NYC Broadway trip- hotel and restaurant recs?

[sarahsas]

I'm going on a girls trip to NYC in June with the primary goal being to see some shows. I want to see Newsies and Kinky Boots. Maybe the new show If/Then too. Looking for a hotel with easy access to the area where we will be seeing shows. Something not super fancy and preferably under $300. Any restaurant recs are also appreciated, especially good pizza, ethnic food and vegetarian friendly grub.

I haven't been to NYC in 20ish years and know nothing about areas.. So thanks for any guidance!

[ohyouknow]

We stayed at The Manhattan and it was super close to the Broadway shows (we saw Wicked). The concierge there gave us a recommendation for breakfast at a Seinfeld-ish cafe a couple blocks away that was amazing. The owners were Greek and there was a Greek influence on a lot of the food - omelets had feta, etc. I'll see if I can find it.

[ohyouknow]

I can't find it...but Evergreen Diner for breakfast looks amazing lol. Anyway - The Manhattan was a decent hotel but not amazing - I'm not sure what the cost was since my friend paid for it (her husband was going to go with her but deployed at the last minute so I subbed for him.) The rooms were fine but not luxurious and the lobby was being renovated in December, so hopefully that is done. The location is really good for seeing Broadway shows. Any hotel in the Theater District should be close though.

[Deleted]

I don't know much about hotels.

As far as food goes, you'd be better off eating far away from the Theater District. That area is a mix between the overpriced mediocrity of the restaurants that are aimed towards ripping tourists off, and very good but very pricey and stiff expense account restaurants for the businesses around there.

If you'd like good New York style pizza, though, John's on 44th Street is legitimately very good, and Arturo's (there's one right by Ed Sullivan Theater, and another on 57th) is almost as good. If you want a slice, Sacco's on 9th and 54th is great and Luigi's or Mariella are okay. If you want Neapolitan pizza (like you'd get in Italy), Don Antonio at 50th and 8th is excellent.

What are you looking for ethnic food-wise? There are a lot of ethnicities around...

[sarahsas]

Turkish, middle eastern, Indian? I'm a falafel fiend too...

[Deleted]

Mar 18, 2014 10:22:05 GMT -5 sarahsas said:

Turkish, middle eastern, Indian? I'm a falafel fiend too...

If you're okay with a food cart, I'd try the Halal Guys!

53rdand6th.com/

(If it is nice out, there are plenty of areas to improvise seating in that area -- or else you could take back to your hotel)

[sa]

Mar 18, 2014 10:22:05 GMT -5 sarahsas said:

Turkish, middle eastern, Indian? I'm a falafel fiend too...

Best falafel in the area (and all of Manhattan imo) is Azuri Cafe.  There are a couple of small tables, but it's mostly a grab and go type place.  The owner can be kind of grumpy, but he's alright .  Go for the falafel sandwich over the plate.  It's delicious. 

There's a great Afghani restaurant on 9th Ave between 52nd and 53rd - Ariana.  I like the Aushak and Manto, my husband likes the Kabuli Palow with Kofta.

Also there is a great Thai restaurant on 9th Ave between 51st and 52nd - Pure Thai Cookhouse.  I sound like a broken record recommending this place, but it's one of my favorites in the city.  All apps are good and the desserts are great too.  For entrees the noodle soups are the star.  They are so delicious.  I recommend getting them with the fresh egg noodles.

Speaking of noodles, Ippudo is in the area as well on 51st between 8th and 9th.  I've tried quite a few ramen places and Ippudo is my favorite.

Danji is in that general area as well (52nd between 8th and 9th).  Korean tapas style food.

[mcc]

If you like Cuban food, Victor's Cafe is my favorite in the Theater District victorscafe.com/

[sunnysally]

We stayed at the New Yorker hotel and were pleased with our experience. I think the rooms were 200-ish per night and it is right across the street from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. We went to Kinky Boots and I think it was about a 15 minute walk.

[mcsangel2]

I've always stayed at the Milford Plaza which is on 44th and 8th (right next to Phantom of the Opera). It is NOT fancy but it is smack dab in the middle of all the shows.

Stay away from Times Square restaurants.

[Deleted]

Citizen M just opened in Times Square, like literally last week. They are a chain of boutique hotels from Europe, and this is their first USA location. They have very small rooms, but they are spanked out and space is totally maximized. They have lounge areas throughout the lobby, that are very accomodating to sit back and relax with a couple of friends.

Pricing is $199/night. I cannot wait to get up there and check out the NY location. www.citizenm.com/boutique-usa-hotels We stayed at the Glasgow one last year, and were very impressed, especially given the price.

[mbcdefg]

These are all within a reasonable walk of the Theater District:

Thai: www.yelp.com/biz/room-service-new-york-6

Ethiopian: www.shebanyc.com/

Burgers and shakes: www.shakeshack.com/

I kept meaning to try this Afghani place while I worked there but just never got around to it: www.yelp.com/biz/afghanistan-kebab-house-new-york-2

ETA: Hotel-related ... I bookmarked this thread a while ago: pandce.proboards.com/thread/78001/manhattan-hotel-room-150-less

[littlemisssunshine]

When we went in August we stay at the Edison Hotel for $200 a night for a room with a king size bed. It was comfy and clean, but not luxurious. It was very close to the theater district, pretty much in Times Sq. We saw Phantom of the Opera and it was a 6 min walk to that theater location. I would definitely check them out as an option.