Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
New York City on a budget - is it worth staying in New Jersey?
This past weekend, I embarked on a journey I have often avoided taking: I went across the Hudson River and spent two nights in New Jersey. My goal was to determine whether or not staying in New Jersey is actually a smart, cheaper, just-as-good way to visit New York City.
My snobbish aversion to New Jersey is partially born of fear. I don't know how to "do" New Jersey, and everyone I know who lives there pays less rent for an apartment twice as big as mine. All this makes me very uncomfortable. That, and the fact that I love living in Manhattan.
Still, Manhattan is expensive -- and that goes for hotels, too. Everyone in New York knows full well that it only takes about 15 minutes to get to New Jersey, and yet many of us view it as a whole other country. The fact is, for the frugal traveler, you can get a hotel in New Jersey for a lot less than you can in NYC. The Westin Jersey City Newport, where I stayed this weekend, typically costs 30 percent less than the Westin in Times Square, and you'll see that kind of price variance and greater across the board. And, as I said, it's only 15 minutes away. But is it really worth it to stay in New Jersey when visiting New York City?
It turns out that some people, particularly Europeans, like to stay in New Jersey. The energy of New York is admittedly hectic, and can be stressful for some. "People like to be able to walk in and walk out," said Bob McIntosh, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Westin Jersey City Newport.
That makes sense to me. The difference you feel when you exit the Newport/Pavonia PATH station (just one stop from Manhattan's Christopher Street stop in the trendy West Village) is palpable. There are fewer people, everything's clean, the views of NYC are stunning and nobody asks you for spare change. Staying the night at the Westin in the spacious, airy room with a view of Manhattan was comfortable and unbelievably quiet -- I was impressed. And when you think about it, why pay money to sleep in noise?
The answer came to me the next day when I looked out the window at what seemed like a different country, as I mentioned before in reverse. When you look across the river, the effort to get to Manhattan feels monumental. I had hoped to take a ferry ride across the Hudson and catch some sun along the way, but unfortunately, it was a Saturday. I learned that ferries and water taxis don't run on the weekends, and the PATH trains don't run as often as they do Monday through Friday.
Still, I timed my trip from the white tea-scented lobby of The Westin to the World Trade Center via PATH train with one transfer -- 22 minutes, and I had just missed a train when I got there. That's not bad; as a matter of fact, it takes longer to get there from my Manhattan apartment. The PATH train is just $1.75 and runs 24 hours (albeit slower nights and weekends).
During the week, according to the concierge, you can get a ferry for $12.75 or a private water taxi (NY Waterway) for just $7.25. The earliest ferry is at 6:58 AM on weekdays, and the latest return is at 7:39 PM. Alternatively, you can get a car service any day of the week for about $45 plus an $8 toll.
So, is it worth it to stay in New Jersey? Financially, yes -- you can often find cheaper flights into Newark, and you might be able to afford a luxury hotel like The Westin in New Jersey even if it's out of range in NYC. The obstacle is making yourself commit to trekking under or over the Hudson River every single day of your trip, because if you go for a wander outside a hotel in New Jersey, it's really, really not the same; not the style, not the food, not the people -- but after a frenzied day in New York City, that change to a safer, calmer place may be just what you want.
My stay at The Westin Jersey City Newport was free, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are only biased by my personal snobbery, not the hotel.
That makes sense to me. The difference you feel when you exit the Newport/Pavonia PATH station (just one stop from Manhattan's Christopher Street stop in the trendy West Village) is palpable. There are fewer people, everything's clean, the views of NYC are stunning and nobody asks you for spare change. Staying the night at the Westin in the spacious, airy room with a view of Manhattan was comfortable and unbelievably quiet -- I was impressed. And when you think about it, why pay money to sleep in noise?
The answer came to me the next day when I looked out the window at what seemed like a different country, as I mentioned before in reverse. When you look across the river, the effort to get to Manhattan feels monumental. I had hoped to take a ferry ride across the Hudson and catch some sun along the way, but unfortunately, it was a Saturday. I learned that ferries and water taxis don't run on the weekends, and the PATH trains don't run as often as they do Monday through Friday.
Still, I timed my trip from the white tea-scented lobby of The Westin to the World Trade Center via PATH train with one transfer -- 22 minutes, and I had just missed a train when I got there. That's not bad; as a matter of fact, it takes longer to get there from my Manhattan apartment. The PATH train is just $1.75 and runs 24 hours (albeit slower nights and weekends). During the week, according to the concierge, you can get a ferry for $12.75 or a private water taxi (NY Waterway) for just $7.25. The earliest ferry is at 6:58 AM on weekdays, and the latest return is at 7:39 PM. Alternatively, you can get a car service any day of the week for about $45 plus an $8 toll.
So, is it worth it to stay in New Jersey? Financially, yes -- you can often find cheaper flights into Newark, and you might be able to afford a luxury hotel like The Westin in New Jersey even if it's out of range in NYC. The obstacle is making yourself commit to trekking under or over the Hudson River every single day of your trip, because if you go for a wander outside a hotel in New Jersey, it's really, really not the same; not the style, not the food, not the people -- but after a frenzied day in New York City, that change to a safer, calmer place may be just what you want.
My stay at The Westin Jersey City Newport was free, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are only biased by my personal snobbery, not the hotel.
Filed under: United States, Hotels and Accommodations
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick Apr 14th 2010 10:25AM
Thanks for staying in our great state. But with that attitude, you can remain in Manhattan.
Megawong Apr 15th 2010 12:09PM
What attitude?
Adrian Apr 14th 2010 11:20AM
I have been to NYC twice. The first time I spent three nights at the Hyatt by the Hudson River. http://jerseycity.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp The location was superb , next to the path station and with awesome views of the city.
I didn't mind taking the train to & from NYC at all. It was a nice change to see the people who come from Jersey to work at Manhattan, it was different. The bad part is that you couldn't enjoy the late nights and expect good frecuencies in the public transport. Also that particular area in Jersey isn't exactly safe at night. There weren't many bars (I think it's the financial district) or restaurants. And most of them would have metal fences separating the customer from the seller.
All in all I enjoyed staying in Jersey. The hotel was 40 or 50$ cheaper than the NYC counterpart. But , if you want to enjoy the night I suggest staying in NYC. If you want for instance to go shopping to the bigger Jersey malls like Elizabeth's I guess you won't mind staying in Jersey. The bus station is close nearby and you can take a fancy ride in the public bus :)
Malaycobra Apr 14th 2010 1:17PM
The Ravel hotel in Long Island City. Modern luxury at $99 a night and great views of NYC if you get a room on the uppers floors.
MVFlyer Apr 14th 2010 3:09PM
A couple of years ago, I took my then 11 year old son to NYC--couldn't afford the hotels in Manhattan, so we stayed at the Best Western near Newark Airport. Not the nicest digs, but they were friendly, had a good, free breakfast, and we had a large room, for $90/night. We took the NJ transit train into Penn Station, about a 25 minute trip, each day. Somewhat inconvenient, but definitely much, much cheaper. Plenty of trains running at least every hour, if not more frequently. All in all, pretty easy, and saved at least $150/day.
My son isn't a night owl, so having access to the NY night life wasn't an issue.
Grant Martin Apr 14th 2010 8:28PM
Nice pic on top.
Annie Scott Apr 14th 2010 9:13PM
Why thank you, Grant. :)
M Apr 15th 2010 6:11AM
I lived in NJ and a trip to NY was like going to another country. We usually took a bus into the city to see a play and treat ourselves to dinner. To us it was a treat to spend the day in the city. Then back to the quiet part of the world, Bergen County.
nzm Apr 15th 2010 8:09AM
A public ferry for $12.75 and a private water taxi for $7.25. Is that a typo in the ferry price?
Carol Apr 15th 2010 1:15PM
NJ was always given a bad rap by visitors who traveled the NJ corridor from Phila to NYC. They missed the lovely mountain lakes, the gorgeous NJ shore towns, the farmlands, cranberry bogs, strolling along towns like Princeton, etc. I know this was an article about NYC, but now as an Arizona resident, I will always be a JOISEY GAL at heart.
Jessica Apr 16th 2010 2:06PM
I lived in Weehawken,NJ, then in Brooklyn, NY, and now in Queens, NY and work in Clifton, NJ.....I go between NJ and NY on a daily basis and all I have to say is that as exciting as NYC is, when you cross back into NJ it is like a breath of fresh air (NJ turnpike fumes aside : ) )....the openess of the roads, the green, being able to make a right on a red light, and not being stuck in constant traffick, aaaahhh....now...that's really something to appreciate. You won't find the excitement of the city in Jersey, but you can always get back into the city through so many different ways. For $2.25, a small bus will get you across the lincoln tunnel in 10 mins. and voila! you will be right in the middle of times square. Getting around in the city is my biggest issue. In NJ, you can decide to go see a show and drive for a couple of minutes and easily get to Rutherford or Newark to the Prudential center, or Izod center, or stadium and you are fine. In NYC, unless you are just going to see something right in the middle or the vicinity of TS, it's a headache. I went to see Cirque du Soleil at Randall's island this week and not including the bus I took from NJ to NYC, I had to take two trains and a bus and I still got to the show really late, driving and taxi were not an option with the peak hour traffic so there you go, NYC is exciting but you can barely transit from point A to point B.
Jessica Skelton Apr 21st 2010 2:27PM
As someone who is contemplating moving to New York in the not-so-distant future, this information is really interesting and really helpful. Definitely makes me consider my options when thinking about a living situation when I move out there. As far as a vacation goes, however, I think I'd prefer to spend a little more money and stay in the city, but that's just me.