(S)he said she needed to be at the apt at 10 a.m.
I personally would start driving in the middle of the night and avoid the hotel, but I am extreme like that.
Be aware that morning traffic will be horrible, unless you hit Manhattan before about 6 am.
As far as dives, there really aren’t any left in Manhattan. More’s the pity.
“I paid $60 for perhaps four hours…” Yeah, I could have done that, but I just paid the $25.00 ticket. (Insert sad face.)
In the Boston/Cambridge area the tour guide actually said that is a tactic undertaken for event parking around there.
Parking tickets in Manhattan below 96th street are between $60 and $115.
^^ plus, they could tow you and you do NOT want that hassle.
I agree on not leaving a packed SUV in the City overnight. And would have said Stamford or White Plains, as well.
Check google maps, which shows both routes- west out of Boston, through central CT, and 95 south.
They regulate by area of the city? I was with CT at Columbia, so got the uptown fee, it seems.
I don’t remember ever seeing a car towed for an expired meter in NYC. Only if people parked- and stayed parked - in a tow zone.
I think It’s not to break up the drive but to save on hotel and parking in Manhattan.
When I drive into the city and need to go to the UES, I take the Saw Mill/Henry Hudson to 96th and go through Central Park to east side. I find it’s the quickest way.
If she leaves her hotel at 8:45 she should be ok but it’s important to have WAZE on to get rerouted - which I find better for rerouting than car’s gps system. There will be traffic because there is always traffic - but unless there is an accident mucking up things - she should be fine.
Cheapest UES hotel we could find was over $300. Got the Rye Brook Hilton on Hotwire for half that including parking and internet. Money shouldn’t be an issue here but old habits die hard.
I just learned that the key pickup time has been moved to 9 a.m. I figure the 30 mile drive from Rye Brook into the city can’t take more than 90 minutes and the earlier we go the faster.
Any advice on how early to make the drive to maximize sleep, minimize driving time and also minimize hanging out doing nothing time?
By the way, I’m a he and DW is with me too.
Thanks again for all the help.
Hopefully this is helpful: There are many sites that will give you a discount parking coupon in Manhattan and let you make a reservation. The discount can be from a few dollars to $20-$30, depending on the times, etc. A quick google will help you find them (don’t want to break the rules).
I learned to drive in Manhattan, but that didn’t prepare me for Boston drivers. NY drivers had to know the right of way rules of the road at least once. There is no evidence that anybody in Boston even knows them, and I had to teach them to my kids because they weren’t emphasized in driver’s ed. My kids are always amazed that people honk at them when they don’t cut off the oncoming traffic on left turns when the light turns green.
From Rye Brook the standard route would be route 95, then pick up the Bruckner to either the Triboro or the Willets ave bridge, once in NY you could take either the FDR or drive down 1st avenue. Alternate routes might be to pick up the Hutchinson south to the Bruckner, to bypass 95 which that time of the morning likely will be a mess.
If you have a 9am appointment, I would suggest leaving at 7 to be safe, you never know what traffic is like. This week it likely won’t be as bad as it is, given how many people are off, but you never know about accidents, emergency road work and the like that can happen.
I know traffic can be unpredictable, but would the drive be significantly faster/easier if we left earlier and, if so, how much earlier would you recommend?
Where are you going in NyC? Two hrs is plenty for getting into the city. I do this drive every week and I think I have tried every which way. There is no good way, just need a lot of patience. My last 15 miles are always the hardest. I tend to stay on the FDR until I need to exit to get to my street. Turn on your GPS or smartphone to find the best route. If you are coming downtown, FDR is your best best, not city streets. Security around the Trump Tower has pushed a lot of traffic to other streets around there.
As pointed out by others, do not leave your car in the city unattended while you are moving, always have someone stay with the car. Are you doing this on a weekday? If so, you may have a hard time finding parking to unload.
The destination is 88th and Lexington. We’re leaving tonight and the drive into the city is tomorrow morning. I’ll check this thread late tonight for any last minute advice on when to drive in. Thanks again everyone!!!
That’s not too bad. You will be fine. The traffic is still pretty light because of the holidays. After you are done, you should be able to find fairly inexpensive parking on the east side (buy a coupon), take your wife down to Rockefeller Center to see the tree and some store window displays (Saks).
Good luck! This morning the traffic going into the city was terrible on the Cross Bronx due to a horrible accident. But generally much better this week than a typical week. Use a maps/traffic app to figure out the best way to drive in.
@sherpa . In NYC, I use my blinkers as a sign of intent. I look, blink, then move. And I don’t wait to see if the person behind me, gets the blinker. If the driver is lucky, they might see it blink twice. I’ve also driven in Boston and found it a little different but still needing an attitude. Both cities are quite a bit different from LA, Seattle, or SF.
Google had the Hotel Franklin at 87th and Lex at prices between $135-$87 tonight. It looks (and reviews) like not exactly the lap of luxury, but it’s within a few hundred feet of your destination. And if you were willing to travel, say, 10 blocks, you would have three or four similar other choices.
There’s a Courtyard on East 92nd as well – they are usually inexpensive.
Get a hotel in White Plains and take train to the city. MUCH easier and much safer than driving in NYC.