[Otter74]

If you're makin a tourist visit to NYC I can't imagine why you would stay outside of the city. As someone else recommended, given your list of interests, I'd find a hotel in midtown or nearby. You will have enough to do that you won't want to spend an extra hour or two every day getting to where you want to be and back. If midtown isn't in your budget, I'd consider Brooklyn. E.g. the Pod hotel in Williamsburg; I find Brooklyn more interesting than Manhattan and I'd suggest exploring it some if you have time after seeing the touristy things you're interested in. Also, don't discount walking. New York is a great city for walking. I've walked from, for instance, Greenpoint to park Slope and from the financial district to Harlem, and you get a lot more out of your travel than taking the subway, though of course it takes a lot longer.