Triangle Trip

If you have landed in La Guardia Airport (LGA) and want to take public transportation to NYC, you either need exact change for the MTA bus (US$2.50 as of 2011), or a MetroCard with enough money for a one way fare.

Don’t have enough change for the bus? No need to scramble or buy unnecessary stuff at the airport…there is an MTA vending machine at the arrival level of LGA’s Terminal B. The MTA vending machine accepts credit cards and is located in between the United and Continental’s arrivals baggage claim area. See map below for more details:

If your flight doesn’t land at Terminal B, no need to worry as LGA has a free shuttle bus that circles around the terminals. Another option is look for a newsstand called Hudson News as they may resell MetroCards. You should also consider the unlimited ride Metrocard if you are staying in NYC for longer than a week. Here’s a previous post regarding on how to take advantage of NYC MTA’s unlimited Metrocard.

From LGA, visitors can ride the M60 bus to Upper West Side Manhattan. Buses and subways are both run by the MTA, so transferring from a bus, to another bus, or to the subway is free – as long as that transfer occurs within two hours after the initial fare was paid. If you paid the bus fare with exact change, you’ll need a transfer pass; you can request one from the bus operator before you exit. If you paid the bus fare by purchasing and using a MetroCard, it’ll automatically act as a transfer pass if used within the two hour window. Here’s a link to Captain G’s previous post for more details.

And if you’re arriving from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), you won’t run into issues finding a MetroCard vendor or transferring. There are tons of MTA vending machines at the JFK AirTrain, which takes riders from JFK to the Jamaica subway and train station, making it very convenient to go anywhere in New York City. For your convenience, here are links on how to get from JFK to Manhattan (How to take NYC public transportation to/from JFK).

If you’re visiting New York or get on the New York City subway or bus (MTA) at least four times a day, we highly recommend you get an unlimited ride Metrocard. For the visitors, you may want to checkout my previous blog to see NYC in a day (or two).

There are unlimited Metrocards for daily, weekly and monthly use. The published terms and conditions for an unlimited Metrocard are:

1. You cannot use the unlimited Metrocard within 18 minutes of your previous use (also known as “swipe”).

2. You cannot swipe in other passengers for a fee.

These terms don’t prohibit you from swiping your friends in for free. And, the 18 minute hold on your Metrocard only applies to the station you swiped in at. If you go to another station (NOT another turnstile across the street for the same station; an entirely different station), or a bus, you can swipe your unlimited card again, before the 18 minutes is up.

Below is an example of how you could maximize the use of your unlimited Metrocard (see map for reference):

1.  Swipe your friend in at Astor Place for the 6 train.
2.  Walk one block over to the 8th Street station and swipe in to get on the N, R or W train.
3.  Use the same card to get on the M6 bus to go down Broadway.

Here’s what you cannot do:

1.  Swipe your friend in at Astor Place for the 6 train.
2.  Walk one block over to the 8th Street station and swipe in.
3.  Go back to Astor Place for the 6 train. Unless 18 minutes passed between step 1 and 3, the card won’t work.

You can, however, walk up to the Union Square 14th Street station to reuse the same Metrocard.

Hope this helped you maximize the usage of your Metrocard. You may want to use this opportunity to check out all the skating rinks in NYC – check out Omnifarious’ previous post.

Spring has finally arrived in New York. I have been getting many questions from friends, family members and clients on where to go in New York City. I initially drafted the post below nearly 10 years ago for a client in Kansas City intending to visit NYC for the first time in his life. I have just updated the information and thought it would be helpful to share it with everyone. If you start your day at 8AM or so from Downtown Manhattan and have an unlimited Metrocard, I believe you can see all of NYC in one day.

NYC is so big and has so much to see. I am sure I’ve missed a site here or there but I hope you find this helpful. Feedback welcome!  Enjoy the Big Apple!!!

Downtown

1.  Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island – located in lower Manhattan by Broadway & Whitehall St. (N or R train to Whitehall; 4, 5, 6 trains to Bowling Green). Tickets can be purchased by the Park located on Broadway by the Staten Island Ferry.

2.  NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) – on Broad Street, 6-10 blocks north from Statue of Liberty Park. Tickets can be purchased at the Exchange. Hours are 10 to 3. (Wall Street stop for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 trains; Broad Street stop for M, J and Z trains).

3.  South Street Seaport – South Street, 5 blocks east of Broadway, right by the water. Nothing special, just a shopping/eating area downtown. Walking distance from Wall Street.

4.  World Trade Center (WTC) – Site of Ground Zero. It’s on Church Street (three blocks north, two blocks west of Wall Street) between Fulton and Liberty. (Fulton Street stop for A/C and 4/5 trains).

5.  New York City Hall – On Broadway (N train City Hall stop) and Chambers Street. You can actually walk north of WTC and stay on Broadway which will take you to City Hall. Park has been renovated and has free wi-fi.

6.  Brooklyn Bridge – Steps away from City Hall, you can actually walk across this bridge on a sunny day. Bridge takes you to Brooklyn and offers a great view of lower Manhattan. Brooklyn Bridge is approximately 10-15 blocks north of Wall Street; 2 blocks east of the WTC. (Brooklyn Bridge stop – 4, 5, 6 train).

7.  Chinatown – Largest Chinatown in the US. Radius: Worth Street to Broom, East Broadway to West Broadway. Chinatown is approximately 1 mile from Wall Street. If you’re in a walking mood, you can walk north on Broadway and it’ll take you to Chinatown (make a right turn/east on Canal Street). You would want to walk Mott Street, Chinatown’s busiest Street. Mott Street is 6 blocks east of Broadway. (N, R trains to Canal St).

8.  Little Italy – was one of the largest Italian neighborhoods in the US. It is located inside Chinatown. Mulberry Street is the busiest street (Mulberry’s right next to Mott Street).

SOHO/Village

1.  SOHO (South of Houston Street) – ranges from Broom Street to 4th Street along Broadway.  SOHO’s famous for art galleries and alternative fashion. It’s just north of Chinatown. You’ll want to walk a few blocks east and west of Broadway to check out the culture. (N, R train to Spring Street)

2.  Greenwich Village – also known as “The Village.” Northwest of SOHO. Definitely NYC culture. Located west of Broadway. The Village ranges from west of 5th Ave to 7th Ave,  between West 4th to 14th Street. There are lots of boutiques, bars, restaurants, clubs, strange people, etc. New York University is also located in the Village. (B, C, D, F, E trains to West 4 St).

3.  East Village – East village is located east of Broadway. It ranges from west of Broadway to 2nd Ave, between East 4th and East 14th Street. (6th train to Astor Place).

Midtown

1.  Herald Square – 34th Street and 6th Avenue. Macy’s, the world’s largest department store, and a lot of other large retail shopping stores are located in Herald Square.  Madison Square Garden is located on 34th Street and 7th Ave, 1 block west of Macy’s. (Nearly all the trains go to 34th Street – B, D, N, Q, R, etc.)

2.  Empire State Building – 34th Street and 5th Ave.

3. K-Town – Koreatown is located right next to the Empire State Building (one block south). You can find great Korea food from 31st to 33rd Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue.

4.  Rockefeller Center/Radio City Music Hall – the place where they have the big Christmas tree during the Holidays. 49th Street and 5th Ave. (49th Street stop on the B, D, Q trains).

5.  St. Patrick’s Cathedral – across the street from Rockefeller Center. 5th Ave and 50th Street.

6.  Time Square – 42nd Street and Broadway/6th and 7th Ave (All the Avenues converge). Time Square actually span more than 10 blocks – from 40th Street to 52nd Street. (Nearly all the trains go to Time Square – B, D, N, Q, R, 7, etc.). David Letterman’s studio is on 52nd and 7th, a few blocks north of Time Sq. You can also catch a great “Broadway Show!”

7.  United Nations – Located on 42nd Street and 1st Avenue, east of Time Square (FDR Drive). No trains go to the UN, taking a cab from Time Square is your best bet.

8.  The Intrepid Museum – located on 42nd and 12th Avenue, west of Time Square (West side Highway). No trains go to the Intrepid, taking a cab from Time Square is your best bet. The Intrepid is an old Aircraft Carrier with a lot of WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War planes and helicopters.

9.  Circle Line Cruise – located next to the Intrepid museum. You can take a 4 hour scenic tour around Manhattan. Circle Line also offers a helicopter ride around the city. The cost of boat tour is approximately $10, helicopter ride will cost you approximately $100.

10.  Lincoln Center/Columbus Circle – home of a lot of symphonies. Located on 59th Street and 7th Ave, right across the street from Central Park, north of Time Sq.

11.  Central Park – The Park is huge. Ranges from 5th Avenue to 7th Ave, 57th Street to 86th Street. The Park has a zoo, the Great Lawn (it’s in a lot of movies), NYC reservoir, etc.

12.  5th Avenue & Madison Avenue from 50’s to 80’s – where most famous designer boutiques have shops are setup. You’ll find Tiffany, DKNY, Prada, FAO Schwarz, etc.

Uptown – East (Museum Mile)

1.  Museum of Modern Arts – 53rd Street, between 5th Ave and 6th Ave. Walking distance from Rockefeller Center.

2.  Museum of National History – Central Park West (also known as 5th Ave) at 79th Street. A must see!

3.  The Guggenheim – 5th Ave and 89th Street.

4.  Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) – 5th Ave and 82nd Street. (4 or 5 train to 86th Street, walk 4 blocks south and 4 blocks west).

5.  The Planetarium is also along the Museum Mile. . .