Where to stay in New York to cut costs?

Hi everyone! I’m planning a week-long family trip to NYC in October 2026. The focus is on museums and soaking up the New York vibe. I’ve been checking Airbnb, but the prices in Manhattan are through the roof. Since I don’t know NYC well, is it "wise" to look outside Manhattan? Any neighborhoods you’d recommend?

Hi Carmen,

Welcome to the forum 😉

First off, be careful with Airbnbs in NY—short-term sublets are heavily regulated there (it’s illegal to rent if the owner doesn’t live on the premises), and forum members often report last-minute cancellations with little explanation, but you can guess it’s because of that. I did see a post (a travel journal?) on the forum from someone who rented an apartment in the Bronx, and it went really well.

To reduce the cost of a hotel right in Manhattan, you could look at hotels in Long Island City, which is well connected by subway to the center. I’ve done that twice, and it’s totally doable. Or on the other side in New Jersey (never done it myself), but it’s a bit trickier to get to the center.

Happy searching!

I agree with what Caussat said. I’d add that I’ve stayed in Brooklyn several times—there are lots of really nice, safe neighborhoods that make it easy to get to Greenwich Village/Soho and the Midtown attractions: Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, DUMBO, Williamsburg… even in neighborhoods that were best avoided in the 90s/2000s (like Bed-Stuy), you can find perfectly quiet spots these days. For Airbnbs, the main thing is to check how many recent reviews there are—I’ve never had any issues personally.

Jersey City, near the subway. Direct and significantly cheaper. Or Brooklyn.

Airbnb is banned in New York. So if you find any, they’re illegal and it’s risky to book them. Locals report them, and you could even get fined or arrested by the police.