Traveling to New York City is something most people dream of doing at least once in their life. If there were one city that could claim the title of "World Capital" it would probably be New York. This popularity comes with one drawback though. The prices for accommodation in the central area of Manhattan are high. Correction, it's not just high - it's on absurd levels. A week in the summer months in Manhattan (below Central Park) for under 2 000 USD? Forget about it! At least if you want to avoid sharing your room with several others (or even worse: cockroaches and bedbugs). Prices start at around 2 000 for a week and quickly go up from there.

I've been to New York six times over the last twenty years (2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2017, 2022). Three of those times I've stayed in Manhattan, and three I've stayed outside of Manhattan on both sides of the Island.

For my visit in 2022, I actually wanted to stay in Manhattan, somewhere in Midtown as I've done before, but when me and my friend started looking at options we were shocked to see how the prices have skyrocketed since our last time in 2017. After a while, my friend found a hotel out in Queens for a reasonable price. At first, I thought "No Way!", it was right beside one of the most notorious projects in the United States - The Queensbridge Houses. But after reading a little bit about it, and the area of Queensbridge and Dutch Kills I warmed up to the idea.

The area in question is the area just North of 21st Queensbridge Station on the F-Line (Queens Boulevard Express) in Queens, near Roosevelt Island. It's known as Queensbridge or Dutch Kills. To get into Times Square on Manhattan (42nd Street/Bryan Park Station) from here is only 13 minutes by subway, with no transfers. You can also easily reach Lower Manhattan by continuing a few minutes on the same line, or you can get off a few stations earlier and find yourself at the Southern edge of Central Park at Billionaires' Row (57st Station).

When I searched for this area, and especially hotels in this area, I found conflicting opinions. Some people said it was fine and a nice neighborhood, some people said it was a dangerous hood and that you're not even safe in the middle of the day. So I didn't really know what was waiting for me when I arrived.

After staying in this area for nine nights I have to say that I liked it and the money saved was well worth it since it was no hassle staying in this location. It doesn't matter where you stay in New York, you will have to take the subway to see all that the city has to show you. Even if you book a hotel in Midtown Manhattan you will have to take the subway if you want to visit the sights in Lower Manhattan. I never felt that the additional 15-20 minutes it took from Midtown until I was in my hotel room was anything that bothered me.

The area does indeed look very rough. The subway station that you will use is right beside the project. You will also see a lot of weird characters hanging around, which it is best to just ignore. This doesn't make it unsafe. There are always people around. There are now so many hotels in this area that there are always other tourists walking beside you, even if you come home at midnight from dinner in the city. I even walked from the subway to my hotel alone a few minutes before midnight and didn't feel unsafe.

It's a perfect location if you're traveling with friends or are just looking for cheaper accommodation while still being in a somewhat central location. I usually value location very high when I look for hotels and regularly pay premium prices for better locations. I found this compromise between the extremely expensive hotels in Manhattan and the cheaper but slightly more off hotels out in Queensbridge to be perfect. However, I wouldn't stay here if I'm on a romantic trip or traveling with children. Not because it's unsafe, but because parts of the area have a certain feeling that would rather make you think of a dilapidated rust belt city than "The Center of the Universe". It's also a little bit of the charm of staying in an area like this. It's a contrast to the lights and luxury in Manhattan.

One thing to be aware of and beware of is that some hotels in this area are sometimes used as a shelter for the homeless. It's mostly the lower-end hotels closest to 21st St. If you decide to stay in Queensbridge you shouldn't go for the cheapest options. The best thing about staying here is that you can get a high room standard for a price lower than the hostels in Manhattan. Don't overdo it by going for the cheapest options. If you're open to hostels and sharing bathrooms it might still be better to use one of the lower-end options in Manhattan.

While you stay in this part of Queens you should take a half day (at least) to explore the neighborhood. To the North and West of the 21st Queensbridge Station, there's not much to see in the immediate area. If you go South and East there are some great things to see. From Queensbridge Park, you can get views of Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island. If you walk for about 20 minutes along the coast in a Southern direction you will find yourself in Gantry Plaza State Park. From there you get some of the best views available of Midtown Manhattan! Along this riverfront, there is also an iconic Pepsi Cola Sign that's worth a quick stop and a photo.

The main street in this area is Vernon Blvd. The street is lined with local restaurants and bars. In any other city than New York would this be a major tourist street. In a local context, it's a good option if you want something nearby one evening.