zuzuwife

Good Morning!

I'm looking to plan a trip to NYC Thanksgiving weekend. It will be my husband and I's first time in the city. Advice on where to stay is greatly welcomed. I'd prefer our hotel budget to stay between $400-$600 for the weekend. Being that it is a holiday, I realize we are going to pay more.

I've only just begun my search for hotels/bed & breakfasts. Two in particular I found through reviews (one being from here in an old post). From the reviews they appear quite nice. However, I'm concerned about the neighborhoods bc it doesn't say much about them.

1. Inn of the Mouth in Manhattan near Central Park (which I'm looking to stay near possibly)
2. Country Inn & Suites in Long Island City. (This is the hotel review I came across in an old post here on this site). It was mentioned that this might be a more economical solution.

Transportation:

We are flying in to JFK more than likely on JetBlue. Found a great price. Under $400 round trip for both of us, with taxes included.

I have no idea cost wise yet what to expect. Taxi, Subway, & Bus fares... Tips on this, greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

mclaurie

I've never heard of number 1 and it is likely too far north and probably illegal. Long Island City where the Country Ainn is located is an area just outside Manhattan where there are a number of well priced hotels. I don,t know how many nights your "weekend" entails so giving us a total budget and not indicating how many nights doesn't help us help you. The Country Inn was one of the first hotels to open in LIC and while well located is starting o look somewhat beat up from use. The Verve is a better choice at this point. The newest are Home2 Suites amd Nesva. Depending on how many nights you stay, there may be options in Manhattan that would work.

The subway is the cheapest and fastest way to get around. JFK is connected to both Long Island City and Manhattan via the AirTrain (like a monorail) that connects to the subway system at several spots. Which to use will depend on where you stay.

vjpblovesitaly

Inn of the Mouth? That is a weird name or was it one of those dopey autocorrect situations?

BigRuss

www.mta.info - there's your subway and bus information. Do you really think cabs would be more economical? NYC taxi fares are public - they're set by the city. Go googling.

Also, googling Inn of the Mouth Manhattan has this post as the 4th result and nothing resembling a website in the first 3. What's the real name of the place?

doug_stallings

I think you will be able to find a lot of options between $400 and $600 per night, even given that this is Thanksgiving weekend (one of the busiest weekends of the entire year).

My advice: Book the Country Inn & Suites today ... now ... then start a real search to see what else you can find that you like and can afford. Right now it's showing $140, which is likely to be one of the cheapest rooms in all of NYC during that period. It's convenient but not fancy. You won't find anything cheaper in Manhattan unless you want to sleep in a shared-bath hostel. And you can cancel for free if you do find something.

The subway costs $2.50 per ride. If you think you'll be riding more than 4 times a day, then buy an unlimited one-week Metrocard on arrival. Otherwise, you can just add extra value to your card when you take the Airtrain, which is the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to exit the airport.

Take the Aitrain to Jamaica from the Jetblue terminal. You can buy your unlimited Metrocard as you exit the train (you also have to pay $5 each way for the Airtrain plus $1 for the card itself ... but you cannot share an unlimited Metrocard, so it's one for each of you). Then you use your Metrocard to hop onto the subway, which will take you to Queens Plaza in about 20 minutes (this is the stop for the Country Inn and Suites). It really couldn't be easier and will cost a total of $8.50 for each of you for the Airtrain/Subway plus $30 each if you buy an unlimited Metrocard.

nytraveler

The OP doesn;t want $400 to $600 PER NIGHT -but for the whole stay - and we don;t know how long that is. If the stay is 2 nights you will be able to find something - but it will be modest and likely outside Manhattan. If this is for 3 or more nights you will need to increase your budget. This is the most expensive weekend of the year and in NYC in regular season a usual price for a moderate hotel is $250 per night or so.

You definitely need to tell us how many nights - and which ones. And what you are willing to give up. LIC is not far from Manhattan and safe but much of it is not very pleasant (mixed use area with some warehouses, body shops etc and not much in the way ot local services/restaurants etc.)

Taxi prices are fixed and cost WAY more than the subway. Also, this time of year the streets are so crowded you don;t want to be in a cab or even on a bus in Manhattan - the subway is the only way to do longer distances quickly. For details on trips between any 2 places go to hopstop.com. It will give you time and cost for all transit options.

Cannot find anything like "Inn of the Mouth". It must have another name. Or you need to provide a web site. Can't imagine this is the real name. Not even listed on tripadvisor.

doug_stallings

Sorry ... I misunderstood. So the Country Inn & Suites is really your only realistic choice. Again, book that today.

zuzuwife

Thanks Doug. More than likely this is the hotel of choice given price and location. $140 a night comes out to be around $660 with taxes. Can't go wrong with that given the weekend we are thinking of coming.

As for those wondering about our entire length of stay, it would be Thurs 11/27 - Mon 12/1. My apologies, I thought I put that in there

As for the other location, it's a bed and breakfast that comes up on the bed & breakfast website. It was a serious typo / auto correct issue on my phone, lol. The actual place is called Mount Morris House. It is located near Central Park. No idea where Mouth of the Month came from.

Is there a pass for the subway that would make traveling easier?

Also, do you recommend the "New York Pass" that allows you to choose from 80+ venues to visit?

zuzuwife

I see the link to the Metro site above now. Thank you. Will check out the pass info I'm seeking. Have a good day.

vjpblovesitaly

This is the Mount Morris House location for those of you familiar with the city but not that particular insitution.

12 Mount Morris Park West | Manhattan, NY 10027

According to Googlemaps, it is near Marcus Garvey Park about 0.6 miles north of Central Park. Near Lenox Avenue & W 121st St.

http://www.mountmorrishousebandb.com/

doug_stallings

For people on a budget, New York Pass is generally not a good deal. It's really expensive and includes many more things than a human being could possibly do in a few days. By doing a combination of paying what you wish (at NYC museums) and judiciously doing only the things you plan to do (like a normal human), you'll almost always come out ahead. It doesn't really save you anything on lines because unlike Europe, NYC doesn't have these ridiculous lines, except for the Statue of Liberty.

Now about that. If you really want to do that, you need to reserve a spot now (or as soon as you are able) on your day of choice. That's a REALLY busy week. In general, if you want to visit, you should go as early in the day as possible because it takes several hours, so you'll end up spending a full half-day.

And if you want to see the 9/11 Museum, that would be a good day to do that since it's within walking distance of the Statue of Liberty ferry. I'm not sure if they offer timed tickets, though I suspect they will once they open. Keep an eye open for that. Or simply go to the plaza and see the fountains for free. Just realize that the museum and Statue of Liberty are going to eat up a full day.

nytraveler

Mount Morris House is north of Central Park and not really in a very convenient place for tourists.

I would not reco that location unless you are determined on Manhattan. Know nothing about the property.