Updated Sep 06
There are 3 airports you can fly into: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark. Newark is in New Jersey but Manhattan is very accessible from there and often it is cheaper to fly into Newark than the New York airports. All of the airports have connections to 2 or 3 of these places in Manhattan: Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St & 8th Ave), Grand Central Terminal (120 E 41st St) or Pennsylvania Station (also called Penn Station, at 34 St & 8th Ave).
From any of the airports you can get to Manhattan by SuperShuttle for $12-$20. This is like a group taxi. The main disadvantage is that if you are dropped off last (or picked up first on the return to the airport, you will spend an extra 45 minutes driving around in the Shuttle. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s very convenient and inexpensive. Call 800-258-3826 or 212-315-3006.
A private taxi is more expensive. From Newark airport, with tolls, the cost is about $49 (includes tolls) + tip (if your hotel is west of 5th Ave; add $6 if it is east of 5th Ave.) From JFK it is $35 (flat rate) + tolls + tip. The ride is 40-60 minutes. From LaGuardia it is about $16- $26 + tolls + tip.
From Newark there is also a New York City bus that goes to Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York and to Grand Central Terminal. This runs about every half hour during regular daytime hours and is only $12. You can to one of these stops and then take a short taxi ride to your hotel from there. Olympia Airport Express does the same route, at about the same frequency for $12. Call them at: 212-964-6233 or 908-354-3330.
From Newark there are also trains that go to Pennsylvania Station. In the airport you take the Air Train to the North Airport Rail Station (which is within the airport) and then take the NE Corridor Line or North Jersey Coastline into New York for about $12—a ride that takes only 20 minutes, making one stop in New Jersey before heading into New York. This might be a good option for rush hour in particular, when roads going into New York can be quite slow, although the train would be crowded then, too, and I don’t know how that will be with luggage, because I haven’t gone that route myself.
From JFK there is now an AirTrain for $5 that connects you to a subway train that goes into Manhattan. During rush hour, though, the subway is not the best place to be with luggage. From JFK and LaGuardia there is also a New York Airport Service Express Bus for $13 from JFK and $10- $12 from LaGuardia (call 718-875-8200). It goes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal; another that goes to Grand Central Terminal; and another goes to Penn Station. There are ways to go to Manhattan from these airports by a combination of city bus and subway, but I’d suggest leaving that for the locals.
In addition to what is
listed below, you can also check www.hostelny.com
or www.hostel.com/ys.ny.ny.html
(NOTE: Leo
House, Episcopal Seminary, Big Apple Hostel and Gershwin Hotel below, are all
within walking distance, all less than a mile. But all the others are easy
enough to reach by foot and train.)
212-929-1010 //
on W. 23rd St, between 8-9th Ave
$65-75 / night for a single
(cheaper is for shared bath)
$76-86 / night for a double
(cheaper is for shared bath)
Maximum stay is 2 weeks.
They start to book 2 ½ months beforehand but can fill up a
month to even 2 months
ahead.
212-243-5150 or 1-888-487-5649 (Fax: 212-727-3907) // 175
9th Ave (at 21st
St.)
doubles are $70/night with
shared bath. I believe these are dorm-type rooms. The seminary has
a lovely tree-lined
courtyard.
212-545-8000 (Fax:
212-684-5546) 7 East 23rd
St. Email: reservations@gershwinhostel.com.
Their website is www.gershwinhostel.com.
$33 + taxes gets you a bed
in a large room with up to 10 people per room. Towels are not included. They
have a computer in their café for checking email.
212-932-2300/ 212-932-2574-
Fax // 891 Amsterdam Ave, between
103-104 Streets. They
have air conditioning in summer and have non smoking rooms, cafe, fax machine,
garden, & laundry services. The subway is right there at 103 St.
$32-$38 for a bed in a dorm-type room. Some private rooms may be available for
more. Reviews say it has l arge,
clean rooms.
Note: Has 500 rooms and
includes a coffee bar and there’s a garden in the back
212-260-9779// 917-885-6191
// 168 E. 24th St. (Lexington-3rd Ave)
Room options: 2 Single beds for 1 or 2 people; 1 double bed & 1 single bed (for 2 or 3 people); 4
single beds for 3 or 4 people. Rates: 39.99 & & 44.99 per person.
There is a kitchen equipped
with a microwave-oven refrigerator, and space for food storage. A
breakfast of coffee, milk,
toasts, Marmalades, butter, peanut butter, hot/cold cereal is served every
morning.
They also have 24-hour
reception & check-in (so there is no curfew). They accept children, credit
cards, have luggage storage
& security lockers, have a common room, have telephone/fax facilities.
Non-smoking on premises.
212-302-2603 // 119 W. 45th
St., between 6th & 7th Ave.
$35-38 per person in dorm
rooms of up to 4 people. (They have both single sex and mixed rooms). At
Christmas these go up to $45-60. Sheets and blankets provided.
They also have private rooms with 1 queen bed, up to 2 people per
room. These are $ 95-98 per night ($125-180 at Christmas). These have cable TV,
a phone with free local calls, an in-room safe large enough for a laptop,
sheets & blankets.
Maximum stay is 21 days.
They have a coin laundry, safe deposit boxes and a luggage room for the day you
check out.
212-477-5623 // 340 Bowery St. // www.whitehousehotelofny.com
//
starting at $27.25/ night. You get
your own very small private
room with a lock, but the ceilings are open to other rooms, so sound is more
like in a single very large room. They say this construction enables you to
have some privacy at a very cheap price.
Internet Access; wireless
access for laptops; cable TV in private rooms available; lounge with microwave
and refrigerator; 24 hr desk; no curfew; laundry facilities; private safety
box; free luggage storage after checkout.
212-878-7706
// 38 W 88th St. // http://www.nystudentcenter.org/
$30 dormitory accommodations
only
One week maximum stay in
summer; 2 weeks maximum other times. No luggage storage after checkout.
Tel: 212-678-0491; fax: (212) 678-0453 // 19 West 103rd Street
near Central Park West.
http://www.centralparkhostel.com/ email: info@centralparkhostel.com
It’s in a newly renovated brownstone, a 5-story walk-up. It says it features colorful, sunny dorm style rooms with 4, 6, 8 or 10 beds per room (plus air conditioning), ranging from $26- 35/night. They also have a double studio apt starting at $109 that can sleep 2, a private room for $85 that can sleep 2, and a twin double-bed studio that can sleep 4 people for $139. Bathrooms are shared. Linens and blankets are included, plus lockers are supplied—bring you own padlock. Tours and airport transfers can be booked at front desk. 24 hour security. A rec room (pool table and table tennis), TV/music lounge and food service is planned and may already be available.
Below are some agencies to
try for these:
- Bed and Breakfast Hosts
and Guests, Inc. (212) 874-4308
- Bed and Breakfast, USA
(914) 271-6228 or 1-800-255-7213
- Bed and Breakfast of New
York City (212) 645-8134
In addition to
what is listed below, you can check these websites: www.travelweb.com or
www.ny.com/hotels/budget.html
or www.hotels.com . And there
are others. Be aware most of these inexpensive hotels are walk-ups, which means
they have no elevator. I have noted which do and don’t, and how many floors the
walk-ups have.
Tel: 800-373-1116 // Fax:
212-243-7852 // 318 W 20th St // chelsealodge@mindspring.com
Single: $99; double: $114 + taxes
All rooms include 1 double
bed, free wireless connection, shower, sink, TV w/basic cable; a/c or heat,
ceiling fan, & maid
service. Toilets are shared with other rooms. This place has gotten rave
reviews in the New York Times and Frommer’s—and they said: “Impeccable
renovations have restored original woodwork to mint condition and created a
homey, country-in-the-city vibe with beautiful wallpapers…” And that “Everything
is like new and impeccably kept, and the staff is friendly.” A note was
that the high ceilings on the first floor make those rooms feel bigger. NOTE:
There is no elevator here. There are 3 floors.
Americana Inn
212-840-6700 (ask
for Dan, for some reason, I’m told, he gives cheaper rates. At the time of this
writing, he works the night shift and is off on Tuesdays.) This inexpensive hotel does have an elevator.
69 W. 38th
St. Rates can go lower for a group. Rooms very small but very clean.
212-579-7500 http://www.amsterdaminn.com (May be cheaper by phone.)
Single: 119-139; double: 139
for one or two people. Dial out phones; private bath. NOTE: There
is no elevator here. There are 4 floors.
212-545-0879 // 212-683-6900
// 143 East 30th Street (nr.Lexington).
Singles: $149; doubles: $169 // Dial out phones; private baths.
The rooms and bathrooms have
been tastefully refurbished—lots of pretty wood. Beds are very firm, which is great if you like firm beds, not
great if you like soft ones. .NOTE: There is no elevator here.
There are 5 floors.
http://www.murrayhillinn.com/res_n.html (May be cheaper by phone.)
212-614-0500 // 209 East
14th Street //
http://www.unionsquareinn.com/location.html (May be cheaper by phone.)
Single: 129; double 149.
Dial out phones. Private bath. NOTE: There is no elevator here.
There are 5 floors.
Tel: 212-683-5890; fax: 212-689-7397 // 34th E. 32nd Street, between
Madison and Park Avenue.
Single Rooms and Double
Rooms from $145 plus tax online.
For using the in-room phone, a $50 deposit is required. Local calls are .85 for the first minute and .05 for each additional. 800 calls are 50 cents. There is wi-fi in the lobby only, which costs $5 for 3 hrs or $10 for 24 hrs. This inexpensive hotel does have an elevator.
More Expensive Hotels (but still ‘reasonable’ for NYC)
(Note: All the
hotels below except for the Amsterdam Hotel are a 10-15 minute walk from
Source of Life. Also, many
NYC hotels charge 75 cents to $1.00 for local calls. I’ve made notes about some
of the hotels below. Inquire when making a reservation as policies change.) The
prices are no longer listed here because they change around too much. But the
less expensive ones are listed first, in general.
212-689-1900 // 30 E. 30th St // www.thirtythirty-nyc.com
Their least expensive rooms have shared baths. Local calls are 1.00
per call; 800 calls are free.
212-629-4064 // 303 W. 30th St.
No outgoing calls from the room, just receive calls.
212-279-4017 // 19 W. 31st St. (5th
Ave- Broadway) Singles very small. 1.00 local calls; 800 calls free
212-736-5000 // 401 Seventh Ave at 33rd St. www.hotelpenn.com
This is the closest hotel, just a few short blocks away. The rooms are a good enough size and the rooms with 2 beds are quite large with a very large closet. But the carpet in unrenovated bedrooms is old and a bit grungy. Rates can be $10 cheaper per night at their website.
212-563-1500 or
1-800-365-1114 // 43 W. 32nd St. //www.hotelstanford.com
The TV is small, but there
is a small refrigerator in each room. The rooms are older, but clean.
Local calls are .60 for the
first minute; then .10/min; 800 calls are free.
212-579-7500 // 340
Amsterdam Ave (near W. 76 St.), is a little over 2 miles from Source of
Life. Subways and buses
(and taxis) available. Local calls are .35 for the first minute & then .05
per minute; 800 calls are
.50 per call.
NOTE: The chain hotels listed below sometimes have specials, and often
better deals for them can be found at their sites or general hotel booking
sites on the Internet. All of them have TV’s and direct dial phones. They are
all about a 10 minute walk from Source of Life, except for the Wyndham Hotel,
which is about 35 minutes.
212-736-1600 // 17 W. 32nd St
(5th Ave- Broadway). Singles are a good size, clean &
modern,
with a large TV. Free local & 800
calls. This hotel may have good rates
if you call ahead.
212-643-7100 // 6 W. 32nd St. (5th Ave- Broadway) Free local & 800 calls.
42 W. 35th St at
212-947-0200 . Or, 129 W. 46th St. at 212-221-2600. Or, 442 W. 36th
St at 212-714-6699. Or, You can also, by calling 800-521-2121, become a member
of Choice Hotels, which includes Comfort Inns, Quality Inns, Econo Lodge and
Clarion Hotels. Then you can use this number for reservations at any of them
and the membership gets you a discount. Some of these other hotels, besides the
Comfort Inn have hotels a little further, but still within walking distance. At
some hotels, such as some Comfort Inns that charge for local calls, membership
gets you free local calls.
212-736-3800 // 49 W. 32nd
Street. Ask for a room away from
Broadway. They charge 1.00
for the first 5 min of local
calls; 800 calls are free. (This used to be a Holiday Inn.)
1-866-800-3088 // 481 8th Ave (at 34th
Street). .
75 per call for local calls
and for 800 calls.
Tel: 212-753-3500; Fax: 212-754 5638 // 42 W 58th Street
Between 5th and 6th Avenue
212-382-0600 // 132 West 47th
Street
http://www.extendedstayhomes.com/ (973-202-1111)
http://furnishedquarters.com/ (Main: 800-871-3446; sales: 800-255-8117;
212-924-7991 // 205 W. 15 St. // www.chelsmore.com email: reservations@chelsmore.com. Excellent rates. About a 10-15 minute walk
from Source of Life. But many of the apartments face 7th Ave and
they can’t guarantee one in the back when you reserve. All the 1 BR apts though
are in the back. There is usually a 6 night minimum, but that may be waived in
slow times of the year.