The Chelsea Hostel's best attribute is its location - it is in a good, safe neighbourhood across the road from a police precinct. The 23rd Street Subway is only about a 5 minute walk and buses leave from 8th Avenue nearby. It is an easy walking distance to the amazing sights of Midtown Manhattan (Empire State Building, Times Square, and also where the City Sightseeing Buses leave from).
To get there it's a 22 block walk from the Port Authority Bus Terminal -- just take a yellow cab for approximately $7-8 and save yourself a lot of time and hassle.
The hostel itself is alright, the rooms are small and cramped, and without air conditioning you'll need to sleep with the window open -- luckily it's good location means it's not too noisy. The facilities are good - there is a small kitchen, but being New York, you shouldn't really need it - you can fill up on 95 cent bagels for dinner! There are four internet computers which cost $1 for 10 minutes of access.
The bathrooms are shared between each floor, so be prepared to wait in the mornings. There is a good social atmosphere though, the big courtyard usually has lots of people milling about, so there's always someone to go and have a drink (or ten) with in the nearby bars.
During our stay the check in staff were not friendly, be prepared for abrupt service without a smile. If you want advice, don't ask the staff, read the local sightseeing pamphlets as you'll find more out from them.
The Chelsea is good value for money, it's let down by the staff but worth staying at simply for the location.
— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
March 2005
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