Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

So I've lived in Manhattan before, and stayed in plenty of hotels, both good and bad -- my backpacking friend asked, though, if I could recommend any clean housing options in the city in the $35 / night range.

Resisting the urge to laugh out loud that such an idea, I decided to actually do some googling, and sure enough there are hostels that offer shared rooms for $30 - $40. Problem is that I wouldn't set foot in one of those if you paid me, so i've got no first-hand experience with any of them.

We don't need luxury here; budget and cleanliness are her #1 concerns. Anyone have any good NY hostel experiences, and do you remember the name of the place?

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

No personal experience, but anything on the page below that averages 4+ stars over multiple reviews should be decent.

http://www.hostelz.com/hostels/USA/N.../New-York-City

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

I stayed in the YHA on Amsterdam Avenue (around 102nd street-ish, i think) back in 2002. $32/night to share a 12-man dorm. Back then the exchange rate was $1.40/£1 so that cost me like £23/night. god.

The rooms were bunkbeds, but clean; the facilities fine, but my issues were:

1- some guy refused to sleep with the air con on in the middle of june. 12 adult males putting out body heat whilst sleeping in a hot city = not pleasant

2- a fat guy above my head snoring.

So I ended up staying up at night, watching the World Cup, then going to bed at 5am and sleeping till lunch.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

when i was researching a trip to nyc 3+ years ago, everyone said that these places are filled with homeless people, drug addicts, etc. Not a safe or fun place to chill, but maybe there are some exceptions.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

teddy,

When I went to NYC to visit a friend, we met up with some European friends of his that were staying in a hostel on Manhattan. I'm damned if I can remember where, other than it was on the edge of a gay neighborhood/area. I want to say lower/mid-west side, but that could be way off. In any case, I saw their room and while small - bunked beds, not much else besides the beds - it was clean and they said it was ok. Basically a cheap place to sleep.

Tell your friend to find a slutty, rich i-banker after his first night, and shack up there.

If you come across some online pics of NYC hostels, feel free to PM me the links. I remember the place physically, but not the address or name.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Problem is that I wouldn't set foot in one of those if you paid me....

[/ QUOTE ]
Trust your feelings.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
teddy,

When I went to NYC to visit a friend, we met up with some European friends of his that were staying in a hostel on Manhattan. I'm damned if I can remember where, other than it was on the edge of a gay neighborhood/area. I want to say lower/mid-west side, but that could be way off.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're talking about the Chelsea neighborhood.

Here are 2 chelsea hostels; either of them look familiar?

http://www.chelseahostel.com/

http://www.chelseacenterhostel.com/

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

I stayed at a cheap hotel there on the Upper West side. I can't remember the name for the life of me but I think it had Europe or Amersterdam in the title. Couldn't find it in the list but I just breezed through it. Not a hostel but it was cheap and certainly acceptable, although not great by any means.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I stayed at a cheap hotel there on the Upper West side. I can't remember the name for the life of me but I think it had Europe or Amersterdam in the title. Couldn't find it in the list but I just breezed through it. Not a hostel but it was cheap and certainly acceptable, although not great by any means.

[/ QUOTE ]

this might be the one on Amsterdam ave that the previous poster mentioned.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I stayed at a cheap hotel there on the Upper West side. I can't remember the name for the life of me but I think it had Europe or Amersterdam in the title. Couldn't find it in the list but I just breezed through it. Not a hostel but it was cheap and certainly acceptable, although not great by any means.

[/ QUOTE ]

this might be the one on Amsterdam ave that the previous poster mentioned.

[/ QUOTE ]

No this is a hotel, that was clearly a youth hostel.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

The HI one around 105th and Amsterdam (can't remember exact address) was very clean and safe.

BTW: Snoring Germans are not fun.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The HI one around 105th and Amsterdam (can't remember exact address) was very clean and safe.

BTW: Snoring Germans are not fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, not just me. I used to pop into the puerto rican corner shop opposite and buy cheetos at 1.30am since i had nothing else to do.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

No. But, I stayed in a holiday inn express last night.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
teddy,

When I went to NYC to visit a friend, we met up with some European friends of his that were staying in a hostel on Manhattan. I'm damned if I can remember where, other than it was on the edge of a gay neighborhood/area. I want to say lower/mid-west side, but that could be way off.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're talking about the Chelsea neighborhood.

Here are 2 chelsea hostels; either of them look familiar?

http://www.chelseahostel.com/

http://www.chelseacenterhostel.com/

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to live around the corner from Chelsea Hostel. I never went inside, but I always saw young Europeans coming out of there (maybe ages 18 - 25?). Definitely didn't get the unsafe vibe, and there is a police station across the street.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
teddy,

When I went to NYC to visit a friend, we met up with some European friends of his that were staying in a hostel on Manhattan. I'm damned if I can remember where, other than it was on the edge of a gay neighborhood/area. I want to say lower/mid-west side, but that could be way off.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're talking about the Chelsea neighborhood.

Here are 2 chelsea hostels; either of them look familiar?

http://www.chelseahostel.com/

http://www.chelseacenterhostel.com/

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely the first link, Chelsea Int'l Hostel. The chicks staying there thought it was ok, no problems to speak of.

Re: Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?
 

Maybe around 6 years ago I stayed at the Jazz on the Park hostel (upper west side) It was pretty inexpensive, and the company runs four other hostels in the city. http://www.jazzonthepark.com/

Free breakfast, internet and decent location. As a woman travelling alone and under 21 I didn't feel like I was gonna get jacked or my [censored] was going to get stolen. I stayed in their private rooms for one night with a friend and the dorms the rest of the time. They didn't let any druggie homeless dudes move in, it was mostly full of people who had just moved to New York and were desperately looking for places to move into or loud German snorers.

Totally clean and bedbug free, too.