GadgetFreak

Really, just park at Newark Airport and take the NJ Transit train from the station there to New York Penn Station. It is direct, fast, hassle free and not very expensive.

If you are more inclined to the Staten Island parking suggestion but would rather not go through all of the different steps described above to get from there to Manhattan I have another suggestion. You can park on the street in the south Bronx and take Metro North or the subway to midtown. Much easier than getting there from Staten Island. What kind of car do you have by the way?

On second thought, stick with airport or hotel parking.

[This message has been edited by GadgetFreak (edited Jan 18, 2004).]

RS

As implied above don't park your SL500 in the South Bronx for a week. Also it's hard to get 100% legal on-street parking for a week anywhere in NYC. However, you actually could safely park in Jamaica Estates, Queens and walk to the F train at 179th Street assuming you could find a legal parking spot that doesn't require moving the car for a week.

My parents live on 173rd Street and I know for a fact that you could park there. They're in Florida now so I'm sure they won't mind.

Dugernaut

I've read all the posts, and agree with most of you, but I would like to propose a best of both world's scenario.

I've done enough traveling with small kids to know that a car ride in from Ohio and then switching to a train and then a taxi to a hotel is a recipe for disaster. Too much stuff to lug and the kids are not going to be an asset in this expedition.

If you really don't want to pay the bucks and park in the city, then consider driving in and dropping your wife, the kids, and all the luggage off at the hotel. Drive alone to the previously mentioned NJ Transit lot for the Lincoln tunnel. Park the car and hop on the bus back to Port Authority. Repeat in reverse to pick up your car to leave.

By the time you get back to the hotel, the kids will be comfortably settled, unpacked and you can begin to enjoy your visit.

BearX220

Eighteen posts later, I'd love to hear AGS chime back in and say what he's actually going to do, having absorbed all this...

gold

A safe, fast, easy and the cheapest way is to park at the Harrison PATH train station, located one stop closer to the city than Newark Airport. Indoor parking - $6 day. Train fare - $1.50. PATH is a subway run by the Port Authority of NY/NJ. Roughly 30 minutes. The end of the line is 34th St. and 6th Avenue, at Macy's Herald Square. Take a cab or subway from there.

RS

Brilliant. This gets my vote.

BillMorrow

Here's another alternative. Drive into the city, drop the family at the Doubletree. Once that is done, go up to 59th St and cross into Queens on the Queensboro Bridge. The first exit in Queens is for the Queens Plaza parking garage where you can park your car for $8/day. There is a subway station underneath the garage. Go there and catch an 'R' train which will take you back to Times Square.

Elite Nomore

Are you people crazy? I mean some of these ideas are so out of this world absurd. Have any of you ever been to NYC before?
For the dude who wrote this post, here's what you do: First off, drive into Manhattan and drop the family and luggage off at the hotel and ask the doorman what it costs to valet the car. It should run around $30-40 per day maybe a bit more. If that is more than your budget allows, try some of the parking lots over on the upper west side around 59th and 11th and up. I think they get $7.00 per day or so. You can also try this site: http://www.newyorktransportation.com/limo/parking.html and call in advance for the rates of local parking garages. You can also try http://www.iconparking.com/index.asp as well. As far as driving in NYC, it's easy and it's fun! So don't worry at all. Just relax and have a wonderful time in the greatest city in the world.

Dovster

I would have gone along for the "Park in NJ" idea except for one thing: You are arriving on a Sunday and leaving on a Saturday.

You will find no problem driving in or out of Manhattan on these days and very little traffic once you get into the city.

cordelli

I would love to see a list of parking lots in Manhattan that are safe that only cost $7 for 24 hours on a daily basis. Maybe $7 a half hour, but not a day.

GoingAway

It'll also depend on what kind of car he is driving, my SUV was over $40 a day in the garage versus $25-30 for a car.

If you do leave the car in NYC, don't park on the streets and do make sure you leave nothing out on the seats. I have had poor luck, even when I was driving a cheap Hyundai with having my car broken into when parking on the streets in NYC.

JeremyZ

I don't think you have to really be too concerned about break-ins these days when parking on the street in most parts of Manhattan.

BearX220

WHAT? Have YOU ever been to NYC before? $7.00 a day won't cover the tip. That zone is around the CBS Broadcast Center, where I've spent some time... think $30+ a day or more.

Human Unit 763246B

Sometimes people are on a strict budget. If so, the husband can drop off the family and maybe even park on the street in Manhattan that night. The next morning, he can get up early and repark the car in Staten Island while the rest of the family is sleeping.

Has anyone ever considered Hightstown, NJ? There's plenty of free parking. Just kidding.

rkkwan

Break-in really isn't a big issue in most parts of Manhattan, but there are two other issues one should realize before parking the car on the street:

1. People often bump into you when backing in or getting out. I've witnessed a car being crushed by a delivery truck in lower Manhattan while parked in a totally legal spot. So, expect at least a scratch or two on your bumper.

2. Many streets have scheduled cleaning times, and others have specific no-parking time. You must read the signs very carefully. And I doubt you'll find a spot in Manhattan that can let you park Sunday to Saturday without having to move the car, at least once.

[This message has been edited by rkkwan (edited Jan 22, 2004).]