Have to say I was really disappointed with this place, I've stayed in Hi Hostels all across Canada and the States and this has to have been the worst. It was actually the cleanest and most modern Hi Hostel I stayed in but just terrible staff. When I checked in I was told I'd have to wait 3 hours as I was too early for check in, which was no problem as I was pretty early but the way she said it was as if to say 'go away'... just totally ignorant! and then when I asked the guy by the door if I could put my bag in storage he made it look as if it was the biggest effort in his life. On the third morning there at 9am these builders came into the room to fix the radiator, there was 3 of us in the room asleep and they didn't give a dam! Now granted I know maintenance has to be done and 9am isn't exactly early to some but if you were out drinking the night before and come back around 4am thats the last thing you want.
When I was checking out that morning I had a few hours to kill so asked them if I could store my luggage and return in the day (I've done this loads of times in other Hi Hostels) they brought me to this basement luggage storage room where you'd to pay to store your bags.... So when you arrive in the place before checkin it's free to store your bag and then they charge you if you need storage at the end when you're leaving.... I think that's really bad service. Well it's a nice hostel anyways, all my complaints are mainly with the staff.

THIS hostel suited my purpose in New York spectacularly and I would gladly recommend it to any money-conscious visitor to the Big Apple. It redefined for me what it meant to stay in a hostel.

There is no faulting the location. It is within easy walking distance of the 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C and D lines via the 103rd/Broadway and 103rd St metro stations respectively. It sits in a diverse neighbourhood which may feel intimidating to the more timid traveller - this is, after all, near enough Harlem. It is very well-located for the north part of Central Park and it is only a short walk to the Jackie Onassis Reservoir. The walk between the hostel and Central Park or 103rd St Station does cut through a slightly dodgy housing project called Douglass Houses where one would frequently see commotion or some shady characters although it did not feel dangerous either during the day or early evening.

I stayed in Room 318, an 8-bed mixed dorm on the third floor. The lockers were very large and the rooms were reasonably spacious with comfortable bunk beds. There was a huge window overlooking Amsterdam Avenue which was superb for people-watching. However the rooms only had two power outlets which was problematic when the room was at full occupancy.

The neighbourhood itself has an abundance of good food. From 96th Street up to 110th Street, a number of restaurants cater to all palettes and budgets. My personal favourite was Blockheads, a brilliant Mexican restaurant on 107th and Amsterdam. There is also a smattering of bars serving the same strip along Broadway, one road further to the west. Closer to home, the hostel has a 24-hour convenience store directly opposite as well as an all-night pizzeria.

The shared bathrooms in the hostel were clean and well-maintained with adequate showers. There was very rarely a cause to queue as the toilet block local to me had six toilet cubicles, four showers and six basins with mirrors. There was also a drinking water fountain in the hallway which I found very useful in the 30 degree heat of autumnal NYC.

Breakfast consisted of a choice of a bagel or cereal along with a piece of fruit and a hot drink. Whilst not substantial it offers a decent quick snack before heading out for the day whereupon one can easily find more hearty fare.

There is a large backyard with several picnic tables which was used for eating breakfast and socialising generally. It is a great space to which to have access.

Free WiFi is available in all public areas in the hostel, including the backyard, and there is also a paid-bank of a dozen computers which were constantly occupied throughout our stay. There are several indoor seating areas making this a very sociable hostel indeed.

Coupled with the hostel-organised outings to nightclubs, Brooklyn and Harlem and one can begin to appreciate it is a great place to stay for someone looking to meet like-minded travellers and it comes with a strong recommendation on my part.

I booked a room here for New Years period, on the first night I arrived back at the hostel around midnight and settled in to go to bed when I heard scuttling around the window. When I looked up I saw a mouse crawling along the wall just centimeters from my head. I got up and went downstairs to tell the staff and was told that someone would be sent up to my room to get rid of it. I stayed up for a few hours in the downstairs common room, eventually I was too exhausted to stay awake anymore so I went upstairs to try and get to sleep thinking it would be taken care of by this stage.
As soon as I walked in I saw a mouse on the windowsil rummaging through a plastic bag. I went downstairs and made another complaint to a completely disinterested staff member who told me that they had 'never heard of any mouse problems before' even though there are several reviews on tripadvisor alone from past visitors saying there are mice/rats.
I spent the night in the downstairs loungeroom and maybe got an hour and a half worth of light sleep. When the manager came in the next morning he treated it more seriously and sincerely apologised and gave me a refund and cancellation of the stay.
When I went up to get my bags I saw that there was a mouse trap directly under my bed with THREE live mice in it. Competely ruined my stay in New york especially seeing as I had to book a new hotel over the new years period which cost a significant amount of money.
I felt so dirty after the night I ended up throwing out several of the clothes I was wearing. I've stayed in hostels before and never had any problems but every time I think about the experience of staying at HI new york it just makes me angry
.I may have gotten a refund but that didn't cover the cost of excess expenses for a new hotel, the taxi to get there and the days plans in New York that had to be cancelled so I could finally get some sleep. Rating this hostel the one star of 'terrible' seems too generous.

I loved my stay here. It was clean, friendly staff, and good breakfast. pretty good location