The Theater District is a popular area of Manhattan in New York City, situated on the western side of Midtown. There is more to this area than just theatre, with revivified neighborhoods to the west and north of the core entertainment zone.

The Theater District is occasionally referred to as Midtown West (to distinguish it from "Midtown East"), though this is a term employed by accommodation booking agencies and one apparently not used by New Yorkers themselves.

This district stretches from 34th St, through the heavily commercial West 30s up to 59th St (beyond which is Central Park), and lies west of 6th Ave. The West Side is home not only to the famed "Great White Way", i.e. Broadway, but to the emerging business district centered on the now thoroughly Disneyfied Times Square. The Theater District centers on the outlandishly commercial "New" 42nd Street and heads up Broadway and 7th Avenues, melding to the west with the resurgent neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen and its commercial strip on 9th Avenue, and to the north with the newly-built Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The area becomes increasingly residential as you go north or west, and more commercial to the east and south. Many of Manhattan's largest hotels (including the Hilton and the Sheraton) are located on 7th Avenue in this area.

Attractions

 • Broadway
 • Times Square, centered on 42nd St and Broadway - a place filled with video screens and LED signs. A world wonder or a tourist nightmare depending on your perspective, the "New" Times Square is a family-friendly theme park of themed restaurants, theaters and hotels, as well as a developing business district. Those looking for the seedy Times Square of old will find it around the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and around Broadway several blocks to the south.
 • Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, 12th Ave & 46th St, (212) 245-0072 - Apr-Sep M-F 10am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm; Oct-Mar Tu-Su 10am-5pm. The aircraft carrier Intrepid is docked here and loaded with spacecraft and aircraft including the very cool Blackbird spy plane. On the other side of the dock is a guided-missile submarine and a Concorde, both of which you can tour also, and some tanks. $16.50 adult.
 • AOL Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle (Subway: A, C, 1, 9, B, D trains to Columbus Circle). Has the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for dining, drinks, and Chihuly chandeliers. It also has a small, ultra-high-end mall with a big Borders Bookstore and Botero sculptures. In the basement is a large Whole Foods Market, and there is seating for eating their prepared food and salad bar items (cheaper than eating in a restaurant).

Lodging

 • Hudson Hotel, 356 West 58th Street (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues), tel 212-554-6000, fax 212-554-6001, reservations 1-800-606-6090, standard double room from $295-$375 - ****, a fashionably trendy up market boutique hotel, conceptualized by hotel designer Ian Schrager in partnership with Philippe Starcke, great for celeb spotting. Characterized by one New York resident as "small rooms in the dark". Rooms comparatively tiny, little storage space... so think again if you travel with a big wardrobe. Otherwise, the subdued lighting, designer fittings, and relatively lower prices tend to attract a younger vibey crowd, especially to the trendy bar at the foyer level.
 • Hilton Times Square, 234 West 42nd Street, tel +1-212-840-8222, fax +1-212-840-5516