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I plan to drive up to New England this summer to visit NYC, along with some other places. I'm from Knoxville, TN. I'm mostly concerned about transportation. I hear that it's really difficult to drive and park in NYC. I rode the subway when I visited DC, so I think I can just use public transportation if necessary. So what does a bumpkin like me need to know about parking and driving in NYC? It might be best if I just park outside the city and use public transportation. Maybe I could park at the airport? How much would this cost? Would it be cheaper to drive around? I'm thinking about riding my motorcycle up there, because of gas prices and because it might be easier to find parking. Is this a good idea?
Also, what are some interesting places to visit in NYC that might not be obvious to someone from middle Amurica?
Driving in the city just plain sucks. You'd be better off taking the train up and leaving the car at home- unless of course, you have stops along the way, etc. If you drive you car into the city you'll have to constantly worry about it, spend lots of time looking for a parking space, move it every other day for street sweeping if you do find a space, or pay a lot to put it IN a lot. You're better off getting around the city by subway, cab or foot. The NYC subway is more extensive and easier to navigate than just about any other big city and can almost always get you within a few blocks of where you want to be. Parking at the airport while you are in NYC is an option, but not particularly cheap. You might try finding a commuter lot in NJ and taking the commuter rail in, though I don't know how long-term you can leave a car in those lots or if you have to pay.
A M/C in the city also isn't all that practical, though it is a little bit easier getting around and/or parking- though be prepared to have your MC cover stolen, bike messed with, tipped over, etc. unless you find a good spot to put it. I never ride my MC around the city, just when I'm leaving it. I used to park my bike in Stuyvesant Town (1st Ave/14th to 23rd streets) and it didn't get messed with. Best bet there is to look for where other bikes are parked and park with them. Or put it in a parking garage- it'll definitely be cheaper than putting your car in one. For the most part, driving a MC into and around NYC is NOT fun, but if you are intrepid it's a better option than the car. It can be scary and you'll take your defensive driving to new levels! And if the weather is nice, the ride up from TN could be pretty good.
Non-obvious things to do..... The Staten Island Ferry is free and gives you a great view of NYC and the Statue of Liberty. Everybody walks across the Brooklyn Bridge, but once you get over it there's not a lot where it lands in Brooklyn- better to walk across the Williamsburg Bridge and check out hipster-ville Williamsburg, which has lots of bars and restaurants. Pick up a copy of Time Out New York (weekly magazine) to find out what is going on.
Well firstly, NYC is not New England! But I totally agree with honeychrome, there is no reason to ever bring your car to new york city. It's a complete hassle, you're better off taking amtrak and getting in at Penn Station and moving on from there rather than wasting time and huge amounts of money parking. (For a sneak preview, it costs $11.90 for one HOUR in the lot near my place.) Also, they intentionally don't put gas stations in the city to discourage driving. They may have one or two on the outskirts, but most people I know are forced to go to NJ. Not really worth it (especially with gas being $3 a gallon!)
The subway system, although it looks massive, is actually simple. The only thing that I hate about the subway is that almost all of them go uptown/downtown rather than crosstown. A few lines like the E and NR will take you to some points crosstown, but it's not exactly convenient. There are also crosstown and up/downtown buses (which I've really never been on but hear they are quite easy.) Cabs of course are your safest bet. And always make sure you tip ($1-2 at most).
Places to go? Well, that depends what you like. There are tons of different neighborhoods in New York, each with a distinctive personality, so you really can never get bored. As far as nightlife is concerned, if you're trendy and into celeb-spotting, head to the meatpacking district or west chelsea. If you're older and more sophisticated, head to the upper east side for quieter places. If you're younger and more sophisticated, try murray hill. If you're hipster, east village. (Locations for all these neighborhoods can be easily looked up.) As far as restaurants, always go to menupages.com for reviews/menus, and you honestly can't really go wrong.
As far as things to do, conventionally you should make sure to see a show, go to the statue of liberty, empire state building, museum of natural history etc etc. Non-conventionally? Go out to a traditional italian dinner in little italy (a downtown neighborhood) and have sangria at the outdoor tables. Go lie out in Central Park and catch some rays. Visit Ground Zero (not exactly entertaining, but truly moving.) Check out an art gallery or clothing boutique in Soho. There's tons of things to do, and I recommend not doing the typical touristy thing and staying in midtown. Not only do I personally despise it (smoggy, crowded, dirty, busy), but it really doesn't give you a sense of New York life. Some people only go there and forever left with an image of a crowded, scary place. New York, I find, is actually very peaceful when you're in your own neighborhood. It's not crowded, not busy, not rushed. It's just home.
Good luck with your trip; if you have any questions, just write back! For a lot of information, check out nymag.com. They have reviews and recommendations on almost everything in New York. And as a last word of advice, BE ASSERTIVE! Don't let New York intimidate you. The people who get accomodated are the people who act like they don't need to be. So, do your best to come off like you know exactly what you're doing (even if you have no clue) And lastly, GET PIZZA!
Mr. Bighead, If you can fit a helmet on that head maybe the bike is the way to go (lol). Auto theft is relatively low in NYC so I wouldn't be so concerned. Parking is expensive and your not likely to find a garage that will hit you less than $40 a day for a car. Traffic tickets are abundant. If your hotel offers parking that is a real plus. Avoid driving between 5:30 am and 9:00am and 3:00pm to 7:00pm it is nearly impossible. I have driven around that city nearly every day for the past twenty one years and although you can get lucky and just have a good traffic day I wiil warn you that I have spent as long as 3 hours to get 6-7 miles, it can be insane. A visit should be exciting but perhaps put the car in one of the airport long term parking lots or take the bike. Good luck.
We visit ALL the time. Luckily, my partner's family lives in Astoria, so we park our car there, and then basically either take the train, cab (which is actually not much more expensive than the train since they hiked the price of a faire), or hoof it. We have been EVERYWHERE, and never have a problem. A few times we've taken the car here and there for whatever reason, and THAT was when we ran into trouble. I actually drove through Times Sqare in the middle of rush hour traffic. I still can't believe I did it... it was crazy!
Oh.. and if you take cabs, trust the driver's that they know what they're doing. The first couple times I thought I was going to have a heart attack the way they whipped in and out, got so close to the other cars I swear I thought they would scrape them! LOL Now I just sit back and enjoy the ride! I would LOVE to live in the city, but alas... it's too expensive for me!
I would disagree that cabs are not much more expensive than the subway, they are WAY more. $2 will get you anywhere on the subway, a cab in $2.50 to sit down plus $2 a mile plus surcharges for rush hour or late night plus $.40 per 2 minutes if stuck in traffic.
If you are planning on bouncing all over, you can get a "funcard" (I think that is what they call it) MetroCard for $7 that allows you to get off and on buses and subways for as much as you want for 24 hours.
But really, the way to see NYC is to walk, so take some walking shoes! You really do NOT want a car there, parking is crazy expensive and a serious pain, the public transit is second to none. Just get a subway map ( http://mta.info/ ) and go from there.
Do not refer to yourself as a country bumpkin from middle America. Do not be influenced by elite media stereotypes. Go to NYC and walk the streets as a proud southerner. If anybody gives you trouble you give it right back to them.
Cabs are expensive and driving is crazy! We rented a hotel right downtown across from Central Park and walked just about everywhere...we then bought a package tourist deal where you get tickets to ride their sightseeing buses all over-that worked out well...except somedays it seems as though you spend more than 1/2 your time moving from one area to the next...but at night on the streets it seems that way too. We only had one problem, that was in a basement Burger King when a black man flipped out because my husband looked at him...my husband is over 6 ft and 280 pounds- so this wired black man starts ripping off his shirt and throwing it around, talking about God and people and tourist...I grabbed th kids and moved them away- my husband just staredhim down and walked away- it was scarey but that was only one event in 7 days. I believe he was on some type of drug...Have fun- its really quite the site to see...go to Ground Zero- I can't even tell you how it made me feel...the kids pictures on the wall--I stood there and sobbed my husband had to walk me up out of the area so I could breathe.
Be safe, be street smart and have fun!
Why dont you fly, there are 3 airports near NYC, and it may even be cheaper than the train or driving if you plan in advance. If you fly to JFK or Newark there is a train that takes you right into Manhattan. Don't worry too much about getting around the city, my favorite thing to do is walk around the city and explore different areas. You may want to take a subway or a taxi sometimes but I would reccomend staying somewhere in midtown and walking uptown or downtown. see a show, go to little italy or chinatown. Just wander around an go into places that seem interesting to you.
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But I totally agree with honeychrome, there is no reason to ever bring your car to new york city. It's a complete hassle, you're better off taking amtrak and getting in at Penn Station and moving on from there rather than wasting time and huge amounts of money parking. (For a sneak preview, it costs $11.90 for one HOUR in the lot near my place.) Also, they intentionally don't put gas stations in the city to discourage driving. They may have one or two on the outskirts, but most people I know are forced to go to NJ. Not really worth it (especially with gas being $3 a gallon!)
