We have seen how mid-town is generally described on google maps. Is it fairly easy to get from the Chelsea area up to closer to Central Park for people or is it better to stay near the theater district? We want to be able to visit the whole area and don't want to have to rely on taxis or the subway if possible. We like to be conveniently located so that we can walk to enjoy all the city has to offer.

Also, happy to accept new restaurant ideas from those who know the area.

Thanks.
Tori & Nick

I used to work on Fifth Avenue and 21 St, which is the edge of Chelsea. I would walk to and from Grand Central Terminal every day -  I allowed about 30 minutes for the walk but I walk at a fast pace.

The Theater District area is nice to visit but I wouldn't book a hotel there. I stayed in one once about a year ago and for the most part, the hotels in that part of the city are not as nice as other parts.

So yes, if I was staying in Manhattan and wanted to be in a nice neighborhood while also being accessible to things, Chelsea is a good place. Midtown east might be better. When I stay in Manhattan these days, I stay at the Millennium near the UN (First Avenue in the 40's) -- very nice hotel and it's 10 minutes to Grand Central.  

There are so so many restaurants, it really depends on your taste. One of my favorites is a French bistro - Le Parisien Bistrot -- on the corner of 33 and 3rd (or toity-toid and toid to real New Yawkahs) -- its small so you'll want to make a reservation.

Where you stay depends mostly on what you want to do and see. If you're in Chelsea you'll be close to the lower starting point of the High Line, which is a great walk (but avoid weekend crowds). The blocks are shorter when going uptown/downtown and longer when going crosstown. That being said, from Chelsea to the lower end of Central Park is about 2 miles which will take a while (~40+minutes) to walk when you consider red lights, etc. The Theater District is certainly closer and more centrally located. Also, you might reconsider the subway option. There are several good phone apps designed to make it easier for visitors and that's the way most New Yorkers get around. And Google Maps will automatically give you subway line directions when you search addresses in NYC. If you decide to use the subway, then your choices of where to stay are considerably broader. And you also have many Uber/Lyft options available. Good luck and have fun!

If you're staying in Chelsea they have this amazing spot called Miznon inside the Chelsea Market which btw you have to check out when you're there.

Here is a Manhattan Neighborhood Map, below. Not everyone agrees on the boundaries, in particular Midtown. To some, Midtown is just the pink coffee mug thing. To others, Midtown is 23rd to 59th x river to river. But a neighborhood name is usually close enough to get to where you want to go. Lenox Hill is not Murray Hill. But SOHO is sometimes Greenwich Village to some people. And Chinatown seems to be bigger than is shown on this map. But if you are in Chinatown, you are close to Little Italy and vice versa.
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Each neighborhood is so rich that you can spend your entire stay in just one area and still not see all the good stuff. Art museums are not limited to the Upper East Side. They are all over the place! The Museum of Sex is at 5th Ave x 27th St.. Fancy restaurants, cheap restaurants, eclectic restaurants ... they're all over the map, literally! Likewise for small theaters ... although the best burlesque theaters, The Harmony Theaters and the Blue Angel have been gone for a long time. Sic transit gloria mundi.
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A helpful hint: 20 city blocks (North - south blocks) is one mile: 23rd to 43rd = 1 mile. East - west blocks aren't as uniform, but they are around 0.6 mile in Midtown. Many other areas of Manhattan have odd N-S streets and shapes to mess up a simple E-W block calculation.  
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Have fun!  
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EDIT: I forgot to add the link to the map.

-- Modified on 5/24/2018 11:07:32 PM

This is an awesome district map