The most reasonably priced places to stay are in the outer boroughs, especially Queens. Examples would be the Pan American Hotel on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst and the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Flushing. Both are easily accessible by public transportation from midtown Manhattan. There is also a cluster of chain hotels/motels near LaGuardia Airport, also accessible by public transportation.

For food, New York City is beyond all imagination. Restaurants in Manhattan tend to be pricey, particularly those which cater to tourists or to people on expense accounts, but there are many exceptions, particularly the "ethnicky" places. And then there the eateries in the outer boroughs, some of which are remarkable and most of which arereasonably priced. Here are my favorites throughout NYC:

The Jackson Diner on 74th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. This is an Indian buffet restauarnt, and is one of the very best in the large cluster of Indian restaurants in that area.

London Lenny's on Woodhaven Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens. Fresh seafood from around the world, well prepared. Lenny really is from London. This place tends to get crowded at dinner time, particularly on Saturday.

Green Field on Northern Boulevard near 108th Street in Corona, Queens. A never-ending, pay-on-price Brazilian barbecue. The waiters continuously bring skewers of meat, poultry, and sausages to your table. There is also an enormous soup and salad bar that defies description. This place is strictly not for vegetarians.

Manducatti's on Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. One of the finest neighborhood Italian restaurants anywhere. Homemade pasta is just one of their specialties. They have a reasonably large dining room, but they may be full on a Saturday night.

Rocco's Italian Seafood in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I don't recall if it's on Fort Hamilton Parkway, but I do know it's just off 65th Street. Lunchtime only. Cafeteria style. Go through the line and pick out what you want. I always get the fried calamari and some kind of salad with fresh mozzerella and sun dried tomatoes. This place is often jam packed.

Aldo's is essentially a coffee shop at the corner of South 4th and Havermeyer Streets in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. But it is the political, social, and economic hub of los Sures, a largely Latino enclave near the Williamsburgh Bridge. Anyone who is anybody in los Sures comes to Aldo's. And the food is good, too. You can get all the Domincan and Puero Rican specialties you would expect, but Aldo's also features Italian home cooking. That's because Aldo, an immigrant to the USA from Argentina, is from a family that had earlier immigrated to Argentina from Italy. Breakfast and lunch only.

Wo Hop at 17 Mott Street in Chinatown, Manhattan. A New York institution. You descend a steep set of stairs, and you often haveto wait an hour or more just to be seated family style with one or more other parties, but it's worth it.

B&H Dairy Restaurant on 2nd Avenue between East 7th Street and Saint Mark's Place in the East Village, Manhattan. Another New York institution, and one of the last remaining Jewish dairy restaurants in the city. The current owner is Puerto Rican, but the style is as authentic as it was 80 years ago. The B&H is narrow and crowded, with very few tables. Most customers sit at the counter, which is where all the great conversation takes place.


That should be enough to get you started.
--- teve