Once upon a time not too long ago, there were only a few ways to navigate around New York as a tourist: -- The subway (and bus system) -- Taxicabs -- Walking What's more, as recently as 11 years ago, your practical options getting to and from JFK Airport were really limited to taxis, since…
Continue reading: Getting Around New York… In 2015
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
The next time you're back you'll be able to Citibike above 59th Street as well--they've just started installing the uptown stations in the past few weeks.
Uber is great for us new yorkers because we're no longer at the mercy of yellow cab drivers. They can be surly, have poor hygiene, haggle about the destination, complain like crazy even when they do agree to the destination and sometimes spew bizarre and unpleasant rantings. Uber's standards for both hard and soft product protect against that. I switched from yellow cabs some time ago and never looked back.
Good piece! UBER over cabs because UBER cars are clean. Drivers are generally much nicer, and it's often cheaper. Many NY taxis are disgustingly dirty, and drivers are rude.
If I have bags, I always reserve a car service. You don't have to wait in the yellow taxi line and they come within 5 minutes. They are the same price or cheaper than yellow cabs. Car services have been around for years. That should be no. 4 on your list.
Uber is expensive in the city, and I almost always use a yellow cab. In over 20 years, I have never had an unpleasant experience (I'm also not black so ...).
Regularly commute on Citibike. Get my exercise and its only about 5 minutes longer than the subway - just shower at the gym by work and head in.
I usually go Uber over taxi for time reasons. Especially in the winter / on a weekend night I (more or less) know exactly when I'm getting picked up, don't have to deal with the pain of hailing (or fighting for) a taxi, and don't have to hassle with paying at the end of my ride.
You can also take the NJ Transit train to EWR in ~45 minutes for $12.50, and the subway / bus to LGA
Great review of the transportation systems in NYC... thanks!! keep up all the good work with reviews everywhere
Few other cab alternatives are Lyft and Gett.. both Uber-like with professional drivers in nice, clean cars - but with Gett, you can get anywhere in Manhattan (below 110th) for only $10 FLAT RATE, which is a HUGE bargain (as you experienced a $25 cost from WV to UWS (get out at 110th, then walk 5 blocks if not carrying tons of things / weather is nice)
Also, CitiBike is currently expanding to 86th St in Manhattan (UES has new stations up and running as of now) and also more locations in Queens / Brooklyn throughout this month!
Uber pool (and Lyft line) are huge money savers in NYC when you're not in a hurry. You ride with someone else going in your general direction. Flat $36 from Manhattan to JFK airport and at least a 25% savings on other rides, regardless of if they match you with someone. (they were running amazing summer promotions as well which sadly are about to end)
Also, as of this week Citibike is expanding to the upper east and upper west side. Just joined and have been riding to/from work all week (upper east side to fidi). Takes maybe 40 minutes vs 30-35 on the train but at least i'm getting some exercise and can use the bike path on the east river.
as someone who lives in NYC and takes the airtrain regularly, i much prefer to take it to Jamaica and take the LIRR. 15 min to Penn or Atlantic Terminal, but it's definitely way more than the subway.
Nick.
You have one factual error regarding JFK before airtrain. There was a specific subway that went to JFK and was met by bus to connect to terminals. It wasn't as sexy as the new train but it worked since 80s and was only about 10 mins longer ride than current version. Many subway stations had meeting points on the A line with marked areas for the JFK train. It was a shorter train, about 4 cars and if I remeber was 4.50 each way which was paid to an on board conductor.
West Village to Columbia? C'mon, dude, that's a trivially easy subway ride. No New Yorker who isn't a zillionaire would take a taxi (or Uber) for that.
Great post. Uber is a godsend for pickups in the outer boroughs where taxis are scarce (same reason Uber first became popular in SF - cabbies just wanted to go between Union Square hotels and SFO all day, neglecting residential pickups in areas like the Sunset).
I'd also agree that AirTrain to Jamaica + LIRR is the more efficient choice than connecting to the A in most cases.
There's a pretty interesting wikipedia article on that former service:
en.wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/JFK_Express
My favorite part is that they had transit cops on the dedicated trains to protect the tourists. Times sure have changed.
@Mike: You're right, but I was short on time and on a Saturday morning I knew a car could get me uptown 110+ blocks much quicker than a subway.
Totally agree with commenters above. As a NYC native, that LIRR train is a sweet, sweet ride when compared to the oft-packed A or E trains into manhattan. 20 minute ride as opposed to 45-60 min on the crowded subway, and it's (usually) *much* more comfortable. For those unfamiliar who may be reading this, the fare is $7.25 off-peak (anytime NOT 6am-10am leaving manhattan or 4pm-8pm going into manhattan), and $10 peak times between Penn and Jamaica station. Nominally more expensive than the subway, and a much more comfy ride, especially if you have big bags. Air-train + subway = $7.75, Air train + Off-peak LIRR: $12.25, Air train + peak LIRR= $15, Taxi = $50-$70. No brainer.
Tix: http://lirr42.mta.info/index.php
Nick, I'm surprised you said there were no train options until 11 years ago. Back in the late '80's/early '90's, I took the "JFK express" subway from midtown Manhattan to near JFK, which connected with a short bus ride to the terminal. It was great - at that time, JFK express trains were air conditioned; other subway lines were not. They called it "the train to the plane." When did they discontinue JFK Express service?
Citibike is the greatest thing ever. In the last week it has started expanding north of 59th st. It is great for tourists as you describe and is very user friendly. Try it (or similar systems) in other cities too: Boston, DC, Montreal, Toronto, Miami, Denver etc!
The Airtrain is great. It is reliable whereas taxis are not (can take 2 hours at rush hour) Howard beach or Jamaica will both get you to Manhattan in about the same amount of time. When the taxi line is long, there a usually abundantly available ubers at JFK (about same price as taxi as you note).
UberX in New York is more expensive than taxis because they charge for time AND distance while cabs only charge for time OR distance. West village to Columbia you should have taken the 1 train. Uber is useless in manhattan below 59th st because if you can't get a taxi in less than 5 minutes, Uber is probably on surge pricing anyway.
In addition to the comments about the old JFK Express, it was possible to just take the A train to Howard Beach and not pay the Express added charge. Of course it took a lot longer but as a college student at the time, it was worth it to me.
@Matt Don't forget that LIRR is only $4.25 on weekends. A no-brainer if you're going anywhere near an LIRR station (Atlantic Terminal, Nostrand, Woodside, Penn Station, etc).
8 years ago my young family and I flew to JFK for a family event (grandparents live on Long Island). All the boys were headed to a Yankees game but our flight got in too late to ride with everyone (they went early for BP and a trip around Monument Park). I got my wife and 2 kids situated in a rental car for the drive to Hicksville, just before rush hour so an easy trip for them, and I hopped on the subway. Seems like it was only about an hour to get up to the stadium and the trains were packed. But no traffic to fight. Contrast that to a poorly decided on Thanksgiving flight to EWR then fighting crosstown and Island rush hour traffic...4 hours later we made it after trying just about every conceivable way around the bigger roads. And then another trip from the Island into the City on a Saturday, our group was large so it made sense to drive in and pay for parking, cheaper than train trips for all of us. So it just depends on your situation
I'm interested in the data for Uber in NYC. The majority of yellow cabs are concentrated in Manhattan. Very rarely will you be able to hail a yellow cab in the outer boroughs. There are boro taxi's but there aren't as many compared to yellow cabs so it's also hard to hail one. There is an overabundance of private cab companies but you'd have to Google one that can do a pickup wherever you are.
For me. I can request an Uber in popular neighborhoods outside of Manhattan and get to where I need to go. It'll be faster than searching for a cab company or trying to find a boro taxi. Also, during shift changes for yellow cabs, drivers ask where you are going before you get in and will refuse to serve you if it's inconvenient for them. If you got in the cab and they kick you out, the driver will get fined, which is why the lock the doors and ask before you get in. I tried to get a cab from 23rd and Lexington to Williamsburg around 5pm and the driver said hell no and drove off.
Painfull to take a cab at all but the bleakest hours to the city.
The "A" train takes forever...
I always take the Airtran to the LIRR and hop on almost any train city bound one stop and you're in Penn in 10 min. I can get from JFK to my apt in 30 min.
I have no idea what that costs but it is the only game in town.
The Air Train to Howard Beach is a good solution, as Nick mentioned. Keep in mind that on weekends, some lines on the subway system are subject to special schedules (meaning the station you wanted isn't a stop) and construction-related issues (same problem). The staff at the Air Train station are incredibly helpful, especially dealing with overseas visitors.
JFK on the other hand is something of a dump. There are no rental car pick up vans; instead, one has to take the Air Train, which late at night might not be in service for a variety of reasons. On my last arrival there, with the Air Train inoperative, it took 90 minutes before an airport authority bus (very beat up affairs) arrived at baggage claim with enough room to get me to Hertz.
The subway ride from Howard Beach into Manhattan is something of an anthropological adventure. It seems to take forever, probably because of the ambient existential torment, tiring, grubby, and generally an embarrassment compared to what one might find in Bangkok, Frankfurt, and so forth.
The idea here was to save money on Uber or cab to help subsidize a luxurious night at the Chatwal in Times Square, which is certainly one of the most comfortable hotels on the planet. It's beautifully appointed, friendly, peaceful and apparently, located on another planet.
@Mike: Right! That City Ticket, duh. I did that the most recent time i flew into JFK last month 🙂
Taxi to JFK is more expensive than UberX, when taking tips into account: $52.80 + $5.54 + 15%tip = $67.00, compared with UberX's $65.54.
The the in-taxi credit card machine has always suggested a minimum of 20% to me, making UberX look even more attractive.
I've pretty much settled on the AirTrain to the LIRR as the way to go if its not too late.
Great article! Can you do one on LA? I'm going there soon, so it would be appreciated if I could get tips and strategies on the city. Thanks!
Via is also a great newish option in NYC. It's $5 per person anywhere in Manhattan b/w 110th and Canal St. It's kind of like UberPool except they're usually nice SUVs with 1 to 4 people in them. Use my code teddy6u2 for $10 of credit and I'll be forever grateful 🙂 🙂
Hi Nick,
As a New York native I have never used Citi Bike and your post has intrigued me to use it. Quick question: I understand trips are limited to 30 minutes a-piece. So..:
a. What happens if you go over that time?
b. Can you park the bike at a terminal for one second and then take it back?
c. what if you arrive at a terminal an there are no parking spots left?
Thanks for your time, and great post!
As others have mentioned, depending on where in NYC you are going, the upgrade to take the LIRR from the Air Train (note you have to go to Jamaica station) is often worth it. Also, if you are going anywhere south of Midtown in Manhattan or any part of Brooklyn that isn't Williamsburg/Bushwick/Greenpoint, don't take the LIRR to the nightmare that is Penn Station, take it to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. You can get almost every train from there (2/3, 4/5, N/R/Q, B/D, its like a 2 minute walk to the G train should you need that, and if you really need the A/C or F trains, you can take the R two stops to Jay St./Metrotech and make the easy escalator assisted transfer, just get on towards the front of the R train) and the connection is so much easier, especially to Manhattan bound 2/3 trains (there are no stairs involved, you just walk straight from the train platform to the subway platform). I live a 5 minute walk from the A/C in Brooklyn and less than half a block from the 2/3, when I fly into JFK I could save a little cash and take the A/C, but I almost always just take the LIRR to Atlantic Terminal, walk to the Manhattan bound 2/3 and take it a couple stops to my apartment.
Also, as a former Angeleno who left LA to go to law school in NYC before Uber/Lyft became a thing I have to say its shocking how cheap those services are in LA and pretty much in every other city in the country, but typically Uber is still cheaper than cabs in NYC, and the ability to send them your destination by phone and have them get a map to take you there is oftentimes clutch. That said, the Way2Ride app allows you to pay for cabs by phone and its almost as seamless as Uber (you just have to type in a 7 digit code into the app to "check in" to your cab).
DavidW already said this, but as a reminder, New York City is not the same as Manhattan. Try hailing a yellow cab in Kingsbridge or City Island and you'll understand the value of Uber.