RECOMMENDED LODGING PT. 1

Holiday Inn Express Brooklyn Bridge
625 Union Street, 11215
$187 on GTA.com
15 mins by cab / 30 mins by subway - 2.5 blocks to the station


Exterior View

View from across the street.

This was a pretty honest review from TripAdvisor.

"When you're inside this Holiday Inn Express it seems you could be at most any tollway exit around the country. They're pretty standard, with clean, modern rooms. But this new nine-story hotel (opened in early 2006) has been plopped down in the middle of a Brooklyn block, surrounded by three-flat apartment buildings and auto repair shops.

I was told that this block was filled with drug dealing just a few years ago. The surrounding neighborhood is still rough and walking outside alone at night wouldn't be smart. But a couple of blocks over at 5th Avenue we had a great dinner the night we arrived and good lunch the following day. (OK, so we did see some rats run across the street ahead of us on the way back from dinner and the guys on the stoop of the apartment building next door were sitting outside late smoking pot.)

While skeptical about staying in Brooklyn (my client made the plans) it was the right choice. Not only was our room less than $200 a night (try finding a decent place at that price in Manhattan ), we were close to the business we needed to do in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn .

If you need to stay in Brooklyn , this is a good option."

I think:

I would have no problem staying here or recommending this to anyone This hotel straddles the hood. 2 blocks south is one of the best areas in the city (just like that place that we had brunch at in Chicago). But half a block away is the PJs but its not ghetto - just "community". I would have no problem walking here at night but since it'ill be summer there is a good chance of seeing a few block huggers - not for the high falootin'.

Renee Huber, yes. Jeanne Gray, no.

What say you?