Staying in NJ while visiting NYC
 

Anyone with any ideas of where to stay in NJ to go over into NYC? Pros,Cons?

There are several threads about this, mostly with horrid scary comments about how awful it is. We had no problem commuting from Secaucus once about 10 years ago, the bus stopped outside our hotel and used an express lane into Port Authority. Or from Hoboken you can take the PATH train in. Don't forget to figure in the costs of transportation vs. your hotel & tax savings. The Best Western Gregory hotel in Hoboken is just a couple of blocks from the train station.

Did you see the answers on your other post?

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...c-514109-2.cfm

If you can tell us what is lacking in the information you got from us on your other thread, maybe we can help you a little better.

Here is a web site that gives a pretty good summary:

www.broadwayfocus.com/nj_nyc/

This is just a terrible idea. Staying in the suburbs and commuting to and from every day is a huge waste of money and limited vacation time.

If at all possible stay in Manhattan (if you give dates, budget and number of people people can make recos).

If you just can't swing Manhattan you are better in budget motel in Long Island City - only 10 to 15 minutes on the subway that runs 24/7 versus taking the train (or much worse bus) from NJ that take an hour or more, costs who knows what and runs perhaps once an hour outside of commuting times. One decent option is a hotel on top of the Path station - but they aren;t really any cheaper than Manhattan.

"This is just a terrible idea".

However if you are on a budget, and visiting at a time when Manhattan hotels are $350 per night and NJ hotels can be found for $150 a night, it may be your only option. The $800 savings over 4 nights could make or break the trip for some.

For one to make that decision one needs to be sure exactly how long the commute will actually take, how much it will cost, and how frequently the train or bus to and from the hotel in Jersey will run - esp after commuting hours.

If y.ou end up having to spend $100 on a cab to get back there the savings can be illusory

Staying in NJ is complex. In truth, the prices at hotels that are most convenient to Manhattan (those directly on a PATH train line into the city) are typically not that much cheaper when Manhattan hotel rates are sky-high.

The cheapest rooms require onerous commutes since they are not typically near a direct train or bus connection. Moreover, the times of commuter buses and trains into Manhattan from NJ are geared to commuters and not tourists, so there are few trains after 8pm, for example. And NJ Transit trains can be expensive. Buses are usually cheaper but subject to more delays. Just keep in mind that you may pay $10 per person per day for transport into Manhattan from some hotels in NJ. So it can be a decent trade-off if you are a single person or couple, but it can easily be unaffordable if you are a family of four. Then you still have to transport yourself around NYC, which costs $2.50 per ride. You can see how these costs can add up quickly.

For most people a more viable financial option is to stay in a chain hotel in Queens on a NYC subway line. Prices are comparable, and there are hotels that are 1 or 2 stops from Manhattan or 6 or 8 stops ... regardless closer than most PATH rides into the city, and you don't have to pay for the extra fare for the subway this way.

One viable option in NJ is the Robert Treat Hotel in downtown Newark. It's a nice hotel and reasonably priced, and Newark is the further stop on the PATH train from Manhattan, so it has decent transport options. The area around the hotel is not so nice at night, but it offers a shuttle to Newark Penn Station for the PATH or NJ Transit train.

There's also a Hilton hotel attached to Newark Penn Station, so you don't have to walk outside if you come in late at night. It's more expensive than the Robert Treat, but it's still a reasonably priced alternative. I generally prefer these hotels to the airport and Secaucus options since the PATH is much cheaper and still has a schedule, though greatly restricted after 10pm.

Downtown Newark? Has something changed that I'm not aware of?

What's the question?

From some very recent reviews of Secaucus NJ hotels:

"A real plus is the bus stop right across the street, and the bus runs every fifteen minutes, it will take you fifteen minutes to ride through the Lincoln tunnel to Port Authority. The bus enters directly from the tunnel through a reserved lane without having to navigate through the busy NY streets. This is a big plus because if you are driving the same distance it can take you fifteen minutes just driving to get to the tunnel."


" an excellent value in Secaucus and those who are frustated about the hotel situation in NYC. BUS 320 connects Port Authority Terminal with the hotel at minimal cost and quickly."

"a wonderful quiet haven for us. We could take the short bus ride to the city, enjoy the crowds and noise of Times Square and then return to this clean spacious hotel".

"our only question was, "Is it going to be a pain in the butt to get in and out of the city each day?". Quick answer, NO. The #320 bus left from basically the back door of our hotel. Almost door to door service from the hotel to Times Square (Port Authority Terminal). Price was $8 each way for adult. $1.80 for a senior. "


In other words, don't knock it til you've TRIED it.

Newark? No, simply no. Frequent random shootings for one, Doug Stallings. Why not stay on the Hudson River in Weehauken and ferry over? "An hour" to Manhattan?? Try 10 minutes with a fabulous skyline view. Check out prices of the Sheraton; even from your room you have the entertainment of the hustling bustling Hudson and NY skyline. The buses from Secaucus NJ go into special express lanes through the Lincoln, but you will not have much evening entertainment.

Secaucus is nothing like walking out of your hotel and being IN Manhattan. A couple of minute walk from sights, restaurants and shops. Easy walk to a ton of things to see and do.

And you can see a show or go out in the evening and not have to worry about missing a once hourly bus back to the hotel (or paying $75 plus for a cab).

Secaucus has its trade-offs just as any place in NJ. Getting the bus isn't quite a breeze, and you have to choose your hotel very very carefully to make sure it's near a bus stop. Not all of them are.

On a busy day, the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel from Secaucus can take 25 minutes, so the trip into Manhattan isn't usually 15 minutes unless you're going at an off-hour. Plan on twice that. This is one of the reasons why I recommend one of the hotels in downtown Newark.

Misguided fears keep prices at those hotels reasonable. Now I'm not saying that downtown Newark is a place to be walking around late at night, but it's busy during the day and on concert nights, but people are not being shot randomly on the street every day.

I kind of doubt they have frequent random shootings in the Hilton, or even the Robert Treat, but I wouldn't go ANYWHERE except the train station at night on foot, and that could be kind of a downer.

We stayed at a something (Wyndham?, Sheraton?) in Edison for a quick NYC visit in June and it was okay. We drove to the train station. It was not the most efficient commute ever. We had a specific goal (Pride Parade) and didn't stay all that long due to the three-year-old member of the party getting hot and cranky. I had no massive complaints, but if I were a tourist determined to see EVERYTHING I'd find it kind of frustrating. I'm going to say it was an hour and a half to two hours door to door (street corner near the flatiron).

I'm not a fan of staying in Queens, but I'm a Jersy girl and don't understand it all that well. My sister has stayed in a Hyatt on the PATH line, and was really happy, since it was extremely convenient and the views were great, but it isn't necessarily that cheap.

You could look into the Travel Inn in Midtown. A number of people on this site recommend it, and it is the ONLY hotel in Manhattan with free parking.

www.thetravelinnhotel.com

Compared to tourist areas in Manhattan much of Newark is a high crime area. OK if you are in the hotel right on top of PATH - but that is little cheaper than Manhattan hotels. Safer areas tend to be longer and more expensive commutes. And often do not have local services such as restaurants. You may be able to walk to one diner for dinner - or need a cab to eat near the hotel.

If you really want a Manhattan experience - ep nightlife - that.'s where you need to stay

want

clarkgriswold - "<i>...NJ hotels...may be your only option. The $800 savings over 4 nights could make or break the trip for some...</i>"

Absolutely not true. It all depends on what sheric1 is willing to forgo to stay in The City - which is worth many "sacrifices". It it essential to have??:
Elevator?
King or queen sized bed?
A/C?
En suite bathroom?

The one thing I would never cut back on is free time to enjoy the city and all it has to offer.

Stay in a neighborhood that you will <b>enjoy</b> as you walk to and from your hotel at various times of the day and night.