Well in New York 15 to 30 minutes of midtown by subway or bus is still very close to the center of the city. You may find a hotel that has free parking in New Jersey - but be sure that it is on a PATH line. Commuting by bus is not recommended since traffic or accident/incident can make the trip much longer (an hour or more). You might look at Jersey City - but the hotels there tend not to be that inexpensive and I don;t know if parking is free. There are many other in the suburbs - but not convenient to transit - and you can end up paying $40 a day or more in transit back and forth as well as taking a big chunk of time out of the day.

You might try to get a room at the Travel Inn on the far west side of Manhattan, which is the only place here with free parking. It's moderately priced, reliable and near the entrance to the Lincoln tunnel - so you're only driving a few minutes in Manhattan.

Thanks nytraveler. You are right to point out the transit costs-we might do just as well to stay closer. I will look into the the Travel Inn-thanks for the lead!

So I checked Travel Inn and it is great but $300 a night (which I know isn't absurd by NYC standards but still a bit much for us). On Expedia, Best Western City View Motor Inn - Long Island City comes up with free parking and gets go reviews on tripadvisor. It is $109 with the free parking. Is transit doable from Long Island City or is a nightmare?

Transit from Long Island City is easy if you stay at one of the hotels near a subway station. That hotel is not a good option at all. Look at the Verve and the Country Inn & Suites in LIC. One way to see how far a train is, map the hotel on maps.google.com and then use the "search nearby" function for train station or subway station. I really hope you've allowed plenty of time for this trip. It would help people help you if you gave an idea of how long you plan on staying in each place. In the NYC hotel prices fluctuate wildly by date.

The Holiday Inn City View is another good option in LIC.

Given your preferences, in Boston take a look at the Taylor House B&B in Jamaica Plain, a section of Boston. Free parking, nearby restaurants, direct bus to Copley Square (20-40 minutes depending on traffic, but only about 5 miles away), and in the middle of a primarily late 19-century Victorian neighborhood. I have friends and acquaintances who have stayed there and have enjoyed it.

It is a safe city neighborhood and the house is a short walk, maybe 5 minutes, to the bus. At the end of the street is Jamaica Pond, a nice place to walk or jog.

Meant to add their website: http://www.taylorhouse.com/index.htm

Thanks all. IN NYC we will be there only 3-4 nights and they will be mid-october a tuesday weds and thursday night so we will not be paying the higher weekend rates.

Thanks mclaurie-yes I saw that the Best Western is a trek from the subway-which negates the advantage-so thanks for the alternatives. Is LIC a good place to stay in general? A friend mentioned some NJ places: "Millburn. The surrounding townships, Orange, So Orange, E Orange, Maplewood, Chatham, & especially Short Hills" But said they can be pricey

Thanks again everyone and please keep the thoughts coming

in chicago take a look at oak park. The carlton hotel there has parking and is one block from the train to downtown. lots of good architecture in oak park and lovely residential setting.nice popular restaurant attached to the hotel.

The places listed in New Jersey are NOT near NYC. they are within commuting distance - which here means an hour or more away. Not bad if you live here - but not what you want to do on vacation. In Jersey I would look only at Jersey City - and right near the PATH train - and I';m not sure how much cheaper they will be - since October is high season here.

Long Island City is a not very pleasant mixed use area (some warehouses, auto body shops etc) but some - if they are near the subway - are only about 20 minutes by subway from Manhattan.

In Oct less than $300 per night would definitely be a major bargain. And even if you found a place for less you would need to allow about $40 per night for parking your car.

you might want to check out a park n' fly rate at nearby hotels in NJ, allowing the "free" parking during your stay, then going into NYC Manhattan for the remainder nights.

You also might try just east of NYC in CT. Places like Greenwich, or Stamford that are on the commuter rail.

Bethesda and Silver Spring in Maryland are options for DC. Don't know what a hotel would cost or if the parking would be free but there are lots of food options in those areas and you're on the Red Line to Metro into DC.

Are you talking about THIS Oct. or is this for next year? How do you figure leaving on Oct. 7 from LA, stopping in Kanasas City & Washington DC and still making it to NYC "mid Oct."???

As to neighborhoods, agree that if you want a quick commute into Manhattan and only have 3 days, proximity like Jersey City and Long Island City will be preferable I'd think to a prettier town that's further away.

Hi McLaurie-yes we are talking later this week-I know it sounds crazy, but I have an event we are intending In NYC the 20th. But we are really just stopping overnight along the way. The portion up to NYC isn't sightseeing-just 8 hour driving days with a couple hours stop to stretch our legs. That takes around 7-8 days driving which puts us at the 13th or 14th if we leave the 7th, so we might stop near DC for 1-2 or nights depending on how long we take getting there. Along the way we aren't even going to book any hotels in advance-I have a mobile hotspot on my phone and we just book something as we get tired in the afternoon via Expedia. We just did that on another driving trip from LA to Seattle and back and it worked great. But we will book ahead for New York especially given high season. That is why I am interested in the neighborhoods around major East coast metropolitan areas-it is just to sort of point us in the general direction

Thanks for for the Chicago, DC, and Boston suggestions and additional NY ones as well. Sounds like we should check CT and NJ-the park and fly deals might be a good idea there.

If you look into CT, I wouldn't go any further than Stamford. There is a Marriott right next to the Train Station there. But its ~ 45 minutes out of NYC on Metro North so you need to weight that. Some of those stations have lots that are completely full by 7:00 so Id make sure you can walk from your hotel.

Comuting from CT doesn;t make sense. From your hotel to the city will be an hour - and 2 hours a day is a lot of time to waste. Also you need to find a hotel right near a train station - since the commuter lots fill up early - and for many you need a local town sticker.

I'm sorry but I'm very confused now. Park & fly? Where? What? Where is your "event" in NYC? Is it in Manhattan? Do you need the car for it? You could park in say Metropark in Iselin, NJ, train into Manhattan and stay in Manhattan.

And if it's not a sightseeing trip, what/where do you need to be in NYC? That will make a big difference in where you stay. There's a Sheraton in Weehawken, NJ that's just across from midtown Manhattan. It's quite convenient for the Javits Center, for example but there's not free parking at the hotel. That hotel is often on Hotwire. What are the exact dates in NYC and where do you need to be?

I believe what he was saying is that they won't be sightseeing on the drives to the cities but will be sightseeing in DC, NYC and Boston.

RuthMc is right about Bethesda or Silver Spring. Prices might be lower in Silver Spring. "Sergios" is a wonderful Italian resto adjacent to a hotel whose name I've "lost". Stay tuned while I look it up. Much updating going on in Silver Spring.

Old Town Alexandria wonderful for tourism. I'm not sure about the metro lines there-do check with your friends in the area.

http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/go/hilton-silver-spring

is the second page of silverspringdowntown and it mentions "Sergio's". Page one shows map and other hotels.

Good luck and hope you do a trip report.

I said park n fly because many hotel shave a special rate or free parking if you stay with them for one night. Thus.. if there IS such a hotel on the NJ side, one night there, then move into NYC Manhattan for the rest of the nights and go back to get car when finished.No need to "fly" of course.

Is this a totally insane idea or something?

It doesn't look like you'll be in DC by then but there is going to be a get together on Oct. 9. Anyone else on this thread interested, please look at:

http://www.fodors.com/community/fodorite-lounge/dc-gtg-update.cfm#comment-6707778

Thanks for the clarification on commuting distance from CT. Yes, I meant that we won't be sightseeing along the way really until we get to the NY area unless we have time to stop in DC. We do intend to stay around 2-4 nights in the NYC area, so we will of course want to just relax and enjoy the city while we are there. We have been there before so we aren't intent on frenetic sightseeing-mostly just eating, hanging out and maybe seeing a play.

The event I am going to is at the Paley Center for Media (near Radio City Music Hall:

25 West 52 Street
New York NY 10019

It is a special event for women entrepreneurs. I just need to be there during normal hours like 10-5 or so. While I am there my husband will be just hanging out. We won't need a car at all in Manhattan just a good way to get in an out daily either by train or subway. Having free parking isn't mandatory but I thought if we were willing to sacrifice not being in Manhattan we might be able to find an easy area to stay in that would make that possible. But I do need a hotel that is either near a subway or a commuter train station that I can drive to, since I don't want to exhaust myself walking just for the commute part since I envision we will be walking quite a bit in NYC itself.

lincasanova, I don't think the park fly idea is that crazy-we have friends all the time that do it in other cities-I will just have to check and see if I can find a hotel that fits the bill.

And thanks also for the DC get together link and the restaurant suggestion-it is really helpful.

I will write a trip report-especial for the NYC to Seattle part since that is the time where we will be able to really slow down and enjoy some sightseeing along the way.

I can't remember if anyone posted about the Travel Inn in Manhattan which is the only hotel in Manhattan with free parking. It's not that far from Radio City. The Skyline hotel near it has $10/night parking. Both are considered ok budget hotels but in Oct. nothing is really budget in Manhattan.

Bestparking.com is a website where you can check prices of parking all over the city so you could stay in a hotel and park elsewhere. Parking the car at the Port Imperial Ferry terminal in Weehawken, NJ for ~ $10-12/night is another option if you stay in Manhattan.

For a 3 night stay, I'd book something cancelable and maybe consider bidding on Priceline. You could well get a deal on a 4* Manhattan hotel.

Some other location options--there are quite a few hotels in Tarrytown NY which is on the Metro North train line and closer to Manhattan than say Greenwich Ct. Train from Tarrytown is about 35-45 mins. http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm

Ft. Lee, NJ is another idea but you really have to drive into Manhattan from there. The hotels like the Holiday Inn are not well located for catching buses.

One other thought is the Panamhotel.com Very basic in Queens but comfortable, free parking I think and a bus or subway ride of ~ 30mins. into Manhattan.

For the Boston area - consider staying in Newton - will give you access to the Green Line to get in and out of Boston.

The third weekend in October is Head of the Charles, a rowing regatta that attracts teams and spectators from all over the world. It is worth seeing, but it increases competition for lodging, particularly less expensive lodging, the entire week before.

Driving across country would be a lot of fun, but I wouldn't do it on the way to a professional event. Traveling in the northeast is cheap and easy (bus, train, air shuttles) once you get here. I would see how much more it would cost you to fly than the cost of 3-4 nights on the road, then having to deal with a car once you are here.

You don't want a car in Boston, you don't want a car in New York, and you don't want a car in Washington. You can move among the three by Bolt or one of the Chinatown buses for very little money, and you can see gorgeous parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont by bus. The train up the Hudson from NYC to Albany is like riding along the Rhine, and you can continue on through the Adirondacks to Montreal.

Of course, it's a little late to get a plane ticket now . . . .

I wouldn't stay in Newton for the public transportation into Boston -- the Green Line is a SLOW trolley that takes nearly an hour to get to Boston from the Newton line. Stay somewhere on the Red Line (Cambridge near Harvard or MIT, points south of the city) and you get to central beanville a lot quicker by T than that creaky trolley.

And for NYC, I think Blue Line or Green Line Metro North could be a good option for you, especially if you check the MTA website and can be near an express stop. Plus, I'd rather arrive into Grand Central than into Penn Station like NJ Transit or LIRR -- it's nicer and it's closer to your event.

Thanks all! I will start looking into hotel options. I also may be able to use some orphan United miles to get at least one night free and stay in Manhattan and pony up for the parking. Thanks mclaurie for the parking link-I will take a look and also to bigruss for the advice to come into Grand Central. And to everybody else too for all the wise words. This is why I love this site!

Just to clarify Ackislander, I am not really driving to go to the event itself-there just happens to be an event in NYC where the President of my start-up company is presenting so we decided to add it to our road trip. We have our house in LA rented out and we are voluntarily homeless for the next year. We are spending from now until April 1st traveling around the US (we both work virtually so can work from anywhere), and then in early April, we are going to Europe and doing a big road trip there for 6 months. My husband is French and we spend about half time there a year anyway so decided this is the year of roadtrips!

Hi big russ-I am a bit overwhelmed by the MTA site. When you suggested "Blue Line or Green Line Metro North", do you have a couple a specific stops in mind-that way I can use google maps to narrow down hotels around those areas. Thanks! Any other NYers feel free to jump in

Okay-so here is what I thinking for NYC. There is a Super 8 that gets good reviews in North Bergen:

Super 8 North Bergen NJ/NYC Area
2800 Columbia Avenue
495 East & Lincoln Tunnel Rd
North Bergen, NJ 07047 US

It has free parking and a shuttle bus that is $5 round per person that takes you to 42nd Street and 8th which is only .9 miles from the Paley center-you can either walk it or hop on the subway. It only costs $83/night even for a Friday if we decide to extend our stay-so it seems like a really good deal and sounds closer than staying out near Newark Airport which seems like it is much further. Does this sound reasonable to all the NY-wise?

I have lived in NYC for 35 years and have no idea what BigRuss was referring to by "Blue Line or Green Line Metro North". Oh--I just realized--Hudson line or Harlem line. I think any locations along those lines that would offer quality accomodations would require too much time and extra costs that would be best applied to a hotel in Manhattan rather than wasting the time commuting.

Most people have already warned you away from any option that involves a bus or car from New Jersey, which includes your Super 8 in North Bergen. You will be at the mercy of a few miles of highway notorious for extended delays. The trip into Manhattan from North Bergen involves travel through a tunnel which can have horrible traffic backups. Because of this, you will probably not be able to stop back to your hotel as a break if neede. And the hotel is located at the side of a busy highway, so once back at the hotel, that's all you have.

Previous recommendations have encouraged you to seek NJ hotel options near a PATH train stop, which is an inexpensive quick way to get into Manhattan that is not subject to traffic delays.

You must weigh if convenience and quality time in Manhattan is more important than price.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g28970-zfa7-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia-Hotels.html

I drive in DC a fair amount and, although it can be confusing, it's a small enough city that you can usually get to your destination. Above is a site for hotels with parking (or so it claims!). Perhaps that will help if you don't stay in Old Town.

Thanks Ellenm-you are right about the lincoln tunnel (I think that is the right one). I will look at the PATH train area right now. And thanks too TDuddette for the parking link to DC.

I'm not from any of these places, but we visited DC this summer and had some similar concerns. We stayed at the Washington Hilton for $150/night in Dupont Circle. It was 4 blocks from the subway station. We used the subway everywhere we went in DC, it was great. There are lots of great restaurants within walking distance. We went to Hank's Oyster Bar, which was recommended from Fodors' and it was awesome, it's probably 10-12 blocks, but a great walk through a great neighborhood.

For BOSTON-- 20 miles north is the charming riverside town of Newburyport,MA much like Alexandria VA, but very walkable. Lots of eateries, tea room, ethnic foods, shops, banks, docks, boat tours, waterfront all around, brick sidewalks and gaslight lamps.We locals love it. One B&B was $149, or the next town Amesbury MA has a Fairfield Marriot for $129. Easy highway drive down 95 to Boston. Boston parking is not so bad $ , there are public underground lots at Boston Public Gardens central to most sites or take the train from Newburyport, 40 minutes, $12.00 RT?

We recently stayed in Brookline, to visit Boston proper. It is a nice location, with good restaurants and shops, and it's right on the T line. We were at the Marriott Courtyard there. I recommend it highly. Parking is $21/day, free shuttle to Harvard Med (which puts you in a good location for walking) http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosbl-courtyard-boston-brookline/

In Chicago, we loved the Best Western Hawthorne Terrace. It's a boutique-type hotel, great service, continental breakfast, and in a nice neighborhood for restaurants. There is a public parking structure right next door, but I don't remember the price.

http://www.hawthorneterrace.com/

I used to live near the Best Western Hawthorne in Chicago, and it's in one of the best neighborhoods. It's a few blocks from Wrigley Field. Tons of excellent restaurants, great train and bus access to get to the Loop and Mag Mile.
There are a couple of other hotels nearby that generally get good reviews -- The Willows, City Suites, Days Inn-Lincoln Park and the Belden-Stratford.
The beauty of staying there is you won't be in a touristy area like the Mag Mile (nothing against tourists, by the way); you'll be among the locals, instead, in one of the most desirable parts of the city.

Thanks all! Sorry to be slow responding but since we are on our trip we are not on email as much as usual So to update you all, unfortunately the Best West Hawthorne in Chicago is booked for the days we will be there-but now I will google hotels near there to see what we can find as the neighborhood sounds great. Another friend also suggested Old Town and said it is closer to the lake but also a good place to stay.

In terms of NYC, we decided to stay in Manhattan. We decided ellenem was right-we only have 2 nights there and I will be in an event much of the days, so I don't want to spend the rest of the time schlepping on the subway. We are staying at the Ameritania-which is near where we need to be-it gets "okay" reviews on TA and they have $25/day parking which isn't too bad for the area. I am sure we will have a small room-but I got a King size bed so at least if the room is small it will have to at least hold the bed

jpie,
There are no hotels in Old Town that I know of, but the hotels that I mentioned are all pretty close. They're in Lakeview/Lincoln Park, a few train stops from Old Town and a short ride to the Mag Mile and Loop.

Parking with the hotel is very expensive in NYC. You're much better parking the car yourself by using the garage locator on bestparking.com But frankly, I don't call the reviews on TA for the Ameritania "ok." And it looks like you'd be paying ~ $250/night PLUS tax which adds ~ 15% to the price. Quikbook.com has a 4* "secret sale" hotel in Murray Hill for $199/night that's probably the St. Giles Court or St. Giles Tuscany, both of which are very good.

Hi all-I just wanted to thank you all again for helping to make the east coast part of the trip so great!! We made it to Seattle where we will be house sitting for a month before heading back south to sunny California.

We did end up staying at the Ameritania in NYC. The nice guy at the desk gave us one of the renovated rooms when he heard about our long journey. It was on the 12th floor (the top except for the penthouse) and it was fine. The bed was a king and the room was kind of small but it did the job-no bedbugs (ala all the bad press for NYC). It turned out to be perfect for me because the event I was attending was only a 1 block walk. And they validate your parking at the lot right next door so it is only $21/day instead of $37. It was worth it to me since the cheapest I found on bestparking was around $16, and I would have had to cart all my stuff up from chinatown area. The hotel is older and if I had not had an event mid-town I would have preferred another neighborhood like Chelsea-but for this trip it was great. I was so glad I decided against staying off Manhattan as it would have made the commute very tough as the schedule turned out.

We ended up skipping Boston this time-we will have to make another visit. We swapped it for a drive through the Hudson River Valley up to Hyde Park to have lunch at the CIA (culinary institute) at their casual no reservations cafe. It was a great drive and a great lunch

In Chicago we decided to stay at the Majestic Hotel just south of Wrigleyville and we loved the neighborhood-so thanks all of you for steering us towards that area. It is an older boutique hotel so maybe a little less modern but charming and roomy. We had a bus that went right by the hotel and lots of great restaurants to choose from about 2 blocks away on Broadway.

I will write a longer "trip report" but I wanted to just reach out on this thread to thank all of you that so kindly helped us! I am keeping the Boston ideas for next time-but not sure we will be driving it this time. We racked up 7000 miles on our little Corolla in about 25 days-so it has earned a well deserved rest for the near future!

I know you said you were looking for more places in NYC and DC, but I lived in Kansas City for 5 yrs. If you a looking for nice place to stay, pick a place on the plaza. Its on the Missouri side. You also need to eat at Ponaks Mexican Restaurant. Its the most authentic Mexican food. They have the best Margaritas ever! Say Hi to Nigel at the bar! You also need to stay long enough to have some BBQ. Try Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue and Gates! Have a great trip!

Amy, the last post to this thread was 17 months ago.