the greenpoint hotel
I'm adding this here as a public service, because people Google for it all the time. It shows up in backpacker guides as reliable budget lodging, and it shouldn't (I'm not sure it ever should have).
IF YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE GREENPOINT HOTEL, YOU DO NOT WANT TO STAY THERE. It is not safe, and I don't say that about much of NYC. Go to the Greenpoint YMCA instead. They have a hostel. I've had friends stay there dozens of times. It's perfectly fine, and the price is unbeatable.
I have this photo because I used to work in real estate and one of our landlords (who owns many loft buildings all over Brooklyn) also owns this hotel, and their office was in the hotel. So I had to go there to pick up leases and keys and drop off checks. Never ever took clients there (which they could never understand). I'd have them meet me at the Ash Box instead.