Explore Hotel & Hostel

The dorms here are not spacious, but at these low dorm prices one can be thankful for the warm welcome at reception and the safe atmosphere of this hostel (I did not see the hotel rooms, so can only comment on the dorms). Individual lockers are provided in dorms for your additional security. You will meet travellers from throughout the U.S. and the world. I was here for Thanksgiving, and hostel residents were invited to a free Thanksgiving meal in a small church centre next door to the hostel. Union City, just over the river from NYC, is a wonderful place in which to stay. Do not expect to find English spoken outside the hostel. Spanish is the first language in Union City, and most staff in cafés, clothes shops and grocery stores cannot communicate in English comfortably. But if you are a foreigner, people here will be very happy to see you in their cafés and shops. Most tourists don't know about Union City. It's a hidden gem. The Explore Hostel is just off Bergenline Avenue, which is a long street worth knowing about if you are somebody who likes to experience real life away from the tourist trail. From Bergenline Avenue, catch one of the small Spanish buses (known as jitneys) to NYC for just two or three dollars. Try to find a jitney to take you from NYC to Union City when you arrive, because if you get a taxi you will be charged a hefty fee to cross the state line (expect to pay over $40 for the taxi, compared to just two or three dollars for the jitney). From the Explore Hostel, you can take a one hour walk to historic Hoboken if tourism is more you.