New York City ( Central ) Hotel / accommodation suggestions ??

[Nirish guy]

I'm currently in the process of 50/50 debating doing a last minute "cheapy" trip to / in and around New York for 6 nights in September with my BF for his birthday.

I say a cheapy trip as Norwegian have just announced a direct flight from my local airport for £100 each way including taxes ! ( crazy right).

It does fly into Newburgh / Stewart airport which I understand is a ways out, BUT I'm reading that they've a very good bus connection organised for all flights there and that you can be in Time Square in around an hour and a half - which depending on traffic is no worse than some of the more central airports perhaps anyway - and even if not, it's still not "that" bad.

It's been maybe 7 or 8 years since I was last in NY City and can remember very little about it or my trip, I know I stayed before on a high floor in the New Yorker hotel but looking up that again and on looking up hotels in Manhattan in general I've realised that my "cheapy trip" might end up as anything BUT as a typical hotel there seems to be punching in at around £250-300 a night and up ! ( Fuck that and NO WAY !)

So, without getting into an massive detail I just thought it was worth the ask / question in case anyone knows of any more sensible options ( of which I'm guessing DONT stay in Manhattan is the obvious one of course and stay outside and tube it in ) - but my knowledge of NY is now almost zero, so any suggestions ( blindingly obvious or otherwise) would be appreciated.

I have looked up Air bnb's and Mister Bnb's ( the gay version) and they do have options there too but without knowing much about neighbourhoods and locations I'm working blind there a bit and so dont think I'd take the chance of getting it wrong perhaps and spending half my time commuting in and out of NY centre.

So, asking just in case anyone knows any nugget of information or "here's a place I stayed before and it's close in and cheap etc" - worth a short.

So, any help gratefully received as it's either that or my Bf is suggesting NICE in France instead !! ??? ( Which I'm assuming is simply as there's a cheap easyjet flight to there ).

Likewise ANY other location suggestions elsewhere in the world all taken on board re anywhere else too of course as I'm totally undecided ( even as to whether I can be bothered going ANYWHERE or not truth be told, but this being his BF I suppose I'll have to make "some" effort ( or at least be SEEN to perhaps as he kindly took me away for my BD earlier in the year:)

So, NY then - any thoughts, ideas or suggestions guys that don't cost the earth perhaps ?

[paborn]

I myself have not been in NYC for 7 years. Howeveer, I did work there and often would stay in Jersey City or Hoboken. Hoboken is right on the water and a number of hotels are minutes from the PATH station - about 5 minutes under the river to lower manhatten. Jersey city hotels that are near Exchange place can work as well as that station is the one before the path to Manhatten - in other words one stop back. It is a pricey town but New Jersey is cheaper and it is August.

[Isaanguy]

If you will consider short haul I rate Sitges/Barcelona

[Nirish guy]

Thanks Isaanguy - and you're spot on there, except that's out standard "go to" place which we're never away from and also my BF is actually heading off to Barcelona this weekend actually himself, so.....this time, no, I need to spread my wings it seems - but thanks, good suggestion none the less.

[frequent]

If accommodation costs are the primary consideration and destinations a secondary one, have you considered sites like University Rooms (https://www.universityrooms.com/) or (I'm serious) Monastery Stays (https://www.monasterystays.com/)?

[Nirish guy]

Ha I'm glad you added the "I'm serious" part or I'd of been laughing - and no, I haven't considered that - I DID actually look at a YMCA ! ( more for the fun....until I actually looked at it and seen shared dorms and toilets and stuff......for 6 days I'm getting too old for all that crap. I will look at your links just out of interest actually.

To be clear it's not that I particularly need or want to scrimp and do it on the real cheap (although even better if I can! ) but just on checking Manhatten hotels the prices are just plain silly like 300 and 400 a night and whilst I'm not adverse to blowing money sometimes that's just daft to me when you're not even in the hotel that much - plus the hotels aren't even anything special anyway.

I see on checking around more the simple answer does seem to be stay a few miles out and in the various neighbourhoods such as Queens etc and use the subway, so that might be the answer. But as my geographical knowledge of NY is about zero I'll need to go and do a bit of google reading perhaps. The other option is screw NY and their crazy prices ( and shitty attitudes) and just go somewhere else perhaps, either in the US or just elsewhere in Europe I guess.

So, far my online searching this morning has only led to me booking two tickets to the theatre tomorrow night here to see Evita - which i had NO intention of doing when I sat down to my computer ! See, who says that targeted email campaigns dont work eh, I just wish they wouldn't send me them whilst I'm on line in the middle of trying to blow money on other stuff first ! :)

[Nirish guy]

If accommodation costs are the primary consideration and destinations a secondary one, have you considered sites like University Rooms (https://www.universityrooms.com/) or (I'm serious) Monastery Stays (https://www.monasterystays.com/)?

Actually now that I look at that Monastery site I wish i had of found that for my recent trip to Italy as I just might have used it !! Some stunning locations and very cheap too - and "not' a run down monastery "cell" but modern rooms and open to all ( not just sure HOW all they mean there though - I'd like to put that to the test perhaps :) - So, good find there Frequent, I might just add one of those to my to do list someday !

[frequent]

Actually now that I look at that Monastery site I wish i had of found that for my recent trip to Italy as I just might have used it !! Some stunning locations and very cheap too - and "not' a run down monastery "cell" but modern rooms and open to all ( not just sure HOW all they mean there though - I'd like to put that to the test perhaps :) - So, good find there Frequent, I might just add one of those to my to do list someday !I fear that my mention of Stays has probably “done for” SG

[gerefan2]

The other option is screw NY and their crazy prices ( and shitty attitudes) and just go somewhere else perhaps, either in the US or just elsewhere in Europe I guess.

:)

Id suggest Austria, somewhere near Salzburg. There are some stunning castles and houses where you can stay just outside the city. Rent a car and drive to the South for some absolutely beautiful scenery. Visit Berchesgaden and Hitlers Eagles Nest. Not far at all. Take a few cable car rides to the top of some high mountains and visit restaurants while admiring the views.

Dont go in August, as most of Europe is on holiday then. Mid September would be fine and the weather will still be good.

Even consider the Sound of Music tours!

[Jellybean]

I'd suggest Austria, somewhere near Salzburg . . . Even consider the Sound of Music tours!

What a great suggestion gerefan2!

Surely I cannot be the only member who was instantly able to picture NIrish-guy following in the footsteps of Julie Andrews and recreating the moment she sings:

The hills are alive, with the sound of music
(ah a a ah)
(ah a a ah)
(ah a a ah)
(ah a a ah)
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies...
from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
Stones, on its way
On its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray . . .

;)

Movie clip from the The Sound of Music:
https://youtu.be/AePRD1Ud3Lw

[Nirish guy]

Surely I cannot be the only member who was instantly able to picture NIrish-guy following in the footsteps of Julie Andrews

You were not the only person as "I" was already WAY ahead of you there !! :-) Hell I could almost hear the goat herding bells ringing in the background as I cleared my throat for a spot of yodelling ( and no that's not a metaphor for anything else :)

Actually I agree that sounds like a lovely trip and one that I'd certainly be up for and I think I'll add it to my seemingly ever growing bucket list so thanks for that Gerefan.

HOWEVER as boy wonder has now firmly got the idea of NY in his sights and after me just applying for his Esta e-visa clearance approval thing and getting that back and approved within minutes, what with him being Flipino he now thinks that is wonderful and is now adamant we MUST go to thank them ! - So, bugger the bank balance, it looks like we're going to NY ( whether I like it or not it seems ).

I am of course secretly looking forward to it myself as its been several years since I was last there, but of course I'll be sure to put on the "ohhh not AGAIN" face and pretend its not all fun and exciting all over again, well for at least 10 minutes anyway........well, either that or just throw oa smok on and go running down 5th Avenue belting out The Sound of Music and Doh a dear at the top of my lungs whilst wishing I WAS actually in Austria ! :)

[frequent]

This is deeply disappointing to music-loving queens everywhere. Salzburg is the city of Mozart (https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/city-of-mozart)

[frequent]

Speaking of music, if you’re ever at Swampy Airport and hear the strains of the Grand March from Verdi’s Aida, it’s their way of welcoming me back to the Kingdom

[gerefan2]

This is deeply disappointing to music-loving queens everywhere. Salzburg is the city of Mozart (https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/city-of-mozart)

Nope. Depends on whether your interests are Bach and Beethoven or Boys and Beer Singh.

[Nirish guy]

So, just to conclude my general enquiry as above and as courtesy an acknowledgement of thanks to those who replied above I eventually got sorted in the end with somewhere (mad) to stay in NY ... I still can't believe I'm going to risk it but I am.

So...after looking until my eyes bled at hotel sites for New York and just not believing the crazy pricing ( for tiny rooms, often with shared bathrooms and rooms not big enough to swing a small hamster never mind a cat) and after reading review after review plus and checking as much as I could elsewhere I finally thought fuck that as it NO WAY am I paying £300+ a night for THAT crap so again after much review reading (and against my better judgment) I finally ended up booking us into the "YMCA" !

It's location couldn't be better as it's situated literally just a 10 minutes walk and few blocks from Time Square, Luckily I was able to book us a "deluxe" room ( ha its SO not as it's about 6ft square I think !)) AND as I missed the chance to book a "double" room we''ve now ended up with BUNK BEDS no less !! ( I missed the double by minutes it seems as actually the place is really popular it seems ?!. ( with crack head perhaps, we'll see ? :)

Now before anyway shouts "you did WHAT" - I KNOWWWW....and I him'ed and Ha'ed over and over again BUT when I looked into it fully I ended up getting a (tiny) room with a semi private bathroom ( ie when you go in you lock the door and it's yours and private BUT can be used by others at other times too )- the thought of that turns me somewhat BUT by BF assures me "it'll be fine" and it's not like it's some romantic weekend break we're on and the tiny room etc is and was no different to half the so called hotels I looked at either, so fuck it, I'm going to love dangerously and risk it :-)

Plus as gay man I have to admit that the very thought of "staying at the YMCA" ( I can just hear that damned tune playing even now) AND the one in NY too no less, just once before I die, does tickle me somewhat.....oh and the MAIN reason of course.....as mentioned all the hotels around there, with basically the same crappy basic specs = £1200-1500 plus this tax and that service fee and you name it ! ....the YMCA = £550 in TOTAL !!

So. fuck it, we're going to "slum it" ( it's actually looks ok to be fair to them and their reviews are actually better than some of the so called shitty hotels that were on offer, so you can wish me luck.

Either way the way I'm looking at it is that as we'll literally only be there to sleep ( oh and perhaps and use the TWO swimming pools and their great gym !.....ok so there's NO chance of me bothering to use the gym when on holiday I do admit :) .....but aside from sleeping there that £1000 or so that I'll save will go nicely towards the other many ridiculously over priced things that we're going to end up doing no doubt whilst in NY. And before anyone calls me "cheap" lol ......a) fuck it I am......it's not like a can't afford wherever else, I'm just damned if I'm going to give me it for almost fuck all extra when it's not "that" sort of a holiday !

Oh and gerefan, thanks again for your suggestion......it actually came a very close run second option and in fact the BF and I spent about two hours on Saturday going over your exact suggestions in terms of googling your suggested areas to visit plus searching flights plus things to do etc and I was actually up for it, but alas the Bf had the casting vote and needless to say he was ALWAYS going in one direction only of course and that was NY, but hey hopefully I've planted a seed there and your trip just might happen some day too with any luck.

Oh and just for info's sake rather than just do NY I decided to add on to the trip by flying from Dublin straight into Philadelphia, then renting a car and going to stay with friends in Lancaster County for a few nights to drive around and show my BF the place (as it was my remembering about that whole Amish experience thing that started me off on this whole idea in the first place). Then a crowd of us are heading out on the Saturday night for a nice dinner in Lancaster itself to celebrate my BF's actual birthday which is on that day. Then on Monday we're driving to Philadelphia, dropping the hire car off and then spending the day (and night) there looking around Philly with us then jumping on the Amtrak Tuesday lunchtime to head on in to NY where we're booking in for 5 days ( hopefully not hating the YMCA and regretting my edgy decision !)

So, thanks again for all the suggestions, all gratefully recieved and looked into, wish me luck ( as I just might need it ! ) :)