^ I haven’t been over it since summer started, but I think they’ve opened up more lanes on the NEW Tappan Zee Bridge.
I haven’t been over the Tappan Zee since early June. I am still rattled by the removal of the toll booths. Speeds the trip but I keep forgetting to pull my EZ Pass out, but somehow it works…
We are in Central NJ, 20 mins from Newark airport. We always take the Parkway to the Tap to the Hutchinson/Merritt Parkway. Haven’t hit horrible traffic yet and it’s a nice drive. Perhaps I should knock on wood.
Have tried flying into LGA, Hartford, White Plains, and New Haven. Also can do EWR with Amtrak bundled together on United. For the price conscious nothing can beat LGA. Many kids take the M50 bus to 125th street and then the commuter rail t New Haven but I wouldn’t recommend that for a freshman at first. Especially if can be reached non-stop, flying to Hartford and sharing an Uber beats the hell out of LGA and one of the shuttle services for reducing travel time. White Plains is nice for parents renting a car especially if you use miles for the ticket.
I take the parkway any time I head south for any reason. The Tappan Zee is a nightmare if there is anything that delays traffic in any direction. I have been stuck in stand still traffic in the middle of the bridge before- never again. 95 can be just as bad. The parkway has zero trucks so it tends to just be a little less busy most of the time.
I am flying out to meet my daughter in Rome after she is done studying abroad and chose to fly direct out of Bradley because even though it was a little more money, the drive, train, tolls, stress was not worth it in the long run.
Bradley is an hour away from the airport and aside from rush hour, its a smooth ride. I would take that over any trip to and from NY for any reason at all. Its just not worth it to me. One of the airlines recently publicized that they were bringing nonstop flights to CA back to BDL. I can’t remember which one though.
I really should develop my own form of Yale-uber just for kids of CC moms that need to shuttle to and from BDL. I own a minivan. Ha ha ha
The NEW Tappan Zee is not open yet This fall… But the lack of toll booths now does improve things.
I agree that the Merritt Parkway is usually a better choice than I95.
For the GPS, try putting in the Palisades Mall as a way point to force your GPS to avoid the GW. As long as it doesn’t tell you that this makes the trip an hour longer, you’re good to go! (That’s what we always do when heading home from Philly or NJ – we live in Westchester County)
USE GOOGLE MAPS! That’s all I can tell you. It knows the traffic.
It’s funny. My Tesla uses Google Maps for Nav, and Google owns Waze, but Waze beats the Tesla for navigation. So, what I do is use the Tesla Nav for when I need to charge, as it integrates that, but listen to Waze otherwise. Sometimes I forget whether I’m driving by sound or sight. :))
Sorry to hear about the Tappan Zee. I skimmed an article in the NYT, but I should have read more carefully.
Good tip re Palisades Mall.
That is a good tip on Palisades Mall as a way point. It seems like it should work in both directions to ensure the route goes through Tappan Zee. It is interesting how stubbornly my GPS believes in the GW Bridge unless I intervene.
Anyone know if IKEA does something similar to BBB where you can select items to be picked up later? I checked their website but saw nothing to indicate that’s an option…
Does IKEA New Haven tend to sell out during move in week?
@tonymom Ill message you… I can help if they dont.
Hi tonymom
IKEA is a zoo the week before with every kid from New Haven going to college there to get something. Yes it’ll sell out. GO AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Hope Memmsmom has a secret strategy to thwart frustration. And it is crazy the way you have to follow around the whole store. We went as early as possible last year. If you need to return anything plan on being there for hours - I’m not kidding. It’s so hot, bring water.
@oldladyandmom
May be worthwhile doing the order and delivery if they will deliver to curb at Yale. And I’m sooooo looking forward to beads of sweat racing down my face while assembling a farfinkeuum with a handy Alan wrench…NOT!
Extra Swedish Fish please and a drink at Mory’s!
Decades ago, when I separated from my first wife, I bought three bedrooms + living room of furniture at IKEA, in order to furnish my new apartment. To this day, the sight of an Allen Wrench makes me feel faint. Fwiw, I shopped at IKEA with DS, but DW helped put the stuff together.
Called IKEA customer service. No set up like BBB where you can order and pick up but you can purchase on line/in store and have it delivered. Asked if they would deliver to a dorm and rep said they would…I guess that’s an option. Add some Swedish meatballs and call it a day!
They can deliver but they won’t be able to get into the gate. He will have to wait for their delivery to let them in.
You don’t have to follow the path in ikea if you know where you are going. There are short cuts but they do change up the store now and then. I tend to look up online what I want and just ask where it is. That is unless I decide to eat cinnamon rolls while walking around. I have to work off those calories with steps lol.
I’ve probably posted this before, but DS says that any couple that is still a couple after going to the New Haven IKEA has passed a major relationship test. He has been there THREE times with his GF. High fives all around.
Me, I almost disowned my family after a half hour :))
All this talk of IKEA is making me shudder. That place requires stamina on a regular Tuesday, let alone the weekend that Yale students are all moving in. I truly wish there were some way to know in advance what is really needed, but I need to give up on that.
Forgive me if I have asked before, but does anyone know if the windows in Vanderbilt will accommodate box fans? I have been reading years of old posts from this thread, trying to learn anything about the Vanderbilt room configuration, but all I have learned is that the bedrooms may be really tiny (requiring bunk beds) and the four desks will probably be in the common room as they will not fit in the bedroom.
Also, does anyone know if the rooms have closets with doors that will allow those metal over-the-door coat racks?
Since I live an hour away, I will be avoiding IKEA on move-in weekend, and not worry beyond the basics of fans, surge protectors, lamps, and bedding to start.
Thanks!
Honestly it depends on what you need. We don’t have IKEA near us here so we went there when moved D into grad apt just for fun (before UG returned) and ended up with a throw rug, a small storage thing for under sink in bathroom and one of those sideways U shaped computer tables in fun color. We really could have gotten it all at Target or BB&B. The second year she needed a dresser and ended up ordering from Wal-mart - liked it better and was cheaper than IKEA and not hard to put together.
Now if you need full on furniture maybe it is a better place, but I suggest looking around at your local Target, BB&B and Walmart before you move-in since all of those will let you order somewhere else for pickup in NH.
@scmom12 “IKEA just for fun…”
It is a sight to behold the first time, but having schlepped and assembled their furniture in Manhattan walk-up apartments in the early 90’s…Of course, I won’t be the one assembling this time, so I should keep that in mind!
Well it’s kind of like shopping the week before Christmas. It’s only “fun” if you don’t really have to do it. It was fun right up until you have to check out and that takes longer than it took you to wind your way through the store.
Assembly was minimal for what we bought and D’s BF is extremely handy. He is the one who helped take apart an IKEA desk that my other D had so that D2 could fit it in car to go back to Yale second year. Taking apart is not an easy thing with some of their stuff.