JFK / NYC - What to do ?
 

JFK Arriving at 6:20am domestic and leaving 10:35pm intl.

I'd appreciate suggestions on how to spend the day, buses to downtown, interesting places to stroll a bit. Wouldn't like to spend much...

I've done some search but found this kind of question only for other cities...

Am I the only one with this problem ?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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Take a cab to midtown manhattan (cheap flat rate). Have breakfast in any quaint restaurant you find. Go window shopping along 5th avenue. Catch an early dinner at "One if by Land, Two if by Sea" near 7th and Bleeker in the Village (that will be your most expensive thing.)

If you don't like that, stroll around central park for a while, take a cab to the ferry building and go to the Statue of Liberty...hope this helps.

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).]

One more important thing .. wear comfortable shoes.

On Madison Ave, you will find almost nothing but bus stops. You want to take the blue and white NYC transit bus, and you probably want a local. You can look up the bus numbers on the NYC Transit Authority site, or learn to use the small rectangular signs posted at every bus stop in NY. Or, ask a local.

When you return to Grand Central, it may be just as easy to take a bus down Lexington Ave and get off at 42nd Street. Grand Central is just west of Lexington and 42nd St.

You can get free subway maps at any subway station. They may also have Manhattan bus maps. Ask for them.

It would be a good idea to have a decent street map of lower Manhattan with you as you do the little walking tour around there.

New York is a people watching city. Make sure to take in the sights, and make sure to have a slice of NY Pizza!

I've never purchased the $4 fun pass. They may not be available everywhere. Do some research on the NYC Transit web site, or maybe a current New Yorker will fill in some information on the fun pass on this thread.

Enjoy!

-David


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

Here's a list of places in and around Grand Central Station that sells the $4 fun pass: http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/metrocard/mcml/4funpmn3.htm

The express bus stops on Park Ave, just South of 42nd St. Walk North, cross 42nd St, and enter Grand Central. I believe that the newstand inside the door of Grand Central is one of the newstands in the listings. If not there are several others. You can ask at the NYC TA info booth in the middle of the lobby inside Grand Central.

-David

Edited to note that the express bus stop is just South of 42nd Street (Not North).


[This message has been edited by LIH Prem (edited 04-30-2001).]

While passing the NY Stock Exchange on Wall street I would drop in for a "free" tour; if this interests you.

I did the Stock Exchange tour with Magic111 last month during the NYC get together. We went by around 10 in the morning, and the next available tour was around 1:30. They hand out free tickets, which we needed when we came back later, and there is a limited number per tour. Might be better to arrive when they first open up.

You can get in by subway from JFK. You have to take the free bus to the Howard Beach station, which adjoins one of the outer parking lots. I've done that before without any problems during day time hours.

LIH Prem: That's a really good 1st-time NYC itinerary!

Madison Ave. Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4.

(Sorry, hit wrong plunger)

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

Thank you all for your tips on NYC.

Now I am pretty sure I will be able to get the most of the city within the limited amount of time I'll have.

I have printed the whole page and taking it with me !!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

oh. Grand Central FunPass sales are at the currency exchange window at the end of the ticket/service areas.

if you walk in by the Lexington Avenue subway, it's the first window on the left. shallso all else should fail, walk into the Great Hall, walk over to the little glass oubliette, and face the timetable boards. The farthest window to your left is the currency exchange. For what it's worth, they've been open at least as late as 7 in my travels, but i know not the hours.

i dinna about the newsstand; i'm just adding my own experiences here. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Even if you decide to take the train to the city from JFK, you will still have 12 solid hours in Manhattan. Twelve hours is plenty to do a nice walking tour of the city. The subway will cost you $1.50 o/w (or get a $4.00 all-day funpass which you can buy at the Howard Beach station if it has one of the automatic vending machines -- the shuttle bus from the airport is free), a taxi will cost around $40 (inclusive of tip but the toll is extra if you are going to cross the Midtown Tunnel, which is recommended if you are traveling during rush hour) o/w, the Carey Bus to Grand Central and/or the Port Authority Bus Terminal will cost about $13, and then there are other options that will drop you off at the major hotels or other addresses for about $15 (but you should add a tip for the driver). Assuming moderate traffic, the subway ride will take about 1 hour into lower Manhattan, a cab will take about 40-60 minutes and the bus will take 40-60 minutes. If you are getting out of the airport at 8am on a weekday, then I would definitely recommend the subway. In any case, I would recommend the subway in the AM, because there really isn't much else to do in terms of sightseeing so early in the AM and there is no sense in getting into the City when most sights are still closed.

If you are Brazilian and this is your first time in NYC, then you could always visit 46th Street in Manhattan (btw 5th and 6th Avenues). This is the commercial heart of the Brazilian community in Manhattan, at least this is where there are a lot of Brazilian restaurants (Antartica/Brahma guarana and Chopp available) and where folks go to watch the World Cup every four years. It's a short detour if you are going near Times Square or Central Park.

If you are arriving on a weekend, then I would highlight Central Park as a nice place to take a look around (try the area south of 72nd Street). It is also a great place to visit on weekdays, when it is less crowded and you practically have the place to yourself, but on weekends, the park roads are closed off to vehicular traffic and New Yorkers go out and play.

I should add that LIH Prem suggestions are excellent.


[This message has been edited by fallinasleep (edited 04-29-2001).]

What day of the week are you coming into the city? If it's a Wednesday, Saturday, or a Sunday and you have any interest in the theater you can hit an afternoon performance. There are two places that sell half price tickets the day of the show, one at Times Square, the other down at the World Trade Center, it's a decent way to get into a show for a decent price. Ask if you are interested, the people here are extreamly helpful. We were at a play last night in the second row and the people next to us were there on half price tickets they got that day (no not us, full price), so you can get some very decent seats.

The least expensive way into the city is to take the shutle bus over to the Howard Beach subway station, then take the subway into the city. It's $1.50 per trip, or as many others have said, $4 for an all day pass. Each person with you will need a pass, you can't just give it to the person behind you and have them go through after you.

If the weather is good the Circle line does a 90 minute trip around southern Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, it's a great way to relax, and it's half the length of the full round the island trip.

Heres a list of the current plays available at TKTS:

http://newyork.citysearch.com/feature/34843/

You can also buy your Metrocard Online here:
http://metrocard.citysearch.com/
although there may be a $15 min per order.


Be sure to look through the rest of Citysearch for more ideas.

Thank you, RichG. I should have remembered the M1 if nothing else.

I still recommend the express bus to Grand Central. The best view of midtown manhattan is on the Midtown Tunnel approach. If it's a nice day the view will knock your socks off. You drive up over a hill, and on the way down, the skyscrapers of midtown beckon, rising up out of this tiny island, and they are literally right there. At the bottom of the hill is the entrance to the Midtown Tunnel. The bus is worth the extra money, just for that view, plus it's more convenient than taking the A train from Howard beach all the way through Queens and Brooklyn, mostly underground. In the morning, you will hit some traffic heading into Manhattan, but you'll have plenty of time, and you'll get to see first hand how the Port Authority of NY and NJ is spending millions if not billions to provide an almost useless monorail link to Jamaica station over the Van Wyck Expressway.

-David

Thank you all for the tips.

I'm at the Ansett Lounge and the printer works, but I'm dummy and don't know how to make it work.

Anyway I've written in a piece of paper all the important details mentioned, specially because I'll be spending Saturday all day in NYC.

Thank you folks and please do count on me if you require any assistance.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

You can always visit nj! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Oh .. it's a Saturday. Traffic will be no problem. The stock exchange is closed on Saturday, so forget the NYSE tour.

-David

Grab a great NY bagel and head for the ferry to Ellis Island. Must see and you get to see Manhattan from the river. Awesome.
this will take three hours in the morning.

This is to thank you all for the magnificent suggestions given. A very special Thank You to LIH Prem / David due to the detailed itinerary.

I was the only one in NYC following an itinerary printed in a paper that stated at the top WEBFLYER ... ...

I did visit your suggestions and I strongly recommend that anyone else may follow LIH Prem as they are quite exact.

My only changes have been: I went from JFK to Manhattan by train because at JFK I was told that at Howard's Beach station I would easily get the FunPass for 4 bucks, plus lots of NYC information and maps, for free.

Then, when I got off at Bowling Green Station I immediately found two squirrels... and gawked ! What a fantastic sight !

Thank you for your suggestion NOT to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty! The queues are absolutely discouraging. Remind one of Disney at Peak Times. Your suggestion to use the other one was a gift!

Unfortunately, because it was Saturday officers at NYSE informed that there would not be any tours; Only from Monday to Friday. The building nevertheless is amazing.

While at the Central Station (Fantastic) I strolled a little bit west and added Times Square to the original itinerary.

NY city bus drivers are incredibly patient with tourists. Congratulations to them. NY Citizens are also vey nice and polite with foreigners. That's my assessment. I've been a great while up and down Manhattan by bus (West Central Park, UN Building, etc) and ambered a lot !

Last but not least, the timing is absolutely perfect for one day at NYC. I strongly suggest all the interested parties to throughly follow this itinerary. On your way back, if by train, please do pay attention as A line has three final destinations and one of them does NOT pass through JFK.

LIH Prem in my opinion you're definitely nominated for NYC amabassador ! And you have got my vote !

Thank you all for your time and effort.

And... Thank you United for having upgraded me JFK-GRU due to full load. Business Class seats are definitely better than RG seats.

[This message has been edited by pb9997 (edited 05-07-2001).]

(double posted)

[This message has been edited by pb9997 (edited 05-07-2001).]

Thanks for the compliment. The other suggestions here were also excellent.

Next time, if you ever go through on a weekday, it will be an interesting contrast to walk from South Ferry up Broad Street to Wall Street on a business day and see all the shenanigans that go at Federal Hall.

Also, using the subway, rather than the express bus saved you $23 for the day. Any suggestions for a budget for this day tour on NYC? I think when I said $50, it was on the low side, but maybe that was ok without the express bus.

Did you do an audio tour at the Met?

-David

pb9997: I'd go ahead and board any Brooklyn/Queens-bound A or C train. It doesn't matter if it's the "wrong" one provided you get off at (or before) Hoyt-Schermerhorn.

pb9997 is quite correct about the "A" train from Manhattan to JFK. Duke Ellington's advice notwithstanding, an "A" train bound for Lefferts Boulevard will not get you to Howard Beach / JFK. You have to take a train headed for either of the two Rockaway destinations.

You are now the second FT'er who likes the "A" train to & from JFK. (The other is Rudi... although I'm sure there must be others.) I'm not knocking it, but not too many years ago you could take the late, lamented "Train to the Plane" from Manhattan to JFK, over most of the same tracks, except it made only one stop in Brooklyn, took as little as 35 minutes from midtown, had space for luggage, and carried a cop on each 2-car train. And all this for $5 or so. If I recall correctly, you paid with a token on the way in, and the balance was collected by a conductor on board.

I'm glad you found us New Yorkers friendly and helpful, including the bus drivers. My friends at the Transport Workers Union will be pleased! (My office is in their building.) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Funny how none of us included Times Square in the original itinerary. I suppose it shouldn't be missed. I find the "new" Times Square a little embarassing.... if we could only bring back about 15% of the sleaze. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

RichG,

Add me to the list of those who like the A train to JFK. I can catch it right on my corner and usually make it there in just under an hour. I, too, miss the "Train to the Plane".

The Guilianized version of Times Square is a bit too Disney for my taste.

So you guys don't go for the new Wax Museum!? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I just read this whole thread and thought that LIH's one-day itinerary was fantastic.

I'm glad New Yorkers were friendly to you while you were here---especially the bus drivers. I've always thought that the bus drivers were kind people.

People sometimes feel that New Yorkers are abrasive but not all of us are. I'm glad to see that your experience in the city was a pleasant one. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

FWIW, I understand that in short order (30 days) the one way cab fare from JFK into Manhattan will rise up to $35! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Take a limo! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I think Times Square is a reasonable addition, plus it allows for a stop at the Carnegie or Stage Deli for lunch http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

After the World Trade Center, get off the A/C/E train at 42 St. Walk East on 42nd St to Times Square (42nd at the intersection of 7th and Broadway), explore the area North of 42nd Street, especially the area around Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th - 45th Street West of Broadway.

Eventually, make your back to 7th Ave and walk North on 7th Ave to Central Park and continue East from there. On your way North on 7th Ave you will pass the Stage Deli and Carnegie Deli and Carnegie Hall all at and around 57th Street. Either Deli is a great place for lunch.

-David

PS: Last time I was back, I walked over to TS from the Hyatt. I didn't care for it either. I kept going up 7th Ave and got my sandwich at one of the delis and walked back to my hotel.


[This message has been edited by LIH Prem (edited 05-29-2001).]