Are you looking for beautiful beaches, possible celebrity sightings, vineyards, and a fun getaway destination? If so, you should add Long Island to the top of your list! This island comprises four counties: Kings, Queens, Nassau County, and Suffolk County. Much more than just the suburbs of New York City, Long Island is easily accessible and has a lot to offer travelers seeking entertainment and fun. There are also many excellent places to stay as you explore this borough! But if you’re on a budget, things might get hard. Lucky for you, we’re about to show you the best hostels in Long Island. There aren’t many options available, but the ones we have here are sure to please you! Keep scrolling to learn more about them!
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Kamway Lodge
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Kicking off our list of the best hostels in Long Island is a nice, little hostel located in Queens. Kamway Lodge offers finely designed, clean, and warm rooms to travelers. As with other best hostels in Long Island, you’ll be able to stay in one of the dormitory rooms, private rooms, and family rooms. Those who are on a tight budget should opt for the dormitory room. It’s equipped with air conditioning, a desk, and a spotless shared bathroom. We also love the triple private room! It’s super spacious and comes with an extra sofa bed. Even better, it boasts a terrace where you can enjoy the surrounding views while sipping your morning tea. The family room is impressive too, as it has a private bathroom! That way, you and your family members don’t have to share the bathroom with strangers.
After a much-needed rest, take a shower and visit one of the nearby restaurants or cafes for a filling breakfast. If you’re unsure which one to try, ask the friendly and knowledgeable staff to give you some recommendations! Apart from English, the staff also speaks Spanish and Chinese! Some of the must-see attractions near this hostel include the Museum of Moving Image, USTA National Tennis Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Central Park. You can easily reach all of those places by car. And if you don’t drive, there’s plenty of public transportation nearby! Once you’re done exploring the city, return to the hostel and park your car in the hostel’s free public parking area. Then grab a drink from the vending machine before connecting your phone to the Wi-Fi and binge-watch your favorite series!
Q4 Hotel and Hostel
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There are plenty of expensive hotels in New York City, but those who are hunting for cheap hostels should take a look at Q4 Hotel and Hostel. Set in Queens, this accommodation offers travelers dorm rooms and private rooms at a low price. This makes them one of the top hostels in Long Island. Moreover, this newly renovated hostel is a great launching pad for exploring one of the best food neighborhoods in town! It’s a stone’s throw from the Queens Plaza station, where you can take the E line into Manhattan. Out here, you’ll get to see a much more local side of NYC and at the same time save money! It’s also less frantic if you want to escape some of that New York madness while still being in a vibrant area.
While the rooms are pretty basic, we have to admit that the beds are comfy and there’s plenty of light, which is always a good thing. Like other best hostels in Long Island, there’s also a communal kitchen and dining area where you can eat and laugh together with your newfound friends. On top of that, you can also find a brightly colored den with comfy seating, a book exchange, and a movie area with a large screen. Want to have some fun? Connect your phone to the hostel’s free Wi-Fi and call your friends! Or, compete with your roommates in the games area with a pool table and ping pong. Trust us; you’ll never be bored if you decide to spend the evening at this accommodation!
NY Moore Hostel
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Another great hostel on our list of the best hostels in Long Island is NY Moore Hostel. Conveniently located in Brooklyn, this hostel is an affordable option famous among youths and solo travelers. This property’s vibrant surroundings are bursting with fun bars, music venues, galleries, cafes, restaurants, and shops. Some of the must-visit spots near the hostel include the Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn Brewery, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Domino Park, and Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium. This means you’ll never run out of things to do in New York City! You can also take advantage of the hostel’s free public parking if you’re traveling by car. Making the hostel better is the friendly and helpful staff that’s more than happy to show you around the place.
The hostel is a fully-renovated loft with a bright and colorful atmosphere, perfect for youths. Unlike most hostels in Long Island and even hotels in Brooklyn, the walls at this hostel are adorned with street art and murals from artists from all over the world. Furthermore, its rooms are comfortable and spacious. The same goes for the private bathrooms! As you might expect, there are private rooms and dormitory rooms. Some of them come with a private bathroom, and there are also female-only dorms! After a long, tiring day of walking and exploring New York, you can relax and use the free Wi-Fi in the hostel’s cushy common room or have a beer out in the courtyard. Or, you can also join one of the hostel’s activities like movie nights, pub crawls, as well as walking tours.
The Local NY
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Our number one pick is also one of the most popular hostels in Long Island, The Local NY! It bills itself as every traveler’s best friend. This hostel is loved by many as it has plenty of room choices. Families and couples can stay in one of the spacious private rooms, while youths and budget travelers can opt for one of the low-cost dormitory rooms. We have to admit; the double rooms would rival those at any hotel in the city, with Crittall windows, glossy tiled bathrooms, and artwork by Steve Keene. Meanwhile, the dorms are modern and spacious, with abundant storage. There are male-only, female-only, and mixed-gender dorms to house six guests. Even better, all rooms are non-smoking, so you can always chillax peacefully!
And as your best buddy, this hostel also offers a fully stocked bar, an all-day cafe, and access to the laundry room, as well as the huge rooftop terrace, which is the perfect terrace to meet fellow travelers and make new friends. Of course, as one of the top hostels in Long Island, free Wi-Fi is available throughout. Other great amenities include a games room, library, and art galleries! That way, you can rest assured that you won’t ever have a boring day! Located in trendy Queens, this hostel also boasts insider knowledge of what’s happening in one of New York’s hottest neighborhoods, including a list of their favorite spots in the area! While you’re here, we highly recommend visiting the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, and Museum of Modern Art! All of them are only a short drive away!
Where to Stay in Long Island
Long Island is the 11th-largest island in the US. But if you want to look for the best hostels in Long Island, there are two places that you should consider, which are Queens and Brooklyn. Let’s start with Queens. It’s a New York City borough on Long Island across the East River from Manhattan. It’s home to two of the three major NYC area airports, JFK International and LaGuardia. Meanwhile, attractions include Flushing Meadows Park, home to the New York Mets baseball team and the US Open Tennis tournament, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, and Aqueduct Racetrack.
Then, there’s Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County. It’s home to some of the iconic New York attractions like Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Prospect Park, plus some of the best New York pizza. Though it’s one of the priciest neighborhoods in the entire borough, there are still some cheap hostels that you can find.
Recommended Restaurants / Bars in Long Island
- Avocados – This is a Mexican American Grill that offers a super fresh and healthy take on traditional Mexican food. It uses whole grain brown rice and black beans when creating its perfect meal. One of our favorties is the Avocado Quesadilla (bacon, blue cheese, cheddar and jack cheese, salsa, red onion, and avocado dressing on the side).
- Rothchilds Coffee & Kitchen – At this eatery, you can expect a modern interpretation of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and American cuisine. From the morning coffee through the last nighttime dessert, this restaurant is serious about bringing joy through our food, which is vibrant and bold yet familiar and comforting. Our favorite is the shakshuka skilled of poached eggs and crumbled feta.
- Spicy Home Tasty – This restaurant focuses on providing healthy, fresh, and tasty meals to satisfy modern customers’ tastes and needs. All of its dishes are made with only the freshest ingredients of the highest quality to achieve the best flavors and presentation. Favorites include the sliced dry tofu with celery, spicy cold noodle, seaweed salad, and fried dumplings. Best of all, they cost less than 10USD each!
Recommended Activities in Long Island
- The Hamptons, Sag Harbor & Outlet Shopping Day Trip from NYC – It’s time to leave the hustle and bustle of New York City behind and head for a quieter life. Discover on this day-long tour why the rich and famous make Long Island their home, while squeezing in time for shopping in Sag Harbor and at Tanger Outlets.
- Brooklyn: Subway Secrets and Hidden Stations Walking Tour – Discover how railroads and the subway system of New York impacted the development of the trendy borough of Brooklyn on a guided urban walk! Join a certified urban planner for an in-depth look at the history of the development of New York’s famous underground rail network/
- NYC: Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise Skip-The-Box-Office – Experience New York at sunset on a cruise of the harbor, and take in all the sights and lights of Manhattan aboard a climate-controlled boat. Grab your friends, family, and coworkers – or even a random stranger – and embark on an unforgettable journey of the harbor with “Lady Liberty” keeping watch!
