The Webster Apartments

If you’re looking for a cheap place to live short-​term, this is your place. It is super cheap, provides food, and clean. The rooms can be small and loud (34^th st, right next to super busy fashion district), but it does its job. The food is not the most delicious, but you don’t have to go grocery shopping, prepare food, and do dishes. The showers are very clean. I felt very safe there thanks to the doorman and staff members.

The webster always does such a beautiful job with the beautiful botanical green rooftop, they recycle and the people who work at Webster are extraordinary. Clean building, great cleaning staff, very central, easy to get around and the perfect choice for us interns, students and teachers!

Webster is okay for a short time stay. BUT the staff are the most unfriendliest people I have met in my entire life! They just hate their guests! The people from the front desk and the security are the worst!

I would highly reccommed the Webster Apartments, especially for any foreign interns having their first experience abroad in the USA. I lived there for 7 months this year and had an amazing time!
It is located on west 34^th street only 1 block away from major subway lines such as the ACE line and Penn Station. Macy’s and all large department stores are within a very short walk too. (not so good for your bank account, the DSW will remain tempting!) And there are 2 deli’s on each opposite corner from the building which are open ²⁴⁄₇.
The building itself is gorgeous, an old brownstone building. It has a large lobby which is attached to a library where you can swap books, study in peace etc and a large living room which you can use to receive friends or hang out. The ground floor also has a tv room, several small living rooms and gives access to the two big gardens (which no other manhattan resident has). Not to mention the rooftop has a panoramic view of the city, at night you have a direct view of the lit up empire state and freedom tower, which is truly magical.
Sure, its a bit strict. No men allowed past the first floor, and they can only stay till 12 at night. But this means that the Webster is a very safe building for all the women that stay there. There is no curfew, after 12 at night the security man locks the front door but if you go out at night you just need to ring the doorbell and he will let you in. The reception is also open ²⁴⁄₇ and i found that if you are polite they will help you with everything in their power.
The food has really improved since i first arrived. There are always 3 main options for meat, 1 vegetarian option and about 4 different options for sides. There is always the salad bar and a soup station in case you dont like the dinner being served and the kitchen staff keeps tuna in the fridge in case you want to make yourself a tuna salad. If you know you wont be able to make dinner, you can ask a friend to bring you the ‘cold plate’ option which is often a wrap or a salad so that you still have something to eat.
The rooms are indeed small, but hey its New York, what did you expect? You have plenty of storage space for clothing as there is a large hanging closet and a dresser in each room. They also provide you with a desk and chair, bookcase and a towel hanger for towels. Each morning the maid on your floor will make your bed and empty your trashcan and they will vaccuum and give clean sheets and towels once a week. I had a lovely housekeeper who went out of her way to make me feel at home and when i was stuck home sick went out to get me medicine and came to check up on me from time to time.
The best element of living at webster is how easy it is to meet new people at make friends. There are alot of international girls living there for their internships. I found that if you make an effort in asking if you can sit with a group on your first day it all goes smoothly from there on out. I had a great group of friends during my stay with whom i ate together every day and went out to explore the city during the weekends. They came from all over the world, the US, Germany, France, England etc. We are still in touch and have even planned a Europe Reunion this year!
Some tips for your stay at webster:
— be polite to the staff. the rude guests get a rude treatment thats as simple as it gets. If you are nice to the staff they will be nice to you. They really do make an effort to help you with settling in and answering questions.
— bring flipflops for the showers. yes they are cleaned daily but truth be told some guests are nasty showerers who leave shampoo residue and their hair behind them haha.
— go to kmart 2 blocks down from webster and get yourself a nice throw and a few decorative things. The rooms are nicely lit but are of course very bare. It really helps to make it feel like home if you add some of your own touches.
— before buying hairdryers, hangers etc look on the 2^nd floor announcement board. Alot of girls from abroad like myself sell their items before they head back home at really cheap prices. Otherwise, Kmart would be you best option. Also your housekeeper may have some extra hangers for you.
— dont forget your key when you leave your room. like someone mentioned, once you close your door its locked. You can use the phones in each hallway to call the reception to have them open it (i once saw a poor girl who didnt know she could use the phones in her bathtowel downstairs by reception, no need for that! just use the phones in your hallway)

I lived at The Webster for only a month but had a really positive experience. The rooms are small but cozy and I felt very safe during my stay. The cleaning staff is really great and my room was always so beautiful after they cleaned it — so definitely be nice to the cleaning staff assigned to your room/​floor level! The bathrooms were down the hall and were always clean. The food was good and there were always several options. The roof top view is beautiful and so are the gardens! You are also very close to a subway stop, tons of restaurants and lots of shopping. its a very very busy and crazy area. You are also very close to the Chelsea Highline and the Hudson River which are both nice to walk on/​near.
At times the staff can be short with you but as long as you smile and are kind you’ll be fine and they’ll always answer your questions or help you. You just have to be incredibly, incredibly patient because guest services are definitely not their strong point.
If you are young woman who is nervous about living here, or a Mom who is nervous about her daughter staying here you can take it from me that it was a good and safe experience. I would definitely suggest it to my own friends or even live there again if I needed to!

I lived at the Webster for six months, and had an incredibly positive experience. I knew no one when I moved to NYC, but within a few weeks, I had made friends and settled into city life seamlessly. The two private gardens are stunning, and the little «beau parlors” – each elegantly decorated on a literary theme – are ideal for hanging out with friends after work. The rent was far more affordable on my tiny publishing salary than any other living situation I had been able to find, and the staff people were invariably kind and patient when answering my many new-​to-​the-​city questions. I loved coming home to such a safe and beautiful building, and have recommended it to many women from my college, interns at work, etc. I can’t imagine a more perfect place for someone on a limited budget transitioning to life in the Big Apple.

I stayed there winter 2014. Had moved and was back in town for business and previously heard about it for working ladies starting up and had the opportunity to stay there during winter. The staff were very attentive and polite, I encountered very normal people, some reviews complained about rudeness I never saw that, if you think you’re being rude to you should live in the real NYC world where people curse when they get very upset on a whim!
I had a terrific stay there! It was a combination apartment living as you do get to live in your own room, no noisy messy roommates which is great but also has the advantages and feel of a dormitory where there are more opportunities to meet other women living in the same apartment unlike most city apartments where people are very abrupt and stick to themselves, having used to live in NYC for 7 years from high rise doorman buildings to pre-​war walk-​ups. The majority are 20 something olds from all over the country and Europe interning or here for a short time, there were a few older working women, I chatted with a few some are interns, some are in between phases and looking for an apartment, one was studying and moving back to the city. Mostly very transient people staying few months to I heard one year, one lady said there’s a limit of 5 years! wow I could have lived here but I think you have to meet a certain level of slightly lower salary requirement to qualify for the great rates.
The set-​up is very nice, I stayed there as a transient on business so paid a much smaller fee per night compared to all these expensive hotels in NYC where cheapest for a room alone would be double I paid here unless you stay in a noise messy hostel — so it was a great bang for you buck living in the heart of NYC. The meals are so cheap, where else can you get free breakfast and $ 6 entrees including all you can eat salad, tea. It is such a bargain in NYC, I do not think people who come here realize that, in the real world if you lived on your own you pay at least $ 1500/​cramped studio or anywhere from $ 1800 – 2500 for bigger 1 bedroom and pay bills on top of that, so the women here really have it made in the shade, paying very minimally, all your meals there for you and housekeeping! The showers are completely renovated, the bathrooms are always clean I was surprised because I shared with so many others and never had a problem using the stall. My bedroom was Private! Most here complain of the small size but understand, it’s much more expensive living on your own with not that more space and paying for bills and food so this was great! I love the cute piano room/​TV room on the ground floor, there is larger formal living room with a grand piano I played until the front desk guy said sorry, no you can’t and showed me the piano room, I found out about it later on but it’s like a big living room renovated in a modern style. There are also smaller very beautifully furnished parlors. about 5 or 6 on the ground floor. I can’t say enough nice things about the place, as a stay at home mom, it saved me a bundle and I knew I was safe, no need to worry about staying in the same room with a guy like in cheap hostels and there is staff at all times. There is oldy-​world library – I just love how it shows when it was first built, it is renovated yet still shows the history of the 1920’s. They have quaint old-​fashioned phones I do not know why people complain about this place, it’s a safe place to stay as a woman, so much cheaper than a normal hotel, in a safe place with plenty of food cheap and plentiful. Dining is in a large dining room furnished like a diner/​restaurant. I always found food plentiful. There was opportunity to meet the other women living there in the dining room you just have to go out of your way. If you don’t chat you stay by yourself alone you reap what you sow. So I made an effort chatting to other people around me, meeting some interesting people, like a jazz singer, a lady working for the UN, someone studying, a few interns. I wasn’t there long enough to make friends just 10 days but did meet some women– you get what you put out, you can see some young ladies have been there months are now very good friends. There is a TV room, first come first served, I’m happy they watched the Bachelor the only show I cared about but wait in line for remote. my room was on a high floor not facing 34^th street it was very quiet I can hear someone talking on the phone sometimes so don’t talk confidentially unless you want your neighbor to know your business. All in all I have absolutely nothing to complain about and plan to stay there again if I find myself in the city on business. It’s only 1 big block away from the subway very convenient — some people I saw here complained about being near tourists but it’s NYC get over it, they don’t realize residential areas have nice ambience restaurants and bars but are far away from the subway like the Upper East side where I used to live. Great!

‘ve been here for about 2 days now. I agree with many of the reviews; the staff really is discourteous. It’s Winter here now and so they’ve turned the heat on to the MAX. I have to open the windows to allow some of the cold air in to strike a balance. The internet works when it wants to. The elevator is constantly out of service. The lights in the room are pretty dull. The water comes out brown/​yellow and has to run for about 30 seconds to be clear. The door automatically locks once you close it, so Heaven help you if you rush out for a pee or even worse, go to take a shower and leave your key in the room. You’ll be stuck in a towel in the hallway for up to half an hour just waiting on the staff downstairs to come open up for you. The linens and towels smell moldy and rules can be a bit burdensome if you’re a free-​willed type of person.
I haven’t yet tasted the food, but from what I’m told, it’s horrible. This is a place for working women. Most of the residents/​guests here are interns from all over the world. That may sound exciting, but it really just feels like another day in private school. They’re snobby, cliquish, and some are even straight up rude.
I will say, however, that it is quite a convenient location. Everything you need is within a 2 – 15 walking radius, and you can always order food to keep your hunger down low. The social rooms and general construction of the building is very 1930’s, so if you’re the type to appreciate that sort of atmosphere, then that’s something you’ll enjoy.
Overall, it’s not a place that will ever lose business because of it’s long standing reputation. However, if you have other options, I’d encourage you to explore them.

I lived at the Webster Apartments ten months last year. I didn’t know what to expect after reading the previous reviews and was slightly anxious upon arriving. But I had a wonderful stay and made friends for life, both from the US and from Europe.
The previous comments explained very clearly what the Webster is all about and what the rules, dinner hours are, and so on, so I will just give my personal experience, hoping it will help others decide if the Webster might be a good choice for their stay in New York.
I had a rather unfortunate experience the first weeks because I had roaches (not really a surprise in NYC), but once they’d understood the emergency the staff did their best to have another room available for me on the same day. At first they said I might have to sleep in another room for a few days and then be moved to another for good, but they were able to accomodate me straight away, which I sincerely appreciated.
The furniture is old and has obviously seen a zillion coats of painting but the rooms are cozy and well furnished, with a closet wide enough to put 1 or more big suitcases, an armchair, heater, drawer, bed, a small desk and a chair (not very comfortable). Some of them though are really dark even during daytime, so cross your fingers to get one that gets a good amount of light.
Some maids are nicer than others, and some of them are wonderful and will do their best to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Mine would always bring me things left by other girls who had left the Webster, would always want to discuss, was always ready for a good laugh, would tell me every morning what the weather was… A jewel of a woman. The staff at the front desk can be a bit rude at times and would sometimes rather read their magazines than answer your questions, but some of the women there were very nice and arranging.
The food is the reason why I can’t give the Webster 5 stars despite the great location (yes it’s Penn station which isn’t a great neighborhood but it’s conveniently located, close to a great number of subway lines). I was never sick and some dishes were even rather good (the carrot cake and the chocolate cake were good surprises as well as the ice-​cream) but there is an obvious lack of variety which makes it very redundant. The good point is that when you know a good food is coming (Thursday was bagel day when I was there) you anticipate it! For those who get to dinner too late, there’s always a salad bar (same for lunch, but in smaller helpings) and one or two cold plates. The staff in the kitchen is especially friendly and some of them will even break the «no yogurt if you had a choice of protein» rule to accomodate you. Beware of the juices that I always found particularly sweet; they say it’s Minute Maid but I doubt it. They have a choice of normal and light yogurts, always good if you watch your weight.
At one point during my stay the rent increased, it is now 305 $ for interns, still without the internet (30 $ a month). If I was able to watch some videos the first weeks of my stay in July, once September and Fall were around the corner, streaming and Skype became a pain. Some rooms do get good reception though, depending on where you are in the building.
Regarding the showers, a few friends had some minor issues (not enough pressure or residents on their floor not careful enough) but I never encountered any problem. I always had hot water and a good pressure. There was never any line and I never had more than 10 minutes to wait to have one free.
I HIGHLY recommend the Webster for a first stay in NYC. Granted, some of the women there have been residents for years and are a bit odd, but they’re completely harmless and the majority of women are young interns eager to discover the city and its jewels. It’s very easy to make friends as the place really makes socializing easy with its small cozy salons (each of them with a different theme), grand living room and its piano, its veranda and its rooftop with AMAZING view.

I have been living at the Webster for 2 months now and it has been great! I toured these apartments last spring and knew it was where I wanted to stay; compared to the other housing options I toured (EHS & The Brandon). The Webster had the best reviews, a great area, the best pricing, and my own room.
Pros:
— It is in a Great Area… There’s a movie theater right down the street, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden a block away, lots of shopping, Macy’s and Kmart right around the corner, Herald Square the next block over, lots of places to eat, and best of all very safe.
— The staff overall are pretty great. The kitchen staff are really nice and they speak Spanish to me to help with my learning. Most of the office staff is nice as well. There are two who act like they don’t want to be there and never really want to help, but everyone else is really nice. I haven’t really met any of the maid staff… I see them at breakfast before work, but when I get home my bed is always made and I appreciate it. I hear they’re nice as well though.
— You get your own room complete with a twin sized bed, dresser, book shelf, desk with chair, sink, sitting chair, medicine cabinet, telephone, a fan over the bed, two wall lamps (one above the bed and another above the desk), six outlets (in my room four under the window and two under the lamp), and a small wall mirror. Depending on what room you get you’ll have a window with curtains as well. The closet it sized pretty well and there are some shelves so you can store more. I think the floor is linoleum but it has rugs that cover most of the floor. I brought A LOT of stuff plus a hamper and three of those big plastic drawer things and everything fit!
–The price is ok. $ 285 a week ($ 1,140/month) for this area, a decent sized room, and meals is a good deal.
–Breakfast. I have found that breakfast here is really good. My favorite meal is when we have bagels, fried eggs, and sausage. If you don’t like the breakfast they’re serving they always have cereals (Frosted Flakes, Special K, Raisin Bran, and something else) and also cream of wheat or oatmeal. Sorry for us Southern girls… No grits: (. They also have different breads, milk, coffee and tea daily.
–Lunch. Bagged lunches can be purchased for $ 4 and they include a sandwich (PB&J, Ham, Turkey, Salami or Tuna)… and you choose the bread and condiments you want (white, wheat, etc., Mustard, mayo, ketchup, salt & pepper), cottage cheese (if you want it), Dannon Yogurt, A fruit (Apple, Pear, or Orange), and a cookie (Lorna Doones, Oreos, or Fig Newtons). I found that the sandwiches don’t have veggies on them but I just get lettuce, tomato, and onions at dinner and save them in Tupperware to put on my sandwich. I do advise that you bring a few pieces of Tupperware and a cooler. I only get lunch every now and then and as far as PB&J… forget about it. I got my own peanut butter and in the morning get some bread from breakfast and jelly and Ta-​Dah… saved $ 4. Also at breakfast I think if you don’t get fruit you can get peanut butter. I also bought my own packaged snacks and some drinks for lunch to keep in my room, they don’t mind.
Cons:
–The TV rooms. I rarely watch TV at all anymore, but when I do want to see something on TV, the channel is either not working or someone has beaten you to the remote. If you know there’s something coming on that you want to watch you have to head in there a few hours before and wait. We’re pretty good about handing the remote over to the next person in order, but sometimes I just wish I could watch TV alone… in my room. Lol
–Dinner. Don’t get me wrong, the food here is pretty good… Better than I ever expected but they’re repetitive. We have the same thing over and over again.
–No Fridges. You’re not allowed to bring fridges, but a cooler is allowed and has helped when I want to save some leftover food for lunch.
–Internet. At $ 10 a week or $ 30 a month the internet is not a bad price for NYC, but it runs really slow… Especially after everyone comes home from work.
–The heater. It makes this loud annoying banging noise. Thank goodness it’s not constant and only lasts a few minutes at a time!
I think I covered a lot but I also wrote a blog post that includes pictures of the Webster, my room, and some meals and also a video of my room… Hope this helped!

After reviewing the Webster, I was excited to apply to stay short term. It sounds like an ideal situation for a young woman looking for work while in the city. A fellow reviewer explained this helped her with the «NYC Catch 22» — where you can’t find a job because you don’t have an NYC address so no one will hire you and you can’t get an apartment because you don’t have a job.
After three attempts at calling, I finally was transferred to a person who could fax me an application. Apparently, the only two ways to apply are by fax or mail. Mail as in snail mail not to be confused with this new age thing we call «E-​Mail.» The Webster does not partake in such new fangled technologies.
Still, I was anxious to apply. The lady I spoke with regarding the application and a few basic questions such as «when would be the next available room to rent?» radiated the vibe that taking my call was the inconvenience of her day.
«I can take your name and number but the lady who faxes these isn’t in today,» she said with a tone that was less than friendly.
«I don’t know dates we have available. You send us the application with $ 50 and we can assign a room.» Again, in a rigid tone as if I was interrupting her during her soap opera.
It was disappointing to hear that what I thought was exaggerated reviews on the staff’s rudeness are in fact true.
I hope these reviews serve potential guests of the Webster well. However, I wish even more that the staff and owners of the Webster can utilize this to internally review how they operate. Then again, if they don’t use email, I’m guessing Unilocal reviews is even more foreign.

I lived here for 6 months last year (2011).
it’s $ 285/​week (including all utilities — except internet) and 2 meals/​day. maid cleans your room 2x a week.
ROOMS:
— furnished with a white twin bed, small desk, chair, armchair, and dresser.
*if you have the elevator rooms — you get a nightstand (but then you get a retarded pull down desk).
— room is nicely lit with 2 lights (one above your bed for reading, and one by the desk)
— nicely sized window
— a bit noisy facing 34^th street or living on floors 2^nd –6^th.
— closet it reasonable (can fit suitcases, etc).
HEAT and AC in bedrooms:
— Summer months: no ac unit provided– instead, you have to either rent it ($ 200 for the whole summer) or buy your own. They install it for you (rent or bought).
— Fall/​Winter months: the heat could make your room a bit stuffy. You can turn it off or open your window.
BATHROOMS:
— shared toilets, shower, and tub.
— there are showers and tubs on each floor. I have seen 1 – 2 people use the tubs, but most use the showers. there has never been a problem with all the showers being occupied.
— they are cleaned everyday. but I still wear flip flops.
— the only neg is you wear a towel to the showers and back — and sometimes (only sometimes) there is a male engineer who might be walking the halls at the same time!
INTERNET:
— it’s $ 30/​month or $ 10/​day.
— it sucks after 5pm because that’s when everyone is using it. it is hard to stream videos or watch youtube.
— in the mornings (or when people are at work), it’s decent.
COMPUTER AREA:
— if you don’t have a laptop, they have 3 – 4 computers on the second floor. you can scan pictures, print, etc. everything costs though.
TV ROOM:
— you are able to bring your own and put it in your room. but if you don’t want to – they have 2 very nice TV rooms (one on the first floor and one on the second). Everyone packs themselves in it during the summer months because there is a/​c
— there are vending machines — cheap snacks, water, sodas, etc
FOOD
— you get 2/​day (breakfast 6:45 — 8:45am, lunch 12:00 — 12:30, dinner 5 – 7:45pm).
— milk, water, coffee, tea is always available. (no soda)
— the breakfast is pretty decent (either an egg or pancake day).
— the salad bar is great.
— dinner is on the weaker side. not really that good. very carb rich.
— if you can’t do dinner, you have the option to do a lunch bag. pretty awesome! (sandwich, fruit, and a cookie).
STAFF
— moody. everyone. the people at the front desk, the people who serve you. the doorman.
— however — there are always one-​two people in each department that are absolutely wonderful! :)
— front desk has movies to rent (for free), newspaper, wine opener, etc.
RULES:
— VERY strict.
— no boys
— no fridge in rooms (or any electric items) **the maids find them and report them**
LAUNDRY
— only 3 floors have it. after 5pm — it can be hard to find a free one (as well as a working one).
— coin operated.
ROOFTOP
— AMAZING views. very relaxing!

If you are a young woman looking for a temporary residence in New York City, the Webster Apartments should definitely be a major consideration.
I stayed at the Webster from January-​March 2012 and have almost no complaints at all. Prior to moving here I had a lot of questions and concerns that weren’t addressed in typical reviews, so I hope this helps give you a better idea of what to expect before moving to the Webster.
Rent:
Rent is around $ 250 per week which includes all utilities and meals. The staff is very friendly, and if you prefer to pay upfront by the month they are very flexible and accommodating.
Meals:
First of all, I believe the reviews of the food at the Webster are completely off base. I was never subjected to any «inedible» meals. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of meals that were served! While at the Webster I had chicken parmesan, meatloaf, burgers, and the potato pancakes were to die for. Dessert and salad bar are also available daily, along with water/​juice/​milk/​or coffee.
I do agree with some of the other reviewers, if you work late hours, the dining room schedule is a little strict. The cafeteria hours are as follows:
Breakfast:
Monday — Friday
6:45−7:00AM (COLD)
7:00−8:00AM (HOT)
Saturday:
7:15−9:00AM
Sunday:
8:00−10:00AM
Dinner:
Monday — Saturday
5:00−7:30PM (HOT)
7:30−7:45 (Cold Plate)
Sunday:
12:30−2:00PM
If you want to eat out, there are two fantastic delis on Dyer and 10^th, a Subway, and Chinese restaurants on 9^th. Travel further east on 34^th and you’ll run into a lot of typical fast food like Wendy’s, Quiznos, TGIF, and others.
Internet:
I have to agree that the internet at the Webster is kind of terrible, ONLY if you’re trying to stream videos from Netflix or Hulu. If you want to surf the web, use Facebook, or anything like that, I doubt you will run into any problems at all. The internet seems to get REALLY slow around 9PM on weekdays, but otherwise works really well during the day. You can pay $ 10 for one week of unlimited use or $ 30 for unlimited monthly use.
Your Room:
Rooms are very small with sink, bed, desk & chair, small book shelf, dresser, closet that will easily store two suitcases and clothes, and window. Rooms have two lamps, very low light– I suggest bringing a lamp or buying one once you arrive. There are only 3 outlets in the room, and only one of those outlets have 3 prongs (for laptops, other heavy electronics).
The maid comes everyday to make up your bed and clean your room, and changes your towels once a week. You are provided with two bath towels, hand towel, and floor towel (for taking showers). You can get by without bringing any towels with you. Rooms have no AC (I don’t know much about how hot the rooms get as I stayed at the Webster in the winter). During the cold months I also recommend bringing an extra blanket and your own pillow case.
They are three rooms dedicated to laundry in the building. 4^th, 7^th, and 11^th floor. You can buy single use detergent boxes on the 11^th floor for 50 cents. You can do laundry in the smallest washers/​dryers for $ 1.25 per wash and dry. Change machine on second floor rarely works, and front desk won’t make change. Get a few rolls of quarters so you can do laundry and also buy snacks/​drinks on the 2^nd floor. The 2^nd floor also has large movie room where you can watch TV. No men past 1^st floor without escort, can’t go to your room– ALL your guests must be signed in.
Showers, Toilets:
Showers and toilets are located on the East and West side of each floor. Toilets are like high school stalls, three toilets in each. There are two showers and one tub on each side of each floor. Sometimes the drains don’t work very well in the showers, I recommend trying different showers until you find one that drains better. Facilities are always very clean. Even though facilities are shared, you can still have a lot of privacy. Best times to take showers are in the evening to avoid waiting.
Smoking:
The Webster is a non-​smoking facility, but you are permitted to smoke on the roof lobby and outside, the backyard courtyard, and the front stoop.
The Area:
Upon arrival I recommend a quick trip to K-​Mart on 34^th and 7^th ave to pick up little items for your stay at the Webster, like laundry bag, soaps, shampoos, and anything else you had to leave behind. Times Square and the High Line are very close. Central Park, SoHo and East Village aren’t far.
Transportation:
If you decide to come to the Webster, Penn Station at 34^th and 8^th is going to be your closest train station. You’ll definitely want to pick up a Metrocard here so you can run around the city. The M11, M34 and M34A are also the closest buses to the Webster. Check out the MTA website for more info
This is my VERY detailed review, I hope it helps you answer any questions you may have regarding the Webster. Good luck on your search for housing in NY!

I lived at The Webster Apartments for 5 months, and I made many friends while living there. Most people keep to themselves, and it is full of women on internships. I would give the meals three stars, the room four (mainly because there is a sink inside, the rooms are fairly small), but the customer service is really what brings this residence down to two stars.
The staff is, as aforementioned by other reviewers, undoubtedly unhelpful. I have never encountered such inexplicable rudeness by professionals. At first I gave them the benefit of the doubt and tried to be extra polite, but my attempt made no difference.
I thought I would leave the Webster behind me, but a quick phone call brought back all of my past frustration and utter bewilderment at the behavior of adult professionals. I called to see if I had left an envelope at the front desk during my visit earlier in the day to see if there had been any mail leftover after my stay there. The woman told me that they did not have my envelope, and when I started to describe the color she cut off my speech with, «WE DO NOT HAVE IT» and curtly hung up on me. This is a very small example of the kind of attitude expected from the staff. I won’t even go into the multitude of incidences that would support this experience.
The rent is high for a place that doesn’t allow for very much legroom, and the food included is cafeteria food. If you have the chance to go anywhere else in the city, go there before considering The Webster. Bottom line: look elsewhere.
Even though I don’t live there anymore, I am calling again tomorrow to speak with the manager about the absurd and childish behavior of the staff. I’m sure it will not be the first complaint.
I hope this helped,

I lived at the Webster Apartments for 7 – 8 months and never ran into any major problems whilst living there. It’s a great resource to have in a city like NYC, if not always the most convenient living situation. In general, they earn 3 – 4 stars. The food, however is 2 – 3 stars at best*.
There are some prerequisites for residents here, including:
XX chromosomes (WOMEN ONLY)
Proof of internship or job (salary less than $ 50k)
Make no mistake, the Webster is a great place for:
Short term residences
Moving to NYC without a couch to crash on
Moving to NYC without furniture
Moving to NYC without knowing very much about different areas
Interns from out of town
Meeting international young women
New to the city women who are concerned about safety
The short-​list of pros:
Convenient location — central to Manhattan
Safe vibe; «doorman» on duty ²⁴⁄₇
Short term or long term stays
Only need to give 1 week’s notice that you’re leaving
Get your own furnished room**
Sink in your room
Laundry rooms on 3 floors
Complementary breakfast and dinner for residents (guest passes avail.)
Housecleaning on weekdays
Sheets and towels changed weekly
Basic utilities are included in your rent
Wireless internet available for $ 30/​month
Rent is based on your salary; interns are $ 265/​month
You can pay your rent weekly — rather than monthly
Pretty soundproof rooms (not the doors though)
TV room
Computers with internet and printer (all for a fee)
Rooftop garden/​smoking area
The short-​list of cons:
Share bathrooms (stalls with toilets)
Share showers (wear flip flops in there!)
No kitchen (there’s a microwave for public use)
If you miss set dining times, you’re out of luck (so if you work late, factor that in)
The quality of the food. Some is okay. Some is inedible.*
Have only male friends? They can’t go above the 1^st floor.
Your male friends also get kicked out at 10pm or midnight
All visitors (male & female) are required to sign in
Not supposed to use irons or little crockpot kind of stuff in your room
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* See this blog for more on just the food (with pictures) —
** Each room comes furnished with a twin bed, small bookshelf, dresser, desk, and 2 chairs. There is a small closet in one of the corners, as well as a sink with medicine cabinet over it. One lamp illuminates the head of your bed and one is by your desk. Air conditioning during the summer is provided for an additional fee. Video of an approximate room size/​layout here —

When I lived here last year, it was $ 250/​week. Make no mistake, it’s not a terrible price, but it’s also not the best price that you can find, either. What is nice is that you don’t have to pay any other bills apart from the internet (which is spotty at best; once while I was there it went out for a week in the whole building). Also, they clean your room once a week if you want it. The walls are fairly soundproof, although the doors are not, so any activity in the hallway is hard to ignore (and everyone in the hallway can hear you). It’s a fairly clean place, and it’s also pretty safe. If you’re lucky, you can even get a room with a pretty nice view.
However, the staff is mostly insane. (Not to mention some of the tenants, particularly those who’ve lived there for decades.) When I was there, there was one nice woman who worked there; I figured out who she was (really, the youngest one), and whenever I needed to ask something I tried to ask her. Some of them are completely evil. One of them is prone to shouting at you if you create any kind of noise in the lounge, whether or not anyone else is actually there, or even if it’s like Saturday night at 8 o’clock, which doesn’t seem like an unreasonable time to make noise – particularly since there are no rooms on the bottom floor where the lounges and sitting rooms and whatnot are, so it’s not like you’re bothering someone trying to sleep. At some point it became a running joke…“no laughing at the Webster!” Here’s a good comparison for people who have read Harry Potter: this place is run by a bunch of Snapes and Filches. Some of them are cold, and some of them are just bizarre. If you have a legitimate problem, many of them will totally ignore it, which can get annoying, because you probably WILL have legitimate problems. Sometimes they step on your toes, also – I had an item that they considered contraband, although it’s not illegal and they don’t even say that you can’t have it in their rules. Once upon a time, when I asked them not to clean my room because I had all my crap everywhere and that just seemed like my problem, they went in there anyway and cleaned it. Then, the next day, even though I still had my «do not disturb» sign on, they came in and left me a notice saying they were planning on confiscating the item that they found, saying it broke some kind of fire code. But I looked it up, in case you were wondering, and no such code exists. I also really didn’t like that two days in a row they came into my room when I asked them not to; it felt like I was being patrolled by Miss Manners. The first day maybe someone just slipped and wasn’t paying attention and came in the room anyway – fair enough. But the second day really annoyed me and after that I had a difficult time feeling like I had any privacy. However, they never did make good on their promise to confiscate the item.
The food is okayish; some days are better than others. Occasionally it tastes like someone only described what the food in question was supposed to taste like to the cook without the cook ever having tasted it. They also like really weird food combinations, like Spanish rice and teriyaki chicken. I mean it’s included in rent, and that’s fine I guess, but I’m just saying, a diet consisting solely of Webster food will not only leave you 10 lbs heavier than when you got there, but it will also drive you slowly insane. Also, the hours that the food is available can be a pain if you’re working long hours, because often you’ll get there too late to eat. It sucks to work for 14 hours and then get home at like 8 and be told you missed dinner by 15 minutes. A secret about the kitchens, in case you move there, is that they always have tuna available, in the event that you cannot abide by any of the food that they’re offering, so you can get a bowl of tuna and make a sandwich.
Not to mention, there is some kind of cold war going on there over the heating. They will wait until you are freezing half to death before they turn on the heat. I used to sit under my covers wearing three layers shivering. I am from a much warmer climate than some, but still, a lot of my friends there reported finding it difficult to tolerate at times. They will wait until the last possible minute to turn on the heat, and the blankets they provide are very flimsy. In my case, I didn’t have enough cash to buy more blankets because I was stretched pretty thin as it was, so I just had to make do with the cold, which wasn’t very fun. And when they turn the heat on it gets despicably hot in the room and you’ll spend a lot of time in December sleeping with your window open and the fan on and waking up sweating.
And the bathrooms are gross. For me, that’s the real dealbreaker. It’s pretty much just like living in a dorm.
And yet I never moved out before I left New York. Frankly it’s just very well located, and not the worst place I’ve lived, and you never know – you might make some friends.

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t lived here or attempted the process of obtaining housing here.
However, every fashion-​interning-​not-​from-​NYC friend I’ve ever had has spent time here and I recommend this place to every woman who emails asking for housing help in NYC.
This is ideal housing for women who are new to NYC. I have met many European women who simply can’t get a NYC apartment because they don’t have a job /​credit score in USA. Starting at Webster has helped many women get their feet on the ground and build their life here.
It’s safe, clean, centrally located and rent includes meals. I wish more women knew about this great resource.

Didn’t ever live here but recently tried to and the vibe I got was BAD!!!
The staff is super rude and bitchy as well as exasperated and impatient when it came to legit questions.
The rooms I saw were TINY, the size of a walk-​in closet. And, after three visits to get answers and the tour and two follow-​up phone calls with additional questions I was then informed that I didn’t even qualify for a room! Wish they could have been better organized about that, but they did me a favor as my gut was telling me to NOT live here.
It’s much harder than one would think to get a room here. You have to either be a student or an intern with Mom & Dad’s money OR be a full time worker with a certain number of hours working a week, but not exceeding a certain amount of pay.
I know I am a total fit for Webster based on its overall mission of the place, a woman that needs a clean, safe temporary place to call home while she gets on track here in NYC, and yet I was turned away because I lacked an extra 5 hours a week in work, even though my pay could well take care of the required rent. It was all very silly. I think the woman who started this place way back when would be ashamed of how it’s run today.

I have stayed at the Webster a few times during various internships. This is a great place to stay during what I call the «NYC Catch-​22.» When no one in New York will give you a job because you do not have a New York address and no one will give you an apartment in New York because you do not have a job. Interesting, but true… So, The Webster was always my choice to help the situation because they will give you a place to live even if you do not have any income, as long as you pay them. Then, you have a New York address and employers will then hire you, which in turn will lead you to being able to get your own apartment after a while. Wheeew, love New York.
This all women’s establishment makes it a lot safer and less threatening. It is exactly what is described on their website, as being a utopia within the city, just walk out the back of the cafeteria into the courtyard and see for yourself. It is also nice to be guaranteed food, because I have been without food and struggling in the city before.
If you know you are not going to make it for dinner that night, you can request a bag lunch by filling out a ticket during the breakfast hour and dropping it off. They will have a lunch bag ready for you the next morning for pick-​up. If you want lunch and dinner, then the lunch is $ 3.50. So, it is one or the other, but breakfast is always there. The food is good quality and reminds me of the old Morrison’s or Piccadilly cafeterias that we had here in Florida. Dinners like Lasagna or Fried chicken, and there is always a salad bar that is very fresh. People do sit by themselves in the cafeteria, but I met a lot of people and made friends there too. The best thing to do is ask if you can sit with someone and then they will usually say yes, then start talking with them. There you go!
You can get free wireless internet by taking your laptop on the roof and walking around until you pick up a signal without password. Oh crap the secret is out.
I remember the monthly rent averaging out to about $ 900, which is what one would pay for a share or a single studio. Not great, but for starting out in the city not so bad.

Oh man, this brings back memories. I lived here briefly circa 2002. I distinctly remember that the room they showed me was twice as large as the room I moved into, which is definitely misleading. The included meals are great, except they only serve breakfast and dinner between certain times and I was constantly missing it. Lastly, when I was there, everyone ate at their own separate tables. I guess you could meet people if you made an effort, but for me it was really isolating and I eventually moved out when I found an apartment share.