Is it practicable to live in a hotel in Newark for 5 days sightseeing in NYC?

usatraveller: Is it practicable to live in a hotel in Newark for 5 days sightseeing in NYC?
Soon I want to go to NYC with my parents, and we are looking for a hotel. As hotels (and parking) are so expensive in the city, someone told me we should find a hotel in Newark instead. Is that practicable if you are planning to do sightseeing every day? How long does the train ride into NYC take and do the trains go all day (so that we are flexible with the times)? Can anyone recommend a good, not too expensive hotel?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Vicky
yeah that is a good idea actually you will be saving a whole lot of money! newark is close to the george washington bridge which is the bridge to get into manhattan. its pretty close. i no this because i go from manhatten into to new jersey to visit family. newark is really close and practicable.

Answer by Native New Yorker
This is a very good idea economic wise. A lot of travelers, who choose not to stay in the City, stayed in Newark an took the train into the City.

Now, the trip to and from NYC by commuter train can take anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes if you’re staying at a hotel near Newark Airport. If you staying at hotel in downtown Newark, the trip is a lot short (about 5 to 10 minutes), plus you have a the choice to take either NJ Transit or the PATH train.

Depending on your budget, may I recommend the link below.

Good luck
Native New Yorker

Answer by JillieBoe
If you guys don`t care about your accommodations, and just want something clean and simple, why don`t you stay in a hostel right in manhattan? My friends and I always stay at The Big Apple Hostel right in Times Square (45th and Broadway). It’s only $ 37/night per person, and you’re right in the thick of things. It’s clean, and functional with private rooms and 4 bathrooms to a floor. It also has a nice common area, and patio out back. You won’t really be spending much time in the hostel anyways, and by staying here, you’ll save so much on cabs, or so much time not having to take subways back into the city.

I’m going there for the 6th time this weekend and can’t wait! Trust me, you will love it! If you have any questions, feel free to message me! 🙂

Answer by roly18
It gets the job done , but why don’t you stay in Brooklyn or Queens, the prices are comparable to Newark. With a weekly metrocard you can go all over NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx) Staying in NJ you will need a metrocard plus add the trip from NJ to NY. You also don’t really get the NYC feeling. I will suggest not to stay in NJ and stay in NYC(Brooklyn, Queens

Answer by farfel
no, it’s not practical to stay in Newark, because Newark isn’t really that close to NYC. for me, close would have to be right across the Hudson, and anything beyond that is too far. you would be spending at least 30 minutes each way, and you won’t have the flexibility of having an open schedule, since you’d always be thinking about “catching the last train”. also, if you stayed in Manhattan, or even within subway distance, like in Brooklyn or Queens, you could always decide to go back to the hotel to rest and then go out again later. it’s much better to do this if you could even walk to the hotel. remember also that in the current economic downturn hotel rates in NYC have been dropping like flies, and you can get great deals now if you look hard enough.

and to the poster who recommended going over the George Washington Bridge to get to Newark, this makes no sense at all since you would be going in the opposite direction. Newark is closest to the Holland Tunnel, but even from there it is still about 10 miles west into New Jersey.

even if you have to pay a little more, stay in Manhattan. you won’t regret it. it’s worth the convenience.