Budget Travel - New York City budget accommodation

I've been thinking of taking my daughter to NYC for quite a while. I haven't fixed on dates, and if a good airfare to Europe comes along we'll do that instead, like we did this year. But if we do go, I need to find acceptable accommodation that isn't too expensive.

Priceline offers good deals, but the hotel rooms are still very pricey. The excellent Jersey City deals are not available as much or at as good prices as they used to be. So with that in mind, what sorts of hostels are decent, both in terms of facilities and upkeep, and location?

The HI hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave at West 103rd St has good reviews.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d121994-Reviews-Hostelling_International_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html
Is it a decent location for a woman and her teenage daughter?

Any other ideas? I know some people would consider apartment rental, but I'm nervous about a situation where the keys could be so readily available and the scrupulousness of the owner is unknown. But if anyone has some trustworthy suggestions in this regard, I'd be interested in those too.

I've been thinking of taking my daughter to NYC for quite a while. I haven't fixed on dates, and if a good airfare to Europe comes along we'll do that instead, like we did this year. But if we do go, I need to find acceptable accommodation that isn't too expensive.

Priceline offers good deals, but the hotel rooms are still very pricey. The excellent Jersey City deals are not available as much or at as good prices as they used to be. So with that in mind, what sorts of hostels are decent, both in terms of facilities and upkeep, and location?

The HI hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave at West 103rd St has good reviews.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d121994-Reviews-Hostelling_International_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html
Is it a decent location for a woman and her teenage daughter?

Any other ideas? I know some people would consider apartment rental, but I'm nervous about a situation where the keys could be so readily available and the scrupulousness of the owner is unknown. But if anyone has some trustworthy suggestions in this regard, I'd be interested in those too.
Could you perhaps give a specific price range? Ie <200 a night or <100 a night?

The HI hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave at West 103rd St has good reviews.

I stayed there about 2 years ago. It's only a block from the subway, and I always felt safe around there, even coming back at midnight. Lots of people on the subway, even at that hour. They have a nice patio area out back.

Could you perhaps give a specific price range? Ie <200 a night or <100 a night?

The most likely time is late June or sometime in July. The price range is flexible, depending on how good the accommodation is, but I would really like to stay under $125/night and less if possible.

I don't know jersey City too well but I'd definately need to factor in the train costs into Manhattan if staying out there since that's unavoidable....

PATH is only $1.50, and you can have the fare taken off your subway fare card.

I live in New York, and personally I would not recommend Jersey City. There are a couple of places in Brooklyn that would give you more of a well-rounded NYC experience than Jersey City. There's a Days Inn in downtown Brooklyn along with a few other hotels that are pretty inexpensive. All of the Downtown Brooklyn places are right across the river from Lower Manhattan and quick and easy via subway.

A few options in Manhattan:

-Washington Square Hotel, right on WS Park is about $200 a night but a great classic little place in the heart of the West Village.

-The Park Central is located in midtown near Central Park and the 5th Ave shopping and can be had for around $125 or so.

-Hotel Pennsylvania is across the street from Penn Station and not only is it a good rate, but because it's an old school hotel, they have some of the largest rooms in New York.

- For chains you'll recognize, there's a La Quinta Inn in Manhattan for about $125 and one in Queens for even less.

For even cheaper, if you don't mind the European Style joints (shared bathrooms), there's Hotel 31 and Hotel 19. (31st St & 19th St) I've stayed at Hotel 31 and it's ok. It is what it is and the rooms are tiny. But it is very cheap. Sometimes for less than $100.

If you want other suggestions or ideas about inexpensive places to eat and/or shop, let me know.

In June, I stayed at Big Apple Hostel (http://www.bigapplehostel.com/). It is located a block or two from Times Square but (surprisingly) was not loud at all; the rooms are smallish but clean and modern (as are the bathrooms). I would definitely go back to it.

Alex

While researching my own NYC getaway, found a few decent deals, like Hotel Newton, Pickwick Arms, Union Square Inn, Herald Square Hotel. I was looking in March and rates for all ranged from $90 with shared bath to $150 for private facilities, but summer likely a little higher.

I found I trust the tripadvisor reviews a great deal.

Good luck! :)

The HI hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave is huge, and I've heard different stories about it. The people who stayed there weren't very enthusiastic.

I've stayed at 3 NYC youth hostels. The best one is Manhattan Inn Hostel, excellent location (303 West 30th Street), very close to Penn Station. The rooms are small, but they are clean. They offer free breakfast on first come, first served basis.

"The Wanderers Inn" is reasonably central, and fairly decent, but was rather crowded when I was there.

"The Wanderers Inn West " - you may not like the location (it's almost in Harlem). I felt safe, but I wouldn't recommend it. Very few people inside, and reasonably clean.

Check also www.hostelz.com

try using travelaxe

Eventhough this thread is really old I got a question - anyone ever staid at Vanderbilt YMCA? Any opinions?

Thanks!

In June, I stayed at Big Apple Hostel (http://www.bigapplehostel.com/). It is located a block or two from Times Square but (surprisingly) was not loud at all; the rooms are smallish but clean and modern (as are the bathrooms). I would definitely go back to it.


I stayed at the Big Apple in April and it was the most expensive hostel I've ever stayed in ($35), but it was 1 block off of Times Square between 7th and 6th on 45th I believe.

The lodgings were acceptable. There were bunk beds that were comfy enough for me and had no wait for the bathroom (I got up before 8:30 each day though).

I would probably stay there again.

I'm staying at Chelsea International Hostel, 20th St (between 7th & 8th avenues)...walking distance to Greenwich village. $28. Police station (10th precinct) is right across ther street, so very safe. Person at front desk 24 hrs a day. 24-hr access to $3-5/day lockers downstairs. Does NOT have air-conditioning, so a poor choice for hot summers. MUST bring a passport. Showers are cramped. Wireless works in my room (but not in the whole hostel).

Some of the hostelz reviews are blistering, but I love the location.
I prefer the Chelsea district to a lot of the other hostel locations - Walkable to Greenwich village/Chinatown (south) and Times Square (north).
http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/550-Chelsea-International-Hostel

E-line subway is 3 SHORT blocks away on 23rd and 8th (Don't forget that NYC West-East blocks are 3X as long as N-S blocks, 20 blocks = 1 mile).

Limelight and other clubs on 21st street are 2-3 blocks away, but it's VERY quiet at the hostel. It's Sunday morning 3 am and quiet...

I just returned from a 2-hr walk Sun 12-2 am with a friend to Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park (where a group of 7 musicians played from 5:30 pm - 1:30 am), Union Square, and Madison Square.

I used to live in NYC and have a cousin and ex-girlfriend who still live here. When they are both busy, I stay at this hostel...or

-------
Chelsea Star Hotel, $30, Has air-conditioning (but some say it isn't great)
300 West 30th Street
http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/557-Chelsea-Star-Hotel

-------
I haven't tried the Manhattan Inn Hostel, $34, but also in Chelsea. Reviews say it's noisy.
303 West 30th Street
http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/10635-Manhattan-Inn-Hostel

Thank you all for recommendations!

Thanks for the recent updates to this thread. I'll be in NYC this weekend myself, and am glad to find some good "budget" reccomendations to look into.

EWR (2.75): Take 62 bus to NJ Penn Station (1.25, need exact change, but they take bills now). PATH to NYC (1.50, can use Metro card)

LGA (2.00): Buy MetroCard and use it for bus (2.00), which gives you a free transfer to the Metro. If you use cash, you'll pay $4. Any of the three buses (M60, Q33, and Q48) are fine. During rush hour take the shorter Q33/Q48 to the Queens subway stops, rather then the M60 into Manhattan.

JFK (2.00): Go to employee parking lot & take free shuttle to subway. Use Metro (2.00).

Even cheaper: If you buy a $10 Metro Card, you get $2 free, which lowers the cost even more. EWR (2.50) LGA (1.67) JFK (1.67)

NOTE: Consider the 7-day MetroCard for $24 or the 3-day card before you leave the airport. You might get your airport transportation for free. For your first time to NYC, I'd use the 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass (covers crosstown buses & subway), but Manhattan is very walkable...the $12 for $10 is a great deal.

For the extreme budget traveler and the 7-day pass, you have to do 3+ trips/day for the pass to be worth it. In some places it's a 12-20 min walk to the nearest subway, so the bus is a good option east of 1st Ave. Also, at night the subways don't run as often & walking may be faster.

For 2-4 people, taxis can be cheaper/more convenient than the subway/bus. But during rush hour the subway can be much faster than a taxi. Sometimes taxi/subway/taxi is fastest.

-----
Otherwise by AirTrain:
EWR (13.55): AirTrain (11.55), Subway (2.00)
JFK (7.00): AirTrain (5.00), Subway (2.00) Use the $12 for $10 MetroCard.

Option to lower EWR AirTrain cost: EWR - Pay the $5.50 fee for the Subway, then buy a ticket from beyond EWR into New York. The AirTrain adds a hefty surcharge for EWR. Likewise, when returning to the airport buy a one-way/RT for one stop beyond EWR and pay the $5.50 EWR entry fee.

------
Also, Buses ($10-15) Taxis ($35-50)
-----
For speed:

Consider the time of day you are traveling. Taxis are usually the fastest, but during rush hour the AirTrain/Path/Subway connection could be faster.
Sometimes from EWR AirTrain/Path can be the fastest way into town.

Feel free to e-mail me for more details...
The hostel links I posted below have some info about the $10-15 buses.

The Hotel Wolcot is a very nice hotel for the cost - probably around $150 per night. The Gershwin has decent prices and you get a lot for what you pay.

Portland Square Hotel is located around Times Square and is pretty good at a very low cost. (For NYC)

Personally, I would get out of Midtown and try one of these places that offer great rates and a great New York experience for your stay:

- Abingdon Guest House in the West Village
- Chelsea Lodge in Chelsea
- Second Home on Second Avenue in the East Village
- Off Soho Suites - www.offsoho.com

On the ultra-cheap side, Hotel 31 is clean with small rooms, though it is European style... no toilet in the room.

I have stayed at a couple of the Apple Core hotels when in NYC. The rooms are small and nothing fancy, but the mdtown locations are very good. Mid summer and mid winter the rates can be as low as $99 per night. Higher at other times but still reasonable.

www.applecorehotels.com

LGA (2.00): Buy MetroCard and use it for bus (2.00), which gives you a free transfer to the Metro. If you use cash, you'll pay $4. Any of the three buses (M60, Q33, and Q48) are fine. During rush hour take the shorter Q33/Q48 to the Queens subway stops, rather then the M60 into Manhattan.

I wouldn't recommend the Q48, which goes pretty far out of the way. The M60 and Q33 are both fine, though. See the NYC forum for much more detail on the pros/cons of various Q33/M60+subway routings.

Note that buses take only metrocards or coins (no bills!). Your best bet is to buy a metrocard from a newsstand in the airport before going outside.


JFK (2.00): Go to employee parking lot & take free shuttle to subway. Use Metro (2.00).

Does the free shuttle still exist? I was under the impression they were trying to get JFK employees to take the AirTrain (an extra $5) now, too.


Option to lower EWR AirTrain cost: EWR - Pay the $5.50 fee for the Subway, then buy a ticket from beyond EWR into New York. The AirTrain adds a hefty surcharge for EWR. Likewise, when returning to the airport buy a one-way/RT for one stop beyond EWR and pay the $5.50 EWR entry fee.

Note that you can no longer change the origin on the ticket machines at EWR. So your best bet is to buy a EWR-Newark Penn Station ticket and pay a "change of terminal fee" on board when the conductor collects your ticket. The total price will be less than the EWR-NY Penn Station ticket.

Returning to EWR, you can buy a NY Penn Station-Elizabeth (the station past EWR) ticket and simply get off at EWR and pay the $5.50 turnstile fee.

From Sunday's (May 28) Washington Post.

In the May 7 Travel section, we presented our picks for 15 great hotel deals (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/features/2006/nyunder250/gallery.html) in Manhattan -- all under $200 a night (before taxes and available when we did our research in mid-March). Then we asked readers to tell us about their favorite bargain digs in the Big Apple. Keep in mind that while the following eight hotels (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/26/AR2006052600587.html) are reader-recommended, we haven't visited these spots recently to see for ourselves.

Here's the website for the Y on 63rd St. http://www.ymcanyc.org/sub.php?p=about&sp=west/westside The location is great, right next to Central Park & Lincoln center, walking distance to times square, 5 avenue shopping, etc. and I think they charge around $100/night - although you might have to share a bathroom. The bonus is that you can use lots of the Y facilities, and during late June or July a refreshing swim in the pool could be priceless.

NJ Transit buses take bills & coins.
NYC buses need Metrocards. The newsstand idea is good place to buy a card.

themicah - I haven't done the free shuttle at JFK for many months. Perhaps it has been phased out?

I'm not sure. Before they finished the AirTrain there was a free shuttle that ran from the Howard Beach A train station to JFK, but I thought they killed that when the AirTrain opened. There may still be some sort of free bus, though. And it's possible to take the Q10 bus (free transfer from subway) to JFK from the Lefferts Blvd stop on some A trains, although it lengthens the ride considerably compared to the AirTrain.


NJ Transit buses take bills & coins.
NYC buses need Metrocards. The newsstand idea is good place to buy a card.

NYC buses will also take coins, but no bills. And if you pay with coins, you can request a transfer to another bus, but that transfer won't get you into the subway. If you pay with a metrocard, you have a free transfer to the subway.

The newsstands are the only place I know to buy metrocards at LGA.

I took the free JFK bus after the AirTrain opened, but it's been maybe a year since I did that, so I can't confirm it still runs.

Take the AirTrain to the employee lot. Get off (no charge at the employee lot). Then take the free bus to the subway.

...at least that's what I did on my last trip.

Do you know if the 1-day ($7) or 7-day ($24) passes include the JFK AirTrain?

Those unlimited metrocards don't cover the AirTrain (or express buses or the PATH trains). They only cover local buses and subways.

For frequent AirTrain users, however, there are two special metrocards available:

1) unlimited 30-day JFK-AirTrain metrocard = $40 (only worth it if you use AirTrain 10 or more times per month--mainly good for people who work at JFK)

2) JFK-AirTrain 10-ride card = $25 (only worth it if you use AirTrain 7 or more times in a six month period)

Skimmed thru the discussions on biddingfortravel.com on NYC hotels, and I'd recommend others do likewise.
For $110/night thru Priceline, I landed just a couple of blocks from and w/ a GREAT view of times square,a block or so from a subway station, a very comfortable king size bed , nice room (I'd say on par with a really decent Sheraton), and a really good hotel gym that's several marks above, say, a Westin Workout.
I didn't have a lot of time when I was booking this...had I taken a little more time, I could have done some more detailed reading on biddingfortravel.com before punching in stuff on priceline and may or may not have done a little better..but $110/night for a decent hotel in that neighborhood ain't bad.
I think people have to think about what they normally throw at a "budget hotel", and then re-tool those numbers for NYC.

I've done a bunch of stays at the Hyatt in Jersey City, all via Priceline. My last one was back at Thanksgiving for $70. I see some recent bids on BFT at $65, and the Courtyard by Marriott, which is the next stop up on PATH, for $79. Once you sort out the PATH rail system, it's really easy to get back and forth, and the savings are pretty decent if you do several nights.

...And it's possible to take the Q10 bus (free transfer from subway) to JFK from the Lefferts Blvd stop on some A trains, although it lengthens the ride considerably compared to the AirTrain.

Q10 is gone according to this page: http://mta.info/nyct/service/bus/qnsche.htm

But not according to this page: http://mta.info/busco/schedules/

Stupid (striking) MTA...

The route map ( http://mta.info/nyct/maps/busqns.pdf ) shows the 10 and 10A... The 10A doesn't sound like a bad option, but the schedule ( http://mta.info/busco/schedules/q010cur.pdf ) only shows a few express times, and only to JFK, and only from 7-9AM weekdays.

The AirTrain ten-trip card is not a bad deal at all. My honey and I used on card we bought in April - one RT for two of us will burn up four of the ten credits.

And there was one bus route to LGA not yet mentioned: The Q47 ( http://mta.info/busco/schedules/q047cur.pdf ) goes to the Marine Air Terminal from the Jackson Heights subway station.

Waldorf-Astoria sometimes used to go for $99/night. Famous name, but showing it's age. East side 57th(?) - 301 Park Ave.
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/waldorf/index.jhtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf-Astoria_Hotel

UPDATE: The most recent winning bids in July & Aug 2006 for the Waldorf-Astoria were $120. Prices are inching up.

Midtown East (MTE) 4* at Priceline.
$92-160 seems to be the 4* MTE Priceline range at BiddingForTravel.com

UPDATE: As of Sep 2006, $100-180 is the rough 4* MTE price range. Some people report $180-$225 not being enough on their travel days.

Most of my winning Priceline bids are 30-39% of the lowest pre-tax Expedia/Travelocity/Orbitz prices. My Priceline price with tax/fees is usually 32-43% of the post-tax internet price.

Forget hotels.. check CraigsList and stay in a cool Manhattan apartment for WAY less than a hotel.

Forget hotels.. check CraigsList and stay in a cool Manhattan apartment for WAY less than a hotel.

Be very careful if you do.

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/06/12/heypsstyou_need_a_hotel_room.php

Hey folks, heading to the big Apple in early October, anyone have an insider tip on a decent hotel that is not $200 per night?

A search of this forum will show that has been some discussion of this recently:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=492927

If you run a search for 'budget' over the New York City (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=465) forum you will probably find some more threads with lots of suggestions!

DorianGray,

as bcmatt correctly states and as I myself recall, there was a recent thread on the subject.

To keep down the clutter on the board I'm going to go ahead and merge the threads.

Thanks for understanding.

EmailKid
Budget Travel Moderator

I always recommend checking the bidding for travel web site. I also stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria for $99 about five years ago. Although it looks like the costs and increase some since then. You do need to understand though that the room you get is so small that a lot of times you can't open the door completely. But it's a great location.

I always recommend checking the bidding for travel web site. I also stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria for $99 about five years ago. Although it looks like the costs and increase some since then. You do need to understand though that the room you get is so small that a lot of times you can't open the door completely. But it's a great location.

Note that there are two priceline bidding sites: biddingfortravel and betterbidding. I recommend checking both.

There is almost no way you'll get the Waldorf-Astoria for $99 any more. You might still be able to get it for under $200, but almost certainly not under $150. Hotel prices have skyrocketed in Manhattan in the last five years.

Note that there are two priceline bidding sites: biddingfortravel and betterbidding. I recommend checking both.

There is almost no way you'll get the Waldorf-Astoria for $99 any more. You might still be able to get it for under $200, but almost certainly not under $150. Hotel prices have skyrocketed in Manhattan in the last five years.


I checked www.sidestep.com for someone a couple of weeks ago and they came up with rates of $20 for Times Square (hostel) and up. You can usually get the Hilton in New York for about $150, but midweek could be tough. It is also prime conference season, which makes cheap rooms hard to come by. I have had good luck with www.lastminutetravel.com also. Their unidentified hotels can usually be determined by taking their key phrase and googling it.

Forget hotels.. check CraigsList and stay in a cool Manhattan apartment for WAY less than a hotel.

Even budget travelers should have their threshold. You couldn't pay me to stay anywhere listed on Craig's list. My sleep is too important to have to lose it by keeping one eye open all night. It would be like every horror movie come to life.

Even budget travelers should have their threshold. You couldn't pay me to stay anywhere listed on Craig's list. My sleep is too important to have to lose it by keeping one eye open all night. It would be like every horror movie come to life.

just don't bring any stuff with you and taken an Ambien when you're trying to go to sleep. I'm actually considering a Craig's list room versus sleeping at my brother's 300 ft.² apartment

just don't bring any stuff with you and taken an Ambien when you're trying to go to sleep. I'm actually considering a Craig's list room versus sleeping at my brother's 300 ft.² apartment


Man, that's brave. I do hostels a lot worldwide, but would never really consider a craig's list room. At least with a hostel you somewhat know what you're getting and there is a sort of standard or order to it. Not just some guy who decided to make a little extra cash by whoring out his sofa.

I may have put this in this thread before, but here is another recommendation for the Big Apple Hostel right on 45th (I think) at times square. You get what you pay for ($35 a night if I recall), but it's cheap and seems pretty safe/acceptable.

My cousin got the Waldorf-Astoria for $99 in 2003.
2 bidders at BFT got the Waldorf-Astoria for $120 in July & August 2006 (4* MTE at Priceline). REALLY depends on your dates.

Here's an interesting $87 Priceline win - Exchange Hotel downtown.
http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingnewyorkcitynonewjersey. showMessage?topicID=6884.topic
As of Sep 2006 at BFT, Priceline for 4* NYC seems to have jumped up a little compared to 3 months ago - $100-180+. Some people report $180-225 not being enough.

Most of my winning Priceline bids are 30-39% of the best internet Expedia/Orbitz/Travelocity price (without tax). After tax/fees, the priceline bids end up being 32-43% of the best internet price (with tax). Occasionally I've had to bid up to 45-56% of the internet price to win a Priceline bid. My toughest bid ended up at 65% of the post-tax internet price.

If hotels are running $400/night in your area & dates of travel, don't expect a Priceline win less than $120 (but it happens! Just depends on whether a hotel wants to dump empty rooms, perhaps a big group just cancelled...). Try way before your visit, then again 4-2-1 weeks before you stay to catch inventory that's being released. Use a regular cancellable hotel reservation as a backup (or hold a reservation at a hostel). I've had a friend get 4* San Francisco for $20.

If you don't have much patience, aim for bidding 40-50% of the pre-tax internet hotel rates. If you have time & are starting 1-2 months before your visit, shoot for 30-35% of the pre-tax internet rates...and just wait before going any higher.

Sometimes I bid up to $160 and find nothing...but 2 weeks later I get something for $120!

Why am I talking about both Priceline & hostels? I used to stay in 4-5* hotels and still book them for my clients, but I personally enjoy meeting people, cooking my own food, and partying...so I like hostels much better. My hotel points are still sitting around unused...

*** Neat strategy. Buy a $25 disposable credit card and use it to bid Priceline. Combined with the "free rebid" strategy, it's an amazing way to zoom in on the lowest price. If your bid is too high, the credit card charge won't go through, and priceline will ask for another CC ***

Bummer: eBates only gives $3 for Priceline bids (used to give 2-3%). Does anyone know a better place for rebates on Priceline bids?

----
Consider getting a private room at a hostel (rather than just a bunk in a shared room) - if you can afford $80, but not $200.

----
I personally like the Chelsea International Hostel for $28 [See post #14 for other hostels], and stay there occasionally when my cousin in overseas (he has a condo in Union Square) and it's too difficult to crash with friends. No air-conditioning.

I lived in Manhattan back in 2002-2003 and used to visit every month or so, so feel free to e-mail me with specific questions. I'm usually in NYC every few months these days.

Personally I find the Chelsea area much closer to West and East Village for late night 9 pm - 3 am live music, Chinatown $0.20 dumplings, and the downtown modern dance studios...so I don't stay at the Big Apple Hostel (Times square).

There are some other good hostels (see hostelz.com, which usually has direct links to the hostels' own websites), but they are way uptown...and not my choice these days.

In my college days, I used to crash with friends at Columbia.

I stayed at the Big Apple in April and it was the most expensive hostel I've ever stayed in ($35), but it was 1 block off of Times Square between 7th and 6th on 45th I believe.

The lodgings were acceptable. There were bunk beds that were comfy enough for me and had no wait for the bathroom (I got up before 8:30 each day though).

I would probably stay there again.


I'm quoting myself here.

I recently stayed at the Chelsea Star Hotel (and hostel) to try something different and liked it much better. It is 2 blocks from Penn Station, in a less touristy area than Big Apple, and it just seemed nicer and cleaner. There is a nice courtyard, patio in the center with tables with umbrellas. All keycard access. $36 with tax in a Male dorm. Bathroom in the room!!! Bathroom seemed very clean and spacious. I was unlucky enough to get the bed right by the window with the window AC, so the material around the AC unit lets a lot of noise in. I still slept pretty good and did not find it overly noisy.

I liked the area much better than staying right of Times Square.

30th and 8th

Above the florist and subway (restaurant)

No air-conditioning.

It was pretty warm (around 80) when I arrived at JFK this past Monday night, with high humidity, so I'm not sure this would be the best property to choose without air. At the YHA my room did have air.

I stayed at the Pickwick Arms, but over 10 years ago. I didn't have a problem with the hotel or my room (which was a single with shared bath, so it was about the size of my closet at home).

On my two trips this year to NYC, I stayed at the Avalon & at Hotel Stanford. Both are on W. 32nd at 5th Avenue. Of the two, I would stay at the Hotel Stanford again. The room was bigger there & we got a better price. They do offer a free breakfast, but we never went. Instead we went to the Brooklyn Bagel Company on the corner of 32nd & 5th each morning for fresh toasted bagels & cream cheese.

I've been thinking of taking my daughter to NYC for quite a while. I haven't fixed on dates, and if a good airfare to Europe comes along we'll do that instead, like we did this year. But if we do go, I need to find acceptable accommodation that isn't too expensive.

Priceline offers good deals, but the hotel rooms are still very pricey. The excellent Jersey City deals are not available as much or at as good prices as they used to be. So with that in mind, what sorts of hostels are decent, both in terms of facilities and upkeep, and location?

The HI hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave at West 103rd St has good reviews.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d121994-Reviews-Hostelling_International_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html
Is it a decent location for a woman and her teenage daughter?

Any other ideas? I know some people would consider apartment rental, but I'm nervous about a situation where the keys could be so readily available and the scrupulousness of the owner is unknown. But if anyone has some trustworthy suggestions in this regard, I'd be interested in those too.

Although I haven't actually stayed there, I hear great reviews for staying at UTS which is on the Upper West Side and not far from a subway line. Simple, clean accomodations. Lots of Columbia University visitors use it. Try them @ 212-622-7100.

reasonably priced hostel/dormitory in Manhattan

What is the most reasonably priced hostel/dormitory accomodation for international travelers visiting the Manhattan area in June?

Location is important. Chelsea, East/West Village, close to the action.
Price: 20-30/night

Thx

No personal experience with it, but:

http://www.chelseahostel.com/rates.html

Just google: Manhattan hostels

That should do the trick.

peace,
~Ben~

Search the Budget forum for

"New York" hostel

and you will find a number of threads dealing with that question, including, for example, this one (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=492927).

Thank you epi231.

Been busy and haven't had a chance to to look for the old thread.

I went ahead and merged the threads, and OP from the new thread can read through all of the replies.

EmailKid
Budget Travel Modrator