Short Stay in Hell's Kitchen, Where Can I Visit

I'll spend about 24 hours by myself in Hell's Kitchen (Comfort Inn). After I drop my luggage at the hotel I would like to see a bit of NYC.

I will be a lone female so I know I need to be mindful of wherever I am. I am game for about anything but I wanted to see some highlights on this Saturday in November if at all possible.

I would love to see Central Park. Is that doable (I am .25 miles from the port)? What other places would you suggest for such a short trip?

By the way, I am 62, but I can get around just fine.

I am a single woman and I travel to NYC several times a year alone. I was hesitant at first to do this but then realized there are thousands of single women in Manhattan every day, going to and from work, shopping and doing whatever we do in our home town.

IIRC, Hell's Kitchen typically is from 8th to 10th Avenue northwest of Times Square. You can easily walk over to 8th Avenue and then north up to Central Park. You would be amazed how much walking you can do and sights you can see. And don't be afraid to ride the subway in the daytime (I do not usually ride it after 8pm or so); just make sure not to be in a car by yourself (not hard to do with the weekend crowds). Also close by will be Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller Center and 5th Avenue. Go to the TKTS booth in TS and buy a discount ticket to a show. Or try a Broadway show lottery (I saw Wicked for $30 by winning the lottery).

Google Maps street view is your friend. Put in your starting and ending point, then 'walk' the route using street view to make yourself familiar with landmarks. I usually use a small cross-body bag, make sure it zips and if I have a coat on, I wear the bag underneath. Never had any problems. As with anywhere, be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut instincts. And don't be afraid to ask someone for directions...New Yorkers are a friendly bunch (contrary to popular belief).

Any other questions, feel free to ask. It is my favorite city to visit with someone or by myself...will be there on my own in 3 weeks!

NYC is really quite safe, I've lived here for eight years and the worst thing that has ever happened to me in all that time is getting pickpocketed once on the subway (and really I was being careless). The touristy areas, where you will be staying and where you want to go sightseeing, are very safe. Even after dark. The only time I ever feel even slightly wary in NYC is when I find myself alone, which is next to impossible to do in Midtown!

You will be a relatively short walk to the southwest corner of Central Park. My advice would be not to walk straight up to the Park but instead to walk southeast from your hotel toward Times Square. After getting your fill of that, continue east on 42nd street and between 6th and 5th Avenues is Bryant Park which is a nice oasis after Times Square and has the NY Public Library with the big lions out front. You could then walk up 5th Avenue and see all the flagship stores and Rockefeller Center, where you could go to the Top of the Rock if you want the aerial view of the city, on your way up to Central Park. Central Park itself is pretty big (it is 50 blocks long), so you should take a look at a map and see if there is a particular are of the Park you interested in seeing.

Whatever you end up doing, enjoy your visit :)

Your hotel location is, of course, close to the pier, and if you take the Circle Line, you can get an interesting tour around the whole of Manhattan Island, or go for the quarter or half-circle cruise. There is an evening cruise as well that would allow you to see lower Manhattan as the sun declines. All of these cruises take you directly past the Statue of Liberty. They are very reasonably priced, IMO. I was on the "Best of NYC" (full circle) cruise this August and enjoyed it very much. It is a view of the city one would ordinarily never get (unless one owned a boat!)

http://www.circleline42.com/new-york-cruises/cruise-schedules.aspx

You can pre-order tickets online at a discount; they will be emailed to you and you print them out.

As a longtime resident of the area (I live at 43rd & 9th), I agree with Zephyrgirl's route, except that I would do it in reverse because of our one-way avenues; if you get tired, you won't be walking against the bus routes and you can hop on one. Assuming you're staying in the 48th Street Comfort Inn (instead of the one on 44th Street, which is usually cheaper) you can take an M11 bus north on 10th Avenue to near Central Park--ask the driver where to get off--and then after crossing the park go south on 5th Avenue to 42nd Street (Bryant Park, the NYPL, Times Square) and then another bus (M42) west to 10th Avenue. If you are staying on W. 44th, walk half a block east to 8th Avenue and take the M20 north. For all this, you will need a MetroCard (buy one at any subway station or some bodegas) or exact change ($2.50, $1.25 senior fare, no bills, includes one transfer). If you want to see the WTC site and museum, go to the 8th Avenue subway at either 50th or 42nd and take the E train south (MetroCard again). I would also recommend one of the HoHo bus tours for you; the Circle Line boat tour is nice, but it's completely different experience from actually being in the middle of what's here. Considering how little time you have here, I would skip it. As for safety, midtown Manhattan is probably safer than where you're from, especially at night. Cops and security cameras are everywhere, and you can go strolling at 4 AM surrounded by thousands of people. Enjoy your visit.