Ys Offer Budget Accommodations

One of the best budget opportunities for young men and women in this city is offered by the Vanderbilt YMCA.

The eight-story, mid-town building has 430 rooms that can accommodate as many as 650 visitors. It is used by many foreign students, but guests are limited to stays of no longer than 25 nights.

Each room has cable TV and an alarm clock. Summer rates are bumped up to cover the cost of air conditioning.

Until Sept. 30 the single-room rate is $30 to $39 a night, double rooms are $39 to $45, triple rooms $54 and a room with four bunks $68. Washrooms are down the hall.

Just Like Hotels

An advantage of YMCAs is that they operate like hotels. Young travelers do not have to give up their night life because of curfews.

Guests can use the gym and pool during special hours and a reasonably priced cafeteria operates on weekdays. You can get help with tourist information from an assistance desk in the lobby and can store your extra luggage for $1 a day per bag. An airport bus service is available daily at 3 p.m. Fare to Kennedy Airport is $8, La Guardia Airport, $7.

Information or reservations: Vanderbilt YMCA, 224 East 47th St., New York 10017; (212) 755-2410.

If you arrive in New York on an international flight, look for the Y’s Way Student Assistance Desk on the ground level of Kennedy Airport’s International Arrival building. It can help with information about the city and budget accommodations.

YMCAs and YWCAs throughout the world offer inexpensive lodgings to travelers. Although the program is promoted as “The Young Way to Travel North America and Worldwide,” there are no age limits.

Around the World

“The Y’s Way” lists 57 facilities in Canada and the United States, and 66 foreign facilities in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Yugoslavia.

Through the booklet you’ll learn about a reservation service, available for $3 for Ys outside New York City, and $5 for centers outside North America. These fees cover communication costs.

It also covers details about programs available to independent travelers visiting New York, New Orleans, Hollywood and Seattle.

The do-it-yourself holidays range from three to seven nights and include a variety of meals, sightseeing and accommodations. For example, a four-night package in New York City would include four breakfasts, two dinners at the Y restaurant, one dinner in Chinatown, a ticket to the New York Experience (a one-hour multimedia presentation). Also a comprehensive city tour and a visit to the Statue of Liberty, a three-hour cruise around Manhattan Island, and a visit to South Street Venture, a theatrical attraction that uses 76 projectors. The cost is $177 per person, single occupancy, and $150 per person, double occupancy.

For a free copy of the 24-page booklet, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “The Y’s Way,” 356 West 34th St., New York 10001.