Vanderbilt Y in Manhattan

I've recently stayed at the Vanderbilt Y in Manhattan, on 47th street
between 3rd and 2nd avenues. I was in the US for a 12-day visit, with
two periods in New York, both of which I spent at the Vandebilt Y. I
chose it because it was cheap (always one of my prime criteria) and
because it was near the UN; one of my daughters was working in the
neighborhood for a week.

The Y is certainly not a luxury hotel. The rooms (singles and doubles)
have TVs, airconditioning and clock radios, but no phones. (There are
pay phones in the hall.) It is clean and safe and has a friendly and
helpful staff. It serves mostly a young European clientele, but there
are also families and mature adults. The rooms are a bit like college
dorm rooms; the double rooms have bunk beds and the bathrooms are at
the end of the hallways. Some of the rooms have sinks and a closet,
while others don't. All have a small bureau and a place to hang
clothes. A double costs $79 a night.

Aside from the cost, there are other benefits to the Y. They have a
dedicated shuttle to La Guardia and JFK airports. It costs a bit more
than the shuttle that leaves from nearby Grand Central Station, but
you save the hassle of lugging your stuff over there. There is a
luggage storage service, a reasonable $1 per bag per day. They kept my
large bag while I made a four-day trip to the Philadelphia area. They
have organized tours of New York (at extra cost), including visits to
jazz clubs and other evening activities. Guests have free use of the
pool and fitness center, including some exercise classes. There is a
reasonable cafe on the ground floor.

All in all, I was quite satisfied with my stay and would stay there
again. The east side is a bit lacking in transportation options, but
the E train, which you can get at 52nd and Lexington, takes you to the
west side where you can change to other lines. You can also take the
shuttle to Port Authority from Grand Central Station, at 42nd between
Lexington and Park.

There is also a Y on the West Side with similar accommodations and
prices. I may try that one the next time I'm in New York.
--------
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 18:46:35 +0200, B wrote:

[snip - thanks for the report]

The east side is a bit lacking in transportation options, but
the E train, which you can get at 52nd and Lexington, takes you to the
west side where you can change to other lines. You can also take the
shuttle to Port Authority from Grand Central Station, at 42nd between
Lexington and Park.

There's also the Lexington Avenue Line, and there are buses all over
the place.

The main thing that the East Side is lacking is another
uptown/downtown subway. We New Yorkers have only been waiting for the
Second Av. Subway since it was promised as a replacement when the
Third Avenue El was torn down in 1933. [smirk] Seems like they've
finally gotten serious about building it, but [cynical mode:] who
knows what the future will bring?

There is also a Y on the West Side with similar accommodations and
prices. I may try that one the next time I'm in New York.

Seems like you might prefer that location.

Michael

If you would like to send a private email to me, please take out the TRASH, so to speak. Please do not email me something which you also posted.

The Third Avenue El was torn down in the mid 50's. Don't hold your
breath waiting for construction to start on a Second Avenue subway.

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 05:53:25 GMT, Pan wrote:

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 18:46:35 +0200, B wrote:

The east side is a bit lacking in transportation options, but
the E train, which you can get at 52nd and Lexington, takes you to the
west side where you can change to other lines. You can also take the
shuttle to Port Authority from Grand Central Station, at 42nd between
Lexington and Park.

There's also the Lexington Avenue Line, and there are buses all over
the place.

Yes, I know, but other than one trip for business on Wall St., the
Lexington Ave line didn't really go where I wanted to go. I did take
it to the Metropolitan Museum, but it was a pretty long walk to get to
the museum from the nearest Lexington Ave. stop.

I didn't really investigate the bus option very much.

The main thing that the East Side is lacking is another
uptown/downtown subway. We New Yorkers have only been waiting for the
Second Av. Subway since it was promised as a replacement when the
Third Avenue El was torn down in 1933. [smirk] Seems like they've
finally gotten serious about building it, but [cynical mode:] who
knows what the future will bring?

To achieve parity with the west side, they'd have to build at least
two more lines.


--------
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 18:35:57 GMT, Rita
wrote:

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 18:04:09 +0200, B wrote:

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 05:53:25 GMT, Pan wrote:

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 18:46:35 +0200, B wrote:

The east side is a bit lacking in transportation options, but
the E train, which you can get at 52nd and Lexington, takes you to the
west side where you can change to other lines. You can also take the
shuttle to Port Authority from Grand Central Station, at 42nd between
Lexington and Park.

There's also the Lexington Avenue Line, and there are buses all over
the place.

Yes, I know, but other than one trip for business on Wall St., the
Lexington Ave line didn't really go where I wanted to go. I did take
it to the Metropolitan Museum, but it was a pretty long walk to get to
the museum from the nearest Lexington Ave. stop.

Long walk? I think not. Five to 10 minutes depending on whether
you walk like a New Yorker or slow to a crawl.

It seemed a lot longer, but it was dark and raining. I don't know:
from Lexington to 5th is 4 long blocks and then I walked several
blocks north. I think you'd have to be pretty speedy to do it in 5
minutes.
--------
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

In article ,
Rqf wrote:
The Third Avenue El was torn down in the mid 50's. Don't hold your
breath waiting for construction to start on a Second Avenue subway.

They're planning to resume construction by the end of this year. (Some
construction did actually take place in the 1970s, but it stopped when NYC
had its big financial crisis.)

http://www.mta.info/capconstr/sas/

But yeah, I won't start counting chickens myself until they're actually
out there digging.

--
Jon Bell Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA

On 1 Apr 2004 07:24:45 -0800, (Rqf) wrote:

The Third Avenue El was torn down in the mid 50's. Don't hold your
breath waiting for construction to start on a Second Avenue subway.

I'm not, and you're right about that date:

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/...l/thirdav.html

"Not much remains of the Third Avenue Elevated, which ran from Chatham
Square, in the City Hall area, all the way to Gun Hill and White
Plains Roads in the Bronx, from 1878 to 1955. The Bronx section of the
Third Ave el, designated the #8 train (though few knew about it since
the "low-V" cars that ran on the line lacked signage on the front) ran
from the Hub (East 149th Street and Third Avenue) to Gun Hill Road
from 1955 to 1973 when it too passed into history."

By the way, that Forgotten New York website is terrific for anyone
who's interested in New York history and pictures of remnants of the
past both in terms of buildings less easily visible items.

Michael

If you would like to send a private email to me, please take out the TRASH, so to speak. Please do not email me something which you also posted.