The Bowery House

This place was built as a flophouse for homeless people in the 1920’s and later converted to its present form, but its lowly origin definitely shows. Someone from The Guardian wrote a piece about The Bowery House titled «Shabby or chic?». I think it’s the former. It’s cheap, no doubt, but if you’re willing to go outside of Manhattan, you can easily get a much, much more comfortable place on Airbnb for the same price.
The original cabin is really about the size of a spacious closet, or a king size bed, for that matter. The bed itself is only 6 feet long, so if you’re taller than that, like me, it’s pretty much impossible for you to enjoy your sleep. On top of that there’s the open ceiling – you hear everyone’s snoring, talking, farting, keys jangling, etc. They give you a pair of earplugs, which some people would say is a nice touch, but I think it’s really a sign of desperation (plus the earplugs HURT). You also can’t change the room temperature since it’s regulated by central heating, so the room is incredibly stuffy and claustrophobic.
On the plus side, the staff is very friendly and helpful, and there’s the heated bathroom floor and a great rooftop terrace and other good stuff. But it’s impossible to look past the fact that the room itself is almost certainly one of the worst hotel/​hostel rooms anyone has stayed in.

This place is pretty cool! I was a little confused upon walking in because it’s just a flight of stairs. No one there to greet you or any signs to tell you where to go. Naturally, I went up the stairs, lol. You have to go up two or three flights of stairs to get to the reception area. The girl at the desk was very nice. Check in was super easy (for what it’s worth, I booked a room about 4 hours prior on my phone). She checked my ID, had me sign some paperwork, and gave me a run down of the rules. From what I can remember: be considerate with your noise, and no food in the cabins.
The pictures of this place are exactly what you will get. Yes, the rooms are TINY, but it worked for what I needed. Some reviews state how the noise was out of control, but I felt like I was in a library it was so quiet! Granted, you will (very clearly) hear peoples conversations, moving things around, coughing, sneezing, snoring, etc. The room was clean (although I did find a long strand of hair on the bed when I arrived…), they provide you with towels, ear plugs, and a bottle of water.
There were two bathrooms on the floor I stayed on: a single person bathroom with a toilet, sink and mirror, and then a larger bathroom with three shower stalls and two toilets. The showers were pretty clean for having people constantly going in and out. One thing though: the temperature of the water fluctuated DRAMATICALLY during my shower whether I had adjusted it or not! It cycled through uncomfortably cool to scalding hot the whole time! Also, I am personally not a fan of the rain shower heads…
All in all, I would recommend giving this place a try, and would stay here again.

I stayed here over a 8 day solo trip I did to NY. The hostel is located very close to various metro stops, Little Italy and China Town which is a plus. It has a very retro/​hipster vibe and the decorations and lighting speak to it. The staff is cordial albeit not as friendly as other places. I found the shared bathrooms to be really great in appearances and amenities. The beds are quite short (I’m 5′ 9″ and the bed felt short), so if you are taller than 5′ 10″ it might get uncomfortable. The ceilings are quite high, so there isn’t ceilings in between rooms (thus why they give you ear plugs), so if you are a light sleeper, beware. Overall I had a great experience here, specially the price for what you get is a really good value.

Cheap place to SLEEP in NYC. But leave it at that. It’s a bed to sleep on. I only stayed here because I was visiting NYC and didn’t spend a minute inside other than to sleep. I didn’t shower here — I did everything at a friends house, except rather than sleeping on an air bed, I uberred here for a couple bucks and slept on the bed. There are no windows in the rooms and you can most definitely hear others snoring /​alarms.
It serves it’s purpose well — but know that the purpose is for a bed to sleep on and nothing more.

There’s an awesome roof terrace!
This is becoming my favorite place in the city. The accommodations are modest, but it’s inexpensive and close to everything. The girl at the front desk remembered that I stayed here during another visit. The staff is great, everyone is nice and welcoming. They know the area and can make great recommendations for bars and restaurants.
There are sooooo many bars and restaurants in the area, and a museum across the street. It’s a great location.
If you are looking for a five star hotel, this is not it. If you’re looking for a place to crash and keep your stuff for a really great rate and want to meet some cool new people, this is your place.
I’ve notice many people who stay here seem to be traveling from other countries.
I’ll be staying here again.

The rooms are TINY. I am 5’8″ and my feet touched the wall while I slept. The sleeping areas are relatively quiet but earplugs help to down out others’ snoring and alarms. The staff is SUPER ATTENTIVE AND FRIENDLY, they went out of their way to make me feel welcome and comfortable. The bathrooms were on a separate floor from my quarters and the shower rooms are shared but divided with walls and curtains. Great location! I was within walking distance of nice stores, restaurants, galleries, everything. The common areas have nice ambiance with pretty furniture and upbeat music. Housekeeping keeps everything very clean. I will stay here again if the occasion arises!

Wow, this place is HORRIFIC! Feel like sharing a bathroom behind sixteen people in the morning? Don’t want a wake up call? Want to wait behind ten women to take a pee? Want a room that looks NOTHING like the picture? Well, then this is the place for you! This place is an ABSOLUTE DUMP! Absolutely DO NOT STAY HERE! It’s horrible, horrible, horrible! Stay in an air bnb or another hotel! I would give this ZERO STARS if I could!!!

I stayed here for one night last week. For under a $ 100 bucks and having your own space at a hostel, it is not bad. They keep the place extremely clean and well maintained throughout the entire day and night. Also, their towels and bed sheets are really nice and not what you would expect. I stayed in a Original Cabin which was the size of a bathroom, and I will say that the pictures online don’t necessarily explain that part. You have to leave your bag standing up and move it around in order for yourself to move. It is noisy at night, partly due to inconsiderate guests and the bar. But, I would stay here again if I had too.

I really really really wanted to like this place. It’s a got a nice charm to it and an spacious awesome rooftop terrace.
Aside from hearing the entire floor come in and out throughout the night, the permanent residents living there and sleeping in the common areas, I got bed bugs. Woke up like I had chicken pox all over again.
They did switch me out to another room and comped me $ 20, but the damage was done. I’m itchy just thinking about it.

The Bowery House is… interesting. Note that I didn’t say it is «interesting». I said it’s «…interesting». It’s all in the dots. Some people are not made for those dots. Some people don’t want punctuation in their lodging — they just want a pure uninterrupted coherent flow of thoughts. Here, you don’t stop with an ellipsis — you’ll get commas, the occasional question mark, and before your stay is over you’ll probably encounter an exclamation point. Grab your language arts handbook and I’ll tell you my tale.
I picked the Bowery House because (1) it’s cheap and (2) its location. There are cheaper places in a few hostels in Manhattan, but not much — and as I wanted to see a lot of things around the LES, this made the most sense. People call this place a hostel, but I could book it on
and they’re not usually hostel-​specific. I think it’s because of the unique arrangement that people call this a «hostel» — I don’t think there are any shared rooms here, for example. They’re all private — though that should is more like «private». (Oh yeah, lots of quotation marks around these places, too.)
I arrived on the night of the Summer Solstice around 11pm. You will likely encounter people around the doorstep of this place. I later understood this was because the Bowery House, which was a Bowery flophouse back in the day, is actually… still a flophouse even now. The top stories are the actual «Bowery House», while the bottom floors are still functioning as they apparently have for decades. Not like there was any issues with this, but just so you know — can’t say it’s not authentic! This explains why you buzz in and why the lobby is on the 3^rd floor and why there are no elevators.
My room was on the 4^th floor. As has been explained in many reviews, these are not traditional «rooms» — as befits the old flophouse feel, it’s one gigantic room, and what you have are essentially tall cubicles with doors. The rooms (I think I’ve used up my quotation mark quota) are probably about 6’x5’ if I had to guess, though I did have a window view. I actually liked this, but I’m someone who likes quirky things anyway. There’s one general bathroom for the floor, which is in dorm style — several toilets, showers, sinks, etc.
I dropped my bags off and went up to the roof, which was indeed a really nice place to hang out. There was a breeze blowing on this June night, and it was a great scene revealing the WTC, the Chrysler Building, and of course those beautiful Bowery buildings. Across the street you could see people who live there climbing out onto their balconies to enjoy the night. I enjoyed it and soaked up the scene until I decided it was time for bed around midnight.
I slept through the night, waking up occasionally to minor noise but lapsing right back, until someone’s alarm went off at 5am. I think everybody around me except the intended sleeper woke up — after this thing had been going off for about 2 minutes somebody finally knocked on the guy’s door telling him to shut it up. An unplanned moment, to be sure, and you should expect the unexpected here. But it worked for me — on the morning after the solstice, the city was already bright even at 5am! And if the city’s too busy to sleep, who am I to say different — peer pressure, you know. I decided to get up, and within the hour I was out the door headed off towards one of the more memorable days of my life.
You should know by now whether you can read between the dots enough to say whether or not the Bowery House is for you. I’d probably stick with the Chelsea Hostel as my preferred cheap lodging in NYC, but it worked for me on this trip and it provided some good stories — stories filled with punctuation.

A good place to stay in NYC for a great price. You stay in cute little «cabin» rooms that include a bed, light and a small night table with drawers. All you need for a short stay.
Very convenient location, I arrived in NYC via BoltBus (on the 6^th Ave location) and only had to walk 15 minutes to reach the place, plenty of restaurants and shops along the way. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the area, feel free to ask for advice about restaurants/​directions/​local attractions.
Its an old building for sure, but I was pleased to find it was almost spotlessly clean. Bathrooms were near sparkling whenever I went in.
The Bowery House is located basically where Little Italy meets Chinatown, there’s plenty of historic buildings around. Lombardi’s Pizza is about five minutes away, Katz’s Deli is close by too. There’s also a Whole Foods Market right down the street if you’re not in a restaurant mood. There are also subway stops nearby (Bowery, Spring and Prince) which make for easy navigation through the city — I didn’t need a taxi or Über my whole stay there).
Don’t forget to head upstairs and check out the rooftop garden, especially at night, you can see the Chrysler building out in the distance and One World Trade Center quite closely.
Upon checkout (11 AM), you can leave your luggage in a secure room. Great help for me since I had to wait three hours for my ride home.
Some minor downsides to the place:
–No elevators, stairs only.
–Cabin room beds are very small. I’m 5’8″ and I had to scrunch up to fit comfortably in the bed, if I stretched out fully my feet would be against the wall of the cabin. A taller person will not have the best time.
–Noise. They mean it when they say quiet rooms not guaranteed, and they even give you a complimentary set of earplugs in your room (I had brought my own trusty wax ones in anticipation though). It wasn’t too loud during my time there, fortunately, but even with my wax earplugs I was awoken by some kind of argument at 3 AM — not sure what it was about.
–Shared bathrooms. Plenty of showers, but only one toilet on the floor I was staying. Be ready to wait for your turn.
–The location is busy and the street was always full of people enjoying the sights, but it can be a little rough. There are quite a few homeless people and sketchy individuals. One afternoon when I got back to Bowery House there was a clearly disturbed individual in the doorway, he seemed angry he couldn’t get inside (you need to be buzzed in by the front desk). Fortunately he went away on his own eventually.
All being said, I would definitely stay here again. Great price, convenient location and plenty to see within walking distance.

Nestled in one of the most prime areas of NYC, the Bowery House is more than a hostel — it’s a community and a home and the only place I stay while in New York (which is frequently).
With so much homogeneity creeping into the city, it’s wonderful and exciting to experience a place with a commitment to preserving its history — all the bunks are reconditioned and refurbished rooms originally built as a halfway house for WWII vets. The Bowery House embodies the NY tradition of embracing and building upon legacy. And yes, it’s intimate, and yes, you can often hear the footsteps of other visitors — but that’s part of its charm and individuality (side note, the front desk guy informed me that the bunk room walls don’t reach the ceiling because of fire code). Most importantly, the management and the staff do a stellar, impeccable job of keeping the hotel clean and cozy; I’ve never seen a piece of paper or water on the bathroom floors, everything is zipped up to perfection.
The price is always unbelievably inexpensive, the campus around the hotel is both a local’s and visitor’s Candyland (you can hit about five different NYC landmarks with a water balloon from the beautifully restored roof), and there’s an award-​winning restaurant on the bottom floor. Do yourself a favor and stay at the Bowery House.

I was entirely nerve-​wracked, having missed my bus at the Port Authority and having nowhere to stay until morning.
This was the right price for me (~$ 50/​night), an easy subway ride to where I would need to be the next day, close to restaurants, and available!
My «room» was really a single person cubicle, erected among many other cubicles, in a warehouse-​type space on the fourth floor of the building, up many marble steps.
The only things separating you from your neighbors are these very thin walls and the garden lattices to keep them/​you from crawling over and messing with eachother.
This sort of sounds like a nightmare (I had never been to a hostel before) but it all ended up being strangely comforting.
The front desk staff were incredibly friendly, almost like they knew I was on the verge of a panic attack, stranded in the city unexpectedly and alone. They were ~soothing and anticipated a lot of the questions I would have had. The décor was really nice. Everything seemed clean, and the cubicle was honestly extremely comfortable, although very small. It really is like a closet for your bags, and just a bed to sleep in, but this was all I really needed.
Besides this, the noise is bad. Even on a Wednesday night, when it seemed everyone was content to get to bed and not be a raucous party bunch, I could hear my neighbors eating chips, breathing, etc. In the morning around 8am, staff were literally tearing down and erecting new cubicles next to mine, with saws and hammers, right next to my head.
I didn’t want to use the shared showers, but the bathrooms were really pretty.
I honestly would stay here again, but it’s good to know what you’re getting yourself into!

This place is a find in new york for the right person. The price for a secure room is very low for Manhattan in a great location. The Bowery house is located in an former historic tenement on the lower east side
The area: There are several subway stops and lots to do in the area of the hotel. It is across the street from the new museum and only a couple of blocks from Whole foods. if is on the edge of Nolita which has lots of restaurants and then blends into Soho which is only a short walk away. Walk up the bowery and you are soon in the east village with restaurants and shopping
The space: it is kind of a cross between a hotel and a hostel. You get your very own tiny room with a locking door. but the walls are topped by lattice work and are open on top so noise travels. The bathrooms are shared but nice with marble sinks and design. The lobby is filled with leather sofas which get a lot of use and a small shop selling fruit juice, snacks etc. The hotel also has a roof top garden that I didn’t visit as it was really cold out when I was there.
The room: tiny with a bed and a night stand as furniture so the small floor space (maybe 2 feet from bed to wall on one side to walk and store your luggage,
The staff: I was surprised at how friendly and helpful they were– for them alone I would give 5-​stars.
The big negative here is the noise some nights were quiet, one night there was a fight around 1am when one woman got mad at a couple who were just arriving and whispering back and forth… the receptionist came and sorted it.
The lesser negative is it is located up on the third and fourth floors and there is no elevator just lots of steps.
In summery this place is a great deal, I will stay there again next time I am in New York but it is not for light sleepers or people who have difficulty with stairs.

This was a last minute check-​in. I had no idea these even existed in the U.S. lol however the manager made me feel safe and secure. I had an extremely pleasant experience even with the size of the room. It was right in the middle of the block with plenty to do all around me. The rooftop garden was a very nice space!
The lounge area was comfy with oversized leather couches and a flat screen tv. There was drinks and snacks also available.
I met some interesting, eclectic people that also made the stay smooth and enjoyable.
I will definitely stay again!

Rooms are very small. there is no place to do something inside of the room. however staffs are awesome
Odalar cok kucuk. hareket edicek dahi yer yok. ama yetkililer cok iyiler.

To be clear, the Bowery House is a hostel. But it’s actually a pretty nice hostel. It’s clean, it’s relatively safe, the staff are friendly, the patrons are usually students or 20-​something Europeans on holiday. The roof is accessible to guests, and they occasionally have a party there on weekends or holidays. Considering you’re next door to a bar and a great coffee shop, right around the corner from the subway, and still actually IN Manhattan, the price of a night’s stay is ridiculously good.
There’s free wi-​fi in the common area, and the general atmosphere of the place is very relaxing and laid-​back after a full day out in the city. At the same time, you’re never fully removed from the city, either. You will fall asleep to the lights and sounds of Manhattan traffic, slightly muted but still there. If you find that invigorating, stay at the Bowery House. If you hate it… well, good luck. It’s New York. It’s not a quiet place.
Every single time I book a trip to New York, I choose to stay here. Even if I could afford to get a big hotel room with my own bathroom, etc, I would still choose to stay at here. I love the atmosphere. I love the old-​fashioned shower heads in the bathroom. I love, weird as it may sound, being surrounded by strangers from all different walks of life, sharing space and occasionally starting up random conversations with one another. I love everything about this place, even the tiny little rooms with their tiny little beds. Honestly, I think it’s kind of cozy.
I’ve stayed in the all-​girls bunk, the co-​ed bunk (though I actually booked that by accident), and the single cabins. The bunks weren’t bad… the beds are comfortable and again, the patrons are generally pretty nice people. I’ve never had a problem or even a worry about leaving my belongings in the room when I’ve stayed. I do generally prefer the private cabin, though. It’s just nice to feel like I have my own space, even if it’s tiny. It IS tiny – like, room to stand between the bed and the wall and not much else – but it’s very clean, it’s cozy and decorated with interesting posters and playbills and such, and I sleep like a baby in those little beds.
If you want to stay in a four-​star hotel with maid service and complimentary breakfast and such, stay somewhere else. But this is a great place to stay for first-​time visitors, students, anyone on a budget who still wants to stay in Manhattan, or anyone who wants something a little more interesting than another Holiday Inn Express.

Very very charming place but: book bunks just when you are less than 180 cm tall. The beds (and especially the single cabins) are very tine. They are lovely decorated with nice posters and cool lights etc.
If you are interested in sleeping at this place, check the website, read the history and about us text before booking. Check the Room Types!
The roof is cool, nice view. Also the Living room is very stylish.
Restrooms and showers are very nice with cool and luxury soap, shower gel etc.
This is a special place, a mix out of a cool hip hotel and a army camp. Not a typical hostel!
Next time I’m in NY, I’ll definitely come back but book the prince room with kingbed :-D
BTW — I’m 187 cm tall.

I was excited to try out a hostel in New York, because I had such a good experience when I went to Boston. For those who are curious, I stayed at Hostelling international in Boston… if you ever venture North, it’s great place to be.
Pros:
–Bathrooms are relatively clean (if you pick out the weave left in the shower drains and don’t slip on the water that leaks out of the showers onto the floor).
–Rooftop views — although it is field green carpet, not actual grass
–Friendly/​accommodating staff
–Individual Rooms/​Double Rooms
–Great location
Cons:
–No ceilings… although I didn’t think this would pose a problem: it was a major problem. People stumbling back from the bars between 2−6AM can cause quite a ruckus.
–Air-​conditioning is quite stagnant, if non-​existent… gets pretty hot in the summer
–Water leakage on the bathroom floors (almost flooded out) from people showering
–Rather expensive for not really allowing you to sleep, its mostly a place to lay your bags while you stay out all night
–REALLY LOUD. My only major complaint here is that the staff isn’t exactly accommodating when they are stripping down beds from 7−8AM in the morning and slamming the doors behind them. Check-​out isn’t until 11AM, but I guess for those who had checked out. they wanted to get a head start.
I’m pretty much spoiled from Boston — so I will not be coming back to the Bowery House. I can say I love New York and I enjoyed the experience, but I think the motto for New York should be changed from «The City that Doesn’t Sleep» to «The City that Doesn’t Let You Sleep». It’s been real…

This is a really weird place, but if you know what you’re getting, it’s a really good value.
It’s NOT a hotel. Yes, you get your own room, but like everyone else has said, they’re tiny & don’t have real ceilings. Imagine if you will a giant loft, and they erected office like cubicles that happen to be enclosed on four walls. This means you can lock your stuff up and not worry like you would in a hostel, but you’re still sleeping really close to the guy next door. So you’ll hear his snoring, and every movement they make.
I’m a light sleeper, and I was awoken a few times even with earplugs. I’ve been in situations where I’ve stayed at people’s houses, so I’m used to it. The kicker is that this place is $ 50/​night + tax. That’s amazing for the area, close to so many cool bars and restaurants.
The staff, especially Mia at the front desk, are exceptionally nice. The bathrooms are cleaner than any hostel I’ve ever stayed in.