Newark, NJ to New York, NY?

Question

I'm thinking about traveling up to NYC this summer with my family on vacation. The rates inside of NYC are too expensive (looking for preferablly under $100 per room per night). I was thinking about staying out in Newark and catching the PATH-Rapid Transit System into the city if that is possible. I know that when I was there on my first trip about four years ago (with my school) and drove into the city each day. I would prefer to stay away from driving into the city if possible. I know that once in the city we can catch MTA for the week for $24 (I was there last summer for a week). I would say we could stay in a hostel and take Amtrak into Grand Central (last summer too), but Amtrak is a little expensive from where I'm coming from and it would be cheaper to drive up. I know that a lot of people commute from Newark which gave me that idea. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

While Newark might be convenient, I think you are going to have a hard time finding decent accomodations. The area of Newark right around the train station is not a nice neighborhood, to say the least.

If you want to explore the option of places to stay near the PATH train, try Jersey City. It has gotten much more built up and popular in the last year and I think it would be very convenient.

If you are willing to stay in a hostel, check out Jazz on the Park and the Big Apple Hostel, both of which are in the city, but relatively inexpensive.

Answer 2

We have done that and stayed at the Marriott at Newark airport, which is really in Elizabeth, NJ. Sometimes you can get an AAA rate of $89 a night iff you book far enough ahead. It has an indoor pool, which the kids love, and it's a lovely hotel. You can take the airport shuttle to Penn Station in Newark and take either Amtrak or the Path into NYC. The hotel charges for parking but there are some nice diners in the area for a hearty cheap breakfast (go south on route 1) and you are near the special tax district where there is a huge mall of discount stores with half the normal sales tax. NJ doesn't charge a sales tax for clothes anyway.

Answer 3

You don't say how many (and what ages) are travelling with you, but if you shopped on-line for a hotel room in Manhattan, I know you could get a nice one if each of two or three of you were to be willing to spend around $100/night. The problem will be if you drive your car to the city. Parking is VERY exensive here--we pay to park what some people in this country pay for rent! Have you considered renting a car and dividing the costs and dropping it off once you arrived in or just outside of NYC? And likewise, renting a car to go home?

You can of course do the NJ into NYC route. It's going to be cheaper, but you'll end up spending more time in transit and less of whatever it is you want to do here. If you do that, you may want to do a comparison of Newark and Hoboken, NJ. My nephew couldn't afford to live in the city, so he and some roommates rented in Hoboken and loved it. It's apparently quite the place for the younger set these days. Just a thought...

Definitely get a weekly MTA Metrocard--that'll save you oddles compared to cabs.

Answer 4

Newark might be in the process of urban renewal in the downtown area but I'd avoid it since Newark still has its rough parts. Besides, the only hotels nearby are by the airport and they tend to be expensive.

The Fort Lee hotels aren't that expensive and some of them do have free shuttle service over the George Washington Bridge to get to the "A" train at 175th Street (Port Authority).

Answer 5

There are so many options. See if you can get a good and safe hotel in Jersey City or Newark and then catch the train into the city. Considering it is your whole family it might be worth just getting a room in Queens and taking the subway into Manhattan.

Answer 6

There are a few nice hotels in Linden NJ, which is a short trip on NJ Transit, about a half hour, straight into penn station. The hotel is the Hampton Inn...its on Edgar and North Stiles roads. About a 20 minute walk from the NJ transit station.

Answer 7

stress. We drove from crucial Wisconsin to Yellowstone and it fee us $500 in gasoline and that replaced into with an entire-length truck. With the problems and expenses of airlines we stress, noticeably with our 3 young ones under 6. Plus in case you stress you are able to supply up once you choose and circulate to issues alongside the way in case you choose. Plus with 5 people you are able to take turns driving.