What has changed in New York City since February 2020?
Mar 14, 2024, 8:05 am
#1
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What has changed in New York City since February 2020?
It's been four years since I was in NYC. I'm sure a lot has changed. What has changed over the last four years in terms of tourist attractions and transportation (i.e. subway)? I think OMNY is now all over NYC? Can I use Apple Pay to go from EWR/JFK/LGA straight into Manhattan? Is it still possible to buy a weekly pass? If not, are trips capped after spending a certain amount? My plan is to eat and maybe shop.
Mar 14, 2024, 8:25 am
#2
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Subway is less crowded. Tap-to-pay at all turnstiles. Weekly fare cap after 12 rides. Tourists are back. Attractions are open. Midtown is quieter with fewer office workers. Retail is still struggling (though this started pre-pandemic). Uglyass dining sheds on the streets.
Some things have changed but most of the day-to-day is back to normal despite what people who haven't visited in years might tell you.
Some things have changed but most of the day-to-day is back to normal despite what people who haven't visited in years might tell you.
Mar 14, 2024, 8:38 am
#3
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Subway is less crowded. Tap-to-pay at all turnstiles. Weekly fare cap after 12 rides. Tourists are back. Attractions are open. Midtown is quieter with fewer office workers. Retail is still struggling (though this started pre-pandemic). Uglyass dining sheds on the streets.
Some things have changed but most of the day-to-day is back to normal despite what people who haven't visited in years might tell you.
Some things have changed but most of the day-to-day is back to normal despite what people who haven't visited in years might tell you.
No subway expansion since?
No new tourist attractions?
No discount on subway using OMNY card vs Apple Pay?
Mar 14, 2024, 9:59 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 239
In other words, you're saying that after 12 rides, defined as going from point A to B as one, then it'll be free for the remainder of the week? If so, how do I know the start and end dates?
The start date will be the first day you ride the subway using that method of payment. The end date is +6 days, so if the first day you tap in is April 1 then the end date is April 1 + 6 days = April 7. After April 7, a new 7-day period will start the next time you tap again, so if you don't ride the subway again until April 9, then the next 7-day period doesn't start until April 9.
No subway expansion since?
No.
No discount on subway using OMNY card vs Apple Pay?
No.
Mar 14, 2024, 1:14 pm
#8
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As a long time resident, there is a reason I have started flying 200K miles+ a year as of a few years ago, plus countless number of Amtrak trains and regional/longhaul buses, away from NYC at every opportunity I can have. While NYC still has a lot to offer, it is no longer a place I can recommend. My best advice would be enjoy but be vigilant, especially at night.
Mar 14, 2024, 3:28 pm
#10
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If you find problematic with my view and rec below, feel free the engage in a civil discussion, or ignore. If you do, I would kindly request quote post me, so I can be alerted to it. Thanks.
Mar 14, 2024, 3:51 pm
#11
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New Jersey transit and NYC transit are not combined so that 12 tap thing is only for MTA travel, not for PATH or other New Jersey fares
Mar 14, 2024, 3:54 pm
#12
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Mar 14, 2024, 5:10 pm
#13
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Mar 14, 2024, 6:00 pm
#14
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The $16 is for Airtrain to EWR rail station and then NJ transit to NY Penn Station.
PATH won't be necessary if you ride Airtrain/NJTransit. PATH another way to get to NYC, slower but cheaper, usually 62 bus from EWR to Newark Penn Station and then PATH train to NYC (33rd St bound with multiple stops in NYC or World Trade Center bound).
Mar 15, 2024, 9:44 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,535
Things that have changed:
Things that haven't changed: amazing food, entertainment, art, architecture, experiences, and people.
- OMNY is great. On the "12 rides then it's free" thing there are a couple of nuances:
- It's technically a $34 spending cap, not a 12-ride cap. So the first 11 rides are $2.90 each, your 12th ride is $2.10, and your 13th and subsequent rides are free.
- Free transfers to/from buses are still a thing. Just tap using the same card or device.
- If you tap twice (or more) in a row at the same station or on the same bus, it won't count the extra rides (only the first one) toward the cap. .
- More details here: https://omny.info/fares
- There is now a LOT more outdoor dining, including at many nicer restaurants.
- E-bikes and e-scooters are now legal and there are a ton more people on bikes generally (including me most days) so traffic patterns are a little different. In particular, many cyclists are NOT good about stopping for red lights or yielding for pedestrians, so please be careful when crossing the street.
- Motorized traffic has also grown more aggressive and chaotic, with lots of illegal mopeds and drivers running lights. But that seems to be a nationwide thing, not unique to NYC (and it's not like NYC was ever known for having calm drivers...).
- I do think that homelessness has gotten a little worse, and crime is a little higher than it was pre-pandemic (as it is all over the US), but it's come down significantly from the 2021-2022 highs and it's still extraordinarily rare to be a victim of a crime in NYC. You're FAR more likely to be hurt in a car crash in suburban America than to be harmed in a crime in NYC.
- Marijuana is legal to buy and possess (but not to smoke in public, although people certainly do it) and there are a handful of legal recreational dispensaries along with a couple thousand (yes, thousand) illegal dispensaries that operate openly, selling products of completely unknown provenance. If THC is your thing, please seek out the legal dispensaries where you know what you're buying (everything is tested and clearly labeled) and you're generally supporting a good cause (most of the legal dispensaries are operated by non-profit organizations, with a couple run by formerly incarcerated people, and they pay taxes).
Things that haven't changed: amazing food, entertainment, art, architecture, experiences, and people.