New York hotels/hostels?

grungebox

So, I'm going to be in New York City next weekend with my gf. Originally we were planning to stay with someone, but that fell through so I'm looking for places to stay last minute. We're mostly just interested in exploring Manhattan and whichever, but a lot of hostels are now full and hotels are quite expensive, unsurprisingly. I was wondering:

a) hotels in Queens seem cheap. Is it easy/quick to get from there to Manhattan? Is that a super sketchy thing to do (is Queens a bad area)?
b) is Brooklyn also a good option? I didn't seem to find as many cheaper places there, maybe I'm not looking in the right areas of Brooklyn.
c) Craigslist?

tl,dr; Can I/Should I stay outside Manhattan for relatively cheap next weekend?

Deebaser

Yes. Take the address of the hotel and plug it into hopstop.com. This is like mapquest for city folk. It will show you how far away your hotel is from civilization.

The subway costs the same whether you're taking it one stop or riding across several counties.

Deebaser

Oh and some areas of Queens/brooklyn are sketchier than others. This map gives a basic idea of how "stabby" a neighborhood is.

VisionOfClarity

Let me look for the name of the place we stayed in for NYCC, it was 2 blocks from Times Square and pretty affordable.

VisionOfClarity

It was The Milford but according to Expedia it's booked.

grungebox

Oh, okay. Thanks for checking. I'm looking at some places on Craigslist right now as well.

Deebaser

grungebox wrote: »

Oh, okay. Thanks for checking. I'm looking at some places on Craigslist right now as well.

This is a bad idea.

grungebox

Why? I was just looking at "vacation rentals" or whatever. Are they notoriously scammy?

VisionOfClarity

Yes.

grungebox

What about this (airbnb). Found the link off Metafilter. Any experiences?

Deebaser

Craigslist is indeed NOTORIOUSLY scammy in all areas involving NYC real estate. That and "vacation rentals" is code for illegal hotels and the mayor has been cracking skulls this year.

Deebaser

I never heard of airbnb, but clicking on the link it does appear to be a listing of illegal hotel availabilities. I don't know how 'legit', it is or your financial circumstances, but I wouldn't risk it personally.

firewaterword

I'd recommend the DaVinci in Manhattan. It was affordable when last I was there (about $150 a night, might have been a bit less) and it's just south of central park. It's pretty damn small though, so getting a room on short-ish notice might be an issue. Still might be worth looking into.

AlyceInWonderland

How affordable are you looking? Manhattan is generally pretty expensive, but I've found some really cheap (100-150 a night....believe me, that's AWESOME for Manhattan, especially in the areas I've stayed) hotels before.

Honestly, for a cheap and classy stay, I'd recommend http://www.thepodhotel.com/
Small ass rooms, but super super neat.

Rikushix

From May to June I stayed for three weeks at the Seafarers International House just outside Union Square.

I don't know if it's because it is denominational, but the hotel doesn't have to pay state hotel tax (20%, I heard) so the rates are pretty damn cheap for a hotel on 15th and Union Square. It's pretty low-key, partially because the people who stay there are supposed to be people who really do need save money.

Actually quite a lot of strange people staying there, that I met anyway, but it was a great deal and the staff are pretty nice.

edit: I used Hotwire to book a night at the Envoy Club for $183. Insane price, the Envoy Club is fucking amazing. But that's another story. Hotwire won't be much help if you're going next weekend...you won't save anything, really.

grungebox

Well, that POD place only has rooms in the >$200 range, which is a bit steep. I guess to put a number on it, $100-150/night? I'm not super poor, but $200+ a night is a little rough. I know Manhattan is expensive, hence why we were PLANNING to crash with a friend...grr

Well, I'll keep looking.

Rikushix

grungebox wrote: »

Well, that POD place only has rooms in the >$200 range, which is a bit steep. I guess to put a number on it, $100-150/night? I'm not super poor, but $200+ a night is a little rough. I know Manhattan is expensive, hence why we were PLANNING to crash with a friend...grr

Well, I'll keep looking.

Call up Seafarers and ask if they have a room.

http://www.sihnyc.org/newyork-guesthouse.php

Cauld

When my parents visit me they usually stay at a Hampton inn near laguardia. It's around 100/night, I think. Free 5min shuttle to a subway station (Astoria blvd). From that station to midtown Manhattan is probably around 20-30 minutes.

Sebbie

I went earlier this summer with my friend for a weekend. We stayed at the Vanderbilt (a hostel run by the YMCA) near Grand Central Station. The rooms weren't fantastic but they were clean and so were the washrooms. It's not the most luxurious place but it certainly was cheap and if I'd go back (which I'm planning to) I'd stay there again.

The_Glad_Hatter

i can recommend Staybridge Suites Times square. pretty fancy, over 100 a night if you're looking for a nice hotel with good location (2 blocks from TSQ)
hostelwise i stayed in the Broadway Hotel & Hostel, which was sufficient and VERY affordable at that time.

I suggest staying in manhattan to get the most out of your weekend visit.

Rhesus Positive

I can second the Vanderbilt.