When arriving in New York City, it’s easy to be immediately
overwhelmed by the abundance of transportation options readily available for
your use, especially when every transit vendor is urging you to take his advice
or offering you so-called “special rates.” We’ve broken it down for you, so
next time you’re stuck thinking “Bus? Taxi? No, definitely subway. Hmm.” you
won’t be left in a bind, or getting ripped off because you're a visitor.
New York's Subway System
It may
not be the cleanest metro system in the world (if you’re OCD on the germ front,
definitely keep a bottle of anti-bacterial sanitizer handy), but it gets you
where you need to go in a (relatively) timely and (subjectively) cheap manner.
At just $2 a ride (good for one bus transfer over a two-hour period), you can
nip on down to Battery Park or hightail it up, up, up to Harlem in no time at
all. The best thing about New York’s
subway system is its extensive web-like routes: It covers nearly every corner
of Manhattan and good portions of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, as well. The
drawback: there is no set timetable, so depending on when you arrive at the
station, you could be waiting 15 seconds or 15 minutes to the next train.
If you’re arriving at JFK, you can take the AirTrain to
Jamaica station and, from there, hop one of the Manhattan- and Brooklyn-bound
trains to your final destination. Or rather pick up the A train at Howard
Beach, which deposits you directly at
Penn Station. Both are $7 one way. If you’re coming westward from Newark, you
can also hop the AirTrain to Penn for $11. LaGuardia is not well-connected to
the city by subway (though you can take a bus from the airport to a subway that
will deliver you to town), so if arriving here, we suggest finding an
alternative route.
Taxi Drivers & Yellow Cabs
A flat fee
of $45 from JFK and Newark to anywhere in Manhattan, if you’re traveling with a
crew, this is likely to be your best budget option. From LaGuardia, there is no
set rate via taxi, though it’s cheaper when traveling into the city than from
the other airports thanks to its close proximity (depending on where in
Manhattan you’re going, you could pay as little as $18). Ask to travel the 59th
Street Bridge route to avoid added tolls.
If you’re just cruising around the city, you’ll pay $2.50 as
a base and $0.40 for every additional fifth of a mile (a $0.50 surcharge is
tacked on between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., and a peak-hour fee of $1.00 is added
between 4 and 8 p.m. on weekdays). Just don’t forget: It’s customary to tip at
least 10 percent.
New York City Bus Service
Perhaps the
easiest way, albeit not necessarily the quickest, each avenue boasts at least
one major bus line that covers it length, while crosstown buses can be found
every five to 10 blocks. The same cost as the subway, $2 (the NYC metro card
can be used interchangeably for the two modes of transportation), the bus is
perhaps the most reliable method of getting where you need to go. A
bus-to-subway transfer is free within two hours of using your ticket.
NYC Aiport Shuttle Services
If
you’re too cheap to pony up for a cab but still above taking the subway, book
one of the airport-to-city shuttle services. Our favorite is Super Shuttle: For a flat fee of $21 from JFK
and Newark or $16 from Laguardia, you can enjoy door-to-door service. Warning: you likely won't be the only person on the shuttle, so more passengers = more stops = more time in van.
Driving Aound New York City
With a
dominating percentage of Manhattan traffic big yellow cabs and fancier limo
rentals, you won’t find a ton of rental cars cruising the city. And they’re
really not necessary either, unless you’re planning on touring more of New
England, as your transportation options are many, and parking is both costly
and close to impossible to find. Our advice: don't drive yourself around NYC.
Alternate Modes of Transportation
Cycling in
the city is not advised, as traffic is excessive and there are no lanes for
bikers. You can, however, pedal around Central Park in a rental that can be
found at various points around the park (prices vary). Pedi-cabs are a scenic
way of traveling Manhattan, though they don’t really get you anywhere fast and
cost $1-$2 per block. Horse and carriages in and around the park and
typically go for $30-$50 per leisurely half hour, depending on your negotiating
skills. You can find them parked all along the park’s south border on any given
day.
By Kristin Leigh
