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.