Penn Station and Madison Square Garden are a block north and Macy s, 42nd Street, and Chelsea are all 10 minutes stroll away, but the fact it sits in a forgotten pocket of Midtown real estate makes Manhattan Inn a secret value. Rooms are plain, but they have phone, cable TV, and even VCRs. They rent them in the lobby. If former President Clinton goes there, so can you. Famous 125th Street, once viewed as the very spine of urban blight by outsiders, has been transformed, a la 42nd Street, into a safe pedestrian-friendly zone, complete with Virgin Megastores and Disney Stores.
Rooms are basic but colorful and clean, and there s a TV lounge.
You ll be at Times Square within 10 minutes. All rooms have cable TV, air conditioning, phones, and radios, and some even have fridges and fireplaces. It s also located on a pretty block of antique brownstones in the city s upscale Chelsea district, home of the city s purveyors of daring cuisine, daring clothing, and daring nightlife. Its owner is active in worthy causes, and the lobby doubles as an art gallery, called 24 Hours for Life. Check out our other recent articles about cheap New York City lodging in the October 2000 issue of Arthur Frommer s Budget Travel, as well as articles on other cheap hotels and a cheap rental agency for furnished spaces.