<p>I hope some parents here will be able to help with this. My son has a grad school interview at Columbia in New York. We were quite shocked by the hotel prices for the area. We did notice that he could get a much better deal by staying in New Jersey and it looks like that works on a map, but being from Arizona we aren’t sure how feasible this is. We are okay with paying higher prices if it is not feasible to stay further away from the school, but if it does work and he can get a better rate he would be able to stay an extra day and explore the school and city to see how he feels about the “fit”. Any advice would be appreciated. Oh and also which airport would be the best to fly into - or does it matter? We have never been to New York. Thanks!</p>
<p>If you care to name a budget/required amenities that might help. NJ hotels are cheaper but will take a little time to get into the city from, and cost whatever the PATH train or bus or ferry or whatever costs to get into the city.</p>
<p>NYC is served by 3 airports. Closest to Columbia is LGA in Queens, next probably EWR in Newark NJ and third probably JFK also in Queens. All offer bus or taxi service into the city, JFK also has a “train to the plane”. In fact I think Newark might now, also.</p>
<p>As I google I see a lot of hostels and small hotels on the upper west side for around $150-200 - are you seeing cheaper than that in NJ? Take a look: <a href=“https://www.google.com/hotels”>https://www.google.com/hotels</a></p>
<p>Thanks - we don’t have any set budget. Hotels in New York were around $300 and New Jersey looked closer to $180 so big difference. Not that picky on amenities. Just in a relative “safe” area. We know nothing about the neighborhoods, etc… So it sounds like getting to Columbia for an early morning appointment from New Jersey might take some doing to figure out the train, bus or ferry (he will arrive in late the night before due to needing to attend classes here so he won’t have a lot of time to figure it all out). It would also be a big no no to be late for the interview and DS will also be sleep deprived due to the time change. I guess my main question at this point is if it is worth it to be all the way in New Jersey or is it worth the money to have him closer to Columbia and not risk arriving late or having a stressful morning in an unfamiliar area? I am still not able to fully picture how involved it is to get there from New Jersey - on a scale of one to ten (with 1 being a real pain and 10 being an easy commute over from Jersey) how would you rate it?</p>
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I think for one night or two in a hotel, I wouldn’t risk having your son be late or have the anxiety about finding his way from NJ or Brooklyn etc. Priceline has a lot of express deals or use hotwire, choose an upper west side location and he can take a cab to Columbia on interview day. Then he can relax and enjoy Manhattan.
In this situation, I would spend a few hundred dollars more to have peace of mind.</p>
<p>Is the Pod Hotel still around?</p>
<p>^ ^</p>
<p>Yes. <a href=“http://www.thepodhotel.com/”>http://www.thepodhotel.com/</a></p>
<p>Granted, the prices might be a bit high for the cramped space, but for a student going to an interview, it’ll probably do nicely. </p>
<p>If he’s open/comfortable to staying at a youth hostel, there’s this:</p>
<p><a href=“http://hinewyork.org/contact/directions/”>http://hinewyork.org/contact/directions/</a></p>
<p>891 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY, 10025-4403 is close to the Columbia campus and for me, at least, a leisurely 10 minute walk. </p>
<p>Housing prices was one of the major factors D ruled out Columbia (where she was accepted) for her grad school. Just saying…</p>
<p>There was a very recent thread about hotels near Columbia… Let me see if I can find it. </p>
<p>Here it is!</p>
<p><a href=“NYC/Columbia hotels? - Parent Cafe - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1644128-nyc-columbia-hotels-p1.html</a></p>
<p>If your son is flying in late at night - consider having him fly into JFK or LGA, getting a hotel near the airport and then going into the city the next morning. The hotel will be cheaper and he will have an opportunity to get a little more rest. Transit is better from JFK – he can take the LI Railroad to Penn Station, then the 1 up to Columbia - but probably would want to allow for at least 90 minutes or possibly longer because of his lack of familiarity with the transit system. (That’s leaving extra time for him to figure out the vending machines for his subway and puzzle out finding the right tracks for the right lines – I’ve done it both ways, as a newbie and the later as a repeat visitor,). The more costly but probably better option is just to take a cab in so he won’t have to fret about being late – I’m thinking you are looking at cab fare of around $50. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.utsnyc.edu/pages-secondary/landmark-guestrooms/landmark-guestrooms---amenities-and-accommodations”>http://www.utsnyc.edu/pages-secondary/landmark-guestrooms/landmark-guestrooms---amenities-and-accommodations</a></p>
<p>Guestrooms nearly across the street–begin at $135 for a single–not fancy but very convenient and safe.
Have stayed there over the years in a pinch when my children attended Columbia.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone - I will go look at these and the link to the other hotel post!</p>
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<p>That’s a great option! Something to keep in mind for those needing places to stay near Columbia U. </p>
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<p>Transit is better from JFK, but both are really long trips which could be aggravated by delays due to road/train traffic during rush hours/construction on the LIRR/relevant subway lines in Queens/Brooklyn.</p>
<p>Even though LGA is geographically closer, there are no subway lines adjacent to that airport so you’ll need to resort to taking buses to the subway or if you’re willing to take a seriously loong bus trip, the M60 bus line will take you from JFK straight to the Columbia U area. </p>
<p>It’s up to the OP, but I personally wouldn’t recommend staying near either airport due to the lengthy transportation route and potential issues which could snarl up that long commute. </p>
<p>If you’re willing to be that far out, some hotels in nearby NJ towns across the Hudson may be argably better bets. </p>
<p>Did your son ask the grad school if they provide a hotel…or a per diem? My son never paid for any of his grad school trips…they paid for everything…travel, hotel and food. </p>
<p>At a minimum, they may have arrangements for lower prices with some hotels. </p>
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<p>Arggh. Mistyped. I meant the M60 will take you straight from LGA to the Columbia U area. </p>
<p>Don’t forget Westchester Airport! Don’t know what the public transport into the city is like from there–there has to be some kind of shuttle/van/limo service, but I’ve always driven–but it is much closer to Columbia and usually a pleasure to go through.</p>
<p>I’ve commuted into Manhattan from both NJ --Hoboken, which is about the easiest, shortest, and most flexible commute possible, since there are both busses and PATH–and from CT by train. I would <strong>strongly</strong> suggest that he stay somewhere either in the Columbia area or on a convenient subway line not too far away the night before, rather than attempting to manage a morning commute, especially if promptness is key. Reduce morning stress! :)</p>
<p>I’m a fan of youth hostels. There have some other great suggestions here.</p>
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<p>Westchester Airport is around a 45+ minute drive and public transit options will take longer due to need to transfer to the NYC subway at some point. </p>
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<p>Agreed! Better to get a place close by to eliminate stress from long commute. </p>
<p>Plus, it’ll have the added benefit of allowing OP’s son to observe the neighborhood throughout the day and decide whether the vibe is right for him. </p>
<p>DS had an interview at the same school several years ago. He stayed at a hotel that is not far from the Grand Central. He could take subway to the school but he ended up taking a cab in the morning but took the subway back to his hotel.</p>
<p>Being an “overprotective” parent, the reason why we arranged him to stay at a hotel near there is that that area seems to be safer than the area near the school and he could walk to the Grand Central to get a cab if his skill of hailing a cab like New Yorker does is not good enough. His hotel helped him to get a cab in the end (but he paid the tips.) I forget which hotel he stayed though.</p>
<p>My daughter just completed a summer internship at Columbia (the thread tagged above). I highly recommended the Lucern, which was suggested by another CC parent with a child that had attended Columbia. It is upper west side, felt very safe, restaurant abound in the area, and best of all the subway is 1 block from the hotel and a short 10 minute ride deposits you at the entrance to Columbia University. It is not cheap, but reasonably priced by NYC standards and offers a Columbia discount. </p>
<p>I have stayed in some vile places in famously dubious countries, but a youth hostel in NYC was about the worst I ever experienced. $260 or so for The Pod looks like a safe option.</p>
<p>Actually, the door-to-door drive from Westchester Airport to Columbia is only about 35 min according to google maps. 
Of course, being driven directly there is likely to cost an arm and a leg!</p>