Hotel in NYC for NYE
 

We will probably be spending New Year's Eve in New York City this year for a bowl game and plan on doing several days of site seeing that overlap with NYE (we do not plan on going to Times Square for NYE). We have never been there and know it will be cold!

I have pretty much already ruled out staying on the main island due to prices. Do any of you know of a hotel that is clean, in a safe neighborhood, and within walking distance of a metro? A 30-40 minute metro ride is okay.

Thanks

Do not stay in the Times Square area for new Year's. It will be a great inconvenience.

What bowl game are you referring to?

I am trying to translate your post. My main island I assume you mean Manhattan. It is NOT the main Island. It is one of the 5 boros of NYC and each boro is known for something else. There is also a subway in NYC. It traverses 4 of the 5 boros. You may try to find a hotel in Queens. Look for hotels in Long Island City ( one of the multitude of Queens neighborhoods) I do not know what if anything is still available.

What are your exact dates and nightly budget in USDs? also how many beds do you need?

I am hoping we will atted the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, but won't know for sure until next weekend. On orbitz there are plenty of hotels with open rooms in many locations but I'm lost as to what is a good area to stay in, and we don't want to stay anywhere near Times Square.

We will be there December 29- Jan 4 and would like to spend no more than $200 a night on average for a double room. I have found several hotels within our budget but can't seem to find one that looks like it is in a safe area and near the metro/subway.

Why not post which ones you are considering (including address and cross street)?

I had to google that. I had never heard of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. But it looks like a new bowl game being played at Yankee Stadium.

The subway goes to all 5 boroughs-Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and even Staten Island! But you have to take the ferry or drive to get to SI, then there is a subway there to take.

I think that you need to accept that you will have to pay more than $200 for the first few nights - but can probably get bargains for Jan 2-4th.

If you are willing to stay outside Manhattan look at the hoels in Long Island City - but do realize that they are in mixed used areas (that is some warehouses, possibly auto body shops, the hotel and perhaps a shop or two - this is why they are so cheap).

Do NOT stay near any of the airports - since that will mean a long (more than an hour each way, usualy via subway, then bus) complicated and possibly expensive trip in and out of the city every day.

If you are a couple and willing to bid blind on Priceline you may get somethng for about $100 per night for the latter nights - and can then spend $300 for the earlier ones (still not easy to get someplace decent). For instance the Newton on the upper west side - basic but reliable and recently redone has a double with shared bath for $107 per night in Jan.

This assumes you are a couple. If there are more than 2 people you have to look at another price range.

If you want rock bottom prices there is a very well thought of hostel - Hosteling International - which has bed with a locker in dorm rooms for about $40 each per night.

We are a couple. In just the beginning of my search I have found a Days Inn (31-36 Queens Boulevard) and Quality Inn (30-03 40th Avenue) in Long Island City that look close to public transportation and average $200 a night.

I will look into Priceline, I have never used it but would definately consider it.

The bowl is in Yankee Stadium on the 30th.

Thanks for all the help so far.

I googled it as well, here are the participants:

The game will pit the Big East team with the third-best conference record against the Big 12 team with the sixth-best conference mark after the conferences' respective BCS teams have been excluded from consideration.

The areas you're talking about in Queens are mixed use areas. The subway into the city is fast - the question is - how far is the hotel from the subway station.

You can use hopstop.com and insert the hotel's address and the nearest subway station (from the hotel web site). This will give you an accurate time/distance (sometimes the hotels assume you can do a 4-minute mile when calculating time).

You might also want to look at hotels in downtown Brooklyn: I'm not sure of price range, but the Marriott is practically just over the bridge from Manhattan, on top of the A/C/F station at Jay Street (2 stops into Manhattan), and just a few blocks from most of the other train lines - including the 4/5 that you would take to Yankee Stadium. The immediate area is more business than residential, since it's adjacent to municipal buildings such as Brooklyn Borough Hall, but it's close to the historic Brooklyn Heights neighborhood and the hip, artsy DUMBO area (an acronym for "Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass").

A little farther out but still in a good neighborhood/close to subway stops, look at new hotels along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. I know one of them is a Holiday Inn on Union Street but there are a few more now as well.

I'm afraid that Marriott is out - that time of year the cheapest room is about $350 per night including tax. It's to close to Manhattan and in a decent area - so the rates are higher.

I'd suggest trying Priceline for anything in Manhattan before you book something in Queens. There are so many hotels in the city, and none are running at full capacity.

Check www.hotels.com, orbitz, hotwire, kyack, and any other discount hotel site to see what the prices might be. New Year's Eve the prices are generally higher and drop right after.

You also might try The Hotel Grand Union on E 32nd St, rooms there are usually under $150nt. www.hotelgrandunion.com

Staying in Queens can be a bit dicy, since the area in Long Island City where the Day's Inn is located is deserted at night, although close to the subway, not an area I would want to be in at night.

Hope you have a great time in the city, and if you want some ideas of things to do on NYE, there are some wonderful concerts, fireworks and events going all over the city.

One of the cheapest hotels in NYC is the Country Inn & Suites in Long Island City Queens, a relatively new hotel with rooms that are in the off-season as little as $89 per night. It's about 2 or 3 blocks from several major subway lines and one stop from Midtown Manhattan depending on the line you take. This is, as others have pointed out, a horribly desolate and unattractive part of the city. It is, however, pretty safe and is starting to gentrify (lots of big new condo buildings are going up there now). I'd stay there and am actually recommending that my cousin stay there when she visits with her daughter next year. I'd take a look and see if there are any rooms, but the secret is starting to get out.

As a resident if Queens I would not use the term "dicy" to describe those neighborhoods. Quiet at night with not much around doesn't mean something is dicy. It means it is quiet at night with out much around!

Thanks for all the advice. I plan on trying Priceline bidding next week to try and get a place in Manhattan.

If that doesn't work Queens and Brooklyn look like they have some good options.

If anybody knows sometime to do on NYE that doesn't involve Times Square (fireworks/concerts) I'd love to know.

Central Park has fireworks on New Year's Eve - and due to the size of the park it's not mobbed like times Square. Have dinner on the upper east or west side - but do get reservations then go to the Park to celebrate.

There are a number of 4* hotels on Hotwire (anonymous, but easier to pre-identify than Priceline) for under $200 for the 1st-4th (not for the 29th-31st).