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NY-Baltimore: train or plane
I will be going from NYC (midtown, East side) to the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore on a weekday evening. Cost is not at all an issue; the only consideration is speed.
I can take a US flight that departs LGA at 705p and arrives BWI at 825p, or I can take an Amtrak Acela train that departs NYP at 700p and arrives at BWI at 912p. Given these options, what time could I expect to get to my destination? (I know this sounds like an SAT question, but what I'm really trying to figure out is how long it would take to get to the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore from BAL rail station or BWI at that time of night on a weekday.) Would it make a difference in terms of traffic if I arrived an hour earlier? |
To get to LGA for that flight you'd probably have to leave at 5 - so is there an Acela train that leaves around 5:30 or 6? If so, I'd take that. They can run late, but usually that is less than half hour, v. risking a flight this time of year when thunderstorms routinely build and severely disrupt air travel.
There shouldn't be a traffic problem from train station to inner harbor, although you might check the baseball schedule to make sure there isn't a home opener. |
Originally Posted by TrinaLC
To get to LGA for that flight you'd probably have to leave at 5 - so is there an Acela train that leaves around 5:30 or 6? If so, I'd take that. They can run late, but usually that is less than half hour, v. risking a flight this time of year when thunderstorms routinely build and severely disrupt air travel.
Originally Posted by TrinaLC
There shouldn't be a traffic problem from train station to inner harbor, although you might check the baseball schedule to make sure there isn't a home opener.
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BAL is only about two miles from the Inner Harbor, versus BWI which is something like ten. If the traffic is that bad, you could get out and walk :). (though I actually haven't-- not familiar enough with Baltimore to be comfortable wandering around at night).
There is a light rail connection from BAL to Camden Yards, though I cannot imagine that would be faster or more convenient than a cab. |
Take Acela.
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I cannot say about the train, since I haven't used it from BWI to the Inner Harbor area.
But, you would be really close, the only thing I don't know is how easy it is to catch a taxi from the station to your hotel. From BWI by taxi, I always paid under $30 including tip up through last lear. It may have gone up a little since then. For the convenience, I always took the taxi from BWI to the Marriott Waterside or the Courtyard Inn near Lancaster Street. Took 15-20 minutes, and well worth it. Adding this to the time, your arrival to your final destination in the Inner Harbor area is close either way, with a small advantage to flying in and taking a taxi. But it's not much of a diff. At that time of night, I've never noticed any probs with traffic. At 3-5 pm, it sometimes takes 20 minutes to get OUT of the Inner Harbor area, but then it's clear sailing. Given that there may be a game there, I would lean toward flying in/taking a taxi. I've been there on a game day, and while things are a little busy/hectic right around the stadium, it wasn't a problem. I'm thinking a lot more people may be taking the train, though, since the station is so very close to the stadium. Just my .02, though. |
Definitely take Acela. It's a much more pleasant experience than air travel these days. You'll arrive at Baltimore Penn Station, from which a smart cab driver can get you to the Inner Harbor in 10 mins and skip the Orioles traffic. I don't know that there will be any Os traffic at 9pm; depends on the start time for the game, but the cab driver will know.
Driving distance from BWI is further, about 30 mins, and could be 50 in traffic. There's no great way around the traffic from BWI. |
I vote for the train, too, and I live near Baltimore. From Penn Station you can take the Light Rail downtown to the convention center or Camden Yards, or you can catch a bus that will probably take you directly to your hotel (which one?). The light rail leaves Penn Station every half hour at that time of day. Or you can grab a cab at Penn...it's not too long a drive.
The light rail also goes all the way to BWI, so you can catch light rail from there and end up stopping at Camden Yards and walking to your hotel, if you're only carrying an overnight bag. Note that a section of the track between BWI and the city is currently being worked on, and you have to get off the light rail, take a shuttle, and get back on the light rail again. Not convenient. I must say, though, taxis from BWI are good. They're strictly airport taxis, and while expensive, they know their way into the harbor. I don't think taxis at Penn Station are as regulated. Visit MTA Maryland for good info about getting around Baltimore on public transportation. --Chris |
[QUOTE=Blumie]I'd be comfortable leaving my office at 5:45 to make a 7:05 flight (even if I have trouble catching a cab or traffic is bad, I can hop on the E to Jackson Heights, Queens, catch a cab from there, and make it LGA in 30 minutes or less). I would leave my office at 6:15 to make a 7:00 train. You are right to point out, however, that the train (delays typically less than 30 min.) is less risky than the plane (delays can be hours).
[QUOTE] They must not make security lines at LGA like they make them at BWI. I'd never consider under an hour from the front door of BWI to the door of the plane. Take the train. It may cost more, but it is so much more convenient, and AMTRAK needs money. |
Definately ake the train. Acela Express is the best but costs more than the others. It will save you only about 10-15 min over the other amtrak.com offerings. but after a long day it wiil be worth it.
MisterNice |
Train. :)
-Mark |
Very easy choice: the train. Then take a short cab ride from Balt's Penn Station down to the Inner Harbor.
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Originally Posted by Blumie
I do think the O's are in town that night. Does that affect what I should do?
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Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
Though I am not exactly certain what an "O" is, if you are are referring to the Baltimore baseball team, then there should be no worries. They are so bad there won't even be traffic before game time!
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Originally Posted by Analise
Guess you haven't spent much time in the Baltimore area in the spring and summer? The O's are the Orioles.
What about when they play the Blue Jays? Just call them Baltimore. That is the city they play in. That is the city they represent. Though they have, for some reason, been embarrassed to wear that name on their uniform for decades. And, Analise, I have lived in Northern VA for 12 years. I went to my first major league game (a doubleheader vs Pittsburgh) at Ebbets Field. I have gone to the ballpark in Baltimore to see the "Y's" bash them at least a dozen times. |
Originally Posted by slawecki
They must not make security lines at LGA like they make them at BWI. I'd never consider under an hour from the front door of BWI to the door of the plane.
If TSA dragged the speed of security checkpoints at LGA past 10 minutes, there would be a lot of noise. I regularly leave my house in midtown within forty minutes of departure time (when traffic is light). |
Adding:
I would recommend the train in this instance. My breakpoint is one hour. If the train can get me somewhere within an hour of the plane, I take the train. Amtrak has not quite made it for NYC-Boston (I can do it door-to-door with the DL shuttle in 2.5-3.0 hours, sometimes even 2.0 hours. Acela -- including to/from Penn Station -- takes 4.0 hours). |
Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
There is no professional baseball team with the name "O's" (and why is it possessive, anyway?) either in their articles of incorporation or their contract with Major League Baseball. If you pursue the conclusion of shortening the name of the Baltimore baseball team, then when they play the Tigers, are they playing the T's? And when they play the Twins, are they playing the T's again? How about the Angels and the Athletics? Are they playing the A's both times? Rangers and Red Sox? R's??
What about when they play the Blue Jays? Just call them Baltimore. That is the city they play in. That is the city they represent. Though they have, for some reason, been embarrassed to wear that name on their uniform for decades. And, Analise, I have lived in Northern VA for 12 years. I went to my first major league game (a doubleheader vs Pittsburgh) at Ebbets Field. I have gone to the ballpark in Baltimore to see the "Y's" bash them at least a dozen times. |
Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
There is no professional baseball team with the name "O's" (and why is it possessive, anyway?) either in their articles of incorporation or their contract with Major League Baseball. If you pursue the conclusion of shortening the name of the Baltimore baseball team, then when they play the Tigers, are they playing the T's? And when they play the Twins, are they playing the T's again? How about the Angels and the Athletics? Are they playing the A's both times? Rangers and Red Sox? R's??
What about when they play the Blue Jays? Just call them Baltimore. That is the city they play in. That is the city they represent. Though they have, for some reason, been embarrassed to wear that name on their uniform for decades. And, Analise, I have lived in Northern VA for 12 years. I went to my first major league game (a doubleheader vs Pittsburgh) at Ebbets Field. I have gone to the ballpark in Baltimore to see the "Y's" bash them at least a dozen times. You do realize that the media and even the team happily refers to the club as the O's, right? It's interchangable with "Orioles". Oh, and I would take the train from midtown Manhattan to Baltimore. Your overall travel time should be much shorter than getting from midtown to LGA and then from BWI to the Inner Harbor. |
Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
There is no professional baseball team with the name "O's" (and why is it possessive, anyway?) either in their articles of incorporation or their contract with Major League Baseball. If you pursue the conclusion of shortening the name of the Baltimore baseball team, then when they play the Tigers, are they playing the T's?
Somebody get this man a Strunk and White! --Chris |
Originally Posted by Analise
The O's are as much of a team nickname as are the Cubbies, the Yanks, The Fish, the Rays, .....should I go on? You're looking for articles of incorporation???? You need to go back to a ballpark especially Camden Yards and listen to the fans sing the National Anthem. Then you'll see how beloved the O really is. ^
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Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
The ballpark is named Oriole Park The location is Camden Yards. There is no ballpark named Camden Yards.
When former Baltimore mayor William Donald Schaefer became governor of Maryland in the mid-1980s, he helped push plans for a baseball-only stadium through the state legislature. The plans also called for a football-only stadium next door and both would be financed by a new instant lottery game. Construction on an 85-acre site began in June 1989, took 33 months and cost $110 million. The success of Oriole Park at Camden Yards inspired other cities (Cleveland, Denver, etc.) to build their own versions of this new Retro style ballpark. Eli Jacobs, who owned the Orioles when the ballpark was built, wanted to call it Oriole Park. Schaefer preferred Camden Yards. Finally, they agreed on Oriole Park at Camden Yards. |
Train for sure
Timing aside, You will be more relaxed. The seats are wider, more leg room, and you can move around. You are not stuck to your assigned seat as in a plane.
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Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
The ballpark is named Oriole Park The location is Camden Yards. There is no ballpark named Camden Yards.
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Originally Posted by TWA4Ever
The ballpark is named Oriole Park The location is Camden Yards. There is no ballpark named Camden Yards.
I think you might want to write a letter to The Baltimore Sun because they also, heaven forbid, refer to the Orioles in the title of an article as the O's and they refer to their fantastic ballpark as CAMDEN YARDS. Take a deep breath now. It's in an article today's paper. I'll increase the font so you can see it properly. But you can be assured that in the article they are referred to the Orioles also as the Orioles. Second time is charm for Borkowski O's officials remembered, had faith in Tigers castoff By Joe Christensen Sun Staff Originally published August 3, 2004 When the Detroit Tigers released David Borkowski last year, setting the scene for his stirring comeback with the Orioles, it wasn't your typical baseball transaction. Growing up in Michigan, Borkowski knew about everything there was to know about the Detroit franchise. He can still remember skipping grade school to watch his beloved Tigers play in the 1984 and 1987 playoffs. ... A new wave of pitching prospects had arrived, and for all his determination, Borkowski's arm strength simply wasn't coming back. "I was devastated," said Borkowski, who takes a 2-2 record into tonight's start against the Seattle Mariners in the second game of a doubleheader at Camden Yards. "I didn't want to leave, but I just packed my stuff and got out of there as soon as I could." Hmmmm, right next to this story is a lead article in the sports section about Mary Lou Retton who made an appearance at a skybox.....where? The newspaper stated that she was in Camden Yards. How can that be if it there is no ballpark with that name? Time can't tarnish her golden moment Mary Lou Retton is 36 now, but she's ageless in the minds of those who saw her in the Olympics 20 years ago. By Candus Thomson Sun Staff Originally published August 3, 2004 Mary Lou Retton is antsy. The trademark million-watt smile snaps off as if controlled by an invisible switch. She is giving orders. "No, not five minutes, three. And we'll walk," she says to a reporter seeking an interview. "No, I'm not going in there. I've seen it," she says to a temporary assistant who is trying to get her into a quiet, air-conditioned room at Baltimore's Gerstung Center, away from the noise of a hundred rambunctious gymnastics campers and the humidity of a summer day. "Where's my car? Why did you bring me this way?" she grills one of the people trailing behind her. "It's time to go. I have to go." Yes, Mary Lou Retton - America's Sweetheart, the athlete who can be identified by her first name alone, the blast of energy who turned millions of little girls into gymnasts with her gold-medal performance in the 1984 Summer Games - is not to be trifled with this day. She is no cardboard cutout, no cartoon character to be used as a prop or posed this way and that. She is away from her family on a pre-Olympic promotional tour, and every hour apart is agonizing. This day, she has one more appearance in Baltimore - a meet and greet at a Camden Yards skybox. And so, it seems, she is itching to wrap up loose ends before flying back to Texas. Time to write a letter to the editor because the local newspaper refers to a ballpark which you say doesn't exist in two articles today. ^ Is this a case of bad reporting? Or is this the case of local nicknames taking over. |
Originally Posted by dchristiva
Okay, I'll bite. Why do you have this need for perfection regarding the Baltimore Orioles and the name of their stadium? Whether you call it "Oriole Park at Camden Yards" or "Camden Yards", people seem to be clear on the intent, particularly in the context of baseball. I don't see a big risk that folks will appear in the railyards looking for a baseball game.
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Train, but...
Take Acela Express, timing is 2:15 or so, and it's a nice ride.
Do NOT take the regular train unless you have all day to kill. AMTRAK does do a good job of keeping the Acela's on time, but doesn't really expend effort on the regular (much cheaper) service. I've been "Delayed Indefinitley" and faced with taking the next unreserved train with hordes of other abandoned passengers. Acela is 100% reserved. |
I took the Acela Express (DC-NY) two Fridays ago and it took 3 hours to get to Penn Station - which I think is behind schedule. So, try as they may, the Acela still occasionally gets delayed and the ancient rail tracks on the East Coast do not help things much :)
But between that and a drop of rain/snow causing all-day cascading delays at LGA? I'd choose train if I had to be somewhere by a certain time (in fact, we had USAir shuttle tickets and had to make a mad dash for Union Station to catch the Acela after the multiple shuttle cancellations). We need the TGV or Shinkansen on this corridor connecting the major cities and their airports. I think the investment will pay off in the massive economic benefits for the entire Eastern Seaboard. Then again, if that was the case, why hasn't a private company stepped forward? |
My gut tells me that no private company wants to risk such enormous up-front capital which could be subjected to ever-changing state and federal government regulation and possible TSA nonsense.
I also am not sure how much money AMTRAK makes on its Northeast Corridor services. The trains are about 80% full when I travel, but that is generally at peak times. I do think if AMTRAK could shave off another hour between Boston and Penn Station and likewise an hour between Penn and DC Union Station, they would put the shuttles out of business. |
Originally Posted by fastflyer
I also am not sure how much money AMTRAK makes on its Northeast Corridor services. The trains are about 80% full when I travel, but that is generally at peak times.
I do think if AMTRAK could shave off another hour between Boston and Penn Station and likewise an hour between Penn and DC Union Station, they would put the shuttles out of business. |
One more vote for the train. In addition to all the benfits already listed I'd add one more: you can use your phone.
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Originally Posted by MKEbound
In addition to all the benfits already listed I'd add one more: you can use your phone.
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Originally Posted by Analise
The Northeast Corridor is Amtrak's most profitable route.
For every $1 in pax revenue they get, they get $3 in government subsidies in the NE corridor. |
Originally Posted by Doppy
"Profitable" is a relative term.
For every $1 in pax revenue they get, they get $3 in government subsidies in the NE corridor. |
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