Brooklyn hotels

[hmorrow]

Can someone recommend a hotel in Brooklyn for  before we board the Queen Mary. Probably not right by the port, as I understand it’s a little “seedy”

[sfred]

The hotels around Brooklyn Borough Hall are conveniently located.  There's a Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton, and several smaller brands.  Borough Hall has easy access to the Brooklyn Bridge (a great walk across to lower Manhattan), Brooklyn Heights (pleasant streets and waterfront), restaurants, and numerous transit connections (NYC subway 2/3, 4/5, A/C/F, N/R/W).  It is a short taxi, Uber, or B61 bus to the QM2 Red Hook pier. 

 

Red Hook is steadily transforming, and has a lot more happening than before, but the only hotel near the pier is a Brooklyn Motor Inn. 

 

Best wishes for your voyage!

[taxatty]

We just stayed at that Marriott after a QM2 cruise--a short taxi ride from the port. It's a decent large hotel with nice rooms, and the New York Transit Museum, subway lines and the interesting DUMBO area with shops and restaurants aren't far away.

[GTJ]

13 hours ago, sfred said:

Red Hook is steadily transforming, and has a lot more happening than before, but the only hotel near the pier is a Brooklyn Motor Inn.

It is not clear what is meant by the term "seedy." The Red Hook neighborhood has been undergoing remarkable change over the past few decades, much like Williamsburg has also changed. But the redevelopment has been progressing more slowly than Wiliamsburg because it has no subway access, and transportation is limited to the B61 bus route and the NYC and Ikea ferry services. Parts of Red Hook had once been a bit rough, filled with industry, and devoid of much interest. Today its largest retailers are Ikea (furniture store) and Food Bazaar (successor to Fairway), and is as well populated by many small pioneering business, such as restaurants and artists. I understand that Hometown Bar-B-Que is darn good, though I have not yet been there. At present there is only a single hotel in Red Hook, the Brooklyn Motor Inn. It gets mixed reviews, the most positive being that it is "not bad," but many commenting on rooms retaining cigarette odors and room maintenance not always meeting expectations. It would seem that there should be sufficient demand a higher quality hotel somewhere along Van Brunt Street, but perhaps there still is not yet enough cruise traffic at the Brooklyn terminal to make the numbers work. Otherwise, there are several hotels nearby in downtown Brooklyn that are well-located and convenient (many are expensive, though likely less compared to Manhattan). There are several hotels spread out along Third and Fourth Avenues, and also immediately south of Green-Wood Cemetery along 39th Street. These would be reasonably close to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, but may not have much of interest in the immediate surroundings. But they are generally close to the subway (closer than the Brooklyn Motor Inn).

[Hlitner]

We would also suggest the Marriott.  Plenty of eating options in that neighborhood and relatively easy to get over to Manhattan if you desire.  Enjoyed GTJs post although there is no way I would want to spend a night in the Red Hook area :).  

 

Hank

[hmorrow]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We would also suggest the Marriott.  Plenty of eating options in that neighborhood and relatively easy to get over to Manhattan if you desire.  Enjoyed GTJs post although there is no way I would want to spend a night in the Red Hook area :).  

 

Hank

I think we'll go with the Marriott! lol

seems like the hotel of choice.....thanks, all

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, hmorrow said:

I think we'll go with the Marriott! lol

seems like the hotel of choice.....thanks, all

Funny story about that Brooklyn Bridge Marriott.  You might be familiar with NYC's last Mayor DeBlasio.  When he left office, he was essentially homeless and need a place to live (for months) while renovations were being made to his Park Slope Home,  He moved into that Marriott (where he apparently had a large suite) and it is rumored he got a very "special deal."  The fact that the owner of that Marriott obtained some very profitable city contracts under the DeBlasio administration.  All politics as usual, but even DeBlasio was comfortable staying at that Marriott :).   

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

There are a few hotels, in a very safe area - with a number of good nearby restaurants, in lower Manhattan just a short ferry ride away from the cruise terminal.  

[hmorrow]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

There are a few hotels, in a very safe area - with a number of good nearby restaurants, in lower Manhattan just a short ferry ride away from the cruise terminal.  

That could be an option, but don't want to drag our luggage on the ferry, and then the port......

[George C]

I was born and raised in Brooklyn and love visiting New York but will always stay in Manhattan, much better choice of restaurants and things to do, lower Manhattan is a short taxi ride from Brooklyn pier, I agree I wouldn’t want to drag bags onto a ferry, if staying in Manhattan you can do a short walk to see World Trade Center memorial or trinity church where Alexander Hamilton is buried.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, hmorrow said:

That could be an option, but don't want to drag our luggage on the ferry, and then the port......

If you stay at a hotel in Brooklyn you will either have to take a taxi or drag your luggage (a rather long war) to the port.  If you stay in lower Manhattan  you can find a hotel within a couple of blocks from the ferry - or you can take a taxi.  When you bet off the ferry in Brooklyn you are within 100 yards with very a good sidewalk. Over all, getting from a hotel in lower Manhattan to the port is no harder (and in at least one case actually easier) than from a hotel in Brooklyn

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

There are a few hotels, in a very safe area - with a number of good nearby restaurants, in lower Manhattan just a short ferry ride away from the cruise terminal.  

We actually considered that option, but the best part of Lower Manhattan is not really within easy walking distance of that ferry stop.  And we hesitate to recommend that tourists spend overnight on the lower east side of the city.   As to my tourist comment, we were born and spent a lot of time in NYC (DD lived and worked in the city for years).  Now that our DD (and grandkids) live in NYC no need for us to normally use a hotel.  We know the Marriott because we have dropped some rental cars (Budget has a location in the hotel) at the hotel.

 

Hank

[meadowlander]

On 9/8/2022 at 10:26 AM, GTJ said:

At present there is only a single hotel in Red Hook, the Brooklyn Motor Inn. It gets mixed reviews, the most positive being that it is "not bad," but many commenting on rooms retaining cigarette odors and room maintenance not always meeting expectations.

There is only 1 hotel in Bayonne, a hotel you suggested as an option for cruisers. A hotel that charges hourly rates and yet you downplay the Brooklyn Motor Inn for having cigarette odors and maintenance issues. Interesting.

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We actually considered that option, but the best part of Lower Manhattan is not really within easy walking distance of that ferry stop.  And we hesitate to recommend that tourists spend overnight on the lower east side of the city.   As to my tourist comment, we were born and spent a lot of time in NYC (DD lived and worked in the city for years).  Now that our DD (and grandkids) live in NYC no need for us to normally use a hotel.  We know the Marriott because we have dropped some rental cars (Budget has a location in the hotel) at the hotel.

 

Hank

The "lower east side of the city" - which you would "hesitate to recommend" - is usually defined as the east side for a few blocks NORTH of Canal Street -- which is in no way near the Wall Street area, near the ferry to Brooklyn, populated by a number of good restaurants, with a number of good reasonably priced hotels within a few blocks of that ferry landing. 

 

The "best part of Lower Manhattan" probably is defined by the Wall Street area to which i referred -- and which is not included in the oft-referenced "lower east side".

 

I was raised in New York City, and spent my working career in the Wall Street area -- and generally did avoid the "lower east side".

[Got2Cruise]

On 9/10/2022 at 9:51 AM, hmorrow said:

I think we'll go with the Marriott! lol

seems like the hotel of choice.....thanks, all

Very easy to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from there. Very safe stroll. 

[hmorrow]

Actually, I was born in NYC and lived in Washington Heights, till I was 10. Then we moved to Spring Valley.  This was EONS ago, so I would feel like a tourist in NYC. Thanks for all your input!

[lenquixote66]

19 hours ago, meadowlander said:

There is only 1 hotel in Bayonne, a hotel you suggested as an option for cruisers. A hotel that charges hourly rates and yet you downplay the Brooklyn Motor Inn for having cigarette odors and maintenance issues. Interesting.

 I believe that there are 4 hotels in Bayonne unless 3 have recently closed.

[GTJ]

On 9/9/2022 at 6:25 PM, Hlitner said:

[T]here is no way I would want to spend a night in the Red Hook area :).

The great thing about NYC is that there are so many distinct neighborhoods, each with their own character (and sometimes changing over time), so most people can chose what they prefer . . . there is no need for one size fitting all!

On 9/10/2022 at 9:51 AM, hmorrow said:

I think we'll go with the Marriott! * * * seems like the hotel of choice.

I would say that the Marriott in downtown Brooklyn is the standard against which all other hotels in the area are measured against.

On 9/10/2022 at 1:21 PM, hmorrow said:

[We] don't want to drag our luggage on the ferry, and then the port.

The "drag" onto the ferry is probably easier than other transportation, because it is level boarding and you don't have to lift your luggage up into an automobile trunk, from the curb onto a bus, or up and down the stairs of the subway. The distance from the ferry terminal to the beginning of the cruise terminal drop-off area is about 100 feet; the distance to the front door of the cruise terminal is about 400 feet.

 

On 9/10/2022 at 3:34 PM, Hlitner said:

[T}he best part of Lower Manhattan is not really within easy walking distance of that ferry stop.  And we hesitate to recommend that tourists spend overnight on the lower east side of the city.

I have lived within NYC for many decades, and worked in lower Manhattan for a substantial part of that time. I don't think I know what constitutes the "best" part of lower Manhattan. To me, most any part of lower Manhattan has something of interest (especially if, like me, you have an interest in history and geography). There are many hotels near Pier 11, though they do tend to be expensive (after all. Wall Street, where Pier 11 is located, is the financial capital of the world).

 

I am not quite sure of the relevance of the lower east side as place to stay overnight. Either downtown Brooklyn or lower Manhattan would be more convenient. But as to a place to stay, generally, I would not hesitate at all to recommend staying on the lower east side. Some really interesting places to visit, explore, and eat. The main problem with the lower east side is the lack of hotels. There's really only one hotel east of Essex Street (a Holiday Inn), though there are several west of Essex Street and east of Chinatown. I just don't see any particular relevance for bringing up the option of staying on the lower east side (at least absent a particular interest in that neighborhood).

7 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

Very easy to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from there.

A very nice excursion to make from the hotel, over the bridge to city hall. With ambition, make a circle tour by heading uptown from city to Canal Street, then crossing the Manhattan Bridge back into Brooklyn.

[hmorrow]

On 9/10/2022 at 1:56 PM, navybankerteacher said:

If you stay at a hotel in Brooklyn you will either have to take a taxi or drag your luggage (a rather long war) to the port.  If you stay in lower Manhattan  you can find a hotel within a couple of blocks from the ferry - or you can take a taxi.  When you bet off the ferry in Brooklyn you are within 100 yards with very a good sidewalk. Over all, getting from a hotel in lower Manhattan to the port is no harder (and in at least one case actually easier) than from a hotel in Brooklyn

Can a taxi, or uber drop you right at the ship in Brooklyn?

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, hmorrow said:

Can a taxi, or uber drop you right at the ship in Brooklyn?

Yes

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, hmorrow said:

Can a taxi, or uber drop you right at the ship in Brooklyn?

Sure -- but it is easier (and much less expensive) getting to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on foot from a hotel in lower Manhattan than from any hotel in Brooklyn worth seriously considering for a pre-cruise stay.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

Yes

Yes, but we have had some resistance from taxis who do not want to schlep over to Red Hook and go away empty.  If hailing a taxi, and they do not want to take you to Red Hook, than just grab the next taxi or summon Uber.  The last time a taxi did this to us I pulled out my phone and told the driver, "no problem, I will just get an Uber."  The driver was livid.  The problem with NYC Taxis is that they cannot have it both ways.  They constantly whine about Uber, but then give folks more reasons to like Uber.

 

Hank

[GTJ]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Yes, but we have had some resistance from taxis who do not want to schlep over to Red Hook and go away empty. * * * The last time a taxi did this to us I pulled out my phone and told the driver, "no problem, I will just get an Uber." The driver was livid.

I am not following entirely. If the taxi driver does not want to take a fare to Red Hook, and the would-be passenger then chooses to travel by Uber instead, then why would the taxi driver be upset? He or she prevailed in not providing transportation . . . what am I missing here? Was the initial refusal just a shakedown to go off the meter?

 

As for the greater issue of taxi drivers refusing to follow the law (which includes not refusing a fare within the city of New York), I do wish more would-be passengers not be so meek. First, get into the taxi before giving the destination; second, do not exit the taxi upon refusal. If driver continues to refuse to provide transportation, remain seated in the taxi and call for police. The NYPD know and enforce the law. Indeed, the mere threat of calling for NYPD may, by itself, inspire a change of taxi driver mind. Finally, if it becomes necessary to call for police, reconsider if a gratuity is appropriate (it is optional). Yes, I know being an out-of-towner in New York is hard enough, and engaging in arguments with taxi drivers and getting involved with the police is not at the top of the list of things to do while here. But rolling over in the face of illegal taxi operations merely encourages taxi drivers to ignore the law and take advantage of those most vulnerable.

[navybankerteacher]

These responses are extraordinarily tangential to the theme of this thread;  Brooklyn hotels.   Only a rank out-of-towner would contemplate booking a Brooklyn hotel - or would consider a taxi to the cruise terminal if he/she had been wise enough to book a Manhattan hotel.

[Got2Cruise]

9 hours ago, GTJ said:

I am not following entirely. If the taxi driver does not want to take a fare to Red Hook, and the would-be passenger then chooses to travel by Uber instead, then why would the taxi driver be upset? He or she prevailed in not providing transportation . . . what am I missing here? Was the initial refusal just a shakedown to go off the meter?

 

As for the greater issue of taxi drivers refusing to follow the law (which includes not refusing a fare within the city of New York), I do wish more would-be passengers not be so meek. First, get into the taxi before giving the destination; second, do not exit the taxi upon refusal. If driver continues to refuse to provide transportation, remain seated in the taxi and call for police. The NYPD know and enforce the law. Indeed, the mere threat of calling for NYPD may, by itself, inspire a change of taxi driver mind. Finally, if it becomes necessary to call for police, reconsider if a gratuity is appropriate (it is optional). Yes, I know being an out-of-towner in New York is hard enough, and engaging in arguments with taxi drivers and getting involved with the police is not at the top of the list of things to do while here. But rolling over in the face of illegal taxi operations merely encourages taxi drivers to ignore the law and take advantage of those most vulnerable.

I would never want to force a driver to drive me anywhere. No thank you. And to call the cops. Please. Better to get the medallion number and report them.