New York for Dummies...

Suziemay · March 2010

pineapplesandwaves. wrote:

Suziemay wrote:

Hey this is pretty nifty, it calculates cab fares for you: http://nyccabfare.com/

It says the fare + tip will be about $30 from Laguardia to the Wingate.

Does that include tolls and stuff? Also, I heard NY cabbies were horrible for overcharging tourists, which makes me a little nervous.

D-oh, you're right. I don't think it includes toll, just tips. I don't recall tolls from Laguardia being too hefty so at most you're looking at about $33 or so all inclusive. Tolls from JFK are about $5, I believe, but it's $45 flat from JFK.

I wouldn't know about the overcharging but if you're worried, read up on NYC fare rules here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passen ... rate.shtml

The only way they can overcharge is if they set the meter to charge you for driving out of the 5 boroughs of NYC (eg., to Westchester etc). I don't really know how to look out for that, really, but for instance, if you're taking a cab from Penn station to Saks Fifth Avenue and the meter says $20, you've been overcharged. To sound more like a "local", when you get a cab, say you're going to "34th between 5th & 6th", rather than give the cabbie the address. And tell them to stop at the "near corner" if you want to stop right by the traffic light at an intersection, or "far corner" if you want them to cross the intersection. Other than that I wouldn't worry too much. I've never been cheated by a cab driver. In fact, I quite like cab drivers, I just don't like paying for cabs LoL

Oh, and only take yellow cabs. Hope this helps.

Suziemay · March 2010

vduboise wrote:

And if you are feeling for a cupcake and don't want to stand in line at Magnolia's- then you can go to the Buttercup Bake shop on 2nd ave between 51st and 52nd street. It was founded by one of the owners of Magnolia's (if I'm not mistaken). Great cupcakes and banana pudding. quote]

Most people you ask in NYC will tell you Buttercup is better than Magnolia. Yes, it was founded by one of a previous owner of Magnolia but apparently they had a falling out, etc.

Since the sweet stuff keeps coming up, I'm going to throw in my favourite chocolate store in NYC: L.A. Burdick on 22nd between Park and Broadway. Hmm, or maybe it's Broadway and 5th. They have a little cafe where you can get coffee, hot chocolate but I'd skip all that and just get the chocolates! I've never been a fan of US-made chocolates... until now. Yummmmm

xavier mcdaniel · March 2010

norm wrote:

so i'm landing at jfk and staying a couple blocks from msg...can i take the 'a' train straight in?

sorry, i'm a so cal car person...this whole train thing is confusing :oops:

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

You can do one of two things. You can take the A train through Brooklyn, it usually makes express stops depending on what time of day. You can also take Air Train, which costs five dollars to the Jamaica station and transfer to any LIRR train to Penn Station. This will be 5.75 and the trip to Penn Station from Jamaica takes 20 minutes.

norm · March 2010

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

norm wrote:

so i'm landing at jfk and staying a couple blocks from msg...can i take the 'a' train straight in?

sorry, i'm a so cal car person...this whole train thing is confusing :oops:

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

You can do one of two things. You can take the A train through Brooklyn, it usually makes express stops depending on what time of day. You can also take Air Train, which costs five dollars to the Jamaica station and transfer to any LIRR train to Penn Station. This will be 5.75 and the trip to Penn Station from Jamaica takes 20 minutes.

thanks larry! reading the map is giving me a headache

:P but i think i'm figuring it out

xavier mcdaniel · March 2010

norm wrote:

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

norm wrote:

so i'm landing at jfk and staying a couple blocks from msg...can i take the 'a' train straight in?

sorry, i'm a so cal car person...this whole train thing is confusing :oops:

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

You can do one of two things. You can take the A train through Brooklyn, it usually makes express stops depending on what time of day. You can also take Air Train, which costs five dollars to the Jamaica station and transfer to any LIRR train to Penn Station. This will be 5.75 and the trip to Penn Station from Jamaica takes 20 minutes.

thanks larry! reading the map is giving me a headache :P but i think i'm figuring it out

No problem. The A train is kind of disappointing if you like to look out the window because once you get into Brooklyn it's all underground.

Bathgate66 · March 2010

the timing of the airtraion monorail thing is sporatic..after transfer/wait,
It would take the same amount of time, especially with a few bags of belongings ,
to just jump the " A " Train, which , by the way , was NYCs very first subway line .
It starts up in the Bronx at 207th Street / Dykman Street , goes thru Manhattan ( at all major stops inscluding Penn Station - Madison Square Garden )
into brooklyn then Queens, terminating here in Rockaway Beach NYC .

xavier mcdaniel · March 2010

Bathgate66 wrote:

the timing of the airtraion monorail thing is sporatic..after transfer/wait,
It would take the same amount of time, especially with a few bags of belongings ,
to just jump the " A " Train, which , by the way , was NYCs very first subway line .
It starts up in the Bronx at 207th Street / Dykman Street , goes thru Manhattan ( at all major stops inscluding Penn Station - Madison Square Garden )
into brooklyn then Queens, terminating here in Rockaway Beach NYC .

you mean Inwood. It's on my Subway list of things to do, take the whole trip from the top of Manhattan to Rockaway Beach.

Bathgate66 · March 2010

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

norm wrote:

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

You can do one of two things. You can take the A train through Brooklyn, it usually makes express stops depending on what time of day. You can also take Air Train, which costs five dollars to the Jamaica station and transfer to any LIRR train to Penn Station. This will be 5.75 and the trip to Penn Station from Jamaica takes 20 minutes.

thanks larry! reading the map is giving me a headache :P but i think i'm figuring it out

No problem. The A train is kind of disappointing if you like to look out the window because once you get into Brooklyn it's all underground.

too bad its the other direction.
If you treavel te other direction, youll see some of the more spectacular and lesser looked at visions of NYC, including the marshes over Jamaica Bay and looking over JFK as you enter into the Rockaways.
Its actually a pretty unqiue view , gliding directly over the rails and the water . On clear days you can see the fish in the water and also birds in the Sanctuary there .
Its also over in about 6 minutes, until you're in over the Peninsula on the elevated trainway .

xavier mcdaniel · March 2010

I have seen that view from the bus. It's an incredible view, especially on Broad Channel.

Bathgate66 · March 2010

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

I have seen that view from the bus. It's an incredible view, especially on Broad Channel.

Yes the view from the bus ( likely the Q 53 )
comes from when you cruise over the North Channel Bridge into Broad Channel and from Crossbay Boulevard

Austicman · March 2010

I second the circle line tour. If you do it early on you can get a good look at the place from the water and you get a lot of idea's about where to go and what to do. It's especially good after a big night. You can sit back and relax, take in lots of water and get a guided tour of the place. In 2001 it was $20 for a 3 hour cruise.

I was staying in midtown and each day I'd take the subway to the edge of the island and walk back home i.e went downtown walked back, went uptown walked back and so on. Stopping at stuff I was interested in on the way.

Central park was cool, the people was very cool, canal street market were excellent for all your touristy souvenir needs. I highly recommend catching the subway to Brookyn hanging out there for a while and walking the Brooklyn Bridge back into town and a Yankee's game. Forgetting lots at the moment. I had such an awesome time. Drank gallons of beer at BB dolyes and McGee's bars. We always finished at one of them at the end of the night most nights

Have fun you lucky ducks!!!!

adropinthepark · March 2010

norm wrote:

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

norm wrote:

so i'm landing at jfk and staying a couple blocks from msg...can i take the 'a' train straight in?

sorry, i'm a so cal car person...this whole train thing is confusing :oops:

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

You can do one of two things. You can take the A train through Brooklyn, it usually makes express stops depending on what time of day. You can also take Air Train, which costs five dollars to the Jamaica station and transfer to any LIRR train to Penn Station. This will be 5.75 and the trip to Penn Station from Jamaica takes 20 minutes.

thanks larry! reading the map is giving me a headache :P but i think i'm figuring it out

Honestly, either way is super easy and soooooo worth saving the money on cab fare.

neilybabes86 · March 2010

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

norm wrote:

so i'm landing at jfk and staying a couple blocks from msg...can i take the 'a' train straight in?

sorry, i'm a so cal car person...this whole train thing is confusing :oops:

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

You can do one of two things. You can take the A train through Brooklyn, it usually makes express stops depending on what time of day. You can also take Air Train, which costs five dollars to the Jamaica station and transfer to any LIRR train to Penn Station. This will be 5.75 and the trip to Penn Station from Jamaica takes 20 minutes.

don't wander away from jamaica station ... you will lose your luggage :shock:

nycrats · March 2010

after the concert- if you want to grab a bite- 2 great pizza places that will certainly be open. i usually go to these spots for pizza since i dont like to get too full pre show-

joe's in the village for the more traditional new york slice. its on carmine and bleeker- and deliscious

and artichoke basil - they have a great sicilian and margherita and a a signature artichoke dip slice. the artichoke is good, but not what you want to load up on and its a big slice. ideally have them split one in half and split it w/ a friend so you try it and stick w/ the margh... and both places are open very later till like 3 am or later depending on the crowds..

for late night mexican- check out cabrito on carmine street (also near bleeker)- after 11 pm they have a late night happy hour that is great food at a good value- 3$ beers, 3$ awesome tacos ( do the fish and the al carbon), 5$ killer margaritas

nycrats · March 2010

also as said many times, walk around the city. its really not that far
as a general rule numbered STREETS (not avenues) are 20 to the mile, so if youre figuring out on how much time it will take to walk, on the same avenue, from say 50th street, to 30th street- its about one mile so anywhere from 15-20 minutes depending how fast you walk. AVENUES are about 4 or 5 to a mile, so to walk from 10th ave to 5th ave will take about 20 minutes.

as for cabs- if you need to take one- and i wish they would hand out pamphlets on this- to tell if one is available to pick up fairs, just the MIDDLE NUMBERS AND LETTERS WILL BE ILLUMINATED. if all lights are lit up- including the off duty lights on the side- they are off duty- you can try flagging them and they will ask where you are going. if its semi on thier way home, they will take you. if all lights are off, they have a passenger so dont waste ur time and frustration trying to flag that one down. keep you eyes open for ones that just have the middle numbers illuminated. also look for ones that may be slowing down in faster traffic, it could be a final point for thier passenger, and if you see those numbers light up, you may want to give a sprint to it and wait for the passenger to get out (if its a super busy time)

but if you have the time WALK. and if you have a ton of time walk and stop and observe.. every 10-15 blocks neighborhoods change and you can see it and feel it if you look around. start downtown on a nice day and walk all the way up through times square, if you spend your time walking with your eyes open, you will see just why people tell you STAY AWAY FROM TIMES SQUARE.

mauichick · March 2010

Riverrunner wrote:

A couple transportation questions for you New Yorkers. (We are country hicks from Southern Illinois).

It looks as if we will be flying into Laguardia. Should we take a cab to the Wingate? or
I looked at the MTA website and it looks like we could take a bus to Line 7 to get to Midtown and then catch 1, 2, or 3 to get to the hotel. I imagine we can walk from a subway station to the hotel. Depending on how much luggage we have this might be a hassle.

I usually take this bus from/to laguardia,
http://www.nyairportservice.com/
last night it was discounted to only $5 into manhattan (grand central/penn station/port authority stops)

i wouldn't recommend the subway to/from jfk if you have luggage (stairs!)
i have taken the airlink/lirr rail road from jamaica into penn station many times

AmentsChick · March 2010

mauichick wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

A couple transportation questions for you New Yorkers. (We are country hicks from Southern Illinois).

It looks as if we will be flying into Laguardia. Should we take a cab to the Wingate? or
I looked at the MTA website and it looks like we could take a bus to Line 7 to get to Midtown and then catch 1, 2, or 3 to get to the hotel. I imagine we can walk from a subway station to the hotel. Depending on how much luggage we have this might be a hassle.

I usually take this bus from/to laguardia,
http://www.nyairportservice.com/
last night it was discounted to only $5 into manhattan (grand central/penn station/port authority stops)

i wouldn't recommend the subway to/from jfk if you have luggage (stairs!)
i have taken the airlink/lirr rail road from jamaica into penn station many times

I've taken that nyairportservice.com bus and I've taken the shuttle. What I've found, though, is it takes SOOOOOOOOOOO freaking long to get from the airport to the city that way (multiple stops and waiting around...once the driver even stopped at a convenience store, left us all in the shuttle, went and got a coffee and who know's what else, considering he was gone nearly half an hour...all without a word of explanation). Personally I'd rather just pay the cab fare because I'm so excited to get to the city. I believe it's a flat rate of $40? $45? from LGA and JFK to anywhere in Manhattan...and that includes the bridge/tunnel fare.

xavier mcdaniel · March 2010

It's a flat rate of 45 but with that you get such thrills like sitting in traffic on the Van Wyck or the Grand Central.

AmentsChick · March 2010

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

It's a flat rate of 45 but with that you get such thrills like sitting in traffic on the Van Wyck or the Grand Central.

Which you get anyways, taking the shuttle or bus. Paying $20 more gets you to Manhattan at least an hour sooner.

xavier mcdaniel · March 2010

AmentsChick wrote:

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

It's a flat rate of 45 but with that you get such thrills like sitting in traffic on the Van Wyck or the Grand Central.

Which you get anyways, taking the shuttle or bus. Paying $20 more gets you to Manhattan at least an hour sooner.

That is true. I just suppose I'm a public transportation person with little patience for sitting in traffic.

New York for Dummies...

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