We will be spending Thanksgiving weekend in New York. It appears that this is the highest $$$ period. It looks like we will be able to get a nice place in Jersey City and that the commute is not bad to the city. Or...would we be better off paying the extra money to stay in the city? (can't use Priceline, as there are four of us).

If you are going to NY for Thanksgiving weekend, you really should stay in NYC. I think the time spent getting back and forth from Jersey City would be a waste.
And don't forget, the ferry has different schedules for holidays, not running on some days.

I agree with Scarlett, if price is an issue then consider some of the downtown, wall street area hotels - they may have specials. The midtown hotels probably won't because they are nearer the parade route.

I would tend to agree - you are better off staying in the city. However, check to see how far the hotel is from a PATH train station. If it is within walking distance you could get to midtown in a half hour or so.

There are also two NY Waterway stops in Jersey City. If you're at the Hyatt, the Colgate stop is less than a block. If at the Courtyard by Marriott, or one of the others near Newport, the Newport stop is nearby. I believe you can get to both West 38th St. and the Battery (downtown) from either. But, given that it is a holiday weekend, the boats may only run every 30 minutes and may end well before 10. (You might want to check the NY Waterway website regarding the exact schedules.)

In terms of extra money, the boat will cost about $10 per day, per person. Not sure if the extra commuting cost significantly reduces the room differential.

In terms of the daily commute not being that bad, this is definately true. However, if you're only in for the weekend, you may wind up spending more time on boats/buses/trains than you might prefer.

I live in Jersey City. It takes me half an hour to get to Midtown (10 minutes to downtown Manhattan!) and it costs $1.50 one way. If you're able to save money on a nice room, I'd say go for it.

I agree with the others who say to stay in The City. You should be able to find reasonably priced accomodations in Lower Manhattan (below 14th Street).

Whatever you decide, I saw in today's NYT travel section an ad for hotel.com-hotel rooms in NYC for $60. Have never used them, but since you mentioned Priceline, you might want to check them out. Have a great trip.

I've stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in Jersey City... about $100/night for a room that slept 5 of us. The PATH station is literally right outside the door, and midtown is 15 minutes and $1.50 away.

I've had trouble finding a room in the city that will guarantee space for all of us.

In today"s travel section of the New York Times they mentioned that the first La Quinta Inn in Manhattan opened recently in Midtown. It's $89 per night including a continental breakfast. Great deal for the City. Here's the link:

http://laquinta.com/lq/reservations/...751&propId=751

It is a pain in the ass staying in Jersey and trying to sightsee in NYC. Stay in the city.

There's a Sheraton Suites right on the Hudson in Weehauken, with a ferry literally at its doorstep. Schedule is Mon-Fri, from around 6 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. On weekends & later at night, you can take the ferry to Port Imperial & a hotel bus will meet you for the 5 min ride back to the hotel.