doug_stallings

If you book in NJ, be careful of the location, not so much because of the safety issue because of transit. Someone posted here about an AirBnB stay somewhere around Weehawken that required a bus ride after you get off the commuter van from Manhattan. After midnight, you just don't want to do that, and taking a taxi would erase any savings. Plus, trains and buses from NJ are getting pretty expensive.

Figure in the costs and inconvenience, and many of us here say it's just not worth the cost savings unless you have no other alternative (and there are other alternatives, including reasonably cheap hotels in Queens that are on the NYC subway system).

easytraveler

How about a micro-apartment? Will Mayor Bloomberg allow tourists to rent these?

http://www.news10.net/video/default....TPAGE|featured

5alive

nyer--Your concern is valid. The two we looked up met the new law, but I am sure some aren't. I think it varies on the B&Bs and whether they had a certificate to begin with. The ones who didn't are trying to get certified, or get an exemption. One I found in a guide book, I called (before knowing all this stuff) and the owner told me "we are no longer in business due to a new law. I'm fighting it but haven't won yet."

nyer

5alive, you certainly did some good research. I think the members of the group have a valid issue to pursue ,though you'll notice that there is no list of members on the site.I suppose it would be ill advised for them to come right out and declare themselves unless or until they are granted exemptions from the current law

nytraveler

Oh - and someone mentioned that the police in NYC have other things to do than check on hotels.

That's absolutely correct. This is not something that is done by the police - unless a very rare occasion when a residence is considered an imminent threat.'

This is done by city inspectors (fire or building) who come in, find illegal activity and unsafe conditions - and then close the place down. And often this happens at the complaint of legitimate residents.

So - when coming to NYC - make sure your lodging is legal and avoid the risks of either 1) scams or 2) being displaced by a tenant complaint or city crackdown.

5alive

Nyer--I went into this trip entirely excited about renting an apartment because it worked so very well in Rome some years ago. Then thanks to youtube/etc, I watched local TV news features showing tourists who went to claim their apartment and finding nothing at all at the address, I abandoned that idea. I moved to the idea of a B&B with kitchen privileges but it just didn't work out for me. If I can share any bit of what I gleaned--hopefully it will help someone else.

My humble opinion is that the NYC law is well-intentioned but desperately needs fine tuned.

nelsonian

We have booked a studio apartment in Long Island City for the three weeks or so we are there. Got it through VRBO so worth a look there also easytraveler.

nytraveler

Sorry - to locals (the legitimate residents of these buildings - the law is just fine. It was passed in large part due to a huge number of complaints from legitimate local residents. And forcing B&Bs and hostels to obey fire and hotel safety laws is for the benefit of all.

I recognize people are looking for less expensive options in NYC - with more space - and there are some available. Radio City Apts, Eastgate Towers etc fill that need, But - the simple fact is that NYC has a VERY high occupancy rate (and real estate prices that are back where they were 3 or 4 years ago) and it smply costs more to stay here than most other places.

those who choose to ignore the laws do so at their own risk.

easytraveler

Thanks again for all the invaluable advice.

Nelsonian: thanks for the the reference to VRBO, will definitely check into that.


I hope no one here thinks that tourists to New York are eager to break the laws. That's probably the last thing a tourist wants is to run afoul of the law, which would be a positive vacation spoiler.

OTOH, staying in a lower-end bug -infested, stains and dirt all over hotel would also be a vacation spoiler for someone like me. Others may be more immune to such things.

Anyhow, I was just thinking that when traveling alone, it offers an opportunity to explore other options, since no one else has to be involved in the decision making. Thanks for all the warnings on the new law in NY and it possible implications. I am taking it all very seriously.

A last question: what about staying on the Jersey side using airbnb? Is that forbidden too? (I was just joking about swimming across the Hudson - but the crocodiles and sharks.... nah!)

nyer

easytraveler, I mentioned NJ above but it got a little lost in the shuffle
"easytraveler, the laws we're talking about are specific to New York City. Other parts of NY state and other states like NJ have their own laws, though I doubt they are as restrictive."

Also, VRBO is like all other avenues you might use to find apartments. It does not vet the listers and can't make legal what is not. I hope Nelsonian's situation works out (maybe they rented it to her for the required 30 day minimum), but...

I'm with you that most people don't want to break the law, but sometimes people can be eager to be convinced that "just this one time" or "this one is different".

travelgirl2

Someone here recently stayed at The Jane. Singles are $99. I had never heard of it prior to reading their report.

nytraveler

I'm not ware of any laws in NJ banning short-term rentals. the issue there is the transport. You need to be on top of either a PATH or a NJ Transit station - as in walking distance. Buses to and fro can take forever due to traffic - especially over bridges or through the tunnels.

ekscrunchy

Here is a NYTimes article describing the author's stay in a few of the Air B&B venues in NYC; seems to have had mixed results.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/yo...pagewanted=all

nyer

Note that the author of the article acknowledges
"Three of my five hosts appeared to be breaking that law. Airbnb also knows that a large number of its New York hosts (and others in areas with similar rules) are probably breaking it. Yet it continues to help them do so, even though it could root out those listings pretty easily, especially in big cities where the rules are quite clear. "

Based on that comment, the rest of the information in that article could/should/may be irrelevant for many people

easytraveler

Thanks so much for helping me focus and narrow down my choices.

I'm going to continue looking in Jersey, with much weigh given to the transportation factor; look at the various hotels that are recommended here; and, if nothing viable comes up, then I'll just have to book at our little boutique hotel again.

5alive

The Jane was in some of the articles and guides about cheaper lodgings. I saw it referenced more than once. I think hitting a Let's Go: New York City (written for college students) or a Lonely Planet Guide of New York would give you properties from a lower budge range.

Bowsprit

OTOH, staying in a lower-end bug -infested, stains and dirt all over hotel would also be a vacation spoiler for someone like me. Others may be more immune to such things.
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The best way to avoid such a scenario is to book a legitimate hotel room while visiting the city.

Have you looked at the Long Island City hotels as suggested? Doug's suggestion is a great one and the commute into Manhattan is easy-peasy, fast, and safe.

santamonica

I stayed at the Jane last weekend in a $99 single room with a bathroom down the hall. It was fun. Very small room, like a cabin on a train. Free hotel bikes, nice french cafe off the lobby, near the High Line Park. This weekend DW and I stay at a new hotel closer to DS#2, the Tribeca Blu. Sorry, none of this is particularly relevant to ET's question.

easytraveler

Santamonica: every little bit helps!

I looked at the Jane and it reminded me somewhat of the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Tiny rooms with a classic feel.

It's fun hunting around for hotels in New York!

I'm still buried deep in research in New Jersey for the moment. For the price of a tiny room in a middling hotel in New York, one can get the Hyatt Regency right across the Hudson River in Hoboken/Newport!

What a difference a little water makes!

ggreen

ekscrunchy: interesting article! Especially interesting comments on the related blog post - tho almost none of them were relevant to NYC but rather to Airbnb overall.

easytraveler, IME your travel time from NJ to Lincoln Center will be at least as long as from LIC and even parts of Brooklyn, plus you'll need to transfer from one transportation system (e.g., the PATH) to another (MTA subway). Of course, if the prices are dramatically cheaper, then the extra hassle may be worth it! But until they build a pedestrian bridge from Hackensack to the UWS, you'll have to trust your luck with the crocodiles and current to cross the Hudson on your own on that route!

FWIW, Newport is not in Hoboken; it's Jersey City. In any case, it's right outside Holland Tunnel - so when you think of it geographically, it's closest to Canal Street and thus pretty far south for your needs. (By comparison, the Brooklyn Marriott is at a similar latitude but closer AND on top of a direct subway line to the UWS.) The PATH will take you only as far north as 33rd Street in Manhattan before you'll need to switch to an uptown subway train.