I recently returned from a short business trip to New York City.  I usually travel to the Big Apple at least two or three times a year, and I love it.  It is a huge vibrant metropolis with an immense selection of entertainment and cultural diversions. I like to attend one of the Broadway, or off-Broadway shows, to visit the museums or the other tourist attractions, to eat in one or more of the huge variety of restaurants and to just absorb the vibrant atmosphere of the city.  Like most US natives that do not live in New York City, I frequently say, "New York City is a great place to visit, but I would not wish to live there."

The reason that I and many other non-New York residents, do not wish to live in the city is mainly due to the cost.  It is a very expensive place to live.  Houses, condominiums and apartments typically cost two or three times the price of similar accommodations in most other cities. The hotel rooms are typically double the price of similar accommodations in other cities.

It has always been a challenge to find decent accommodations at affordable prices in New York City.  After numerous visits to the Big Apple, I was finally able to find a few secret bargains at lesser known but nice hotels.  Every time I went there on a business trip, I stayed in those affordable hotels near the heart of the city in Manhattan.  Recently, it has become much more difficult to find such bargain accommodations.  Most of the inexpensive-but-nice hotels have either disappeared or have raised their prices to the point where they are no longer bargains.

The average price of decent hotel accommodations in New York is now about $300 per night.  There are still some Manhattan hotels in the $200 range but they are typically the less-desirable ones.  The under-$300 hotels are usually older, a bit more dilapidated and often in the inaccessible or insecure neighborhoods. 

For the past year or two, New York has been blessed with a healthy number of visitors vying for a limited supply of hotel rooms.  Most hotels filled up.  As their occupancy rates approached full capacity, the hotels began charging premium rates.  For the past few years there have been almost no "last minute" bargains.  The best prices were to be found only by booking well in advance.  Once any hotel neared full capacity, it usually began charging "last minute gouge the customer" prices. That may now begin to change due to the current economic meltdown.

On recent trips to New York City, I have been forced to look in other areas for bargain hotel accommodations.  Here is what I found:

If you stay outside of Manhattan, it is a bit less convenient, but you can still find bargain accommocations.  When I drive to New York City, I usually stay at hotels in the Secaucus New Jersey area.  This unremarkable little community amidst the commercial and industrial suburbs in New Jersey offers a nice selection of hotels with spacious rooms, free parking, modest prices, and easy access into Manhattan.  Secaucus may not be beautiful, but the accommodations are affordable  and the neighborhood is relatively secure.

Another bargain area for accommodations is the neighbohood surrounding Newark NJ Liberty Airport.  This area is likewise not beautiful but is affordable with easy access into Manhattan.  The commute from Newark to Manhattan is a bit longer than it is from Secaucus. 

I have also stayed on the other side of the city in Brooklyn and Queens.  Most of the affordable hotels in Brooklyn are located in the vicinity of JFK Airport.  These hotel rooms are typically more spacious than those in Manhattan, they are significantly cheaper and parking is much less expensive, but the neighborhoods do not appear to be very secure after dark.

I prefer the accommodations in Queens which are mostly located near La Guardia Airport.  The hotels in this area are typically more spacious than in Manhattan, the parking is cheaper and the neighborhoods are a bit more secure.  A few weeks ago, I stayed at the Wingate Hotel in Flushing New York less than two miles from LaGuardia terminal.  The neighborhood is oriental with Chinese Restaurants, Korean Barbeques, Japanese Sushi Bars and Noodle Houses on every block.  It is a relatively safe neighborhood even after dark.  My room was spacious, clean and in excellent repair.  It cost only $139 and parking was a mere $14 per day.  A similar room would cost $300 in Manhattan with parking adding an additional $35 per day.

I ate dinner at Joe's Shanghai Restaurant just two blocks from the hotel.  It was rated as the best restaurant in that area by Trip Advisor.  This modest establishment was crowded with local residents confirming it as one of the most popular restaurants in that area.  Wow!  It served some of the best Chinese food that I have ever tasted.