Early Aug. trip to Manhattan

Hello!

As a last hurrah before he heads to college, my son and I are planning a four-day ';boys only'; trip to New York City.

We%26#39;re looking for accommodations around Penn Station. Since we won%26#39;t be spending tonnes of time in the room, we%26#39;re not looking for a four or five-star hotel. But we do want ';value for our dollar.'; Any insight on ';hidden gems';--properties who spend their dollars on service instead of advertising? A must is a room with two beds.

We%26#39;ll be attending a Yanks game and going to a Saturday night comedy club. In terms of dining, is there a pizza parlour that will ';wow us over?'; same with a decent steakhouse.

Many thanks

Early Aug. trip to Manhattan

Based on what you list, I can%26#39;t imagine why you%26#39;d want a hotel near Penn station. There are some hidden gems there (the Metro, Affinia Manhattan) but the area is.....commercial and not near anything you list.

Consider the upper west side. On the Avenue is a somewhat hidden gem as is the Excelsior. The Newton is a good budget option. You%26#39;ll be a bit closer to Yankee stadium and in Seinfeld country where you%26#39;ll findthe comedy club Stand Up NY, not to mention Zabar%26#39;s (NYC gourmet food store), Gray%26#39;s Papaya (best hot dogs on the planet), the Boat Basin Cafe and the Museum of Natural History..

Early Aug. trip to Manhattan

Thanks for the quick response and recommendation.

Only reason I was thinking about Penn Station is because we%26#39;re arriving via Amtrak late one night and are leaving quite early the following Monday morning...but we could easily grab a cab.

Look for specials on travelzoo each week. You should also check out quikbook regularly because the prices could tend to come down the closer you get to your arrival date. You can book and cancel without any fees on quikbook if you find something else cheaper.

There is also hotwire.com where there are great specials during summer time.

The Affinia near Penn Station is a good value.

There is a pizza place on East 43rd Street just east of Fifth Avenue, Sons of Italy Pizza or something. There is also Ray Bari Pizza on 3rd Avenue at 56th Street. Everybody has their own favorite and I could get in alot of trouble for sharing my favorites because everybody disagrees on this topic.

John%26#39;s (Bleecker Street) is *very* popular but not my personal favorite.

I%26#39;m going to go with nywhiz on this one and suggest the Upper West Side. There are several comedy clubs in the area and some pizza parlors as well (Dean%26#39;s Pizzeria on 85th between Broadway and Amsterdam is fairly new and delicious, or you could go for Patsy%26#39;s Pizzeria on 74th between Columbus and Central Park West, which is a bit more well established and fantastic as well). From the Upper West side, walk over to Central Park West and catch the B train up to Yankee Stadium (20 min ride). Let me know if you have any more questions; have fun!

Update:

I wound up taking the advice of a few forum experts and decided on the Milburn Hotel on the Upper West Side. The generally positive reviews and the wonderful deals on the Milburn%26#39;s website tipped the balance. Had I been traveling with my wife, I may have gone for something more high end, but my son%26#39;s only requirement was: separate beds and a central location.

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