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I am coming to NYC next week, my husband has been working there for awhile and my kids are on spring break so I think I am going to drive up and spend some time in the city. Although I've been Manhattan a few times, I've used only public transport. I will be driving into Manhattan alone with two children in a minivan about 7pm on a Tuesday. I've heard the driving and traffic are really intimidating getting into the city and when you are actually in Manhattan it's even worse.
Frankly I'm a little scared.
I will have my GPS and back up driving directions, but am I getting over my head doing this alone with my kids? I live in Atlanta so I know traffic, but NYC is in a whole different league from what I understand. Am I crazy?
Thanks for any help or advice.
Driving into Manhattan at 7 PM is not fun. I used to do that reverse commute and found it was MUCH easier on the nerves and FASTER to go UP to the George Washington Bridge (as long as the Yankees weren't playing that day) than to use EITHER the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels. Yes, going 10 miles out of your way is FASTER.
Your best bet is to put your car in a garage for the duration of your visit, rather than have the hassle of moving it. You didn't mention where you'd be staying, but if it's in mid-town, it's MUCH easier to put the car in a garage.
Once New Yorkers see your GA plates, you're dead meat - they will be merciless. They'll probably honk when you're stopped at a red just for laughs. Even if you have NJ or CT plates, they'll be more aggressive than necessary. Just park in Jersey and take the PATH into the city.
Don't worry about it too much. It is not as difficult as it looks. The fact that almost every street is one-way makes things much easier, because you don't need to deal with tricky and dangerous left turns very often. Just keep your eyes open and check your blind spots often for other vehicles, especially if you are turning, because the cabs will sometimes swing around you on a turn and cut you off. If someone honks at you, ignore them. Honking is just an annoying habit for some people.
But you do need to be a little aggressive when changing lanes. Be opportunistic. Other drivers rarely give you a break. They basically expect you to cut them off if you need to change lanes. Nothing is taken personally
Personally, I find a densely-packed, fast moving suburban highway (like you'd find in Atlanta) more nerve-racking than Manhattan. On the highway people tailgate at 60MPH and change lanes suddenly. In Manhattan, you rarely exceed 20MPH or so.
Once New Yorkers see your GA plates, you're dead meat - they will be merciless. They'll probably honk when you're stopped at a red just for laughs. Just park in Jersey and take the PATH into the city.
This is not necessarily true. There are a lot of GA plates in NY, if you hold up traffic and drive like somebody's grandma on Sunday after church then you will definitely get some blaring horns. When the light turns green go don't wait for the moon or sunrise, when making a left turn move up into the intersection don't wait behind the crosswalk that is freaking annoying, horns will blow from hell. If the speed limit is 35mph don't drive 25mph. Once you drive like you have sense you'll be okay. Don't forget to use your turn signals everytime, IMO 90% of Atlanta drivers don't use turn signals. If you are scared don't drive in the city, park the car. If you are aggressive then you'll be okay.
I'm in the camp that says leave the car and take mass transit into and around the city. In addition to driving, don't forget that you'll need to deal with parking, which can be a real hassle (and expensive!). Besides, the kids might actually enjoy riding the buses and subways!
Once New Yorkers see your GA plates, you're dead meat - they will be merciless. They'll probably honk when you're stopped at a red just for laughs. Even if you have NJ or CT plates, they'll be more aggressive than necessary. Just park in Jersey and take the PATH into the city.
Given the volume of insurance fraud, it seems like half of the cars in NYC have out-of-state plates already (not counting NJ and CT). My next-door neighbor has two cars with Florida plates.
My wife and I have a game we play when we are behind a car with out-of-state plates, we look at the condition of the bumper to speculate on whether the driver is truly from out of state.
Once New Yorkers see your GA plates, you're dead meat - they will be merciless. They'll probably honk when you're stopped at a red just for laughs. Even if you have NJ or CT plates, they'll be more aggressive than necessary. Just park in Jersey and take the PATH into the city.
this is the best advice. you stole the words out of my mouth
having been to atlanta several times, i actually think driving in atlanta is worse than driving in nyc. people dont signal in ATL, traffic jams galore on I-85...ugh
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This is not necessarily true. There are a lot of GA plates in NY, if you hold up traffic and drive like somebody's grandma on Sunday after church then you will definitely get some blaring horns. When the light turns green go don't wait for the moon or sunrise, when making a left turn move up into the intersection don't wait behind the crosswalk that is freaking annoying, horns will blow from hell. If the speed limit is 35mph don't drive 25mph. Once you drive like you have sense you'll be okay. Don't forget to use your turn signals everytime, IMO 90% of Atlanta drivers don't use turn signals. If you are scared don't drive in the city, park the car. If you are aggressive then you'll be okay.
1. Why are there a lot of GA plates in NY? I was in NY last week and saw a lot...and Florida.
2. Hundreds of thousands of people drive in Manhattan daily. It's so simple if you know how to drive. I've never understood the fuss. You guys have it easy...try driving in Paris.
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