Where to Stay in NoMad, NYC: A Guide to 31st Street
NoMad is the pocket north of Madison Square Park, roughly 23rd to 33rd Streets between Sixth Avenue and Madison. Life Hotel New York sits at 19 W 31st Street, one block from Koreatown and four minutes from the Empire State Building.
What is NoMad, and why stay there?
NoMad takes its name from being north of Madison Square Park. It runs from about 23rd to 33rd Streets, between Sixth Avenue and Madison, and it is a working Manhattan neighborhood rather than a tourist corridor: low-rise brick, side-street restaurants, and tall towers along Broadway.
Staying here puts three subway lines within three minutes and Midtown within a walk, without Times Square foot traffic outside the door.
What is within a ten-minute walk?
- Koreatown (W 32nd St): one to two minutes north.
- Empire State Building: four minutes to 34th Street and Fifth Avenue.
- Macys Herald Square: five minutes northwest.
- Madison Square Park: six to seven minutes south along Fifth Avenue.
- The Morgan Library and Museum: seven to nine minutes northeast.
- Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall: seven to ten minutes west along 31st Street.
- Flatiron Building: nine to ten minutes south.
How do you get around from here?
34th Street-Herald Square (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W) is about three minutes north. 28th Street on the N, R, W is three minutes south, and 28th Street on the 1 is about five. The 33rd Street PATH station, three minutes away, reaches Jersey City and Hoboken without a transfer. 28th Street on the 6 is six minutes east at Park Avenue South.
What does the rate not cover?
A nightly destination fee applies and covers Wi-Fi, fitness center access, bottled water daily, and morning coffee and tea. Dogs are welcome for a non-refundable $150 per stay. The hotel has no valet parking, but discounted parking is available at a partner garage nearby. Mini fridges are in suites and available on request, and kettles and microwaves are limited but available on request.
What are the arrival details?
Check-in is 3:00 PM and check-out is 11:00 AM, with a minimum check-in age of 18. Luggage storage is complimentary for up to 24 hours, which makes an early arrival easy: leave the bags and walk to Koreatown for lunch, two minutes away.
A little history
The building dates to 1895 and served as the original headquarters of LIFE Magazine, where Norman Rockwell lived and worked. The hotel keeps 98 rooms, which is small by Midtown standards and part of the appeal.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Life Hotel New York from the Empire State Building?
About 0.2 miles, a four-minute walk north to 34th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Is Koreatown walkable?
Yes. W 32nd Street, the center of Koreatown, is one to two minutes north of the hotel.
Is there a train to New Jersey nearby?
The 33rd Street PATH station is about three minutes away, serving Jersey City and Hoboken.
Life Hotel New York, 19 W 31st Street, New York, NY 10001, (212) 615-9900.