I agree with this completely. When I had a baby sleeping in a stroller I’m not sure I ever carried it up the stairs myself - someone always offered to help carry the other end. I wouldn’t worry about looking like a tourist during the day/early evening - there will be so many people around. Just keep your wits about you as you always would, but in general NYers are pretty friendly/helpful (rude maybe, unfriendly/unhelpful no). Keep your suitcase and any other bags in front of you (crossbody style, or if a backpack over one shoulder and pulled in front of you). If you sit keep bags on your lap and suitcase between your legs. If something makes you uncomfortable just step out at the next station and re-enter on the next car. But I’d be surprised if you had any issues at that time of day other than possible crowding and having to stand.
@oldmom4896 : I’m dazzled by your ability to manage public transportation to the airports.
LOL - I would be ok if there is a pole to hold. But strap handles can be a challenge at 5’2”. My husband, the taller and more savvy traveler, laughs when he sees me hanging on a straight arm (but then lets me hold his arm).
lol! Actually I am taking my first flights starting 7/4 from my apartment to St Thomas for niece’s baby’s christening, then to St. Croix to visit another niece and my sister-in-law, plus her family, none of whom I have seen since daughter’s wedding last November. JFK-San Juan-St Thomas, St. Croix to San Juan to JFK 7/11. I plan to take car service to and from JFK. I could do it via public transportation but it’s a gazillion transfers and would take hours. Maybe on my way home if I’m not sunburnt! Bringing long tshirt to wear in the water!
I don’t take the 4-5-6 very much but there are many ways to hold on on all subway cars. And it’s likely that you’ll be offered a seat. I rarely took offers because it was too difficult to stand up again when I wasn’t well.
THANKS for all the help! At this point, if I find a good flight pairing… I lean toward taking Amtrak all the way (POU —> Penn/Moynihan with 54 minute layover —> EWR). Similar to what I did last trip, so it is quite familiar. Total cost would be $41, perhaps more if I procrastinate.
Moynihan is pretty amazing too! It used to be the general post office for NYC–10001.
I should have jumped on the POK—>EWR Amtrak deal for $41. It is now up to $108 
There is a later option for $55 that would get me to the airport at 5:02pm…. for a 6:30pm United flight. That seems cutting it too close, right? (I will have carry-on, no checked bags).
Never mind. When I backed out the Penn—>EWR leg on Amtrak (ie just Pok —> Penn/Moynihan), price is just $30 (ie the cost driver is Amtrak shortage on cheap seats Penn—>EWR). It is worth it to me to pay extra $10 over Metro and avoid navigating from GC to Penn. There are frequent options available Penn —> EWR, so I can defer figuring out that last part until day of travel.
NJ Transit is the more regular/cheaper option from Penn/Moynihan to EWR.
LGA to Pok - the Q70 express bus to Roosevelt Avenue/Jackson Heights and catch the 7 train right to GCT for the Metro North.
Thanks. If I do the same trip again, I may try NJ Transit. It’s unfamiliar, but the price and frequency is appealing. (Amtrak out of Pok was an hour late. Luckily I had planned a long Penn/Moynihan layover and all was fine.)
I’ve filed away the tip on Q70 - nice that it is free and picks up at LGA terminal B (and C0). For the 7 train, I think you can can now Tap to pay at the turnstile.
That’s correct on the OMNI/Tap to Pay at NYC Subway turnstiles. If you are in City for a while, use the same credit card to tap. After 12 trips in the same week, the rest of your rides are free.
And depending on the time of your train ride, the Metro North can be almost as fast as the Amtrak. There are rush hour trains to Pok that only stop at Beacon and New Hamburg before Pok. And if you’re going to our old hood, getting picked up in New Hamburg can save some time.
You can tap to pay on any NYC or NJ Transit train or bus including the PATH train. I am not sure about MetroNorth or Long Island Rail Road (connects to Airtrain to JFK) because I have not traveled that way in many years.
Thanks. For Metro North, I used MTA app. Very handy that you can get the ticket ahead (I did on taxi). Per hint from my sister, I waited to activate it until in 20 min window.
Thanks for all the inputs. We often use the Rome2Rio website (in US and abroad), but there were some good hints here that I didn’t see there.
We have a beach house in RI for all 12 of us immediate family. I have contracted with a local catering company to come to the house and do a clamboil for us plus several other family members up there. The preparer is one of the owners. Do I need to tip him in addition? Thank you.
Oy. I hate questions like this. IMO, it couldn’t hurt.
Others may think differently.
@VaBluebird - in the olden days a tip was not usually extended to an owner (salon, restaurant, bar, etc.), however, today things are a bit different. I don’t know the right answer in your situation but we do tip the owner of the rafting company we go out with around Lanai. He’s a solo run organization. His rates are fair. He’s a nice guy and keeps us safe. We tip 20% of the fare.
I tip for salon owner, for sure.
I would probably tip the catering company too.
As far as tipping salon owners, my hairdresser is the owner of his large shop and does not expect a tip. During our conversations over the 25 years I have been going to him, he actually doesn’t feel his staff should be tipped as he says he pays them well. I still always tip the colorist and shampoo people, as he only does my haircut.
Recently I went back to the colorist I had used at his salon; I left her when she moved to a salon off my beaten path and I hated driving there. She works out of her home basement now which is 15 minutes from my house, and he half the price I was paying at my hairdressers salon. I do tip her as my cousin who stayed with her all these years tipped, so I wanted to do the same. I was excited to be paying so much less for the color, it was worth it to me!
I have a small inexpensive kitchen appliance. The on/off switch glitched a few times and since I could replace it for under $50 with the exact same model and it was already four years old I did even though otherwise it worked fine. This is something I use every day though and I am always afraid of fire - even though in between the glitches it worked fine. Question: in this situation would you throw it out or put it in the Goodwill bag? I’d hate to throw out a perfectly good appliance; on the other hand if I’m afraid it’s going to short out in my house why would I let someone else use it in theirs?