By:  Petula Brown

No Need to Break the Bank

For Travelers looking to spend most of their time on the streets of New York, affordable accommodations can provide not only more cash for other activities, but also closer proximity to sights and sounds unique from the typical tourist spots.

On the Upper West Side (north from Columbus Circle at 59^th Street up to 110^th Street, between Central Park West and Riverside Park), the Hotel Newton (www.thehotelnewton.com, from $130 per night) is one member of the Empire Hotel Group (www.newyorkhotel.com)  The AAA-Approved property provides budget rooms in a residential area that is a multicultural mosaic.  Newton?s classic but casual style, and free accommodations for children up to 17 years old makes it a prime option for families if clients select double rooms or suites.  However, some rooms can be a tight fit (ideal for solo vacationers), so make sure to provide detailed information about the number of persons and their ages to get the best rooms for the best rate.

The Children?s museum of Manhattan (www.cmom.org, $8.00 with discounts for seniors and children less than one-year-old), Columbia university (www.columbia.edu) and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (www.stjohndivine.org many events are not charge)  are a few minutes away by bus and many other sites are easily accessible via the subway, located a couple blocks away.

Another Upper West Side budget option, the Beacon Hotel (www.beacon-hotel.com , from $170 per night) is closer to downtown and sites such as the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org, $13 suggested with discounts for seniors and children less than 12 years old), and Lincoln Center (www.lincolncenter.org, fees vary by event/activity).  With kitchen facilities in every room (including microwaves, toasters and dishware), the Beacon is especially attractive to clients interested in cooking as an alternative to restaurant dinging.  Build in 1929 along with the Beacon Theatre, the property has served as a residence hotel and student housing.  In the 1990s, Hotel Beacon began focusing on the tourist market, but some permanent residents continue to live in the Hotel, giving vacationers a chance to experience living with New Yorkers?generally unavailable to guests at most other properties.  Combined with amenities like wireless Internet access, a 9,000 square foot fitness center and coin-operated laundry, the Beacon provides the comforts of home with the conveniences of a hotel.

If you tire of the hotel scene and are willing to push the envelope, consider the Efuru Guest-house (www.efuru-nyc.com), from $95 per night)The brownstone row house was designed in the late 1800s and blends nicely among other residential houses in the Harlem community of Mount Morris Park.  Stroll for less than 20 minutes, and you?ll be in the northern edge of Central Park or in the midst of the historic 125^th Street shopping district.  With two 300 square foot studios and two 17.5 foot by 12 foot rooms (with shared kitchen and bath)  Efuru provides a warm personal feeling at reasonable rates.  It is a great option for solo travelers looking for a place to relax after days of touring, shopping and partying in New York.

All the properties can be reached from LaGuardia Airport (about ten miles) and JFK (about twenty miles) Adventurous persons not pressed for time can use the M60 city bus available at LaGuardia with free transfers to reach all hotels ($2.00, exact change only), but taxis and shuttles are also available (from $15)  Unless visitors are well versed in the subway system, traveling from JFK via taxis or shuttles may be the best bet (from $30)

About the Author:  Petula Brown is a native New Yorker