Friend is visiting NYC and is wondering if Brooklyn is a good place to stay in to avoid hotel prices in Manhattan?

Also, since a shuttle to/from JFk is expensive, can she take the subway to Brooklyn with her luggage? Does the journey involve any stairs, she is travelling with two pieces of luggage, a checked bag and a carry on.

Thanks.n

This is an oft-recommended place to stay when trying to avoid Manhattan room rates: www.larchmonthotel.com

NYT did an article today about the Brooklyn hotel boom and rooms costing 40% less than rooms in Manhattan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/re...klyn.html?_r=1

I'd stick to hotels in the Downtown area in neighborhoods like Boeruum Hill (Nu Hotel), Park Slope/Gowanus (Holiday Inn Express) and of course Downtown they will give her easy access to just about every train into the City and access to taxi cabs. Hotel La Jolie is also popular and is on the L train.

The A train stops at Jay St which is close to the Marriott Brooklyn, the Sheraton and the Nu hotel.

LIRR goes to Atlantic and they can take the train 2 stops to the Holiday Inn Express in the Park Slope/Gowanus area,near the Leaning Brownstone and a block away from PS's 5th ave with lots of restaurants and shops.

It is an easy trip and the subways run 24/7 and a cab is good alternative especially if you take the Brooklyn Bridge which is free.

Chances are that the subway stations in Brooklyn will involve some stairs. Chances are that the subway stations in any part of the city would involve stairs.

Hi there, we stayed at Brooklyn's Nu Hotel in March. It was really cool, nice rooms beds etc. and we really loved the location. Walking distance from 4 subway stops. We went to Manhattan - its an easy subway ride - for Broadway and to see sights, we ate at some wonderful restaurants in the Brooklyn neighbourhood, went to the Brooklyn Bowl, the Brooklyn Flea. The area around the Nu is busy day and night so walking around is quite comfortable. We bought a 3 day tansit pass (there are other options) and travelled everywhere by subway and bus. We really enjoyed staying in Brooklyn - and the views of Manhattan - amazing!

Yes - taking tghe subway wil involve trekking up and down steep, narrow stairs - sometimes one double flight and sometimes more - dpending onthe stop. With that much luggage I would just grab a cab.

Over the weekend 2 young women - maybe 21/22 - not more, struggling up the stairs at 96th St - each with a huge backpack (they looked like sherpas trying to conquer everest) and a sizable carryon. They were blocking the stairs - aggravating all the people headed into the subway - since they just couldn;t haul all that weight up so many stairs. (IMHO if you're traveling on pubic transit like that you need 1 SMALL bag).

Staying in Brooklyn is fine s long a it's a decent place right near the subway (stations are farther apart once you leave Manhattan).

There is no 3-day transit pass.

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm#unlimited

Brooklyn is larger than Manhattan so lumping all hotels there to say whether it's good or bad is a big mistake. A lot depends on what she plans to do while here and how good she is at navigating subway maps. Many tourists wind up using taxis to get around when tired and staying in Brooklyn, that can cost a fortune. Hopstop.com is one way to see distances/travel options and travel time. Maps.google.com is another. Overall, for someone coming to do "typical" tourist stuff in NYC, other than the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott which is very close to Manhattan, I'd say staying in Brooklyn is less than ideal.

Thanks for the feedback. How much would a taxi be from JFK to Brooklyn? The shuttle is 38 dollars

Depends on where in Brooklyn. Go to hopstop.com and insert JFK to the address of the hotel. You can select cab or public transit or both. It will give you estimated cost, time and distance.

WHAT shuttle are you talking about and what hotel is she considering? The shuttles are mostly awful. Nyccabfare.com is another site that estimates cab fares.

Thank you, she got a quote from a company like Super Shuttle, not sure what the name of the company is, I can check. We first checked Super Shuttle, but they said they don't service Brooklyn, and only service Manhattan. She is on a tight budget and was thinking of the Super 8 in Brooklyn.

The Super 8's address is 265 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215. BTW, she has been trying Priceline and will keep trying to book a Manhattan hotle with Priceline, just in case it does not come through, she needs a plan B.

SuperShuttle and similar shuttle services are generally a bad idea in NYC. Many report an hour or more of wasted time is added to their trip as the van drives all over the city dropping off the various passengers. This has been my experience as well.

Hopstop estimates the trip from JFK to the Super 8 by taxi as taking 36 minutes and costing about $35. She should also try quotes from Dial7 or Carmel car service.

The Super 8 has a reasonably good location on the border of Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, close to few different subway lines. She can reach the Super 8 by AirTrain/Subway combination for a total of $7.25, though it will take more than and hour and a few connections:

AirTrain to Howard Beach subway station
From there, take the A train (Manhattan bound) to Jay St/Borough Hall
Exit the station and walk 1 minute to Willoughby St and Lawrence St
From there, take the R train (Bay Ridge bound) to Union St
Super is 3 minute away

Thank you for the detailed reply, does she need to carry her bag up/down stairs at Jay St/Borough Hall and Union St? Is there any station near the hotel with an elevator from where she can get a cab?

When is this friend coming and what is he/she expecting to pay? There are some hotels in Long Island City that are 1 stop by subway from Manhattan and an easy commute from JFK. LIC is closer to midtown if it's a tourist visit. The Country Inn & Suites is one good option that's usually around $100-130/night including breakfast.

The Super 8 is $100, but I'm not sure if that includes/excludes taxes. Her budget is $100 or less. She'll be in NYC in mid September.

BTW, she does not have internet acess, which is why I am posting this question for her. Yesterday, I read the replies to her and she thanks all of you for your help.

The Super 8 is close to 4th ave, she should have no problems catching a cab on 4th ave at any time of day.

The cost of the taxi to the Super 8 will be about the same-or less than the Shuttle.

Jay St/Borough Hall has an elevator,Union street does not.