3/5 K B. 6 months ago on Google
Positives:
The
location
is
fine
-
it's
a
block
away
from
the
1
train
so
it's
easy
to
get
connected
to
the
city.
I
felt
safe
and
comfortable
in
the
neighborhood.
There
are
bodegas
(cornerstores)
in
every
direction
from
the
front
door
of
the
hostel,
and
a
Trader
Joe's
900
meters
away.
(If
you
Google
"grocery
stores
near
me",
you'll
see
Gristedes
is
the
closest
one.
If
you
go
there,
you
may
be
dismayed
by
the
prices.
Don't
fret
-
there's
a
huge
mark-up
there...
I
discovered
normal
prices
elsewhere.)
The
grounds
of
the
hostel
are
very
peaceful
and
inviting.
Vibrant
and
spacious,
you
can
feel
inspired
and
go
at
your
own
pace.
It's
easy
to
talk
to
other
guests,
and
there
are
many
places
to
commune
with
fellow
travelers,
as
well
as
to
break
away
for
solitude.
My
favorite
morning
spot
for
coffee
is
the
back
patio.
Free
towels,
free
bedsheets.
The
staff
are
mostly
attentive
if
they
speak
English,
otherwise
they're
mostly
unresponsive
to
communication.
The
bathrooms
are
overcrowded
in
the
mornings
so
I
showered
late
at
night.
The
showers
are
fine.
The
surfaces
look
clean
but
they're
basically
not.
(See
below)
Negatives:
Terribly
soft
and
uneven
mattress
with
springs
in
it.
I
was
tired
enough
from
travel
that
I
could
manage
sleep
despite
it,
but
a
prolonged
stay
on
that
bed
will
no
doubt
give
you
back
problems.
My
room
(all-girl
dorm)
was
stuffy
and
not
ventilated.
The
air-con
doesn't
work
well,
but
I
live
in
Germany,
so
I'm
used
to
that.
However,
you
cannot
open
a
window.
That's
frankly
unhygienic.
Several
of
my
dorm
mates
were
coughing
and
sneezing.
The
carpets
seriously
need
to
be
vacuumed
and
scrubbed
with
shampoo.
You
walk
in
to
the
room
and
sticky
warm
air,
full
of
pathogens,
punches
you
in
the
face.
Gross.
People
wear
their
outside
shoes
(after
walking
all
day
through
filthy
Manhattan)
inside
the
rooms,
beside
the
beds.
That's
not
the
hostel's
problem,
per
se,
rather
the
absent-mindedness
of
travelers.
It
would
be
nice
if
a
policy
were
implemented...
Don't
be
fooled
by
the
hand
sanitizer
stations
at
every
turn...
I
sat
in
the
kitchen,
eating
breakfast,
and
watched
a
woman
from
Housekeeping
use
the
same
two
small
yellow
microfiber
towels
to
dry
all
the
dishes
AND
wipe
all
the
countertops,
and
then
dry
more
dishes.
Suddenly
lost
my
appetite.
I
told
her,
"You're
just
spreading
germs
around."
She
shrugged
me
off
and
didn't
say
a
word.
Never
used
any
disinfection
product,
never
changed
gloves,
never
changed
towels.
A
complete
disregard
for
common
sense
hygiene
practice,
as
someone
whose
job
is
to
clean
for
a
living.
Jarring,
honestly.
The
staff
either
need
to
be
trained
in
safe
cleaning
practices,
or
they
should
be
better
paid
so
they'll
care
more,
I'm
not
sure
which
one
it
is.
Conclusion:
go
and
enjoy
your
time
there
-
take
Loops/earplugs
so
you
can
sleep
through
the
noise
(as
with
any
hostel).
Take
house
shoes/slippers,
and
re-wash
all
your
dishes
before
you
use
them.
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