Access to NYC??? (New York, Brighton, Long Beach: transferring to, buses, authority)

[tscrilla]

I'm contemplating staying in East Rutherford NJ near the Meadowland Sports complex. Is this a good idea for traveling into the city? Is there a train that I can take from here? Cost?

Also, what if I wanted to get to a beach, is there such a place right near NYC that is nice?

Forgive me of my ignorance but I'm not familiar with the area. Thanks in advance

[Chava61]

Check the NJ Transit website for trains/buses to NYC:
New Jersey Transit - Home

[Fred314X]

Although Coney Island is more famous, Rockaway Beach is actually one of the finest beaches on the entire eastern seaboard! (You can take the A train directly to the Rockaways--that's part of Queens--from Port Authority Bus Terminal. Get on a downtown train; just make sure the signs say "Far Rockaway" rather than "Lefferts Boulevard." There are two branches of the A line, and you need the former rather than the latter to get you there).

[tscrilla]

Thanks for your help. I've not heard of Rockaway beach before, will definitely have to check it out.

[LLOJ]

To get to the city by train you can take New Jersey Transit's Bergen County Line from Rutherford to New York Penn Station (via a quick transfer at Secaucus Junction) or Hoboken (then transferring to the PATH train or NY Waterway) for what should be no more than $10 one way.

To get to the city by bus you can take New Jersey Transit's 163, 164 or 190 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal depending where you are in Rutherford, or on weekdays you can drive to the nearby Vince Lombardi Park & Ride and take New Jersey Transit's 167 or 321 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal for what should be no more than $8.

As for nice beaches you have the Jersey Shore, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Long Beach, Rockaway Beach, and Jones Beach within two hours from Rutherford.

[tpk-nyc]

Originally Posted by tscrilla

I'm contemplating staying in East Rutherford NJ near the Meadowland Sports complex. Is this a good idea for traveling into the city? Is there a train that I can take from here? Cost?

Also, what if I wanted to get to a beach, is there such a place right near NYC that is nice?

Forgive me of my ignorance but I'm not familiar with the area. Thanks in advance

You want to take the train to the beach? I would recommend staying in Jersey. Taking a commuter train into Penn and then the subway to the Rockaways is a very long and tedious trip. The Rockaways are great if you're already in Queens.

[clevedark]

The closest nice beach to Rutherford is Sandy Hook in NJ but I'm not sure about public transportation. I suspect there will be a bus out of Port Authority.

There is also a NJ Transit shore train line out of Penn Station that will take you to Red Bank and points south, all the way down to Bay Head (which is a really nice town, and *beautiful* beach not far from train).

I think the Long Island Railroad out of Penn Station will take you to notable LI beaches like the Hamptons. Don't know how far stations are from beach.

And yes, you can always hop the subway to get to beaches in Queens.

You have many beach options.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by clevedark

The closest nice beach to Rutherford is Sandy Hook in NJ but I'm not sure about public transportation. I suspect there will be a bus out of Port Authority.

There is also a NJ Transit shore train line out of Penn Station that will take you to Red Bank and points south, all the way down to Bay Head (which is a really nice town, and *beautiful* beach not far from train).

I think the Long Island Railroad out of Penn Station will take you to notable LI beaches like the Hamptons. Don't know how far stations are from beach.

And yes, you can always hop the subway to get to beaches in Queens.

You have many beach options.

To Sandy Hook, NJ there are also ferries. See Fares and Schedules,SeaStreak .

[tscrilla]

Love this forum, you guys are great. I will have a car but I do want to use public transportation especially when going to the city.

BTW, this will be my first NYC trip. Spent A LOT of time in Philly but never ventured up to NYC, not sure why. Guess it seemed kind of intimidating due to the sheer size and that it might be overwhelming to find parking and figure out which train to get one, etc, etc. But heck, I've always wanted to go and now I'm going to do it. Again, thanks for your knowledge...much appreciated.

[NY Annie]

Is there a reason you want to stay near Giants stadium? If you are planning to go both to NYC and to a beach in Jersey, you might consider parking in Jersey (near the ferry) and taking the ferry to Manhattan, then the bus out to the stadium (if that's a place you want/need to be).