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From the airport, where will you go? A hotel? Is it in Manhattan? It all depends on what you like to do. My friend only had one day here and I gave her a mini tour. We had less time than you. I don't know if you will have luggage, but it will be best if you don't have much to carry round while touring. Just make sure you have a good map on your phone. I don't know how athletic you are, but touring can get tiring, especially when you have to dodge all the tourists.
To get from JFK to the city, you can take the Airtrain to Jamaica station, get off and walk to the Sutphin Blvd station subway. Just follow the signs and directions. You will need to buy a metro card. I suggest you put about $20 for a start. The train will be the E and I think it goes local on some weekends so it might be a bit slow. This will come to less than $10. This is the cheapest way. You can take the E to times square which is 42nd st. I agree with whoever said times square is more fun at night. Going in the day is still nice though. If you want something a bit faster, but more expensive (still cheaper than a taxi), take the Long Island rail road from Jamaica station after getting off the airtrain. You can take it to Penn station which is 34th street. It's a very busy area, Macy's, the empire state building, also Madison square garden is near here, so you can see that. From times square, you can take go towards the east and see Grand Central, also on 42nd street. From here you can see the Chrysler Building, Bryant Park, etc.
Once you're in Manhattan, you can take the buses instead of the trains. It takes a while longer, but you see so much more. One of my favorite bus routes is the M5 going towards lower Manhattan. you can take the 1 train from times square to go to columbus circle. I took my friend from columbus circle (right near the beginning of central park) all the way down to where you can take the staten island ferry. It goes down 5th and you can see St Patrick's cathedral, a bit of Rockefeller center, the Manhattan library, and all the high end shopping. If you make your way down to lower Manhattan, you can see the freedom tower, reflecting pools, woolworth building, the big bull that everyone wants a picture with, and you can even walk to the staten island ferry, which is a good, free way to see the statue of liberty. The boat is every half hour, and you can come right back when you're done. The E train also takes you to these places, if you stay on till the last stop near the world trade center. Keep in mind, a fare is $2.75 and you get one free transfer from train to bus, bus to train or bus to bus. Once you exit a train station, you will have to pay to enter again.
If you get overwhelmed, just ask someone. New Yorkers are pretty nice with directions, and keep in mind, a lot of the people who you'll see are tourists also, who are as clueless as you are.
Last edited by albanyreject; 05-29-2015 at 10:28 AM..
Also is transportation reliable? I hear NYC has the best transportation network in the country. I don't want to miss my flight and I want to get back to the airport as smoothly as possible.
Edit: I am also a basketball fanatic. I would love to be able to play at Rucker Park. Is it possible given my time constraints? How long does it take to get from say the middle of Manhatten to Rucker Park?
NYC has great coverage of the city with its MTA network of trains and buses. However, the worst aspect of it all is getting from any airport to Manhattan. It's been compared to "a Third World situation" because it's so slow, requiring train transfers with layovers. It can gobble up 90 minutes each way using public transpo.
For that reason, if they can, people throw money at taxi cabs from the airport instead. I *think* that gets it down to an hour each way. Others experienced with cab times and fares could say more on that.
Another way is to go to JFK's airport web, look up "Ground Transportation" for shuttle bus options into Manhattan. Those cut the difference between slow subway routes vs. expensive taxicabs. Look for something that leaves every half hour or so. Otherwise, if you can afford to, just take a taxicab because your time is tight.
In Manhattan, taking a subway is sometimes faster than a cab, due to heavy car traffic on streets.
Rucker Park is up on 155th near Edgecomb Ave, in Harlem. From Times Square it could take around 40 minutes for a subway trip, according to the MTA trip planning tool or Hopstop which you can use to map your route now online.
What to do with your suitcase while you play? It could get wheeled away.
Question to others here: can someone lock their suitcase to a fence safely there?
Since you are landing in Queens, there isn't really much you want to see. Since you have 8 hours, much of that time is reduced thanks to travel and checking in meaning you have 5 hours of time to enjoy NYC. I suggest that you take the A train to high street walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, than take a walk around wall Street take a few pics and then head back to jfk airport. If you had 3 more additional hours. I would have suggested a walk across Brooklyn Bridge, a 4 train ride to Yankee Stadium, 4 train ride back into Manhattan to bowling Green and a trip on the Staten Island ferry, back to Manhattan and then take the A or E train back to the airport.
BronxGuyanese knows the city much better than I do, for timing, distances etc. I'm a relative newcomer.
JFK's in the borough of Queens, one of NYC's 5 boroughs. It's not Manhattan, which is the prime tourist destination.
A compromise might be: a good short visit in Queens is the Museum of the Moving Image. Not a fancy neighborhood at all, just a plain NYC working area as I recall. In Astoria, near Broadway and Steinway Aves. Museum of the Moving Image - Visit
The museum's well-done and interestng, with hands-on projects demonstrating the history of film and TV technology, plus new developments in digital media.
Some crazy movie props there on display, like Marlon Brando's fake teeth for The Godfather.
It isn't world famous, but better than staying in the airport.
As much as I like this museum, I'd suggest just taking a cab from JFK into Manhattan, and see whatever you can, return by cab, allowing generous time for return trip not to miss your plane out. The first cab one-way might cost $52, plus toll and tip it's $65-70. Return trip, similar. Also, if your next plane is international you'll have to return earlier than for a domestic next flight, but you probably knew that.
You're only here once in a long while, and it sounds like you want to see "something" rather than "nothing" of Manhattan. I feel like it's hard to suggest cabs when they cost so much, but it's also frustrating to sit too much time on local public transpo to Manhattan, then get so little time in the city. It just sounds like you've got an itch to put feet onto Manhattan, so maybe it's the time to splurge for the taxis to have an experience you'll enjoy and remember.
Last edited by BrightRabbit; 05-29-2015 at 03:35 PM..
Yes I definitely want to walk to fully capture the energy of the city. What streets or intersections have the most foot traffic? Where is the heart of the city?
Uptown, I would focus on Central Park, you could check out (not go inside) the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim on Fifth Avenue, go across the park for the Dakota and the Museum of Natural History, Go south to 59th St/Columbus Circle and then back east to Fifth Avenue. Head south on Fifth to Rockefeller Center, checking out shops, maybe Radio City.
Downtown I would walk the High Line, go south to the West Village, east to Washington Square Park, maybe north on University Place to Union Square Park, Broadway north to Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building.
People watching and walking NYC on a nice Sunday is pretty terrific, in my opinion. Now I'm looking forward to next time...
On a Sunday I'd go to lower Manhattan - Go to Ground Zero - check out the fountains outside. Then go up to the new observation deck in the Freedom Tower - you can see most of the landmark building in the city, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, both the East river and the Hudson, etc. It'll give you the best overall view of the city you can get from one spot. THen - spend the rest of your time walking around Chelsea, West Village etc - Check out the Chelsea Market and have a drink at Buddakan. THat'll completely burn your 8 hrs. Do Central park and MMOA (or MoMA - Museum of Modern Art - also a great museum) on your second trip
PS - Everything takes longer and costs more than a newcomer can possibly imagine - unless you're from Tokyo or London. From JFK - a Cab is your ONLY reliable way in and out of Manhattan, and it's gonna be $150 round trip from JFK. You could try Uber - that might be a little cheaper. We live in upstate and drive to the City - but what we do is park at the Newark NJ train station (Confusingly called "Penn Station") - from there to the real Penn Station NYC is $5 each way and takes exactly 20 minutes. From Penn Station NYC you'd hop on the subway down to lower manhattan - or if you're hell-bent on Central park you just walk. Penn Station is under Madison Square Garden FWIW. Hope this helps.
JLS
Last edited by moucon; 05-29-2015 at 11:08 PM..
Reason: Added more info.
On a Sunday I'd go to lower Manhattan - Go to Ground Zero - check out the fountains outside. Then go up to the new observation deck in the Freedom Tower - you can see most of the landmark building in the city, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, both the East river and the Hudson, etc. It'll give you the best overall view of the city you can get from one spot.
Observation deck in the Freedom Tower (location of the fallen Twin Towers from 9/11)... On its opening weekend, it apparently had looonnnnng lines. For people with timed tickets, they were still running an hour behind schedule. Photos: 1 WTC Observatory Opens To Public And Their Selfie Sticks: Gothamist
For this OP on a tight timeframe, this particular suggestion (Observation Deck viewing) might not work. I'm sure it'll calm down, just don't know how long that'll take.
The OP might look online at photos of the tallest buildings in the city (Freedom Tower, Empire State, Chrysler Building) to recognize their outside architecture. Then, you'll notice them from wherever you may walk, in Manhattan and beyond. Glimpses of them pop up; I find it fun and orienting, too.
If I choose to leave my hotel room at Midnight to go to Manhatten at night where should I go? Where is the most street activity? I'm sure there are plenty of things to do in the city that never sleeps.
BronxGuyanese knows the city much better than I do, for timing, distances etc. I'm a relative newcomer.
JFK's in the borough of Queens, one of NYC's 5 boroughs. It's not Manhattan, which is the prime tourist destination.
A compromise might be: a good short visit in Queens is the Museum of the Moving Image. Not a fancy neighborhood at all, just a plain NYC working area as I recall. In Astoria, near Broadway and Steinway Aves. Museum of the Moving Image - Visit
The museum's well-done and interestng, with hands-on projects demonstrating the history of film and TV technology, plus new developments in digital media.
Some crazy movie props there on display, like Marlon Brando's fake teeth for The Godfather.
It isn't world famous, but better than staying in the airport.
As much as I like this museum, I'd suggest just taking a cab from JFK into Manhattan, and see whatever you can, return by cab, allowing generous time for return trip not to miss your plane out. The first cab one-way might cost $52, plus toll and tip it's $65-70. Return trip, similar. Also, if your next plane is international you'll have to return earlier than for a domestic next flight, but you probably knew that.
You're only here once in a long while, and it sounds like you want to see "something" rather than "nothing" of Manhattan. I feel like it's hard to suggest cabs when they cost so much, but it's also frustrating to sit too much time on local public transpo to Manhattan, then get so little time in the city. It just sounds like you've got an itch to put feet onto Manhattan, so maybe it's the time to splurge for the taxis to have an experience you'll enjoy and remember.
The Museum of the Moving Image is a good suggestion!
If I choose to leave my hotel room at Midnight to go to Manhatten at night where should I go? Where is the most street activity? I'm sure there are plenty of things to do in the city that never sleeps.
I'm confused. I thought you were arriving JFK at midnight. So how would you be leaving your hotel at midnight in Manhattan at the same time?
Aside from that issue, you could look into the one-day tours of NYC. There are a bunch of companies that offer them. I assume you'd see the most stuff that way.
I guess you'd have to be back at JFK by 7:30 to catch your 9pm flight, so you'd be leaving Manhattan around 6 pm or so to be on the safe side.
With at least several hours to spend in Manhattan, I don't agree with the suggestions to spend your time at a museum in Queens. Unless I'm missing something, you do have time to do some touring around before you need to be in a cab back to the airport.
Did I miss something that said you're on a strict budget and can't afford cabs between Queens and Manhattan? If I did, I apologize. My suggestions (JFK to hotel in Manhattan, sleep for a few hours, do some touring, then cab back to the airport) are based on your having the budget to do so.
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