Cheap(er) NYC hotels

Updated: January 26, 2010

Quite frankly, it seems that cheap hotels are a thing of the distant past. While to compile such a list would be a major task, if not impossible, here's an initial list of recommendations from friends through the years. I hope to get more hints as time goes by.

Worth exploring based on location (my research) [I don't know anyone who's stayed there]:

Hotel Wolcott (4 West 31st St.) [I visited the lobby, which is beautiful. Hotel is two blocks South from the Empire State Building]
Clarion Hotel Park Ave. (429 Park Ave. South)
The Hotel Chelsea (222 West 23rd St.) [The famous Chelsea Hotel]
The Inn on 23rd (131 West 23rd St.)
414 Hotel (414 West 46th St.) [Hell's Kitchen]

Opened in 2009
Holiday Inn L.I. City-Manhattan View (39-05 29th Street, Long Island City --- 2 subway stops from Bloomingdale's)
The Jane (113 Jane Street) [West Village]
Desmond Tutu Center (180 Tenth Ave.) [Chelsea, bet. 20th/21st]

Friends have stayed at:
The St. James (109 West 45th St.) [Times Square]
The Gershwin (7 East 27th St.) [5th Ave.]
The Pod Hotel (230 East 51st St.) [Midtown] [formerly the Pickwick Arms Hotel]
Pennsylvania Hotel (401 7th Ave.) [Madison Sq. Garden, Penn Station]
Edison Hotel (228 West 47th St. [Times Square]
The Roosevelt Hotel (Madison at 45th St.)
Hotel 17 (225 East 17th St.) [Gramercy Park]
Leo House (Catholic Guest House) (332 West 23rd St.) [Chelsea]
The New Yorker Hotel (481 Eighth Ave.) [Madison Sq. Garden, Penn Station]
Beacon Hotel (Broadway and West 75th St.) [Upper West Side]
Econo Lodge Times Square (302 West 47th Street) [formerly Sherman Hotel]
Milford Plaza (700 Eighth Ave., nr. 45th Street)

In New York you walk!

And ride the subway
Not everyone will agree, but the best way to explore New York is to go on foot.

Pick the neighborhood you want to visit, take the subway there and walk around. As of this writing, it is safe and still the fastest way to get there. Therefore, comfortable shoes or sneakers and a Metrocard are a must!

Cool tool to avoid getting lost (door-to-door subway and bus directions): HopStop.

Florent is gone (The Meat-Packing District)

Below 14th Street
The pioneer of the Meat-Packing district closed in June 2008. After Florent came tens of hip restaurants, bars, and shops. But Pastis (9 Ninth Ave., Little West 12th St.), which was second to Florent, remains a cool French bistro with moderate prices for brunch, lunch, or dinner (it gets very crowded on weekends!)

On 14th Street (and 9th Ave.) Visit the Apple Store right at the corner. Going West on 14th St. there are plenty of stores to browse, such as Carlos Miele, Stella McCartney, Diane von Furstenberg, etc.

Above 14th Street
Visit the Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Ave., bet. 15th/16th Sts.). There's coffee, ice cream, pasta, sea food... It's cool! If you like architecture, after the Chelsea Market you can go up on 10th Ave. and make a left on 18th Street towards the West Side Highway, where you will find the Frank Gehry building, headquarters of IAC.

On the way there there's The Park (118 10th Ave., bet. 17th/18th), which is also moderately priced and has a great decor. Very cozy for brunch in the winter and fun for drinks in the summer (outdoor seating).

(Photo: Chelsea Market in the fall)

Forget about TriBeCa

If you'd like to go to Tribeca, go at your own risk. Of course there are restaurants and shops there, but Tribeca is mostly synonymous with expensive housing and Robert De Niro's neighborhood. Not a lot to see, except when it's time for the Tribeca Film Festival (usually every year in April).

I mean, it's just that Tribeca is generally quieter than any other New York neighborhood.

But if you'd like to venture into Tribeca, and if you have the shutterbug like I do, one cool street to visit is Staple Street (photo).

A good option for brunch is Odeon (145 W. Broadway, bet. Duane & Thomas Sts.).