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Why are hostels illegal in New York?

Hostels are prohibited in New York because they were never defined in either the city's list of building classification or in the city housing maintenance.



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Hostels are prohibited in New York because they were never defined in either the city's list of building classification or in the city housing maintenance.

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Hosteling began in Europe over a century ago and has grown with the cities there. Hostels entering the US market now have less prime real estate and more red tape than abroad, and compared to the well established hotel industry. New York City has been especially unwelcoming to hostels.

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NYC residents are not permitted to stay. All guests must be 18 years of age. All guests must present a valid credit card in their name in order to check in. The maximum length of stay in any year is 29 days.

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Truth: Hostels are generally open to people of all ages, and I've never been turned away for being beyond my 20s. Do I feel “old” when I stay at hostels? Sometimes, yes.

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If you are wondering if you are too old to stay in a hostel, you are not. There's this funny thing I've noticed about aging: the older I get, the less I care what people think. If you had asked me if I would still stay in hostel dorm rooms in my thirties when I was 24, I probably would have told you I would not.

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Hostels are often shared accommodations, which means that women may be sharing a room with strangers or sleeping in a mixed-gender dorm. This can make some women feel vulnerable and unsafe, but with proper precautions and awareness, women can have a safe and enjoyable experience staying in hostels.

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As long as there is a bed, hostels will take in people who are sleeping rough, with the aim of helping them claim welfare benefits to pay for the bed later – and find longer-term accommodation.

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Hostels have a bad reputation in America for being dirty, disgustingly cheap places where you go if you want all your possessions taken from you. You may even end up getting kidnapped while staying in a hostel and locked in a dungeon getting your fingers chopped off with a pair of pliers.

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Most hostels do their best to make the ratio of men to women in mixed rooms equal – yet this understandably depends on who is staying on any given night. Do remember everyone is there to rest and get sleep for the next day's travels, which means you shouldn't expect a social situation.

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A couple can't sleep together in hostels. Many hostels make it explicitly forbidden to carry any other in their room. Neither if it is a couple booking two bunk beds in it.

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Curfew. A lot of hostels impose a curfew for safety and to make sure travelers aren't interrupting others' sleep by coming and going at all hours. If you're planning to stay out late and want access to your room at any time of the night, a hostel probably isn't for you.

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Most hostels are only short-stay hostels meaning they don't like you staying longer than a week because they have other travellers who want to stay there too. But some hostels don't have a limit on your length of stay and you can find some people living in hostels while they go off to work.

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Hostels come in different shapes and sizes. Some have dorms with lockers large enough to fit your entire suitcase. For example, when I stayed in a dorm at the Selina hostel in Lisbon, Portugal, I had access to three lockers: one under my bed, one above my bed and a small personal one.

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Some hostels offer “long-term” room options if this is of interest to you. These long-term options are usually tucked out of the way and have multiple long-term guests in them, so you'll get to know your roommates better. On the other hand, other hostels have a max stay time of a couple weeks or 30 days.

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Even more so, hostels are safe because of their social nature: they tend to be good vibes only. It's super easy to meet friends and travel buddies when staying in hostels, and due to that social nature, you are always around other people.

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If you're wondering if you're too old to stay in a hostel, you're not. Nobody is ever going to kick you out of a hostel because you're over 35, showing signs of ageing, or because you make a small “oof” sound when you slide your tired bones into bed. I've never been asked to confirm my age when checking into a hostel.

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Many people think of staying in hostels as an option specifically for young travelers. But as someone who travels longterm, on a budget, I can tell you it's an option you may consider, and even enjoy at any stage of life.

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Here are ten more hostel etiquette tips to keep in mind: Only use the bed that's assigned to you. Take your phone call outside the room if another guest is asleep. Avoid conversing loudly if another guest is asleep. Dorm rooms, bathrooms and common areas are usually cleaned daily.

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