<p>I finally watched Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Here’s my question: Do lots of kids who live near Manhattan really get into their cars and drive into the city on a regular basis? I can see using public transportation, but driving around Manhattan? I know it’s only a movie, but I was just wondering… </p>
<p>(Also noted that the action must take place on April 30th, since Norah has until the next day to decide whether to go to Brown.)</p>
<p>lots of them take the commuter trains into Manhattan.The evening trains from where I live (on Long Island) are packed on Fri and Sat nights into and out of “the city”
Ditto for Westchester kids going into Grand Central station
If you drive in you first have to park ($$$)and then worry about driving home drunk.</p>
<p>Of course, I guess if Nick hadn’t driven into the city, there couldn’t have been all the Yugo jokes.</p>
<p>I used to drive into Manhattan from the burbs all the time as a young adult.</p>
<p>Sure. The kids go to clubs that are open most of the night and public transportation gets spotty in the wee hours.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Are these clubs that legally allow 17-18 year olds? I know that the nightlife around here can’t compare to that in New York, but to go to clubs around here, a student would need a fake ID.</p>
<p>My high school kids go into Manhattan on Metro North. They aren’t going to clubs. At least some of them drive, but we also have graduated licenses which mean that they can’t drive with friends or at night depending on their age or experience. Also I don’t think under 18s can drive in the City at all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I guess if it was April 30th of the movie characters’ senior year, most would be 18.</p>
<p>Metro North, here, for the most part. Cheaper, safer, smarter all around - but as hmom points out, if it gets really late, you can’t always catch that train. </p>
<p>With a full senior license, you can drive in Manhattan at 17 - but that requires having had the full course of driver’s ed (classroom and road time); I don’t think you can’t get that if you’ve only had classroom (meaning you did the road time with your parents). </p>
<p>There are under-18 clubs (my kids don’t go to clubs, but comedy clubs are a popular after-prom destination). And a lot of good music venues don’t require you to be 21. </p>
<p>One of the two authors of the wonderful, wonderful book that became this also-pretty-wonderful movie grew up in NJ, just far enough out that I believe it is much more common to drive from there, for what that’s worth.</p>
<p>In my experience both decades ago as a suburban teenager and in the past decade as a suburban parent of high school students, I would say trains, not cars, are how high school kids generally get to NYC from Westchester, Long Island, and most of New Jersey; there are parts of New Jersey that are better served by bus than by train–can’t speak to those. It can be hard to drive in Manhattan because of chaotic traffic patterns caused by taxis and buses and general congestion, and it can be expensive to park. Train schedules vary, but some run until 1 or 2 a.m. on weekends. I don’t think teenagers need to or should be out later than that in the city.</p>
<p>IMO Manhattan is just about the easiet major city to drive in that I have ever been in. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern that is easy to understand and navigate … and the drivers, while fast, actually follow a reasonable code of behavior (no grid lock … do not un over folks in cross walks (jaywalkers beware)). I would be much more worried about virtually any other city.</p>
<p>I agree that Manhatten is pretty easy to drive in - also the fact that so many streets are one way means that you rarely have to wait for oncoming traffic to turn left. It’s also pretty hard to get lost in most of the city since so many streets and Avenues have numbers. (There are places like Chinatown that are pretty dreadful for driving.)</p>
<p>Up until now, our D1 has only been in and out of the city by train. Most of the time it’s shopping and dinner with friends. She had an older boy friend (notice not boyfriend) that would drive them in sometimes for dinners. This summer is probably going to be different because she will have a lot of friends working in the city, as will she. She probably will go clubbing and staying over friend’s apartment. But still no driving in the city.</p>
<p>When my son is home and goes into the City from where we live in Northern New Jersey, he takes the bus (unless I give him a ride in). When there’s no traffic, it takes about 20 minutes. It wouldn’t make sense for him to drive – first of all, he has very little experience in highway driving (which is fine with me!). And even though driving around Manhattan is fairly easy in terms of not getting lost (except downtown, where the grid pattern disappears), finding a parking spot on the street can be almost impossible, especially on a Friday or Saturday night, and parking garages are extremely expensive.</p>
<p>He’s 19, so going out to clubs until 3 am isn’t something he does. At least, yet.</p>
<p>I do think a lot of the younger north Jersey kids take the bus in. Kids of friends who live there drive in all the time on the weekends, but they’re in their mid 20’s; actually they never take the train or bus. They know where to park, in fact they never pay for parking. </p>
<p>I agree driving in NYC is relatively easy. My S lives upper East side…thru the tunnel it’s straight up Tenth Ave (?) or W Side highway with very few stops.</p>
<p>The problem is bottlenecks leaving the city at both tunnels. Now that can be a nightmare.</p>
<p>First of all, you are not permitted to drive in NYC until you are 18 years old. Secondly, parking is expensive in the city. However, if a bunch of people are going into Manhattan together, it is cheaper than taking the trains. Those who live in other parts of the city find it much more economical to use public transportation.</p>
<p>The problems are getting on and off of the island and parking fees. Most NJ kids take the train or bus. Most NJ adults take the train or bus. It is nice to have access to a car late at night, because the trains stop at every single stop and take forever, but the hassle factor of parking (finding and paying for) and the logistics of the the funneling roads are hard. If push comes to shove, a person could pay a car service to take the group home…have never done it, but have been very tempted! Friends have gotten stuck when trains were stopped for some reason, and the car service was cheaper than last minute hotel.</p>
<p>Most parents here in Connecticut are pretty uncomfortable letting their teens go into Manhattan at all, but will allow them to go in groups via train, with a curfew that assures that don’t miss the last train home. I can’t think of anyone who would dream letting their kid drive there.</p>
<p>My son would go into the city. His friend’s dad would have a car service pick them up and bring them back to the 'burbs. Otherwise, he would go in on the train, meet friends whose parents live in the city and crash on their sofa, and come home the next morning. He was already 18 when all this started – but he doesn’t drive into the city.</p>
<p>Unless I go to the city with my parents, I take the train to G.C. and then depending on where we want to go, we walk or take the subway. </p>
<p>I don’t think I’d ever want to drive into the city. It seems too nerve wracking.</p>