Hotel Riverview

Originally a seaman's lodge, the Riverview was a refuge for survivors of the Titanic. Ledgend has it that the hotel, now an SRO is haunted by the spirits of those who were not so lucky and perhaps hitched a ride on the rescue ship Carpathia. Roach motel it may be now, but I see the perfect set for a film shoot.

Don't be mislead by the promise of its name. Unfortunately, young European backpackers and other assorted tourists on a very strict budget will be attracted by the rock bottom rates, unaware that the property's front door is actually the portal to hell on earth. Roach-ridden rooms are just large enough to fit a cot with threadbare linens, small dresser with cableless TV, and a naked light bulb. The shared baths are beyond filthy and potentially dangerous, considering the basic clientele here - two-bit hookers, junkies, and the mentally challenged (in a very, very bad way). Designated as an SRO, which means the city uses vacant rooms to house the homeless in winter months. The staff is exactly what you'd expect to find in this flea-infested firetrap, which could easily serve as the setting for a 'Law & Order' episode where an unsuspecting tourist is found bludgeoned to death in a dark stairwell. Places like this are what happen to tourists who rely on discount hotel websites that don't filter their listings. Oddly, this dump is the site of a charming off-Broadway playhouse, the only reason to ever come anywhere near it. If ever a place justified yelp allowing a rating of no stars, this is it.