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Our daughter is at the start of her college search and there are a couple of schools in the Boston area (Wellesley and Emerson) and a few in NYC that she is considering. We are in South Carolina and plan to make the trip in either Feburary or March.
We are trying to decide the best transportation option for our family. My husband would perfer to drive, while my daughter and I think flying would be the best, not to mention would save time. I am also concerned about the weather, especially if we come in February. We plan to spend a few extra days in NY to catch a couple of Broadway shows and do some shopping.
Here are the questions I need help with if you would be so kind:
1) What is the best mode of transportation from Boston to NY as well as from NY to Boston? If the answer to this is a train, how much time would it take?
2) If we drive, will the roads be safe enough to drive on or will there be snow/ice to deal with?
3) While Emerson is in the city, how far away is Wellesley from Boston and is there an easy way to get there?
4) This may be a question better posed on the NYC forum, but I thought someone here might know. If we drive and visit Boston first, then drive to NYC, where would be the best place to park our car to avoid taking it into the city?
I'm assuming you're driving from SC to NYC? If so, I'd just make the drive to Boston as well. It's only about 3 hrs and when you figure in time to account for airport security, bags, etc flying won't be any quicker. Not to mention it'll run you at least $150 per person for flights as opposed to about $50 in gas.
Unless it's snowing heavily that day, the roads shouldn't be a problem since in the north they actually have budget for snowplows, etc so they are cleared quickly (Being from VA I was amazed by this, haha). Since it sounds like you have some slop in your schedule, if it happened to snow you could move your trip by a day or two.
Wellesley is located approximately 10-15 miles west of Boston. The best route is driving I-90 west out of Boston (a toll road) to route 128 south, to route 16 west. Follow route 16 west into the center of Wellesley, then take Route 135 west (central st.) to the school.
This is around a 40 minute drive most days, though it can take to as much as 1+hours or as little as 30 minutes depending on the day of week and traffic situation.. Be prepared for New England drivers as well as road conditions.
1) Between Boston and NYC - it's roughly a 4-4.5 hr drive between the two cities. You can always park at one of the outlying train stations (ex. Riverside on the Green "D" line) and take the train into downtown to see Emerson and avoid driving in the city. Parking is a pain or very expensive and driving in town can be very stressful.
Your other option is to take one of the buses between the two cities. There are the infamous Chinatown buses (Lucky Star or Fung Wah) or you can take the nicer MegaBus or BoltBus. The cost varies, but it shouldn't be more than $20 each way per person. The bus is 4-4.5 hrs barring traffic and bad weather. Just time it so you don't leave or arrive at either city during the weekday rush hours. The train is about 4.5 hrs also and tends to be expensive -$100-$150 per person.
2) Most of your drive will be in MA and CT and it's all main highway til you hit the cities. MA does a good job of clearing the highways fast. I'm assuming CT is pretty good too. Feb is in the middle of winter so there's always a chance you could hit bad weather. However, as long as you're not actually driving while it's snowing/sleeting/icing, you should be fine.
3) Not sure about the public transportation options to Wellesley. Driving is probably the easiest/
4) Check out Metro North website. That's the NYC commuter rail. Just like Boston, you can park at one of the station garages/lots and take the commuter train into Penn Station or Grand Central. I know the lots can get full during the weekdays so that may the only issue.
I can't imagine driving in NYC in the summer let alone in the winter. Most hotels will charge you $35 per night and up and not much less in Boston. Boston is not an easy city to navigate by car if you are unfamiliar with it. If it were me I would fly and take public transportation, much less stressful. There are both bus and train from Boston to NYC.
I recommend driving everywhere, even in NYC (where you will park near the hotel once you arrive). It will be a heck of a lot easier on you than staying in NJ and taking a bus in. And it will be cheaper to park your car in an NYC lot (40 bucks a night, and Boston isn't that much cheaper) than taking the Amtrack train which can be pricey depending on day and time you travel. Times three people it will add up quick.
And you will need to drive around Boston and Wellesley. You don't want to do public transportation lugging all your bags around. Ugh!
There are several cheap bus lines from Boston to NYC like Fung Wah that charge 10 bucks per person, BTW
The key is to stay in an NYC hotel close to a major access point. If you're driving from Boston to NYC, I recommend staying on the Upper West side because it is very easy access and you barely drive the streets of NYC at all, which can be nervewracking. We stay at the Hotel Beacon on Broadway and 78th where you can get a suite for under 300/night.
We take 95 south, to the Merritt Parkway at Milford, CT. We take that to the Cross County, to the Hutchinson, then to 9A, right onto the West Side Highway in Manhattan. You make a left onto 79th street and drive around the block to hotel and boom you're there. There's a public parking lot right around the corner. It will take approximately 4 hours depending on the time of day (and season)
It's very civilized and residential on the Upper West Side--none of the outrageous crowds and craziness of midtown. And believe it or not, you will find driving around that area much easier and less confusing and frustrating than Boston because it's a clearly marked street grid.
On your way back to SC you can escape NYC quickly by taking the nearby George Washington Bridge to the Garden State Turnpike, which is 95 (right???)
Good luck! You can do it!! Just stay out of midtown and you'll be fine!
And you will need to drive around Boston and Wellesley. You don't want to do public transportation lugging all your bags around. Ugh!
You really only need to lug bags when coming into and out of town. I've made the trip by bus, train and car many times. For me, it's true that there is a definite convenience to driving, but that may be a wash for you if you're not familiar with Boston, since it can be hard to drive in for the uninitiated. One thing the car does, despite the challenge of driving in bad weather, is protect you from the elements. Hauling luggage through the snow or freezing rain to a train or bus station is no fun.
That said, the MBTA's Framingham/Worcester line goes from South Station or Back Bay Station in Boston to the Wellesley Square station within a half mile of Wellesley College. It's about a 35-minute ride, but again the weather intervenes. The walk from Wellesley Square (which is quick and pleasant in the summer) can be treacherous if there is snow. The problem is that the weather in February or March could be just a little cool and grey, or there could be major snow and ice. No way to predict.
Quote:
Originally Posted by clevedark
We take 95 south, to the Merritt Parkway at Milford, CT. We take that to the Cross County, to the Hutchinson, then to 9A, right onto the West Side Highway in Manhattan. You make a left onto 79th street and drive around the block to hotel and boom you're there. There's a public parking lot right around the corner. It will take approximately 4 hours depending on the time of day (and season)
This was discussed on another thread a while back. I do the trip pretty much every week and personally find the Mass Pike (90) to 84 West, to 684 South (which leads right into the Hutchinson Parkway) to be faster and less susceptible to delays than 95 South through Rhode Island and the Connecticut coast. It seems like there are 3 or 4 different routes and they all have their partisans.
If you have any extra time, the coastal route along 95 does allow you to stop in some pretty places for a brief visit, such as Stonington, Mystic, or Essex, CT. If you take 95, I heartily second making the switch to the Merritt Parkway in Milford, CT. It's much prettier and 95 through SW Conn. can be a zoo, with either massive delays or people weaving in and out of four or five lanes of traffic at high speeds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by clevedark
On your way back to SC you can escape NYC quickly by taking the nearby George Washington Bridge to the Garden State Turnpike, which is 95 (right???)
The New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway are two different roads. The GW Bridge takes you to the Turnpike, which is I-95 in the northern half of New Jersey (though not the southern half, since a proposed connecting highway was never built). For your purposes that doesn't matter: you get on 95/NJ Turnpike South and take it all the way to the end, cross the bridge to Delaware, and the road soon reconnects with 95.
If you have absolutely no desire to drive in NYC, you could park at Metropark in Iselin, NJ. From Boston you'd take the Hutchinson Parkway to the Cross County Parkway to the Saw Mill Parkway South. The Saw Mill turns into the Henry Hudson Pkwy. Continue straight over the Henry Hudson Bridge, then take the George Washington Bridge and the NJ Turnpike-95 South. Get off the Turnpike at Exit 11 for the Garden State Parkway North and then exit within the first 5 minutes at Exit 131B for the Metropark parking lot.
You can park overnight for about $9 a day for up to 3 weeks. There's an NJ Transit train back to Penn Station New York from there, every half hour or so. It's a 45 minute trip. There's also Amtrak at the same station, but that's much more expensive.
Coming from Boston, you'd be driving past NYC and taking the train back in, but then when you go home you're an hour or two farther south than if you parked the car north of NYC, so it works out in the end.
The easiest drive to get from NYC to wellesley in my opinion is the hutch, to 684, to 84, to 90. then take exit 12 to route 9. Dont know where to go after that, but its pretty close.
Its really not too bad of a drive, and once you're off of 684 there isnt any heavy traffic to worry about(unless its a busy travel day... the traffic on 84 and the 84/90 merge was horrible yesterday). Just try to leave during a lighter traffic time based around NYC.
If you'd rather travel by train the Acela Amtrak is pretty quick, but pricey... But, you'd have to take the T back out.
Our daughter is at the start of her college search and there are a couple of schools in the Boston area (Wellesley and Emerson) and a few in NYC that she is considering. We are in South Carolina and plan to make the trip in either Feburary or March.
We are trying to decide the best transportation option for our family. My husband would perfer to drive, while my daughter and I think flying would be the best, not to mention would save time. I am also concerned about the weather, especially if we come in February. We plan to spend a few extra days in NY to catch a couple of Broadway shows and do some shopping.
Here are the questions I need help with if you would be so kind:
1) What is the best mode of transportation from Boston to NY as well as from NY to Boston? If the answer to this is a train, how much time would it take?
2) If we drive, will the roads be safe enough to drive on or will there be snow/ice to deal with?
3) While Emerson is in the city, how far away is Wellesley from Boston and is there an easy way to get there?
4) This may be a question better posed on the NYC forum, but I thought someone here might know. If we drive and visit Boston first, then drive to NYC, where would be the best place to park our car to avoid taking it into the city?
Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!
I would recommend driving. Roads get cleared pretty quickly and New England is generous with the road salt. You'll be fine with the snow/ice.
Commuting by car will be much more convenient, especially when you have to get to Wellesley, a lovely suburb not too far from the city.
Navigating in and around the city should be easy with a GPS. Just give yourself more time if you are not used to driving in the snow. You'll love Boston. Have a wonderful trip.
I would recommend driving. Roads get cleared pretty quickly and New England is generous with the road salt. You'll be fine with the snow/ice.
Commuting by car will be much more convenient, especially when you have to get to Wellesley, a lovely suburb not too far from the city.
Navigating in and around the city should be easy with a GPS. Just give yourself more time if you are not used to driving in the snow. You'll love Boston. Have a wonderful trip.
actually, GPS in my opinion is difficult in the city - especially downtown. Just my observation with my GPS in the past. The large buildings throw off the satellite signal.
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