After reading a lot of this forum, buying a guidebook and some googling I think i'm doing fairly well withplanning my trip to NYC in a week's time but I'd like some help with a few things


1- How long does it take to get from Penn Station to JFK in the evening rush hour? (By LIRR and Air Train unless there's a better route). Also i'd like to confirm that if I buy a $20 metrocard I can use that on the JFK airtrain but i'd need to buy a ticket for the LIRR

2- If I combine the WTC memorial and Ellis Island into one day which would it be better to do first and how long should I allow. Also is it a good idea to walk from one to the other and, if so, roughly how long would it take and what is the best route?

3- A slightly more random question - if you buy street food do you just wander down the street eating it or do you have to take it somewhere? And on a related note, are you allowed to eat on the subway?

I might come up with a few more questions but that's it for now

I normally budget 2 hours, 15 minutes between when I leave my office in Midtown to my scheduled departure time via LIRR. Since you're less familiar with NYC, you will want to leave a bit more time, but generally, the most I've had to wait in the afternoon peak for a train once at Penn Station is ~10 minutes, followed by a ~30 minute ride, and then ~15 minutes of waiting for the airtrain/riding it to the terminal.

Welcome! Hope you have a great visit!

You can certainly eat it as you wander down the street, or find someplace comfortable to stand or sit.

You are not allowed to eat on the subway or bus, although you will frequently see people doing it. The very first time I saw it enforced was a few weeks ago, when a bus driver told someone sitting in the middle of the bus that he could not eat his sandwich.

Wait, I thought eating on the subway was not illegal (given that there's been some recent attempts in Albany to ban just that).

Are you coming soon? Nice time of year to be here. ^

As was said already, since you'll be doing this for the first time, why not allow 2 hours. It typically takes about an hour. The trains will be packed. The Port Washington Trains (in red) do not go to Jamaica. Avoid those trains. All of the other LIRR trains do go through Jamaica but some can be express so verify that the train you want does stop at Jamaica. To answer the second part of your question, you will need to buy an LIRR Ticket and a $5 Metrocard for the Airtrain. There are LIRR tickets that can include Metrocard fares but the LIRR caps it at $4.50. So you will need a separate Metrocard with $5 for the Airtrain to JFK.

You can wander down the street, you can find a place to sit, do what you like. Food is not allowed on the subway and that is sporadically enforced.

Feel free!

I'd opt for going to Ellis Island first. The ferry line can be long, so get there earlier rather than later. The WTC Memorial can be done at your own pace. It's a short walk between the two. Maybe a long 10 minutes; but if I'm wrong, you'll soon read about the New York attitude with everyone chiming in and offering their opinion.

The Ellis Island ferry runs from Battery Park on the half hour, so you probably should do that first. First ferry there is 9:30 am, last ferry return is 5:15 pm. 1 hour for the ferry riding + 2 hours for Ellis Island. (Statue of Liberty is closed for interior renovation, so you can only view from the grounds on Liberty Island). It's probably about a 15-20 minute walk from Battery Park to the memorial. You need tickets for both the ferry and the memorial. The 9/11 tickets are free online, but you have to reserve a date and time. Reserve ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
http://www.911memorial.org/visitor-passes

You can also get a package from the ferry company that includes a 9/11 ticket at http://www.statuecruises.com/911_tickets.aspx

Depending on what it is, you may be able to walk down the street, but if it's something messy like the Halal cart, gyros or a fully loaded hot dog, I'd hang around the nearest seat or wall. Do what everyone else is doing. There are lots of things that are illegal on the subway that people do all the time (containers of alcoholic beverages, sealed or not, are actually not allowed), but it is still currently legal to eat on the subway, as long as you don't litter, are not unsanitary, and do not take up more than 1 seat.
http://www.mta.info/nyct/rules/rules.htm

I don't recall how long the ride is, but it's a 25 minute ride from the Battery to Staten Island, and Ellis Island is much closer.

I don't know what you mean by the $20 Metrocard but if you are planning on getting a pay per ride for the subway and buses then you can use that Metrocard for the AirTrain as long as you have at least $5 credit. You will need a separate Metrocard for the LIRR.

As for street food some carts are conveniently located near public plazas which have tables and chairs, such as the 53rd Street Famous Halal Guys.

The two AirTrain options are:
1. LIRR Penn Station -> Jamaica, then Airtrain. The LIRR segment requires purchasing a ticket ($8.75 peak) and does not accept MetroCard. The Airtrain segment only accepts pay per ride MetroCard ($5). It may appear that the LIRR does accept MetroCard, but they don't - actually it is an LIRR monthly pass printed on the back of a MetroCard, and only the pass side is shown to the conductor.
2. Subway A Train towards Rockaway -> Howard Beach JFK, then Airtrain. The A Train segment accepts all MetroCards ($2.25 or unlimited pass); the Airtrain segment only accepts pay per ride Metrocard ($5).

If you have luggage, #1 is going to be more comfortable and faster. If you're cheap, #2 is $6.50 less expensive, and maybe about 20 minutes longer. Both are actually pretty reliable, especially during rush hour.

About the ferry, I meant 1 hour for the round trip, not 1 hour each way.

I couldn't find anything online about it, but was sure I had seen signs in the past. However, it seems that you are correct - there is, in fact, no ban on eating on the subway (or presumably bus).

NYTimes: Rats or Not, Transit Chief Opposes Ban on Eating in the Subways

Perhaps I saw it in DC. Also explains why the incident a few weeks ago was the first time I'd seen the (non)-rule enforced!

Thanks everyone. Ok new question - what's gyro?

I'm coming next week, hopefully I can catch some of the St Pat's atmosphere without the full on madness (I hate Guiness)

I think is a sandwich, typical from Greece, the Middle East, and Turkey

I believe you would call it a Doner Kebab

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...kQ9QEwBg&dur=9

No madness; just packs of people from the suburbs wearing awful shades of clashing green that stuff themselves into Irish bars.