Manhattan Uptown Hostel

Uptown Hostel in Harlem is a great hostel for the price you pay. It's in Harlem, and despite what you may think, the neighborhood seems to be perfectly safe, the people friendly, and it is extremely easy to maneuver. It is advisable to be prudent while there, and it is probably not safe to walk alone late at night, however, this is true anywhere in New York. While there are grocery stores, restaurants, and night life right in the area, there is a 24 hour bus stop right out in front of the hostel and a subway station within a few blocks. Via subway, it only takes about 15 minutes to get to Times Square. The place is very easy to find; it's on the southwest corner of 122nd and Lenox.

The hostel definitely has a lot of character, including quirks that are both good and bad. Most importantly, it's cheap, clean, has hot showers, and has good facilities (including a clean kitchen, nice eating area, and bathrooms on every floor.) However, the main disadvantage is that it is small, so you don't get the luxury of a 24 hour reception, a bar, or lots of people to meet. There are only two employees; the woman who runs the place, Giselle (who is very nice and also speaks French if that helps), and a person who helps with cleaning. If you will be arriving after 6:00, you need to call ahead and arrange for her to come back to the hostel and check you in, which she will do. In addition, when you check out you sometimes have to walk to her house, which is a few blocks away. This may seem odd, but things like this keep the cost down.

The rooms are also nice, the bunk beds look home made out of wood so they don't squeak and you don't have to feel the bars beneath the mattresses, and the sheets/blankets on every bed are different, so the room looks very festive. There is plenty of room to walk between beds and there are not too many people to one room. Another disadvantage is the key situation. We were a group of 6, so only having one key to the bedroom and 3 to the front door wasn't too big of a problem, however it seems that not having a key for every bed is a re-occurring problem. In addition, there are no lockers so there is really no safe way to keep your valuables.

On the plus side though, the hostel is small, seems safe, and doesn't seem to attract large crowds because people are scared of Harlem. They have towels, but make sure you ask for one when you check in or maybe even on the phone so she knows to bring one for you. The showers/bathrooms are clean but a little funny, there are no doors on the shower rooms, no hooks or shelves to hang things on, and it takes a minute to figure out how to get the hot water to work (turn it all the way to the hot side and wait a few minutes). Other small problems include that she only accepts cash, there is no phone or internet in the building (however both are easy to find), and you may have to climb a few stairs to get your room.

— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
July 2004