Eastbay1K

I'm flying into NYC on January 20, which will be a day of love, peace and tranquility in the United States, coming in from JFK. While ♫I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony,♫ something tells me that people won't be holding hands singing Kumbaya.

In days of discomfort, where are the usual choke points, so I can have contingency plans into Manhattan? Are Subway or other transit options blocked at times? Bridges? Tunnels? Highways?

Thanks

erik123

I'd worry about snowstorms not protests at that time.

Eastbay1K

Thank you. I had a blizzard last year. Now, back to my original question.

Letitride3c

Besides the obvious, midtown East around Trump Tower ... Brooklyn Bridge is often a wildcat, although I don't see any strong & symbolic reasons to gather on the footsteps of City Hall or even 26 Federal Plaza before converging toward Church Street & Centre Street for the BB. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/11/...enue-security/

As that's a Friday, another way to piss off the commuter crowd would be the GW Bridge, which would be nowhere near your primary or any alternate routing into Manhattan.

I would probably avoid going inside the Capital Beltway as odds are for civic disobedience to likely target primary the inauguration along Penn. Ave route - steer clear of DCA/IAD.

nerd

No usual choke points as far as transport/transit are concerned.

As already posted, be more worried about weather.

Blumie

If there's going to be a big protest that day, it likely will be well publicized. I could imagine a gathering at Union Square with a march up 5th Avenue to Trump Tower. The area around Trump Tower (5th Avenue at 57th St.) already has become a choke point, not just because of protests, but because security in the area has been ramped up significantly since the election. (NYCDOT has a fleet of dump trucks surrounding the building as added protection. I think it would have been better symbolically if they had used garbage trucks.)

All of that said, no sense in planning now. Just do what google maps tells you to do at the time. And it's rare for the subways to be disrupted, so that's usually a safe contingency plan. (On Wednesday night, I emerged from a concert at St. Patrick's to discover a massive rally working its way up 5th Avenue to Trump Tower. After joining the rally for awhile, I had to make my way to Minetta Tavern in the West Village. I hopped on the E train and was there in 15 minutes. The GM at Minetta told me that a lot of his customers were very late that night because they weren't smart enough or willing to abandon their taxis and limos. The rally had 5th Avenue completely shut down above 53rd St., which of course ripples all over midtown.)

Eastbay1K

Thanks! I'm not really "planning" now, but I just like to have in the back of my head an option. I usually stay in Tribeca or Soho, and usually take a car service into the city. I'd have no hesitation in having the car dropping me off somewhere en route at a Subway station.

themicah

Union Square is often the assembly point for big demonstrations.

And currently Trump Tower is the biggest destination point, although the Trump Int'l hotel on Columbus Circle has also seen some action.

When demonstrators have tried to disrupt traffic, they usually target big highways like the FDR or West Side Highway or bridges. The most recent big disruption was an oddball immigration activist group that chained themselves to the railings of the GWB a few weeks ago. But it's been a while (a year or two?) since I've heard of anybody trying to shut down the East River crossings.

As Blumie says, the subways are very unlikely to be disrupted so just know your public transit alternatives in case your car gets stuck in traffic.

Yoshi212

BLM has been marching both directions over the Manhattan Bridge a lot over the past two years. NYPD has gotten pretty good about keeping the groups organized and limiting impact, as much as possible, during these times. This is something to watch out for if going to SOHO or Tribeca.

A few weeks ago a group "took over" Jay Street-MetroTech and loaded onto subways preventing the doors from closing and rocking the cards but when cops came they ran. Whole thing lasted 3 minutes.

Analise

Take the Airtrain to either Jamaica or Howard Beach for the subway (depending upon where your destination is) or if you want the LIRR commuter train into Penn Station, take the Airtrain to Jamaica.

RooseveltL

Original question.
Union Sq. or City Hall are the most protested landmarks in NYC.
Union Sq because of proximity to NYU
City Hall for obvious reasons.

Most other places don't have the level of visibility or allowance of assembly because of too much traffic or tourist traffic.

Whoops - I now must add Trump Towers is now on the list which is 5th Ave near St. Pats Cath.

NotDuncan

Since Union Square has been mentioned several times, would it be advisable not to stay in that area?

SO and I are spending a long weekend in New York, currently with a SPG redemption at W Union Square, Jan 12-15. I can change to any other Starwood property that doesn't exceed to 20k/night rate of the W.

Normally I'd be down with attending a Trump protest rally , but this is a major celebration trip for us (dinner at Le Bernardin, Hamilton, etc.) so we'd really rather not get caught up in it any more than necessary.

Yoshi212

The W Union Sq is on the "north east" corner of the square and it's quite easy to get away from any protest. At one time or another any day of the week there is some level of protest going on in Union Square so I wouldn't change locations because of that. It's a good area to stay it for getting around and keeps you away from Times Square.

The rooms are a little small, depending on category, though.

Blumie

Stay there. You'll be fine. If there happens to be a protest, it will add to the excitement, but it's unlikely to be a huge inconvenience.

NotDuncan

Alright, thanks for the responses and reassurance, Yoshi212 and Blumie.

We're normally very much "go with the flow" travelers, and wouldn't mind joining a peaceful protest. I know my way around Manhattan fairly well, too, but this will be my girlfriends first visit. Ironically, we've been to 20 or so major cities around the world together, and some of them in tumultuous times, but not yet NYC.

As I said earlier, this is a major celebration that we've been planning for months; For anyone remotely interested, I just paid off the mortgage on the building my business is housed in, after 20 years. I have had a plan to take one last mortgage "payment" and blow it frivolously on a weekend in The Big Apple. Why there, I'm not even sure myself, being a Bostonian. Something about one of the biggest celebrations of my life being on the biggest stage in the world, tho, I guess! I really want it to be seamless.