Hotel 17

Hotel 17 is a great value and is perfect if you need an inexpensive place to stay in the Flatiron/Gramercy area. It's in a nice neighborhood on 17th Street near 3rd Avenue. The hotel is in a cool old building, which is immaculate and well-maintained. It's within walking distance of just about everything you need; subway stations, markets (including a health food store and a Whole Foods), a great pizzeria, a drug store, dry cleaners, a liquor store, bars, restaurants and at least three Starbucks that I know of. Points of interest in the area include Union Square Park, Stuyvesant Square, the New York Film Academy (which is located in the last Tammany Hall building) and the Strand Book Store. If you're a rock and roll geek, like I am, you might be interested in knowing that the former site of Max's Kansas City is just a couple of blocks away at 213 Park Avenue South. The legendary rock club that once hosted acts like Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Bob Marley in their early years is now a health food restaurant. I'll be frank. Hotel 17 is not much on amenities. The single rooms are very small. VERY small. There are no private baths. There are two communal bathrooms in each of the two corridors on each floor. Most rooms have a sink (I had one once that didn't. Make sure yours does!) I suggest packing a pair of cheap plastic flip-flops to wear to the shower. After a few people have showered the floor can get really wet. (For some reason, people apparently don't think to dry off while still standing in the tub so the water goes down the drain and not on the floor.) Flip-flops will also help you avoid contracting athlete's foot from one of your fellow guests. This place has some interesting quirks. For example, there is no Wi-Fi connectivity in the rooms, but there IS connectivity in the stairwells! So you frequently see people sitting on the stairs with their laptops. It's also important to know that if you want your room cleaned you have to request it! D

Except that you need to step out and walk 5 feet, it was like an exclusive bathroom.