Brooklyn is currently THE place for student and youth travelers looking for an exciting, creative, and authentic New York City experience. The art and hipster scene in Williamsburg is simply unparalleled elsewhere in the city. Used book stores, clothing boutiques, art galleries, coffee houses, and bars are abundant. The nightlife is exceptional, unique, and, honestly, just plain cool. The youth art, music, and fashion scenes are absolutely exploding right now in Brooklyn. Conveniently, Manhattan’s skyline is almost always visible and just a short train ride away.
For student and youth traveler’s who require cheap accommodations, hostels are a smart and affordable choice. Here is a list of the best and worst youth hostels in Brooklyn, New York:
1. ZIP112 Hostel
112 N. 6th Street, Brooklyn
646-361-5380
Beds start at $45 a night
ZIP112 Hostel is located in Williamsburg, the current “in” neighborhood for young artists and hipsters. This small hostel is very clean, has a simple yet modern design, and is located in the center of one of the most thriving art communities in New York City. Guests are provided with complimentary breakfast, wifi, skype headsets, and linens.
2. The New York Loft Hostel
249 Varet Street, Brooklyn
Online booking through many hostel databases – www.hostels.com has no booking fees
Beds start at $20 a night
The New York Loft Hostel is brand new and way trendy. The beds at the hostel are extremely comfortable and housed in a giant, light filled wood floored, brick walled loft. There is a common kitchen and complimentary wifi and linens.
3. Lafayette International Hostel
484 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Online booking through many hostel databases – www.hostels.com has no booking fees
Beds start at $25 a night
The staff at the Lafayette International Hostel are extremely friendly, dedicated to customer service, familiar with the area, and always willing to help. The rooms at the hostel are small but bright. The subway line that the hostel is close to requires transfers to reach Manhattan, so this hostel is most ideal for travelers wishing to explore Brooklyn instead of Manhattan. Wifi and linens are complimentary. Common areas are not air conditioned, but bedrooms are. Kitchen, foosball, and television are provided for guest use.
4. Crown Brownstone
958 St. Mark’s Avenue, Brooklyn
Online booking through many hostel databases – www.hostels.com has no booking fees
Beds start at $30
The Crown Brownstone is quite exceptional. Its rooms and bathrooms are huge, its staff is known to treat guests to dinner, its decor is funky and modern, and its extremely safe and clean. The hostel claims to be the only hostel in the city that “encompasses the true spirit of spoken word, hip-hop, reggae, and urban high life.” No single sex rooms are available. Wifi and linens are complimentary. Hostel is 40 minutes from Manhattan via subway.
5. Twelve Towns YMCA
570 Jamaica Avenue, Brooklyn
Beds start at $45
The Twelve Towns YMCA is definitely a hostel to be avoided. It is not safe to walk in the hostel’s neighborhood at night and the beds and bathrooms are less than sanitary.
6. Greenpoint YMCA
99 Meserole Avenue, Brooklyn
Beds start at $63 a night
Travelers should also avoid the Greenpoint YMCA. Not only is the hostel dirty, but its staff are extremely unprofessional. Past guests have even been forced to sleep on the hostel’s floor after their reservations were cancelled without prior notification.
7. Glenwood Hostel
339 Broadway, Brooklyn
Beds start at $25 a night
The Glenwood Hostel is probably the worst hostel in New York City, if not the world. The rooms are tiny and the beds are full of bugs. Homeless people and drug dealers are regular fixtures in the hallways. Don’t let other reviews fool you. Stay far, far away.
8. Lefferts Manor Bed and Breakfast
80 Rutland Road, Brooklyn
Online booking through www.hostelbookers.com
Beds start at $30 a night
Lefferts Manor is located in a charming Victorian townhouse on a quiet, picturesque block. The rooms are large, airy, clean, and homely. It is not the most exciting or trendy place to stay, but it is very safe, clean, and quaint. A complimentary breakfast is served each morning on the front patio. Manhattan is a fifteen minute train ride away.
