hahaha  Buffalo is a 7-8 hours drive from NYC...Could be longer as that area is in the Canadian border (so it snows a lot there).  Look up hotels.com for a general idea of the rates in NYC.  Also, look up craigslist.org and look for room shares if planning to stay a lil longer.  I'd suggest you stick to West Queens (Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside/Woodside, Jackson Heights) and the extreme west side of Brooklyn (Williamsburg) if looking for safety and affordability with a close proximity to the city.