I stayed in Jay's Astoria rental on the first floor. Jay's place is relatively quiet. You won't hear the constant honking at night like you would hear in the busier areas of Manhattan.
It is an exceptional value for the NYC area, and the accommodation includes everything a 600 sq ft apartment would have, such as:
- full-sized refrigerator
- microwave
- gas range with air vent
- plates/utensils
- pots/pans/cutting board
- electric dishwasher
- private bathroom
- walk-in closet
- ironing board + iron
On the off chance you need to do laundry, there is a laundromat business a block away.
I prefer to hand wash my dishes, and Jay was kind enough to bring new sponges and dishwash fluid. The water bottles he brought were a nice, thoughtful touch as well.
To check-in, I took the Amtrak train from Philadelphia to Penn Station. Then took the 'N' subway route from Penn Station to Astoria Blvd. It's a 12 minute walk to the apartment from the nearest 'N' subway station. I recommend checking G Maps to check for any delays. I paid $33 + $1 fee for a new MetroCard, 7 day unlimited ride pass.
To start my day, I oftentimes took the 'Q69' bus route a block away on 21st St. I then transferred to the 'R' or other subway lines to reach different neighborhoods of Manhattan.
To reach Times Square, it will take just under 40 minutes.
The 'M60-SBS' bus route, a 12 minute walk away, will take you to Harlem, just north of Marcus Garvey Park. It's a good entry point to enter the northern section of Central Park.
Citi Field is reachable by the 'N' or 'Q69' > '7' subway transfer within 50 minutes.
The Staten Island Ferry Terminal is just over 1 hour away.
I didn't get a chance to visit the Bronx, but Yankee Stadium is 45 minutes away.
The main drawback I found with the location, which weren't dealbreakers by any means for me since it's such a great value. There isn't a direct route to easily reach Williamsburg or any southern neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Any longitudinal route to Brooklyn is bus-only with a bit of walking in between a bus transfer.
Alternately, you could take the 'Q69'/'N' route south, then transfer twice in the subway system, but you'll spend time going through Manhattan. I often stopped by and did things in Manhattan to be more efficient with my time when I visited Brooklyn.
Since there isn't a direct way to reach much of Brooklyn, you would probably need to use a rideshare if you are headed to JFK. I paid just under $40 for my ride to JFK Airport at 6am on a Sunday morning with 2021's inflated prices on rideshares.
Overall, Jay's place was essential to enjoying my 6 day stay in NYC, and I would absolutely be back!