Wife and I are planning a last-minute trip over Labor Day weekend. We’ll be Amtraking in, so for convenience’ sake we’re thinking to find a hotel pretty close to Penn Station. Any hotel recommendations that aren’t too much more than $200 per night? Inexpensive/fun activities and restaurants nearby? Thanks!
EDIT: We like to eat just about everything; we like to do just about everything.
You might try
Tried it – lots of information, but unfortunately they don’t have NYC Dopers who can offer their opinions.
Any other recommendations on where I might find New Yorker-Dopers’ opinions? I figured this was the best place.
There is really no need to restrict yourself to near Penn Station, as it is not that great of a neighborhood. Just catch a cab at Penn Station and go to a more interesting neighborhood. Cabs are fairly cheap in NYC.
I’ve got no hotel recommendations though.
Do you have any recommendations for cool neighborhoods?
What do you think is cool? What do you like to do?
Just don’t ever ever ever stay at the Hotel Pennsylvania.
Looks like the Holiday Inn Chelsea is about $200 and it was just renovated so should be in good repair. It’s kind of nowheresville neighborhood wise but it’s near Chelsea which is kinda hip and numerous transit options. IIRC it’s in the wholesale flower district. Which is also the knockoff handbag district. And not far from Penn and Koreatown.
I’ve had a number of friends visiting here who had pretty good success w/air bnb, you might give it a look. Good luck!
As far as cool neighborhoods, I spent most of my time in Soho, the West Village, and Tribeca. Note that I lived in Hoboken at the time, so it was a quick train ride (via PATH) in.
As far as hotels, look at the transit map for the north-south main subway lines. Stay somewhere within a few blocks of one of the stops. “Hello Again” mentioned the Chelsea neighborhood, which is fine and seems to have reasonable hotel rates. From there you can get the subway up to the art museums and Central Park, or go down to Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, etc. The subway system is your friend in Manhattan. Cabs are also a reasonable alternative.
I think that Manhattan has something like an 18% tax on hotels, so the quoted price on the interwebs may be much lower than you actually have to pay.
Hotel Pennsylvania - across the street from Penn Station, about $200/night for Labor Day weekend, appears to be filling up quickly.
Wyndham New Yorker - about a block away, a bit nicer, about $250/night for Labor Day weekend.