoy - J x
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