New York City Union Square, Flatiron District, And Murray Hill

Near the heart of Manhattan, the several affordable options in this area provide ideal bases for explorations of both the downtown and midtown/uptown neighborhoods. The area itself is full of beautiful architecture, bustling city parks, quiet streets, and decent restaurants.

Carlton Arms Hotel, 180 E. 20th St. (www.carltonarms.com), A riot of painted walls sets this mid-scale hotel apart from just about any of its competitors. Each room has a unique variation on quirkiness: one is adorned with enormous caricatures of mug shots, another with a wall-to-wall Seussian landscape, another with abstract designs from a psychedelic fantasy. Individual artists' contributions (the famous graffiti artist Banksy painted one stairwell) give the entire interior a constantly changing, endlessly fascinating look. The rooms themselves are smallish but cozy—just be prepared to spend the night surrounded by very colorful and unavoidable wall paintings. Singles with shared bath $80, with bath $110; doubles $110/130; triples $140/155; quads with bath $180. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet. Has air conditioning.
Gershwin Hotel, 7 E. 27th St. (www.gershwinhotel.com), Right next to the attention-grabbing Museum of Sex, the Gershwin strives for some public notice itself with several unique, curved glass sculptures adorning the facade. It's a welcome reprieve from the monotony that can mark this area of town. The indoor options are similarly enticing, with a spacious lobby attached to an in-house cafe and sleek, modern, but otherwise spare rooms with plenty of roaming space. Best of all is the wide range of options at hand, from “bunkers” lined with cheap dorm beds to pricey suites. Wi-Fi $10 per day. Dorms $30-50; “economy” doubles $110-130; “standard” doubles $150-190; “superior” doubles $200-250; “suite” doubles $250-300. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Has air conditioning.
American Dream Hostel, 168 East 24th St. (www.americandreamhostel.com), Don't expect amazing digs at this plain Gramercy. Do expect comfort and a general atmosphere of hominess. Stairways and corridors lined with soft blue carpet lead to small, mostly unadorned rooms on three floors. Singles $75; doubles $105. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet. Has air conditioning.
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