Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There's a very large exception for “hosted” accomodations (where the owner is in residence). Along with the new label,
these “B&B” rooms now carry minimum stays, usually from 4 to 7 nights.
NYHabitat
(
212/255-8018;
www.nyhabitat.com
)
specializes in unhosted stays. They work with buildings that allow
boarders, so you'll never have to stammer in a hallway and say that you're somebody's cousin. Much of their stock is cor-
porate apartments, so digs can be bland, but there are a lot of large-size units (good for families or groups). A studio starts
at $107 and a one-bedroom at $117, and prices go up from there. For both hosted and unhosted stays,
AfordableNew
YorkCity
(
212/533-4001;
www.afordablenewyorkcity.com
) has a large stock of Manhattan units. A shared bathroom
setup runs $95 to $120, and a shared apartment with your own bathroom is $135 to $165. A studio apartment starts at
$170. Another good list of rentals is carried by
CitySonnet
(
212/614-3034;
www.citysonnet.com
). Manhattan hosted
nights for one person run from $125 to $250, with a 5-night minimum. (Stays in Long Island City, Harlem, or Williamsburg
tend to be less expensive.) Unhosted “artist's lofts” are available, but they're rented by the month.
One of the least expensive ways to hook up with a hosted stay is through
Airbnb
(
855/424-7262;
www.airbnb.com
)
.
This young company connects travelers with spare spaces. Users leave reviews, so you won't go into a stay blind—listings
are rated across six categories, from accuracy to cleanliness to value. Checking over the site, you'll find longer-term sub-
lets starting at $600 a month, and overnight stays beginning at around $50.
But then why pay for a hosted stay when you can have one for free?
CouchSurfing
(
www.couchsuring.org
) is an organ-
ization dedicated to bringing the world closer, one couch (or spare bedroom) at a time. Membership costs nothing, and
although availability in New York City is limited, there are plenty of connections to be made.
2 West Village
Under $150
The Jane Hotel
If you're looking for a mix of style and local color, the Jane's your place. This riverfront hotel
was built in 1908 to house sailors, with tiny cabins reminiscent of seaboard quarters. A century later, the square
footage isn't any bigger, but the closetlike interiors have been decked out with
luxe
wood, marble, and 300-count
cotton sheets. Since bathrooms are shared for most rooms, prices are within the grasp of steerage passengers:
$115 for singles, and $125 for bunk-bed cabins (add $10 for peak seasons; private bathroom accommodations
start at $295). Previous to this incarnation, the Jane was a single room occupancy hotel, and the holdover tenants
from that era add to the authenticity.
113 Jane St., at the West Side Hwy.
212/924-6700.
Fax 212/924-6705.
www.thejanenyc.com
.
200 units. $125 cabin for 2. AE, DC, MC, V.
Subway: A/C/E to 14th St.; L to Eighth Ave.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; concierge.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi.
Larchmont Hotel
Without laying out serious cash, it's pretty much impossible to get closer to brownstone Village
life than this small, aging hotel. You will be sharing a bathroom, but you'll save a bundle: The small singles are
$90 to $125, doubles run $119 to $145, and hefty queen-bed spaces are $149 to $165. (The higher end of the range
comes on the weekends; prices include a continental breakfast.) If you book 4 nights in winter, they'll even throw
in a fifth for free. It's hard to find a more central location than this, no matter how much money you're dropping.
27 W. 11th St., btw. Fifth and Sixth aves.
212/989-9333.
Fax 212/989-9496.
www.larchmonthotel.com
. 66 units. $119-$145 double. AE, MC, V.
Subway: F/M to 14th St.; L to Sixth Ave.
Amenities:
Common kitchenette; Wi-Fi.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer.
3 Chelsea/Flatiron/Union Square
Under $150
