New York City - Bad idea to stay in Brooklyn and ride the subway to Manhattan everyday?

My husband and I are planning on going to New York for the very first time in February. We have looked for hotels+flights in our price rang in Manhattan but we can't find anything we would like to stay at for the price we can pay. I found a reasonable package to stay at Aloft Brooklyn and it says it is only a few minutes away from the subway to get to Manhattan. Would it be a bad idea to stay in Brooklyn rather than just staying in Manhattan? We would be paying the fees everyday to travel back and forth, which from what i read is only $2.50 per person a trip. If you have any other advice for me to help make our trip better then feel free to put in your opinion or give advice for our first trip to the big apple :)

Loook at Hotwire or Priceline
And stay in Manhattan
Or even the app. Hotel Tonight

Welcome to FlyerTalk!!

That hotel is actually in a pretty decent neighborhood and the train connections you've got within a few minute walk aren't bad at all. Yes, you will lose a bit of time every day with the commute, but if the price is right I'd definitely consider it. As an added bonus you'll get the opportunity to do things like dine in a more residential neighborhood rather than being stuck in midtown or Times Square.

And if you buy a MetroCard the rides are only $2.25 each.

Like others have said, try Priceline or Manhattan for the same price. Personally, I'd rather stay at Aloft in Brooklyn then a cheesy hotel in the middle of Times Square, so I would not take anything in Manhattan under three stars.

February can be bitterly cold not to mention a possibility of a foot of snow on the ground. Therefore, doing outside activities such as touring Central Park and the Hudson River front may be out of question. If you do stay in Brooklyn, try to plan your day's activities out in advance

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

And don't forget about the option of purchasing an unlimited-ride Metrocard, which might save you some money depending on the length of your stay, and how many times you expect to ride the subway and local buses during your stay.

My husband and I are planning on going to New York for the very first time in February. We have looked for hotels+flights in our price rang in Manhattan but we can't find anything we would like to stay at for the price we can pay. I found a reasonable package to stay at Aloft Brooklyn and it says it is only a few minutes away from the subway to get to Manhattan. Would it be a bad idea to stay in Brooklyn rather than just staying in Manhattan? We would be paying the fees everyday to travel back and forth, which from what i read is only $2.50 per person a trip. If you have any other advice for me to help make our trip better then feel free to put in your opinion or give advice for our first trip to the big apple :)
The Aloft is nice, but either you are giving up nightlife in Manhattan, staying in Manhattan all day and then into the evening or doing two rount-trips which is a real downer.

On the other hand, if you stay in Manhattan, don't skimp on the hotel, but understand that what you need is clean and quiet (sort of). The rooms in upscale hotels are often tiny, but that's because space is expensive. You aren't presumably spending time in the hotel other than sleeping.

Welcome to Flyertalk. Hotel prices are insane here in New York; if you want to stay in Manhattan, bid on Priceline.

And if you buy a MetroCard the rides are only $2.25 each.

Technically they're $2.1028 each if you buy more than $10 of Metrocard credit at a time (since you get a 7% bonus).

That hotel is actually in a pretty decent neighborhood and the train connections you've got within a few minute walk aren't bad at all.



Types of neighborhoods:

- good
- pretty decent
- bad

If the OP is from a big city, this will affect their decision.
If the OP is from a small city, this may affect their decision.

As someone that grew up in Brooklyn, my feeling are biased. Brooklyn is changing. The Brooklyn of 2012 in some parts, is nothing like Brooklyn of the 60's 70's 80's.

Maybe gritty is a term I'd include above. That's just my opinion.

Jhonvomer, welcome to Flyertalk.

dh

The only other thing to think about with Brooklyn is that with all the MTA service changes the lines going to Brooklyn are affected to a greater extent than Manhattan lines.

As a long time former resident of Brooklyn.
If you plan to commute and visit a lot of areas in Manhattan - you either spend 20+ mins walking cross town (from Manhattan hotel not central), taking cab for 20+ mins, or take the subway from Brooklyn for 10+ mins.

Manhattan lodging is easier for simply walking back to your room if late dinner or drinking if you stay midtown.

If you are comfortable with public transportation (24/7) you should/will have no problems. Aloft is a nice hotel and nice bar/lounge in the building. If it saves you money a good way to go!

When they say it is within minutes of Manhattan - most of the subway lines nearby have at most 2 stops (less than 5 mins) before entering lower Manhattan or Chinatown. One line goes over hte Manhattan Bridge.

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Jhonvomer!

I'll echo the comments by our other members - for your first visit to NYC, I would encourage you to try to find a place to stay in Manhattan. It will be much more convenient- although there are four different subway lines at the Aloft, they all link up with the southern end of Manhattan, while many of the things you'll likely want to see on your first visit will be farther uptown.

Feel free to ask more questions and we'll be happy to help you with your visit!

An out of towner opinion.

If you are comfortable using public transit.......or if you are so un accustomed to it that the novelty value becomes a part of your vacation then you'll be fine.

I've done the stay in Manhattan and the stay further out and commute thing in NYC and the major difference is you need to plan better so trips back to get things you've forgotten are avoided otherwise personally I find the trade off cost versus a little bit of travel time completely acceptable.

Wouldn't hurt to try priceline though -most-times that's how I've booked staying in Manhattan -I'd agree try four star -some of the 3 stars aren't the nicest.

Definitely get the metrocard though !

My husband and I are planning on going to New York for the very first time in February. We have looked for hotels+flights in our price rang in Manhattan but we can't find anything we would like to stay at for the price we can pay. I found a reasonable package to stay at Aloft Brooklyn and it says it is only a few minutes away from the subway to get to Manhattan. Would it be a bad idea to stay in Brooklyn rather than just staying in Manhattan? We would be paying the fees everyday to travel back and forth, which from what i read is only $2.50 per person a trip. If you have any other advice for me to help make our trip better then feel free to put in your opinion or give advice for our first trip to the big apple :)

What dates are you looking for? I think the Aloft is fine it really is less then 10 minutes to Lower Manhattan/Chinatown during the day and about 25 min to Midtown. Now at night(Post 2200-midnight depending on the line) it's going to take a bit longer as the headway between trains is greater and some of the express trains start to run local but it won't be bad. Also the MTA does do some service changes at night due to track work but you've got several options by the Aloft so you'll be fine getting back.
Cheers
Howie

What dates are you looking for? I think the Aloft is fine it really is less then 10 minutes to Lower Manhattan/Chinatown during the day and about 25 min to Midtown. Now at night(Post 2200-midnight depending on the line) it's going to take a bit longer as the headway between trains is greater and some of the express trains start to run local but it won't be bad. Also the MTA does do some service changes at night due to track work but you've got several options by the Aloft so you'll be fine getting back.
Cheers
Howie

For the OP, go to www.mta.info for late night and weekend track work for any of the subway lines you intend to take. The MTA as stockmanjr has posted is currently doing major trackwork late at night (after 10PM) and on the weekends.

If the OP intends to stay out to late at night, the journey by subway could take considerably longer.

I see no issue with staying in Brooklyn and commuting in. Often I will stay in Queens or even Westchester to save money and ride the good ole MTA around. Hey, you can get a days worth of people watching in just on the train! :p

Hey, you can get a days worth of people watching in just on the train! :p

OMG! I always forget this factor. Part of the fun of riding public transportation in NYC is people watching. Tourist enjoy it immensely more vs. locals.
Just don't give $$$ to peddlers but enjoy the ride.

Even with Priceline you may have to pay $20-$50 a day to park if you win a bid in Manhattan. I would always stay out side of Manhattan and ride the Subway in.

Even with Priceline you may have to pay $20-$50 a day to park if you win a bid in Manhattan. I would always stay out side of Manhattan and ride the Subway in.
I wouldn't rent a car at all if you're visiting Manhattan (OP is flying in).
If you are going outside of Manhattan, rent the car when you need it.

Even with Priceline you may have to pay $20-$50 a day to park if you win a bid in Manhattan. I would always stay out side of Manhattan and ride the Subway in.The OP never mentioned that she planned to a rent a car. If she did, many of us would have already advised her not to do so. ;)

BTW, check out the NU Hotel on Smith Street just south of downtown Brooklyn that's close to two subway stations. Great boutique eco-friendly hotel, trendy shopping area, my choice lately when I'm going to NYC on my own dime.
>>Brent

this is a no brainer. You save enough on this hotel to pay for all meals.
You don't pay 300+ for a hotel on 35th street that you still have to
walk 10 minutes to get to a tourist restaurant.

NYC can be very cold so the distance to the hotel (last leg back)
can be daunting especially at night.

Then, knowing you plan your trips, you can eat at any restaurant
as long as the walk from the subway is reasonable.

As a former NYC resident most people don't realize that Manhattan
can be very long trips on the subway - morningside heights
(Columbia University) to Chinatown is about an hour, with
transfers from the 123 IRT lines to the DF IND lines, etc.

So, 10 minutes here-to-there is nothing. East-side hotel to
Macys, Upper west-side to 1st Ave United Nations. all will
take a lot longer than the 3 inches on the subway map
will lead you to believe.

Save the money, You're not ever go to balance the tradeoffs.

Personally, I've stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on 35th BUT
the wait for the elevators (3 but tiny) can be sooooo looooong
espc checkin/checkout times with guests with 2-3 pieces
of luggage. You need a supercomputer to plan your trips
just with the elevator.

As a former NYC resident most people don't realize that Manhattan
can be very long trips on the subway - morningside heights
(Columbia University) to Chinatown is about an hour, with
transfers from the 123 IRT lines to the DF IND lines, etc.

Crosstown is bad. Anything staying on the same line isn't so much. The E train from 14th Street to Jamaica is about 45 minutes when it is running express. The 4 train from Yankee Stadium to Bowling Green (the full length of Manhattan and then some) is only 30 minutes.

The other issue is frequencies. During the day most trains run every 10 minutes at worst. Late night it can be 20 or so which is annoying.

The transfers can hurt, and crosstown sucks, but beyond that it is actually an incredibly quick and efficient.

And, FWIW, the official trip planner calls Morningside Heights to Chinatown a 39 minute trip with one transfer while a taxi is at least 20 minutes and likely much more, depending on traffic on the West Side Highway and then cutting across Houston and the fare would be about $20 at a minimum based on the distance.

BTW, check out the NU Hotel on Smith Street just south of downtown Brooklyn that's close to two subway stations. Great boutique eco-friendly hotel, trendy shopping area, my choice lately when I'm going to NYC on my own dime.
>>Brent

Also, conveniently located across the street from the Brooklyn House of Detention.

Also, conveniently located across the street from the Brooklyn House of Detention.

If it's good enough for Justin Timberlake (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0DeIqJm4vM).... (NSFW)

I don't know what the OP decided to do, but for the benefit of other first-time visitors to NYC, my response is that there is a reason that hotels in Manhattan are pricier: They are worth it!

In my case, I have never not stayed in Manhattan during a trip to NYC. Although it can be tempting, it would be penny-wise and pound-foolish for me to stay outside of Manhattan, because I would be spending lots of money and time to get to where I want to be vs. staying there. Also, most of my trips are very short weekend trips, so spending hours commuting back and forth is not a tradeoff I would make just to save a few bucks.

Fundamentally, it's the difference between stepping out of your hotel and being somewhere vs. stepping out of your hotel and having to commute to somewhere. Only you can decide if it's worth it.

In my case, I have never not stayed in Manhattan during a trip to NYC.
Then your opinion is totally supposition because you have no experiences to compare.
Although it can be tempting, it would be penny-wise and pound-foolish for me to stay outside of Manhattan, because I would be spending lots of money and time to get to where I want to be vs. staying there.
As many other posters mentioned above, there are plenty of locations in Manhattan that require just as long a commute, and if you're using public transportation the costs are virtually identical.
Only you can decide if it's worth it.
I agree with you here, but it's only possible if someone has good data and actual experiences to look at.

Then your opinion is totally supposition because you have no experiences to compare.

Incorrect assumption on your part. I didn't say that I have never stayed outside Manhattan and visited the city; I have done so on multiple occasions. But I have always included at least one night in Manhattan proper. By your standard, this gives me a basis for comparison.

As many other posters mentioned above, there are plenty of locations in Manhattan that require just as long a commute, and if you're using public transportation the costs are virtually identical.

Sure, you can stay uptown if you insist on a commute, but the point is that only by staying in Manhattan can you avoid having to!

I agree with you here, but it's only possible if someone has good data and actual experiences to look at.

Which I do. :cool:

Personally, I love the energy of Manhattan, and if the hotel prices are out of line, I'll use points or postpone my trip until a cheaper time. I don't see the point of visiting NYC and not staying in Manhattan (especially for first-timers). But that's my opinion; I have no issue with those who disagree.

You're going to lose about 2 hours a day (an hour each way) of your vacation time to the commute. Considering how much you're probably spending to get to NYC in the first place, is it worth more money to get 15% more leisure time out of each day by avoiding the loss of those 2 hours? Probably so.

That said, my wife and I did the exact same thing on our first vacation to New York, except we stayed in Queens at the Marriott on Ditmars (which has only bus service that has to connect to subway, so transport into Manattan was even more of a pain in the ....) At the time it was kind of a bummer. But by virtue of having to do that, we happened to find ourselves on a train in from Queens when a bunch of undercover NYC cops burst out of nowhere and tackled and arrested some kind of minor drug kingpin who was in the act of transferring narcotics on the train. It was a great "New York experience" to have witnessed and probably now one of our favorite things about that trip.

. . .we happened to find ourselves on a train in from Queens when a bunch of undercover NYC cops burst out of nowhere and tackled and arrested some kind of minor drug kingpin who was in the act of transferring narcotics on the train. It was a great "New York experience" to have witnessed and probably now one of our favorite things about that trip.

I had a similar experience at CDG which is how I learned the French words for "Hands behind your back!"

You're going to lose about 2 hours a day (an hour each way) of your vacation time to the commute. Considering how much you're probably spending to get to NYC in the first place, is it worth more money to get 15% more leisure time out of each day by avoiding the loss of those 2 hours? Probably so.

That said, my wife and I did the exact same thing on our first vacation to New York, except we stayed in Queens at the Marriott on Ditmars (which has only bus service that has to connect to subway, so transport into Manattan was even more of a pain in the ....) At the time it was kind of a bummer. But by virtue of having to do that, we happened to find ourselves on a train in from Queens when a bunch of undercover NYC cops burst out of nowhere and tackled and arrested some kind of minor drug kingpin who was in the act of transferring narcotics on the train. It was a great "New York experience" to have witnessed and probably now one of our favorite things about that trip.

Maybe from that far into Queens, but as I'm familiar with Starwood properties, Google maps shows me it takes 24 minutes to get from the Brooklyn Sheraton to the Times Square Westin, via the A Train (2 minutes more on the C).

Yeah, it *can* take an hour from parts of Brooklyn, but that's just one extreme (btw, 35 minutes from the Sheraton Laguardia, at the end of the 7 Train)

You're going to lose about 2 hours a day (an hour each way) of your vacation time to the commute. Considering how much you're probably spending to get to NYC in the first place, is it worth more money to get 15% more leisure time out of each day by avoiding the loss of those 2 hours? Probably so.2 hours each day riding to/from Manhattan. So how is it that it takes one hour from DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN which is right across the East River?

That said, my wife and I did the exact same thing on our first vacation to New York, except we stayed in Queens at the Marriott on Ditmars (which has only bus service that has to connect to subway, so transport into Manattan was even more of a pain in the ....)Your commute sounded awful. Unlike your chosen hotel, The Aloft is a quick trip into Manhattan from the OP's pick of subway lines.

At the time it was kind of a bummer. But by virtue of having to do that, we happened to find ourselves on a train in from Queens when a bunch of undercover NYC cops burst out of nowhere and tackled and arrested some kind of minor drug kingpin who was in the act of transferring narcotics on the train. It was a great "New York experience" to have witnessed and probably now one of our favorite things about that trip.It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience as most of us who were born here have never seen that.