Profile

The Edison is an old-school New York hotel—dowdy but proud—in the center of the Theater District. Built in 1931 along the same Art Deco lines as the nearby Radio City Music Hall, the 790-room Edison takes up an entire city block and could easily be mistaken for a theater, especially since it’s surrounded on all sides by Broadway houses. In the block-long, vaulted lobby, guests are whisked away to Manhattan’s Golden Age by the flapper murals. Front desk clocks set to various international time zones add to the other-age vibe. Renovated guest rooms are spacious, though the décor is still outdated. The unabashedly old-fashioned Café Edison, a Theater District institution with a Jewish menu, sits adjacent to the lobby. It's beloved by midtown workers and the theater community looking for a cheap sitdown lunch. In fact, there's a section roped off in front for producers and theater bigwigs. There is also a second restaurant (Sofia's) and a cocktail lounge. — E.J. Samson

It's affordable and the theater world is on its doorstep.

Cons
With old wallpaper, carpets, and minimal amenities, the hotel could use a renovation.

Claim to Fame
The scene of the loan-shark murder in The Godfather was shot in what is now Sofia's restaurant.