<p>D (22) just scored an externship with a hotel on Times Square - too bad she lives in Orlando. Anyway, she has to get herself to Manhattan on Jan 3, but she can’t leave Orlando until 5:00pm. She is concerned about arriving after dark in a strange city. She is wondering which airport would be the safest for a self-described hick to be arriving late and looking lost. Also, what is the safest way for her to get to the city? Of course, no trip to NYC would be complete without some shopping/sightseeing - suggestions welcome (although, she will only be there for 6 days and working long hours…)</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter which airport she gets into. JFK to midtown Manhattan costs $44 flat rate and La Guardia to midtown is $28. Taxis are not allowed to charge more, except for the tip. Actually, that rate might have just gone up, but she can ask at the taxi stand for the rate. It is legally mandated, and can’t be higher. There will be someone at the taxi stand for her to ask. She should only take a cab from a taxi stand. It is recognizable because there will be a line of taxis waiting for people to pick up. That is for sure the best way to get into midtown for anyone-- tourist or New Yorker. It is possible to take a bus and then a subway from the airport, but I would not recommend that for someone who does not know the city. Shopping and sight seeing will be easy once she is there!</p>
<p>Good advice from Franglish. Depending on the airline, sometimes there are more flights into Newark Liberty in NJ. I believe the mandated taxi rate from Newark to midtown is $45. </p>
<p>As for sightseeing, she’ll be right in the middle of broadway, and even if she’s working thru the actual showtimes, she could hang out by the theatre stage door and maybe meet the stars! </p>
<p>She’s within walking distance of Rockerfeller center, could take the tour of NBC studio… or try ice skating on the Rock Center rink…it’s less crowded at night. The famous Christmas tree will probably be up until about January 8th! She should bring her own camera and ask a friend to take her picture in front of it.</p>
<p>Which hotel? My favorite is the Marriot Marquis… </p>
<p>I’m sure she will have a wonderful experience. : ))</p>
<p>Laguardia is the closest and shortest trip in. </p>
<p>Take a cab if you can afford it. The airports are rife with hustlers who will ask you if you need a car or to have your baggage carried. Go to the taxi stand outside the terminal and get your cab there. </p>
<p>If you take the cheap bus shuttle to Manhattan, it will drop you at Grand Central, I think, and then you’ll be lightly acosted by more baggage hustlers who want to carry your bag or get you a car. And its a bit of a hike from GC to Times Square. I wouldn’t walk it the first time you come to the city. You’ll be uneasy. Take the cab from LaGuardia instead. You’ll get out right at your destination and be a couple of bucks poorer.</p>
<p>Agreed that if she’s going to be in midtown, she should fly to LaGuardia. It’s much more convenient than either Newark or JFK. I’m sure the concierge staff at the hotel can provide her with more information about exploring the city and shopping than she could possibly cover in six days there. For more information here, do a search of this forum and you’ll find numerous discussions about NYC, with an abundance of advice and suggestions. Also agree with taking a taxi into the city. I would suggest that to ANYone arriving in the city, rather than the hassle of the other options, but particularly for someone’s first visit and for someone arriving late at night. Be sure she goes to the taxi stand just outside the terminal. What a great opportunity for her. If you want any more specific information, just send me a PM or an email. I’ve lived in the city, had a D go to college there for four years, and we still visit several times a year, and always stay in midtown at either the Renaissance or Crowne Plaza.</p>
<p>TooRealistic,
Coming from Orlando, she should have no trouble finding flights which land at LaGuardia airport. It’s smaller than JFK. although still very, very busy. After she gets off the plane and collects her baggage, she should follow the signs to Ground Transportation. She can ask where the line is for people waiting for taxi cabs. The taxis will be yellow cabs. It sounds like she will be landing somewhere after 8 p.m. on Sunday night. It might be a half hour trip into NYC, or they could hit a lot of traffic since it is the end of the long holiday weekend, but in any case, the advice about taking a taxi would be wise in her situation.</p>
<p>Another option is to arrange for the Supershuttle if she is more comfortable riding with a group of people. That way she will already have her transportation arranged. I don’t know if it is any cheaper than a taxi.</p>
We took taxis to and from our hotel in Times Square (from/to LGA). It was $36 going in (plus tip - $42 total), and around $30 going back, plus tip. That included a $6 or so bridge toll each way. Going back, there was also a 50 cent charge for something - we don’t know what. It appeared soon after our driver bought himself some bananas from a street stand - maybe we paid for them? </p>
<p>The taxis had the $45 flat rate from JFK posted in their cabs, but not a word about a flat rate from LGA. This was our third trip, and most of them have cost us around $36 plus tip. Are we missing something? (Each time it was a yellow cab from the taxi stand.)</p>
<p>Our flight into LaGuardia this summer was delayed by four hours and I was concernded about not being able to get a cab to Times Square that that late (early?) hour. Not to worry…still a lot of cabs at the cab stand. And when I arrived at Times Square, I would have been able to purchase a hot dog off a cart had I wanted to.</p>
<p>One thing: if she wants to pay by credit card, have her make sure the little screen in the back is working. On our way back to LGA, the guy didn’t ever turn on the screen,claimed it was broken…I assume he did that so I would have to pay in cash rather than be credit card. He ended up with a much smaller tip by requiring cash because I barely had enough to pay him.</p>
<p>The extra 50c is either because it was a nighttime pickup or because it was after Nov 1, when a new 50c surcharge went into effect- a fee hike in essence to fund the subway.</p>
<p>The flat rate $45+tolls+tip applies only to JFK inbound trips. Flat rate going to JFK is at the passenger’s choice (flat or meter). LGA is all metered. EWR (Newark) is flat rate + surcharges depending on where you go. Times Square would be $55+tolls+tip.</p>
<p>I live in Manhattan. I know every which way to get to/from all 3 airports. I can get you from the furthest airport - Newark - to Times Square with $3.25 if that is your craving. PM me.</p>
<p>New York is incredibly tourist friendly, yes, there are always a few “bad apples” but your daughter should have absolutely no problem finding a yellow cab or anything else at the airport. I would go with LaGuardia because it’s closer and smaller but it’s not that big a deal. </p>
<p>Nighttime in NYC (especially Times Square area) is busier than most places in Florida during the day so she shouldn’t worry about empty streets! Besides, if she leaves Florida around 6 she should be in Times Square by 10 which isn’t late at all.</p>
<p>Did I say I really dislike JFK? Every time I have tried to fly out of there, I have almost always missed my flight because of the traffic. From Newark there is a bus shuttle right into Port Authority, which is where Time Square is.</p>
<p>Ok, based on the all the good advice, she is booked into LGA and will not let anyone “help” her with her bags. Then, she will take a taxi from the “official” taxi stand only. She will also make sure that the credit card scanner is working in the cab and since she will arrive in Times Square so “early” (10:00pm ish) she will not worry about it being deserted.</p>
<p>Is there anything that I missed? Oh, yeah - THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!</p>
<p>Okay, this is the play here: Fly into LGA, grab your luggage, go outside where it says Ground Transportation, and there will be either info desks to ask about this, or guys in blue jackets that say NYAS that run shuttles. It’s 12 dollars to get from the airport to Grand Central Station by coach bus (that’s 42nd street) with luggage help and all</p>
<p>Except – her hotel is in Times Square, which is a bit over a half mile from Grand Central. Late at night, your D might not want to schlep from Grand Central to Times Square with her luggage. So, she should be prepared to catch a taxi at Grand Central. Or – I think the shuttle services stop at some hotels. You might want to check with the shuttle service she is planning on taking to see if it stops at her hotel.</p>
<p>Personally, I would opt for a taxi that would take me straight from LGA to my hotel. It is a bit more expensive, but it’s faster and easier.</p>
<p>JFK. Take the A/C/E (from JAMAICA STATION) all the way into Manhattan. Get off at Port Authority. Or Newark. Take the airtrain then NJ Transit into Penn Station then A/C/E up to Port Authority. Manhattan should be relatively safe as long as she doesn’t act stupid. Avoid Laguardia though. The last time I flew into Laguardia we were ground-stopped for 3 hours. Never again (I never had a ground stop coming into JFK though).</p>
<p>Safest option would be a yellow cab. Those cost $45+tip+toll. Fixed fare.</p>
<p>I definitely prefer LaGuardia over JFK. I think I could have taken a $42 cab ride in the airport just going from the terminal to the baggage check to the airport tram system. I laways get over the bridge easier from LaGuardia than from JFK.</p>
<p>Remember after sunset in NY is not a stark contrast like it is in Orlando. It stays alive and there is plenty of foot traffic and people on the street in early evening to almost midnight in Times Square. ***** happens at all times of the day or night in manhattan.</p>
If you want any more specific information, just send me a PM or an email. I’ve lived in the city, had a D go to college there for four years, and we still visit several times a year, and always stay in midtown at either the Renaissance or Crowne Plaza.</p>