Tough Couch Surfing in New York City

I'm originally from New York. People in New York are stressed. There are many different reasons. Life is fast paced and people are living in a place they can't really afford. That might translate into a stressful couch surfing experience. The possibilities that you will be couchsurfing in Manhattan are slim to none. These hosts get too many requests, but you can stay in Brooklyn or other surrounding areas, I would just avoid Staten Island. I couch surfed in New York City for 6 weeks, I also stayed at hostels and hotels in Manhattan. Out of all the hosts I stayed with in New York City,there was only one good one. It was a lady in Brooklyn who had her own apartment complex and she let me stay in one of the vacant apartments and we would spend time every evening. That is how a host should be. They should really have resources to host,and not just any loser with a couch.She was also very polite and gave me my personal space. Instead of just putting me on a couch and walking by everytime she had to walk to the kitchen,  like a lot of other hosts, who think that you don't need privacy unless you are in the bathroom. I had a great time staying there.

The next four hosts were far from perfect. I stayed with one girl in her 20's who did not have any money and she would mention it often. I bought some food from the neighborhood market and I asked if I could put it in the fridge. Since she was a vegan, I thought i would not make her feel uncomfortable so I did not buy meat and I bought some of the stuff she already had, so that she could have some if she wanted. Well she started getting my food confused with hers and everytime I would open the fridge,she thought I was eating her food! She started saying "that shit has to last me for two weeks, because I don't make a lot of money at the grocery store where I work" very, very pathetic and it was stressful for me. She was also a slut who slept with a different guys. So the second night I stayed she slept with a different guy than she did on the first one. She'd walk around in her underwear a lot of the time...and the last day I stayed she woke me up at 5 in the morning so I could leave with her.
I stayed with another woman in her late 40s in Harlem, and she would not let me stay another night at her place because she got a roommate while I was there and it was just  inconvenient.
New York is a no bullshit tolerated kind of place. If you rub someone the wrong way, if they don't like something about your personality, they will  not hesitate to throw you out in the street. New York is tough. People are miserable and they will not hesitate to make you miserable as well.
New York City is awesome. It's the place where I was born, but I would not recommend couchsurfing there. You want to see New York and have a good time, you want to enjoy yourself without some bitter New Yorker ruining it for you because they could hardly make their rent this month. The only ones who are not miserable are the wealthy ones who live in Manhattan, which is where you won't be able to get a couch. There are good hostels in Manhattan though, where I would recommend staying.Some are like $35 a night. You should always be prepared to stay in a hostel anyway,and in the case that you find your self kicked out of your host's place, New York may be a tough place, but it has the best homeless shelters in the country. It is open 24 hours and they will take you and feed you, without telling you that you have to replace the peanut butter sandwhich or orange juice. No guilt. No hassle. And it is as good as a hostel with clean sheets and they even give you a locker where you can put your belongings. The shelter is located in Manhattan.
Do not stay in Staten Island, I had the worst experience there. Take out all the fun and excitement of New York city and leave the bitterness,and you got Staten Island. There is nothing to do there. It might be close to Manhattan  but it's not worth it to even spend nights there. There was a guy trying to pick a fight with me because I did not give him directions to get somewhere, he finally backed off when I told him I was not from there,because apparently the suitcases and bags did not give the moron any clues.
Yes, maybe not what you want to hear, but I would couch surf somewhere else. Any other city is better to couchsurf than New York.  In New York, have enough money to at least pay for a hostel. Have fun.