Stay near JFK a good idea?
 

Hi, I will be in NYC from 31 may till 7 june.

However, i plan to spend the first 3 nights from 31 till 3 in a comfy hotel first before going budget in a hostel for the rest of my stay.

As hotel prices in Manhattan is very very sky high, I plan to stay at one of the chains near JFK. Here's the problem: does anyone knows how much is the approximate travelling time to Manhattan from Queens(where the hotel is at)? Moreover, which hotel is the nearest to a subway station?

Overall, is it even a good idea to stay in Queens considering that I'll have to go to Manhatten everyday.

Hope someone can help me out. Thanks!

No - this is not a great idea.

First, these hotels are aimed really only at JFK travelers and are not convenient to public transit. (You might have to take their shuttle back to the airport and then make you way to the city from there - as trip of at least an hour.) Or - you would be taking multiple buses/subways to get to the city.

Also- this is not a trip I would care to do late at night - limiting your activities in the evening.

Also - these are primarily semi-downscale residential/commercial areas - you will not find restaurants/shopping within walking distance - you'll need to do all that in the city.

I know NYC is expensive - but really - staying in Manhatan is a good part of the trip. I wold go to more downscale accomodation - even a hostel - vs a JFK hotel.

Have you looked into apartments for a week- sometimes that is cheaper. Have you looked at Priceline?

If you tell us what yor budget is - perhaps someone can make recos (Super 8 - which has very low rates - is recommendd by some people here.)

hi,

thanks for the advice, i have actually gotten a reservation at HI from 31 till 3, but reckoned that a hotel will be better for me to get rid of the jet lag.

Read on the forum about this hotel QT, maybe I'll take that hotel up. I have tried priceline but bids of up to 120 at a 3* have been unsuccessful.

Trying to get a comfy hotel for less than 150 per night actually...i noe it's actually near impossible...

Check this website - www.habitat-ny.com.

Do not do it. You need 3 days to recover from jetlag? And are you going to stay at the hotel for 72 hours?

This 3 nights of $150 hotel + 3/4 nights at a hostel deal makes no sense. Why not just get a slightly better hotel for about $80-100 for your whole stay in Manhattan instead?

Also try www.hotels.com which will give you lots of hotels in NYC, including Queens and the rates for the time you will be here.

The Chelsea Savoy Hotel has some reasonable rates. My mother and 2 nieces stayed there recently and thought it was fine. Not fancy, but clean - and actually the bathrooms were quite nice. A room with one double bed is $99-$125. It's close to 2 subway lines on the west side too. www.chelseasavoynyc.com

Thanks everyone for the advice, actually, the reason why I'm staying at two different places in my original plan is that I want to experiance two different sides of Manhatten- HI NY is at a quieter location whereas Jazz on the town is in a more hip and vibrant location downtown. Was actually thinking of forgoing HI NY to try a more comfy place, but all the rooms seemed expensive. If I can't get a comfy room to replace HI NY, I'll most probably stick to my original plan.

Thanks for all the words of wisdom from everyone once again!

As others have stated, it is not a good idea to stay in the JFK area of Queens if you are visiting Manhattan.

Try for a two star hotel in Manhattan.

I got the City Club downtown which is a suite with a full kitchen for $90 on priceline back in March.

Try bidding downtown. It is cheaper and I personally like it a lot better than Midtown.

Don't forget - it's not like you can travel in and out of Manhattan for free.