I'm visiting a young relative studying at Columbia University (Teachers College) and would appreciate any recommendations for a hotel nearby-- something like a Best Western, Red Roof, etc. Thanks very much.

There really aren;t any hotels in the immediate vicinity, although you might find a couple B&Bs and there are some student hostels.

The best you'll do is the upper west side - which is 5 minutes on the subway or 10/15 on the bus or 20 by foot. (This is a mid/upscale residential area with lots of great inexpensive restaurants on the avenues, along with local services and some boutiques/smaller shops.)

We don;t have many chain places like that in NYC - and they're more in the tourist areas. For something very basic but inexpensive you could try the Newton. for somwhat nicer try the Beacon, On the Ave, BelleClaire, Excelsior . The Lucerne is one step up.

Double check tripadvisor.com for comments from recent guests.

The Newton is an inexpensive but ok hotel on the upper westside around 95 st. Decent reviews on tripadvisor. Here are the options the school lists (inlcuding Newton, Beacon and others) plus some on campus housing that might work for you.
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/abouttc/visit.htm?id=Hotels

Columbia rents out rooms. I can't find the contact number at the moment, but your relative should be able to get it. They run about $115 if I remember correctly from last spring.

We never stayed there, but my daughter said they are basically furnished dorm rooms.

When we visited, we stayed at the Hotel Lucerne (3 times) and the Excelsior once. The Lucerne (w 79th and Broadway?)is 1/2 blcok from a subway stop that will take you right to the main entrance to Columbia (or downtown). The hotel is reasonable for NYC, very clean, and I felt quite safe walking there in the evening. Lots of good places to eat nearby (and in the hotel).

The Excelsior (W 80th? across from Central park)is also on a good subway station, but it doesn't work quite as well for Columbia...you'll need to walk over to Broadway, about 2 blocks.

Prices at both are similar, and can vary widely depending on the week and day.

lcuy

I'm glad you felt safe on west 79th St - among the multi-million dollar condos and co-ops.

First, NYC is the safest large city in the country.

Second, that neighborhood is distinctly upscale, stuffed with condos and co-ops owned by the famous and wealthy. It's quite patronizing to say you felt "quite safe" walking there.

What are you saying...crime doesn't occur in upscale neighborhoods???

Really???

LOL

I don't find anything wrong with lucy's comment.

NYTraveler - stuff happens everywhere. It does not discern between wealthy and poor neighborhoods. Why mug someone in a poor neighborhood when you can get more in a wealthy neighborhood. It's important for someone to know if they will be safe.

Chestnut sounded like a solo traveler going to NYC for the first time.

When I went to NYC the first time, I was very concerned about walking down dark streets at night, so safety was a big concern for me.

I was trying to be helpful by pointing out that the Lucerne was a hotel that worked very well for us and had the economic benefit of safe access to the subway.

There were lots of neighborhoods in NYC that I did not feel safe walking in at night that were no less expensive, but were dark and deserted.

No offense was intended.

chestnut- I was looking at the columbia web site to see about the housing and there are TWO different places to get guest housing at Columbia; one is through Teacher's College and the other is general guest housing. Both say they accept relatives of students. They look pretty nice, so I'm not sure if you checked both for availability.

Here's the scoop on the non- TC rooms, and there is a list of other hotels/rooms/hostels recomended by Columbia below that:

*************************************
Guests stay in the hotel-style rooms on the 6th floor of East Campus, our largest residence hall. All rooms have two double beds, a private bath, high ceilings, and exceptional views of Manhattan.

Amenities

Air-conditioned facilities
24-hour security guard service
Free on-campus telephone services
Free high speed 10/100 Ethernet access, although guests must supply their own Ethernet cords
Free internet terminals in the building lobby and in the 6th floor lounge
Microwave access in the lounge
Cable televisions
Hair-dryers
Irons
Alarm clocks
On-site laundry facilities
To Top
Rates
Each guest room is available for $150 dollars per night, plus NYC hotel tax of 13.625%.

Call our Guest Accommodations Office at (212) 854-0365 to make a reservation.

Please feel free to call and inquire further about our guest housing services and procedures. Anything we can do to help make your stay at Columbia University more enjoyable would be our pleasure.

Phone (212) 854-0365
Email [email protected]

****************
Alternative Accommodations in New York

The Columbia University Office of Conference Housing wants to do everything we can to make sure your stay is a pleasant one. We know that sometimes your group may have needs outside of the services we provide. Here are some other accommodations in New York that might assist you in your planning.

International House
500 Riverside Drive at 122nd Street
(212) 316-8473
11 Guest Rooms

Teachers College - Whittier Hall
1230 Amsterdam Avenue at 120th Street
(212) 678-3235
8 Guest Rooms

Union Theological Seminary - Landmark Guestrooms
3041 Broadway at 122nd Street
(212) 280-1313
20 Guest Rooms

American Youth Hostel
Amsterdam and 103rd Street
(212) 932-2300
Over 600 Beds; from $29.00 per night

Hotel Lucerne
201 West 79th Street at Amsterdam Avenue
(212) 875-1000
(The Hotel Lucerne is a beautiful hotel that has been very generous about providing special rates in the past for CU guests. Please mention that you are a Columbia affiliate when you call them).

New York Inns
209 East 14th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 614-0500

Doubletree Guest Suites
1568 Broadway at 47th Street
(212) 719-1600

Hotel Beacon
2130 Broadway at 75th Street
(212) 787-1100

Hotel Newton
2528 Broadway at 94th Street
(212) 678-6500

Mayflower Hotel
15 Central Park West at 61st Street
(212) 265-0060
(800) 223-4164

Radisson Empire Hotel
44 West 63rd Street at Broadway
(212) 265-7400
(800) 333-3333

The Belvedere
319 West 48th Street
(212) 245-7000

Excelsior Hotel
45 W. 81st St.
(212) 362-9200

Riverside Tower Hotel
80 Riverside Drive
(212) 877-5200

Travel Inn
515 West 42nd Street
Single/Double -- $105.00
Free Parking

Banana Bungalow International Hostel
250 Wets 77th St.
(212) 877-5733.

Amsterdam Inn
340 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 76 St.)
(212) 579-7500

92nd St. YMCA
East Side of Manhattan on 92nd St.
(800) 858-4692

Customer Service Center
118 Hartley Hall - (212) 854-2775

Hospitality Desk
Hartley Lobby - (212) 854-2779

You might also try checking www.craigslist.org for apartments in the UWS area. That worked well for us in the past.

Some of the places on the list lcuy posted are NOT very nice. Just make sure to either check here and/or reviews on tripadvisor before booking.

I've stayed at the Union Theological Seminary right across the street from Columbia. It was nice and quiet, with a free continental breakfast; rooms were a little small and old-fashioned, but fine.

ccm

Agree to double check on any of the places on the Columbia list before you stay there. What they're providing is simply a list of lodging places based on distance - not places that they are vouching for in any way. Some of these are NOT places you would want to stay.