Manhattan hostels: anyone ever stayed in one?

teddyFBI · #1 03-29-2007, 03:22 AM

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?

SoCalRugger · #2 03-29-2007, 03:26 AM

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

Peter Harris · #3 03-29-2007, 03:47 AM

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.

fish2plus2 · #4 03-29-2007, 03:48 AM

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.

RunDownHouse · #5 03-29-2007, 03:55 AM

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.

burningyen · #6 03-29-2007, 09:16 AM

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

[/ QUOTE ]
Trust your feelings.

teddyFBI · #7 03-29-2007, 11:31 AM

[ 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/

Jiggymike · #8 03-29-2007, 11:40 AM

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.

cokehead · #9 03-29-2007, 01:21 PM

[ 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.

Jiggymike · #10 03-29-2007, 01:41 PM

[ 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.