Lots of transportation information is located on the Port Authority of NY and NJ's JFK home page. You can take the New York Express Service bus to Grand Central Station for $13 one way or $23 round trip. The flat rate taxi fare is $30 + toll + tip, but you can split the fare amongst more than one person.

The bus will drop you accross the street from Grand Central Station. Cross the street and walk in to the station and admire this beautiful building. Lots of places here to grab a bite if you're hungry.

Follow the signs to the 4/5/6 Downtown NYC subway, buy a 1 day fun pass MetroCard $4 at Metro Card vending machines, good for unlimited NYC bus and subway rides for one day. Take the downtown 4 or 5 express train to Bowling Green Station. Exit the station and walk South to the ferry terminal.

Take the free Staten Island Ferry round trip accross NY harbor and back for spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty, the harbor, lower Manhattan, Ellis Island and (gulp) New Joisey.

When you get back to the ferry terminal, walk North on Broad Street, passing the New York Stock Exchange and admire the scene in front of Federal Hall, the site of George Washington's innauguration.

Walk west one block on Wall Street to Broadway and Wall and admire the view at Trinity Church.

Continue walking west and make your way over to the World Trade Center. Take the trip to the observation deck and enjoy the view.

Exit the observation elevators and follow the signs to the uptown A/C/E subway trains. Take the A train uptown to Columbus Circle. Exit Columbus circle and enter Central Park, walking mostly East. Exit the park at 5th Ave and Central Park South and cross the street and enter the The Plaza Hotel. Enjoy a rest, cocktail or afternoon tea at one of the many eateries or bars in the public area of the hotel.

When you've recovered from the morning's activities, walk up 59th St EAST to Madison Ave. Find the uptown bus stop and take the bus uptown to anywhere around 82nd Street. Exit the bus and walk West back to Fifth Ave.

Stroll along Central Park taking in several museums on Museum Mile.

You could spend a week in the The Metropolitan Museum of Art and not see it all, but if you're like me and can only take museums in small doses, go in, find out where the special exhibits are, purchase the audio tour for that exhibit and enjoy it.

Finally, walk east several blocks back to Lexington Ave, find the downtown subway entrance and take the downtown 4, 5 or 6 train back to Grand Central Station. Exit Grand Central, find the express bus stop back to JFK.

Depending on how much you spend on food and drink, you can probably do this entire day for less than $50 including transportation to/from the airport.

-David

[This message has been edited by LIH Prem (edited 04-28-2001).]

[This message has been edited by LIH Prem (edited 04-28-2001).]