depends on the timing! i usually get to and from airport in 15 min. occ. 20.
Thanks Ruthie! However I don’t live in Boston. I live in New England, an hour & a half away from Boston in one of the many directions (hint: closer to NY 
. It’ll be during the week when generally people have started their work day. My S & I are sleeping over the night before since he has to be at the airport quite early to meet his group. I’ll take a half hour to get to the first of 3 nearby food places, an hour to shop (or maybe a bit more) and then head home, no big deal! I’ll be home early in the afternoon, before rush hour! Thanks for your concern, but I’ll manage!
san-dee: I’ll use my GPS, maybe more direct. I’ll post again next week! Thanks.
choco, check what time wood ro deli opens - my guess is about 11? no one goes there for breakfast, but lunch, so I don’t want you getting there too early ! the other places will be open early.
omg, san-dee. You almost gave me a heart attack…they are open at 9am every day, thank goodness. Whew.
It all sounds wonderful.
Wish I could drop my kids at JFK for Birthright and go deli and bagel shopping…but My family would think I had truly lost my mind flying from Ca for bagels and rugelach.
^^C’mon down and join the party, mom60! This way I won’t feel guilty sharing all those goodies! This really is a treat for us since we don’t ever get the “real stuff”. Hmmmm, I have to go back to JFK 10 days later to pick him up…another cooler trip? Just kidding! Really, once will be enough!
I totally know what your feeling. We don’t get the “real” stuff in my neck of the woods. My FIL buys loaves of rye bread to freeze and white fish when he goes down to Los Angeles. I could do the same but that leads to a slippery slope. A real bagel toasted with cream cheese and butter! Dangerous.
What day of the week are you planning to do this - I might have missed it. Wall’s is closed I believe on Monday.s.
Do get the philly fluff… it is a marble loaf-like poundcake but lighter. Our family favorite is the chocolate chip cake… a round ring sometimes with powdered sugar on top. They sell two versions, one with nuts and one without. Yes you can walk from Wall’s to Max’s which is now located in an Asian fruit market… not on the same side of the street as Wall’s. Max’s is right near to Woodro’s which I haven’t been to in this new location.
Driving down Rockaway Tpke can take a long time because of pot holes and lots of stop and go traffic into various shopping centers.
I think the pastries and cookies/muffins from Bagel Boss are quite good. They have some danishes with custard or a cheese that are excellent. Great apple turnovers in several varieties. And another vote for their Philly fluff or mandel bread. Pretty decent black and white cookies in 2 sizes and they sell muffin tops that are very yummy (oreo is my favorite.) We go to one further east on Long Island. Bagel Boss is considered as good as the 2 kosher bakeries we have in town for these types of pastries (no ornate cakes.)
Bagel Boss also has an excellent light vegetable tuna salad and good cole slaw. Enjoy!
Don’t know why, but this thread is strangely fun even for those of us 3000 miles from New York. I like knowing where to get the best pastrami, bagels and lox near JFK, even though the need for this knowledge will likely never arise.
If you ever find yourself in desperate need for pastrami and you are NOT going to be in NYC (or LA, where the best pastrami is), there is always Fed Ex:
https://katzsdelicatessen.goldbely.com
http://www.langersdeli.com/langers-to-go/langers-pastrami-and-rye-overnight-by-air/
yes, Walls is closed on Mondays ! ! interesting that some think the cake/cookies are better at Bagel Boss than Walls…I really think Bagel Boss pastry is heavy, and not especially goodbut you are right the salads (tuna, whitefish, etc) are very good.
Don’t be scared of Rockaway Turnpike ! Its been ok lately , really. Except for rush hours !
Yay, more Long Island NY people weighing in! (No pun intended ;))
Nottelling: I hope this bit of trivia will be useful to you sometime! 
When I’m in LA, I’ll certainly want suggestions from you on where to go!
No, won’t be there on a Monday. Looks like I’ll be in and out of all the shops in Hewlett NY, though! Again, a real treat for us. Those bagels are so big, a half at a time would be plenty. They freeze well and we’re giving a few to my mil. I think 2 dozen will be plenty. Pastrami & pickles are the main reason I’m stopping. Everything else I get will be an added bonus Gotta try a Philly Fluff, though, just for the cool name!
Safe travels and enjoy!!
Thinking of shipping… If you want Nova (other things, too), Zabar’s ships.
And, I believe if the distance is less than 150 miles, shipping is free for purchases over $49.
See Zabars.com
Thinking of Pastrami in Queens… does anyone know if Pastrami King or Queen still exists? Went there many years ago & it was worth it.
Notelling- I wish I had known of Langer’s, will go when next in LA … only knew of Cantor’s & Zucky’s
@chocchipcookie I like the way you think. Most people would have just viewed the drop off at JFK as a chore or a PITA. You have turned it into an adventure and now the rest of us know where to go for our pastrami and bagels!
Forest Hills Bagels on Queens Blvd and then Ben’s in Rego Park. (Ben’s is the best!) From there you take the Whitestone Bridge.
OP update:
My S2 and I drove to NY yesterday and were there by dinnertime. We had a nice dinner and vegged out at the hotel. This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn. We took a shuttle over to the airport where he met his group and we said good-bye. I took an air train back to the place where the shuttle would meet me to take me back to the hotel, to check out and begin my pastrami adventure! I got to Woodro Deli by 9:15am (they open at 9am). The guy must have thought I was crazy to be there so bright & early with a large to-go order! I then drove and parked in front of Wall’s Bakery where I bought my very first Philly fluff! Then I drove a mile to Bagel Boss. I was on the road and at the Whitestone Bridge exit by 10:30am!! So all-in-all it took very little time and very little traffic. There was traffic all around, but I lucked out, not in my direction. (I usually NEVER have luck like I did today). I even stopped at the IKEA in New Haven on the way home and bought a few “necessities” (hint, hint.)
HarvestMoon1: Thanks for the compliment. My mind always gravitates toward what errands can I do to make the trips more exciting.
I was back home exactly when I thought I would be today and my H & I just finished delicious Pastrami Ruben sandwiches and fresh NY pickles for dinner! Yum. My mil already came over to pick up a few bagels for herself!
Thanks san-dee and Chardo and everyone else with their wonderful suggestions. It was worth the trip and it didn’t take long from JFK at all! I would do it again in a heartbeat. One negative-sorry 
The pastrami is Hebrew National. I can get that up here…I think Ben’s Best has the real thing where they slice it to order…it is still delicious and my H was non-the-less very appreciative!
Thanks to all of you for your good wishes. It was a fun treasure hunt to go on and my trusty old GPS did the trick! We’ll be enjoying my purchases all week long!
Glad it all worked out!! To one of the other posters… unfortunately Pastrami King on Queens Blvd in Kew Gardens is long gone…
After all that, a new update:
I am going back to get S from JFK airport next week. I’m going to drive over to Ben’s Best in Rego Park. I remember their pastrami to be outstanding. I can freeze the pastrami I have now. It is only 9 miles from the airport and worth the trip. Thanks again everyone for their input! PS: The Walls bakery stuff is delicious and the two knishes & pickles I bought from Woodro are also delicious. The bagels are wonderful. Only disappointment is in the pastrami. I’ll get some more next week!