(Edited, our plans changed a bit). We fly to NYC on the evening of 9/3, then out to Slovenia on 9/5 at 10pm. So we have a day and a half. We’ll be staying at a hotel near Grand Central Station. Is it doable to explore a bit? What is the best (inexpensive) transportation from LGA to Grand Central and then to JFK the next day. We are first timers so know nothing about NYC.
Thanks!
Get going as early as you can the next morning . Without knowing exactly where you are staying , its hard to give you directions to midtown . The public system - MTA ( Metropolitan Transportation System ) is the way to go
You can get the "A" train at the Howard Beach-JFK station. You need to buy a Metro Card out of the machine that includes a minimum of 2 rides. So the Card would cost $6.50, $1 for the card and $2.75 for each ride. They take credit cards and you can of course load more money on it.
The "A" train will get you into Manhattan, beginning in lower Manhattan. You could get off there to see things like the Seaport Museum, Ground Zero (maybe requires a reservation), Circle Line boat tour, Statue of Liberty (maybe requires a reservation). The cheapest thing to do is to take the Staten Island Ferry. It goes by the Statue of Liberty for a great view. When you get to Staten Island, just turn around and take the next boat back. Its free.
The secret here will be to decide what is the most important thing you would like to do in New York City and start your planning focused in on that item. If it were me, I would do Statue of Liberty first thing in the morning, a matinee of a Broadway Show , and then head back to the airport.
Sept 5 is a Tuesday, so I don't believe there are any Broadway Matinees on that day, Generally, they are Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sept 5 is also the day after USA Labor Day holiday. Central Park is worth seeing, but I don't know too much else interesting going on in midtown during the day. Maybe the view from the top of the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center, both of which are rather pricey. Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, American Museum of Natural History, but museums are time suckers and you only have a day.
Other downtown (lower Manhattan) TTD would be a walk, at least part way, over the Brooklyn Bridge. That's another freebee.
If you are staying near the airport, than the easiest thing is to first take the Air Train ($8.25) to Jamaica. If you are staying at an airport hotel, they have airport shuttles. Have them drop you off at Federal Circle so you can get the Airtrain towards Jamaica.
When you get off at Jamaica you have to pay $8.25 for the airtrain. Buy an MTA card from one of the machines and load $23 onto the card ($22 in fares and $1 in fee. This will cover your return on the Airtrain back to Federal Circle.)
While the subway is cheaper, I'm going to suggest you take the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal. It's much faster. From Grand Central it's a few minutes walk to Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and most things midtown.
But I'm going to suggest something no one talks about. It's what I call the "Poor Man's Sightseeing Bus." From Grand Central, walk over to 44th St. and Fifth Ave. From there catch the M55 bus south. It heads down Fifth Ave, makes it's way towards the the Staten Island Ferry terminal and returns up 6th Ave to 44th St. It passes the Empire State Building, the Flatiron building, goes through Greenwich Village, past City Hall, to the Ferry Building. It then turns north on Sixth Ave (Avenue of the Americas to tourists) past the World Trade Center site, back through Greenwich Village and Soho, passes a block from Macy's and will drop you off just south of Rockefeller Center. All for the whoppin price of $2.75. (It might be $5.50 if they make you get off and pay again to go north from the Ferry terminal.) It's paid with the Metro card. You can't hop off and on. It's regular city bus.
Of course, if there is anything else you want to see, you can always get off the bus and then get another one later. They run every few minutes.
I'm a native New Yorker and I recommend it to people. I've tried it myself as well. I got off at the Ferry terminal, took the free ferry to Staten Island and then caught the next ferry back. It's great on a nice day and you will get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty as well as the skyline of Manhattan.
Be aware, this is the day after a three day holiday. If you try to get into Manhattan before 9:30 AM or back between 4 and 7 PM, you will be fighting rush hour crowds. That's also why I suggest the LIRR over the subway. It will be crowded but not as bad as the subway.
If you flying into JFK, and staying at an airport hotel, their shuttles can not pick you up from the terminal. Take the Airtrain to Federal Circle and then call them. The Airtrain is free between terminals and to Federal Circle. At Federal Circle, go down to ground level, turn right as you exit, and follow the awnings to the pick up area.
Airport shuttles are not that efficient regarding pick up and don't take you to the airport on demand. Usually every half hour so keep timing in mind. Give yourself at least an hour to get from Manhattan back to Federal Circle.
I've stayed at many of the airport hotels. Which one did you choose?
You should definitely go into Manhattan for the day! Do a little research and decide what you want to see. The subway is efficient to use in the city. I've never commuted from JFK into Manhattan but would probably take the air train to the subway as described above. If you like a great steak house experience you can't go wrong with Peter Lugar located in Brooklyn (near the subway). We visited NYC a little over a year ago for a long weekend (had been there before numerous times). Lower Manhattan with ground zero and the Wall Street area is interesting. Also jumping off point for the Statute of Liberty. The Met is a fabulous art museum with other nearby. Window shopping along 5th Avenue. Just walking around is even fun - explore and discover!
If at all possible, and your arrival isn't super late, changing to a hotel in the city might make a lot more sense. I'd stay near Grand Central for easy access to LIRR—I agree with Frank II that it's the best path into town. (Could also use Penn Station, but GCT is a nicer area.) At the very least, that would give you the chance to see Times Square at night—maybe share a pie or two for dinner at John's.
Actually... for 4 of you, a flat-rate taxi to/from the airport would be only marginally more expensive than Airtrain & LIRR, and certainly easier. Can be slower at peak times.
As others have advised, take the AirTrain from JFK to the subway. You'll have to transfer once, but it is easy to do. However, be prepared - from JFK to Manhattan on public transportation will take you at least an hour each way. Allow time for that.
You can see a lot of the city in just one day, thanks to excellent public transportation and a plethora of cabs. If you are looking to visit a couple of iconic spots, quickly, try this:
Pick a museum, any museum, and get there when it opens. Give yourself up to 2 hours to wander through it. Ideally, pick one near Central Park (Guggenheim, Met, Natural History, etc) and meander through the park a bit. (If you are not into museums, perhaps take a guided tour of the park; it's fascinating!) Skip the hot dog carts, but if you want a NYC hot dog, head to Papaya King on 86th St and 3rd Ave. Otherwise, make your way down to the Empire State Building. (Skip Times Square.) Go inside to appreciate the Art Deco lobby. It's not a bad idea to go up to the observatory if you want to see Times Square, MSG, Chrysler Building, Freedom Tower, etc. If it is a rainy or foggy day, there will be zero lines, and you can still see enough to make it worth your while. (If the lines are long, skip it.)
Grab lunch across the street at Little Italy Pizza (or at NY Pizza Suprema, a few blocks away at 30th and 8th Ave). After lunch, head downtown to look at the WTC Memorial and then hop back on the train to get your luggage from your hotel and catch your flight.
Rochelle - love this! Thanks!
For my wife and I, we have been to NYC 6 times or more. But we go back in our recollections to the fabulous pizza we had in a neighborhood pizza shop. We had 4 slices, loaded with cheese, probably 1000 calories each, but 15 years of memories. I don't remember the name - just a neighborhood place with 10 chairs and 12 pizzas by the slice. Ask at the hotel about pizza places near JFK
For Hot Dogs.....Gray's Papaya...72nd and Broadway
For a great skyline view, you might prefer Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. It's skyline view offers something the Empire State Building doesn't.....a view that includes the Empire State Building.
The LIRR will be faster than the subway.
If you want a real treat, try to get on the subway between 8 and 9 AM or 5 and 6 PM.......rush hour......from then on, every time you open up a can of sardines it will remind you rush hour on the NYC subway.
The LIRR will also be crowded but not as bad as the subway.
My first trip to NYC was for work - and I had very little free time. A colleague recommended the Circle Line boat ride around Manhattan. Check it out:
Yes to the Staten Island ferry over to the island and then hop back on for a return. The view of the battery and Statue of Liberty are not to be missed.
Thank you, Frank II, for the native New Yorker's view. I like great tips like the bus.
I just reread what I wrote two months ago about directions to the hotel pickup area at Federal Circle. I forgot there are two exits. Use the one where you are facing Hertz and Avis. Then turn right and follow the walkway to the pick up area.
One other tip.....you will see a lot of pizza places in NY offering $1 slices. Keep walking. You'll also see numerous Sbarro pizza places. Keep walking.
This is the best video I've ever seen offering tourist tips for NYC:
Frank Il- and where should we walk to? 😁🤣
That's a good question......it depends on where you are. If you're in the Village, I'd suggest lunch at Lombardi's.
Problem for me is, the pizza place I grew up eating at in Queens is still there and my brother lives in the house we grew up in. The place also gets high ratings every year as one of the best pizza's in NYC. So I don't bother with pizza in Manhattan. I just wait until I visit him. Which will be next month. Yum.
If you want to eat on the run, then the cheap pizza places aren't bad. Just not the best pizza.
Make sure you watch the video I posted in my last response.
We will be mostly in Manhattan. Hotel is by Grand Central
I can't help with pizza places near there.....but....if you want a nice meal and like fish, the Oyster Bar at Grand Central is really good.
I thought you were staying at a hotel near JFK?
Sorry, plans changed a bit 😝
The Morgan Library is close to Grand Central and is well worth a look, especially if any of your group has read The Personal Librarian.
I see you updated your itinerary.....but still have May dates posted.
One night, go to either a rooftop bar or better yet the Top of the Rock after sundown. Seeing NYC lit up at night is amazing. (Sunset that time of year is about 7:30 PM.)
You now have 1.5 days and can fit in quite a bit. Much has been mentioned in this thread.
Since you're staying near Grand Central I still suggest the LIRR. Easier and faster than the subway.
Do you still have questions? You've gotten a lot of unhelpful advice on how to get into Manhattan from JFK, which you're not doing. I live here and can help.
Also, Tenement Museum! Can't miss.
Astorienne - we’ve done a lot of research and here’s what we’ve come up with. Would love your thoughts!
Fly in to LGA Sunday 4:30pm, take the Q7 > 7 to Grand Central Walk to Hotel
-Dinner
- explore Grand Central, Times Square, possibly walk by Guggenheim, Chrysler, Ansonia, Rockefeller, Plaza hotel, Seagram (we love to walk, so we’ll see what we can actually fit in since we only have the evening.)
Monday - take subway (F) from GC to DUMBO early (hopefully before crowds get big. It’ll be Labor Day) explore DUMBO walk back to Manhattan over Brooklyn bridge.
- visit 9/11 memorial/museum (have tickets), Staten Island Ferry, then make our way back to GC for One Vanderbilt Summit (tickets for 6pm), wandering buy some buildings as we walk; Flat Iron, Woolworth, Trinity church, Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral and a few others (can you tell we like architecture?😁). Not planning on visiting museums (except 9/11) this trip. After One Vanderbilt, dinner (any suggestions for inexpensive, local favorites near GC?)
Tuesday - subway to High Line (7) early, then subway (C) back to Central Park to meet in-laws for lunch at Tavern on the Green (have reservations), then open to what in-laws want to see nearby until we head to JFK at 4 via Airlink (reservations made) to get luggage from in-laws hotel near JFK, then all to airport for dinner and our flight to Croatia at 10:30 pm 🤪😜
Are we crazy? We love lots of walking, tend to do a lot of that when we travel abroad. Excited to see as much of NYC as we can as we pass through. Wasn’t part of our original plans when the in-laws invited us to join them on the Croatia/Slovania tour, but when we saw we needed to start with a flight out of NYC, we decided to take on a few days to explore. 😁
As an alternative to walking across the Brooklyn Bridge you can hop the ferry from right by the BB to wall st. Then walk over to the trade center. Ferry ride offers great views of the bridge and lower Manhattan. Can’t go wrong with either though.
Airlink to JFK? If you are staying near Grand Central have a look at taking LIRR from Grand Central Madison and then the AirTrain to the terminal.
Rocket - we will be with my elderly in-laws by then and felt a straight shot to the airport was worth the added expense, it’s only $80 for the four of us 😁
If you’re staying near Grand Central Terminal (Grand Central Station is the post office branch nearby), you can take the LIRR train AT Grand Central to Jamaica and then take the escalator up to the walkway that leads to the Airtrain to JFK. Taking car service may be convenient but you could be sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to JFK.
