New York City Planning & Tips

Getting There and Around
As a major destination, New York City has lots of options for reaching it. Amtrak trains go into New York's Penn Station -- right in the center of things (The Station shares real estate with the famous Madison Square Garden). You'll come out of the train station and immediately be in the swirl that is New York.

New York City is served by three major airports, LaGuardia and JFK, which are both in Queens, plus Newark airport in New Jersey. It's a $45 taxi fare (plus tolls and tip) from LaGuardia or JFK airport to any point in Manhattan, and most people agree it's a worthwhile expense, especially if you are not well-oriented to getting around the City. (There's an Airtrain and other combinations of buses and trains that will save dollars but add time and hassle and perhaps confusion for the uninitiated or unnecessary stress for families just arriving.) There are also less-expensive hotel shuttles such as New York Airport Service and Super Shuttle, accessible via online reservations or the Ground Transportation desk in the airports.

Numerous bus companies also offer affordable excursions to NYC from regional cities; try Greyhound, Peter Pan, and those amazingly, suspiciously cheap Chinatown buses that do round-trip service to Washington, D.C. or Boston for around $20.

Only the most intrepid heads-of-families would choose to drive into New York. Believe everything you've heard about the traffic. And if you haven't heard, let me tell you: it's intense. Your car may not escape a trip to New York without getting a few dings - and you definitely learn, here, what bumpers are for. Believe it, too, about the parking. It is scarce, aggressively competitive and expensive. If you do drive, leave the car in the hotel parking garage, and experience New York by bus, subway, taxi, or on foot.

Getting around New York City is a big part of the fun, especially for first-timers and kids. Kids dig watching all the taxis and buses and subways and pedicabs and brave bicyclists and occasional Segway riders. Strollers fit right in with the mix on the sidewalks, parks, stores, sites, and restaurants, though you'll definitely want to bring a compact one, not an SUV-sized model.

Despite its density and complexity, New York City is remarkably easy to navigate. A long and narrow island (just over 2 miles across at its widest point), most of Manhattan follows a sensible grid layout and consecutively numbered streets (14th Street, 15th Street, and so on). Twenty north/south blocks (or four 'long' blocks going cross-town) is about a mile - quite manageable for most adults and most kids. It's hard to get truly "lost," but if you do get disoriented just ask someone. Despite their reputation for being both haute and haughty, most New Yorkers are quite willing to help with directions or information. It's a point of pride to demonstrate how well they know their city.

The iconic yellow cab -- most of them are still the classic Crown Victoria Sedan though you'll see some mini-vans and other more contemporary models, is part of the NYC experience, and just riding in them can be especially fun for kids from the suburbs or country where taxis are not the norm. Yellow cabs are easy to spot and usually easy to hail, though competition can be fierce during rush hour, rain, or peak pre-theatre times. Stand on the corner, in the general direction you want to go, look for the yellow cabs with their rooftop lights on, and put your arm up. You might get lucky and get a driver who is bona fide character - chatty or eccentric or somehow exotic (illicitly talking on cell phones in indecipherable languages); a few are gruff or indifferent, but consider that, too, part of the experience. The Taxi Visitor Information Center is located at 1560 Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets (212-484-1222).

City Hall Visitor Information Kiosk
Southern tip of City Hall Park on the Broadway sidewalk at Park Row.

Chinatown Visitor Information Kiosk triangle where Canal, Walker and Baxter Streets meet.

Financial District Information Center at the Federal Hall National Memorial, 26 Wall Street