I am thinking about taking a class in New York city next month. The class is in Manhattan on State street. Looks like I can get work to pay for the class, but I'll have to pay for the travel myself. I've been looking at hotels in Manhattan and they are very expensive. Looking at a minimum of $200 a night. If I don't stay in Manhattan it gets a lots cheaper. If I stay in the Bronx, Brooklyn or in New Jersey I can get a room for about $100 a night. Question is how much of a pain is the commute going to be. The class is 5 days Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm.
If you stay in Jersey City near the PATH train it’ll be very easy. Have you looked into using Priceline or hotwire for hotels; they can both save you a lot of money.
The subway currently costs $2.25 (I think? It changed a while ago), so you'll only spend $4.50 commuting everyday if you get a room somewhere in the city.
Yes, yes yes. Definitely look outside of Manhattan for cheaper hotels. Luckily, your class is right at the intersection of several subway lines. Try following them on Google Maps to find a good hotel either uptown or in Brooklyn. You're also right near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, which is a free half-hour ride that runs all night. Try looking on Staten Island right near the terminal. It might save you a ton. You could also potentially look in areas of New Jersey that are on the PATH, like Jersey City, Hoboken, and Newark. At the very most its a 25 minute and $1.75 ride into Manhattan and then whatever transportation costs you have in the city itself. Avoid driving at all costs. Not only is gas hella expensive, but parking can be ridiculously costy as well.