catharsis

Long layover may be underplaying it slightly - We arrive on a (pre-cleared so effectively domestic) flight at 11AM on a Friday and leave at 10AM the next morning for LAX.

I cannot see us sitting out at JFK for 23 hours so assume we will be in the city at some point.

I am leaning towards Marriott Downtown ($150++) or Brooklyn bridge marriott ($190++) as being relatively inexpensive (on a Friday night) but still supposedly full service properties. As a Platinum is there anywhere else that should be on my short list?

First reason for picking these two properties was proximity to the direct subway line A to JFK and cheaper Friday night rates.

It appears that hotels around midtown and E train options to JFK are more expensive.

We will have a 2 YO with us so will have quite a ot of stuff although hopefully our checked baggage will be checked through and we will not need to schlep it about NYC.

Feedback on proposed plans welcome.

bennos

Seems like you have things pretty well in hand. The wildcard is that there has been a lot of weekend track work affecting the A and E lately, so just because your hotel is served by a train on Friday doesn't mean it will be on Saturday. In particular, the A sometimes operates over the F, the E sometimes operates over 6 Av, the Queens Blvd line is often backed up, etc.

All other things being equal, of the BB and DT I'd pick the BB because Jay St is more likely to have direct airport service, and in a pinch you could go to Atlantic Av for the LIRR to Jamaica.

Alternately, stay near Penn Station. The new Ren usually has slightly better than average rates for the Manhattan properties.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Which airlines are you flying with?

With a 23 hr layover I do not think your bags will be allowed to be checked through to LAX ( I think AA has a 12 hour limit). If that is the case then a taxi from JFK to downtown might be a better idea ( fixed fare)

PS I had a 1 night stay at the Marriott downtown a few years ago and it was a good stay.

Regards

TBS

catharsis

I hadn't considered the possibility of the trains being out on Saturday morning and that would be a major inconvenience - I presume the LIRR to JFK is pretty bulletproof by comparison?

I'm AA both legs albeit booked on BA codeshare codes. If true that will be a real problem as given we're going to HI for 3 weeks with a 2YO I assume Mrs Catharsis will have about 6 suitcases, a travel cot, a stroller, a car seat and a kitchen sink along for the trip!

Having said that the reason I was trying to avoid taxi's and use public transport was because I assumed our child car seat would be checked through, adding to the difficulty of obtaining or using a taxi or town car.

How does one best organise to get a taxi/limo which will have a lot of luggage space? - Uber, taxi, or a specialist service (and if so any recommendations would be welcomed either here or via PM

Kacee

At those hours (particularly the Saturday morning departure) an Uber would probably be the better call. Traffic shouldn't be bad, and who wants to kill 3 hours out of a 23 hour layover on public transit. Just pick a hotel east of 5th Ave.

pinniped

Are you set on staying in the city? The 2y.o. and a lot of stuff *might* tempt me to rent a car and do a daytrip outside the city proper. Maybe along the coast or something like that. (I'm not an expert on the area, but I've spent a weekend in CT where we were only about 90 minutes' drive from Queens.)

Otherwise, any Manhattan Marriott for $150 is pretty solid. An UberXL or a LyftPlus would be able to handle you and would be easy to summon both directions.

catharsis

Well we both haven't been in the city in a while, and while I know Long Island and the Connecticut shore are beautiful they are not unique in the way that NYC remains (even in summer!).

On the other hand I have just remembered that the NYC metro isn't airconditioned ...

On the topic of UberXL or Lyftplus (I forgot about Lyft - as a European it has nothing like the penetration here of Uber) - are either of those covered by the "fixed fare into Manhattan"?

ajwright

I've stayed extensively at both the Downtown and Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, they are both excelent hotels, although I would say you have a better chance for an upgrade at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott if they don't have an event going on (it's more of a conference hotel - but has suites which the Downtown Marriott does not).

Both should be fairly easy trips on the subway (which is air conditioned on the trains - not the stations). The Downtown Marriott is about 10 minutes farther away, I'd say an hour by subway or 30-45 minutes by Uber early on Saturday.

Uber is not covered by the fixed fare rules, but is fairly cheap. I would recommend UberPool if you're trying to keep cost down.

eyeballer

Are you not using the car seat on the plane for the 2YO? Would advise to keep it with you/gate check it so you can use it in the Uber/Lyft - while not required by law in NYC, it's still recommended to use one. We always use one on the plane anyway for our 2YO so it's never an issue of not having access to it.

Uber isn't "flat rate" per se, but in NYC will show you the total fixed price before you book (depending on current surge/traffic conditions) so no surprises once you get moving.

C17PSGR

With all those suitcases, UberXL or one of the shuttle services such as SuperShuttle are really your best option. There is a bus to Grand Central (I forget the name but you can't miss it when you walk outside the AA terminal as there are signs and they are selling tickets) but you'll still be a few blocks from the Marriotts in Midtown Manhattan and schlepping suitcases through the city with a 2 y/o will color your marital bliss for the next three weeks!

I'd think about the Brooklyn Bridge, the Midtown Renn, or one of the Marriotts in Midtown. All have plenty of things to do for the day before you head back to JFK the next morning. The BB and the Midtown Renn will be slightly quicker trips.

Kacee

IMO Midtown Renn is too far west. Driving crosstown can be a real pita.

joshua362

1. I would confirm/make sure bags would be transferred or not beyond a guess.
2. If not, I would consider 1 of the 2 Marriott airport hotels and maybe branch out from there & return? Think there is an SPG property there too.
3. Subway cars are air conditioned (stations not)
4. Friday afternoon & night traffic going to be hell in the Summer, and even Saturday mornings too.
5. Might be me but it sounds like you are trying to cram in a lot especially with a 2yo in tow given its far less than 23 hours after claiming bags and rechecking in for the next leg.

itsaboutthejourney

Uber XL/Lyft to a Brooklyn hotel (don't forget the Sheraton and aloft) to drop your bags, shower, then take the subway into Manhattan. Your return to JFK will be easier from Brooklyn and you might even find it just as fun to see as Manhattan.

bennos

The LIRR has four tubes and tracks to get from Penn Station to Jamaica, so even when one or two are out of service there's enough capacity to run a weekend schedule. NYP to JAM is pretty much guaranteed to run on or close to schedule.

For those suggesting car services, keep in mind the Queens Midtown Tunnel has one tube (50% capacity) out of service on weekends for Sandy reconstruction, making traffic a mess pretty much all the time, even at other crossings.

spainlover

You can check for subway construction and changes at www.mta.info - they should have that listed in advance.
If you stay at one of those hotels and the A train is running, it really may not take you much longer than a cab/Uber/Lyft depending on traffic, and it will obviously save you quite a bit of money. Obviously, you'll want to see if you have all your suitcases as that could make it less convenient to take the subway especially with a toddler.
NYC subway cars are air-conditioned. The platforms are not.
Staying at either of those is also a good option, I think, because you have good parks nearby and can spend some time outside with your 2-year-old. You even have the carousel down in Brooklyn Bridge Park overlooking Manhattan. Also a lot more food options now than a few years ago in the Financial District (on weekends).