Getting Around
It's very easy to get around New York. The whole place is small enough to walk (the blocks are small and you're on holiday anyway, what's the rush?). Just make sure that the neighborhood isn't dangerous (if it feels "icky" get out!)
I highly recommend the subway (no it's not dangerous as long as you're not acting like a dough-head) or the bus. Until recently, you couldn't transfer from subway to bus and vice versa, but now they have something called a "Metro Card". It acts like a credit card. Get the 7 day unlimited pass (currently $38 US plus fees). You'll be putting between 20 and 40 rides on that sucker eventually. If you're doing the bus, have your change ready (or use your metro card). Both transit workers and riders are REALLY SNARKY if you don't have the correct amount of the money. Don't go on the subway all "dressed up" for a show. You're just asking to be mugged.
I will post detailed instructions with photos on how to buy a metro card (if I ever am not in a rush or have a line behind me when using the machine) so that I can post photos. In the meantime, when the machine asks for a zip code, use 10012 (or your hotel zip). The latest is Omnipay, which is tap and go with your phone. However, it's in US dollars PLUS an exchange (and I don't use tap and go at home either because I'm a luddite).
The bus is MUCH slower, but you get to see the City as it goes by. Make sure that your bus has a big black solid grill on the back of it (it means it's air conditioned -- you don't want the alternative!!!). If you use the bus, you will see that each bus stop has a helpful map right at the stop so you can see if the route it takes is the one you want. Most avenues and streets are one-way so if you want to go uptown on a bus, make sure you're on a street where all the traffic is going uptown. (you'd think this would be obvious, but I've seen more than one person on an uptown street wondering why all the buses are marked "downtown"). Easiest way to remember uptown/downtown, the numbers get higher (or go "up") as you go "uptown").
Download a pdf of the latest subway map onto your phone or tablet so you don't have to use up your data plan checking subway routes.
I will post detailed instructions with photos on how to buy a metro card (if I ever am not in a rush or have a line behind me when using the machine) so that I can post photos. In the meantime, when the machine asks for a zip code, use 10012 (or your hotel zip). The latest is Omnipay, which is tap and go with your phone. However, it's in US dollars PLUS an exchange (and I don't use tap and go at home either because I'm a luddite).
The bus is MUCH slower, but you get to see the City as it goes by. Make sure that your bus has a big black solid grill on the back of it (it means it's air conditioned -- you don't want the alternative!!!). If you use the bus, you will see that each bus stop has a helpful map right at the stop so you can see if the route it takes is the one you want. Most avenues and streets are one-way so if you want to go uptown on a bus, make sure you're on a street where all the traffic is going uptown. (you'd think this would be obvious, but I've seen more than one person on an uptown street wondering why all the buses are marked "downtown"). Easiest way to remember uptown/downtown, the numbers get higher (or go "up") as you go "uptown").
Download a pdf of the latest subway map onto your phone or tablet so you don't have to use up your data plan checking subway routes.
How to Use the Subway
This is what a typical subway hole looks like. However, sometimes they are well hidden. You have to look for the little green ball (the light post) and those round circles with numbers and letters in them)
As you can see from the above map, Manhattan is long and skinny. The majority of trains go only north (uptown) and south (downtown). The exception is you can find "sideways" trains at Time Square and Grand Central Station (you use them to get to and from each other since its a bloody long walk)
MOST SUBWAY HOLES ONLY GO IN ONE DIRECTION. The west side of the street is typically downtown, the east side typically uptown. Unless its an express stop (more on that later). If you get on in the station on the wrong side YOU CANNOT CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE ONCE YOU'RE IN THE SUBWAY PLATFORM. You either have to get out and cross the street (and wait 18 minutes cause your metro card won't swipe again for another 18 minutes) OR ride the train to the nearest express stop, get off, follow the very confusing signage, climb several sets of stairs (inside the station) and voila, you're on the other side.
EXPRESS STOPS. This is where the train opens to the "inside" platform. These trains skip about 5 stations at a time and are really really fast. They are clearly marked on your subway map.
Express trains and local trains (locals stop at every stop) do not always follow the same route once they get out of midtown. Make sure you read your subway map. For example, in the subway listed above (which is an express stop), the 1 train is a local train, the 2, 3 are express trains. Actually the trains are not that hard to figure out -- only the uptown/downtown part is tricky because of the separate entrance thing.
If the station is not marked with an "uptown/downtown", it means that you can go in and get either direction.
How to get to Manhattan from LGA by Subway
If you are brave and this is NOT your first trip to New York, the cheapest (and freaking slow) way into Manhattan from La Guardia (located in Queens) is subway. My crazy sister has done it. Check out the youtube below
Taxis
Taxi ONLY if you have to. The ride in from La Guardia or Newark should only be about $70-$90. You can also "taxi share" (if there's two of you, don't do the taxi share, you still have to pay per person -- get your own cab). Make sure you're at the CAB STAND because New York has what they call "Gypsy Cabs". These are NON-OFFICIAL cabs. They look just like yellow cab, but you'll find very quickly they have no meter!!! These are NOT dangerous, but be sure to negotiate your fee AHEAD of time. If you can't guess-timate your fee, get a real cab (at the Taxi stand at the airport).
AIRPORTS: At the cab stand, there is a person at the front of the line who will ask you where you are going. The answer is "Manhattan". He will then write how much the fare will cost you on a piece of paper. This is to protect both you and the driver. Prepare to pay up to an additional $25 in tolls. And the ride will be wild. To a NY cabbie, lane markings are only "suggestions" . The streets of NY are very very narrow, people park randomly in the middle of the street and pedestrians do not pay any attention to the colour of the lights. Given these obstacles, you would think the cabbie would cautious. No way. They go at warp 10 and compensate for all the obstacles by leaning on the horn. A ride from the airport in a NY taxi is an experience. Taxi chicken is real.
The rest of the time, I only Taxi if I'm getting out from a show VERY late (after 11:30) and am by myself and in a dangerous part of town (very uptown or very in the village). Otherwise, I walk or subway.
At the airport are also cheapie Shuttle buses that go to: Grand Central, Bryant Park, Port Authority. If your hotel is close to any of these (or you know your way about Manhattan and you have a light suitcase), use these. it's about $24 round trip and a real money saver. One of my fave hotels, Marriott Courtyard (by Bryant park) was chosen for their proximity to these cheap rides.
AIRPORTS: At the cab stand, there is a person at the front of the line who will ask you where you are going. The answer is "Manhattan". He will then write how much the fare will cost you on a piece of paper. This is to protect both you and the driver. Prepare to pay up to an additional $25 in tolls. And the ride will be wild. To a NY cabbie, lane markings are only "suggestions" . The streets of NY are very very narrow, people park randomly in the middle of the street and pedestrians do not pay any attention to the colour of the lights. Given these obstacles, you would think the cabbie would cautious. No way. They go at warp 10 and compensate for all the obstacles by leaning on the horn. A ride from the airport in a NY taxi is an experience. Taxi chicken is real.
The rest of the time, I only Taxi if I'm getting out from a show VERY late (after 11:30) and am by myself and in a dangerous part of town (very uptown or very in the village). Otherwise, I walk or subway.
At the airport are also cheapie Shuttle buses that go to: Grand Central, Bryant Park, Port Authority. If your hotel is close to any of these (or you know your way about Manhattan and you have a light suitcase), use these. it's about $24 round trip and a real money saver. One of my fave hotels, Marriott Courtyard (by Bryant park) was chosen for their proximity to these cheap rides.
Speaking of walking, one of the coolest things about New York is that you can (nay, are expected to) Jay Walk. New Yorkers don't give a hoot what colour the light is. In fact, they get annoyed if you stop at a red light (I've had people bump into me from behind). This practice is not nearly as dangerous as it sounds. New York is such an old city, most of the streets are all "one way", so it's actually very easy to dodge the one lane of moving traffic. The only real danger you're in is from being mowed down by a bike messenger (and that's on the sidewalk!) Be careful in the bike lanes!!! (they are green and clearly marked)
How to Figure out Addresses
New York is laid out in a grid -- similar, but not quite like Edmonton. These tips are courtesy of The NY Know
- Odd-numbered streets go west and even-numbered streets go east. Additionally, odd-numbered buildings are on the north side of the street and even-numbered addresses are on the south. (On a north-south street, odd buildings are on the west side, and even ones are on the east.)
- The color of a station’s subway tiles can tell you if you’ve missed an express stop. Seriously, there’s a secret code hidden in the city’s subway stations.
- The address of a building can tell you what avenues it’s between. For addresses on the the west side, just add the first number of the address (zero if the address is only two numbers) to 5 for the lower cross street. For example, 225 W 37th St. (2+5=7) is between Seventh and Eighth Avenue. For the east side, just subtract 5 from the same number for the highest cross street. So 150 E 18th St (1-5=-4) is between Fourth and Third Avenues.
- *MIND BLOWN! Many tried and true New Yorkers don’t even know this trick!
- Fifth Avenue splits NYC’s streets between east and west. The reason the trick above works is because Fifth Avenue splits the east and west sides of the city. Additionally, addresses change by the hundreds every avenue.
- Black dots on the subway map represent local stops and white ones signify express stops. In case you wondered why more trains were always stopping at that white ones.
- Use the lampposts in Central Park. Central Park is gigantic and it’s easy to get lost. But there’s one easy trick that will help you get your bearings. Most lampposts have a set of numbers embossed on their base that corresponds to the cross-streets you would be on if the street extended through the park.
- In most of Manhattan, the uptown train platform is on the east side of the street and downtown is on the west. Never waste another swipe again.
- The major avenues in Manhattan alternate directions. From First Avenue to 11th Avenue, the traffic on every other avenue flows in alternating directions. The exceptions are Third Avenue, which is mixed until 24th Street and then travels north, and Fourth Avenue, which runs north before turning into two-way Park Avenue South.
- A handy mnemonic device can help you remember the order of uptown avenues. “You can take a CAB back home it it’s Late PM.” is an easy way to remember that the avenues uptown are Columbus, Amsterdam, Broadway, Lexington, Park and Madison from left-to-right.
- Never get on an empty subway car when the rest of the cars are full — it’s empty for a reason.
- Once you’re in a yellow or green cab, they cannot turn down the trip.
- Don’t plan on taking a cab anywhere between 4-5 p.m. when taxi shifts end. (Some call this the witching hour)
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