Originally Posted by
monitor
I need to go to the Upper East Side from JFK on Friday afternoon rush hour and since I was a subway rat when I was a kid, I believe that I am clear on how to get there by rail. I take the AirTrain to the LIRR station, walk the few blocks to the Sutphin Blvd IND line station, and take the F train to a new stop at Lexington and 63rd. When I get there it appears that there is some way that I can get to the IRT Lexington Avenue Local up to 77th Street. Is there a passageway to the Lex stop at 59th?
No. First, the F doesn't go to Jamaica/Sutphin station where the Airtrain is; the E train does. You can take
E train to Lexington/53rd St (first stop in Manhattan) and transfer to the 6 train uptown to 77th St. To connect to the 6, take the escalator at
the front of the platform, not the back.
Just an FYI, if you were to change to the F (which you can do at Kew Gardens, Forest Hills and Roosevelt Ave/74th St ) and take it to Lex and 63rd, you'd have have to go outside and walk 4 blocks to 59th St to catch the 6.
A couple of questions for the regulars;
1 - In the old days, there were certain times when the F ran express and only the E stopped at Sutphin Blvd so you needed to take it to Union Turnpike to get the F. The current map makes it appear that the F now stops at Sutphin Blvd full time. Is that correct?
The F does not stop at Jamaica/Sutphin station where the LIRR and Airtrain are. It is the E. Both the E and F run express but after Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike, the E and F go different directions eastbound. Don't be confused by the map as the F's "Sutphin Blvd" stop is NOT the Airtrain/LIRR stop.
2 - How do you pay for this trip? Can you buy a card at JFK or only at the end of the line in Jamaica? How much is the card for the AirTrain and the one subway ride? I don't want to buy a ticket for rides that I will not use although if I could buy a ticket that would work on the Third Avenue Bus uptown, that would be an added bonus since it is my best public transport option from 63rd and Lex. If not, do the buses only take the cards or can you still use exact change?
Easy. Take the Airtrain to Jamaica. Depart the Airtrain and you'll see metrocard machines directly in front of the turnstiles. Buy a card for $7.25 which will cover the $5 Airtrain ride and the $2.25 subway.
If you choose to transfer to the F to 63rd St (no need to do that) and then want to take the 3rd Ave bus, you can transfer to the bus for free within 2 hours of your swiping your metrocard at the subway. When you swipe your card on the bus, you'll see the little screen say something like "transfer ok".
Remember, there is no need to take the F when the E to the 6 is easier and faster with no need to swipe again.
I know that this is the place where I can get this info and am thanking the NYC gang in advance for their help.
You're welcome.
Here's the latest subway map:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm