FUN Hotel & other ideas: taking 21yr old for her bday

I am taking my 21yr old niece to New York for her birthday. I have been to NYC 3-4 times and can get around fairly easily. I prefer to use cabs though and not the subway. :) For hotel, I thought maybe the Westin Times Sq. (because of the location), but she%26#39;s a cool hippie chic, so maybe lower east side. I%26#39;d heard the rooms were pretty tiny though. Ideas?? We%26#39;ll want to shop at the thrify, fun, boutiques, and of course we%26#39;ll be going out. Any suggestions of where to go for drinks, dancing that%26#39;s hip, but laid back. Any great restaurants that are dressy and fun, but not uptight? Good food is a must in NYC.

Thanks in advance!!

FUN Hotel %26amp; other ideas: taking 21yr old for her bday

Do you have a budget in mind for the hotel and the restaurants?

FUN Hotel %26amp; other ideas: taking 21yr old for her bday

Hi Tallgirl375,

Hope you have a wonderful trip with your niece. I really enjoyed staying at Hotel QT and it has a great vibe in Times Square. They have a DJ at the pool which is in the lobby, a sauna, a steam room and VERY clean rooms. I%26#39;m not sure of your budget, but the prices are in the $300%26#39;s on average a night.

I agree budget is key here. There are cool/hip hotels in lots of different locations so it%26#39;s really up to you (and maybe budget and room configuration) as to which you chose. To get you started, have a look at the hotels (and restaurants for that matter) listed on hipguide.com While some may argue by the time places are listed, they%26#39;re ';over'; I think they%26#39;ll be hip enough for your purposes.

The Hotel on Rivington and the Bowery are 2 very nice hotels on the LES. Not sure how many of these have rooms available with 2 beds though, which may affect your choice. Before I would stay at the Westin in Times Square, the W Times Square, the Royalton, the Bryant Park---less expensive the Night, the Muse, the Dream or maybe even the QT would be much hipper in the same area.

SushiSamba, Spice Market, Buddakan are restaurants to check out.

In addition to the great suggestions NYWhiz gave you, here are some other restaurants with a fun, exciting atmosphere and good food:

Lupa (Italian)

Stanton Social (small plates)

Casa Mono (tapas)

The Spotted Pig (gastropub)

Merkato 55 (pan-African)

Otto (pizza)

The Smith (American)

Kittichai (Thai)

%26#39;ino or inoteca (Italian)

You can look at menus, get directions, and read reviews at menupages.com

Thank you so much for the quick response, and the wonderful ideas. For hotel, I%26#39;d prefer not more than $400 a night. Two beds is preferred, but we can share if we need to. It doesn%26#39;t have to be a super huge room either, but a little roomy. We%26#39;ll have at least one night where we dress up and have a REALLY nice dinner. The other nights will be more a little more laid back.

Another question I had, I am a HUGE theatre person and would love to see a fun show. Are there any great Off Broadway shows that you%26#39;d recommend? I am waiting on her to confirm dates (finish school/work schdle) but we%26#39;re looking at either May/June. She%26#39;s also in to music (any kind of rock, just not pop.) Any groovy low key bars that come to mind?

Thanks again everyone!!

I actually really liked Passing Strange and it would be a good show for a 21 year old who is into rock music. It is on Broadway after transferring from the Public Theater. It%26#39;s fun, uplifting and moving.

playbill.com/events/event_detail/13711.html

http://www.passingstrangeonbroadway.com/

Oh and riding the subway is half the fun of New York!

Celia is also a great off-Bway muscial, about Cuban salsa/mambo icon, Celia Cruz.

Not sure if this is TOO funky for you, but have you checked out East Village Bed and Coffee? (search ';EVBC'; in the search box.)

The show called Awesome 80s Prom is always a fun night night plus it includes entrance to the club Webster%26#39;s Hall after your done.

Happy birthday!

For your ';REALLY nice dinner,'; you might try Le Bernadin (seafood), Jean Georges (French), Daniel (French), Bouley (French), Del Posto (Italian), A Voce (Italian), Alto (Italian), Blue Hill (American), or Eleven Madison Park (American). If you%26#39;re really serious about those capital letters, go for Per Se, if you can get a reservation. I believe the tasting menu there is currently $275/person. The others I mentioned will run about half that or less.