<p>You might try Airbnb to see if you can find a reasonably priced place in Manhattan. We have used it many times in NYC and have always been happy with our accomodations.</p>
<p>I have also used Airbnb four times when going to NYC. Twice I stayed in Manhattan and twice in Brooklyn. All were cheaper options than a hotel. I think it is more convenient than staying in NJ too.</p>
<p>For the NJ naysayers - just be aware for those trying to stretch their $, NJ can be a great choice. it takes 15 minutes from Secaucus Meadowlands to Times Square on a bus that picks you up right at your hotel. You can get a suite with 2 queens or a king and a pullout sofa bed in the living room, free breakfast, Indoor pool, and parking if you need it for around $150/night. It is not as glamorous as staying in Manhattan but it is pleasant and affordable. The NJ Transit buses run from 5:30 am - 1 am and again, it takes 15 minutes by bus to be in Times Square. Secaucus is only 3 miles from NYC just on the other side of the Lincoln tunnel. comparatively, it takes approximately 45 minutes from Brooklyn or 30 minutes from the Upper East Side to get to the Midtown area. Secaucus is cheaper and closer although not as chic.<br>
I do agree that Air bnb and VRBO can have some interesting options as well. And if you are adventurous, doing something like hotwire.com can find you a great hotel at a low price. But make sure you know where in the city they are located and figure out your commute times. There are many parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn that are much further away from Times Square than Secaucus. </p>
<p>Airbnb can be just as cheap as that and also has a kitchen and can sleep more people in separate rooms if an apartment. As well, not everyone wants to go to Times Square. I’ve stayed in the lower half of Manhattan with Airbnb, as well as just a couple subway stops into Brooklyn via Airbnb and so it is a viable option, particularly with the subway system. </p>
<p>We only mentioned Times Square because the OP mentioned that as a location they preferred if not for the cost and specifically asked for lodging recommendations in NJ. But I agree, there are great options in many places in and around the city to stay. </p>
<p>Nothing wrong with Jersey. Wouldn’t appeal to me for a visit to NYC, but it is a viable option and the OP did ask about it. Just saying there may be viable options for the same price in New York. Not putting’ down NJ…I’m from Joysey after all ! ;
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<p>@broadway95, I have the impression that you are surprising your family as a single traveler? No/yes? </p>
<p>I’m beyond perplexed by some of the posts here though I get the spirit of helping. NJ is great and could be a wonderful option. My daughter was in a show in NJ this past summer and reverse commuted out from the lower east side to NJ all summer long. It meant many a late night on a NJ transit platform by herself after midnight waiting for the return train back to the city. Wouldn’t be the case in reverse but yeah… from a Mom’s standpoint it wasn’t my idea of heaven and twice, she was rescued from a missed train at the wee hours by a CC mom. </p>
<p>I’d not hesitate to stay in NJ. We stayed in a NJ hotel this summer when we went to see her show. I’m just saying that staying in NJ within striking distance of the city is not necessarily cheaper and is decidedly less convenient than staying somewhere in the city within walking distance from the subway if your intention is to spend the majority of your time in the city. In particular if you are just a party of one. I don’t get the hesitation that someone expressed her about AirBnB. I’ve stayed alone in AirBnB and with others 5,6,7 times maybe. Never had a bad experience. Maybe bad experiences exist but I have yet to run into one and I don’t get how being familiar nor less familiar with NYC or NJ inoculates one from that. I could send you the funny picture we took from the window view from the Expedia approved hotel we stayed in in NJ for a night last summer. It would make you chuckle and get my point. Fairly sure it’s where the bodies are buried.</p>
<p>I had never explored AirBnB so I just checked it out and it looks like a great resource. Set up the filters so you see only what you want. If you are centering your visit on the theater then you’d be wise to look at listings on the 1,2,3; A,C,E; N,Q,R; or B,D,F lines. (Upper West Side, Battery Park City, Chelsea, etc) These will guarantee that you spend a minimum of your time traveling. More importantly, you will be in NYC, not just adjacent to it. The subway is cheap and efficient and very safe and truly immerses you in the life of the city. After the theater the train is full of a high-spirited crowd of audience members and actors and musicians - all scurrying home. When I travel to another city I’m really looking to be fully in that city rather than commuting from a suburb.</p>
<p>Not meaning disrespect at all to the people who have used it successfully, but I personally wouldn’t use AirBnB in NYC if only because so many of my friends who live in the city loathe it–it’s really awful for the people who have to put up with a stream of strangers going into and out of their neighbors’ apartment. </p>
<p>There are so many inexpensive options. NJ is fine. Hoboken or Jersey City or Teaneck are great options if you want close. Yonkers is also a good bet for inexpensive and probably a bit cheaper than NJ. (By inexpensive I mean you can get a very nice room for less than $150/night, often including a pool and breakfast ) </p>
<p>In Manhattan itself, you can often get deals if you are flexible about your precise location. I stayed by the UN for one of my son’s auditions and was in this glorious hotel room high up with wall to wall windows on three sides and a great view of the East River, for $120/night. Lots of deals pop up if you go with the search engines that promote hotel deals. </p>
<p>D attends NYU so lots iof trips to New York. First join Hilton Honors and get the credit card too! Next check and recheck hilton garden inns and hampton inns for best deals in Manhatten. I have booked a room at the Doubletree in in Times Square for $125 per night for weekdays. Hampton inn in Soho usually has good rates. Also love the Hilton Garden Inn on Chelsea. Deals are there you just have to keep looking!</p>