New York City Transportation
Aerial view of JFK Airport in 2021, New York City; credit Anthony-22/Wiki Commons
Airports
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is America’s 6th busiest airport. By far, JFK Airport handles the most international flights in America. Despite numbering terminals 1-8, there is no terminal 6, This huge airport is located on the southern coast of Queens so driving and transit options both can take over an hour to reach Manhattan.
JFK-Brooklyn-Manhattan Rail Connections: Take AirTrain JFK light rail to the Howard Beach Station and transfer to the A subway train. It costs under $10 (AirTrain + MTA subway) and rides last 50-70 minutes to various lower Manhattan stations. You can also catch an AirTrain to Howard Beach Station to catch the Metro A train to Brooklyn and Manhattan.
JFK-Queens-Manhattan Rail Connections: From JFK Airport, take the AirTrain JFK commuter to the attractive Jamaica Station, then transfer to an LIRR express train to NYC Penn Station. Your fare will cost $7 LIRR peak commute fare + $5 AirTrain for the 35-minute ride. AirTrain JFK runs 24/7. In return, purchase tickets from an NYC Penn Station vending machine and catch the Jamaica LIRR express train.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is a Top 25 Airport in America with 4 compact terminals that host domestic flights. Unfortunately, there is no rail transit from the airport to Manhattan.
Newark International Airport (EWK) is America’s 14th busiest passenger airport and New York’s 2nd busiest for international flights. With 3 large terminals encircled by freeways and tollways, auto access is a piece of cake in New Jersey. More recently, the airport is troubled by Trump Administration cuts to air traffic controllers.
EWR-Newark-Manhattan Rail Connections: AirTrain Newark automated people mover whisks you between terminals and connects to NJ Transit trains that commute to downtown Newark and NYC Penn Station. The cost is around $15, and the commute is 25 minutes or less. On your return, purchase tickets from the Penn Station vending machine and catch the EWR NJ Transit train.
Shuttles and Limos: Super Saver Shuttle (800-924-9954), Westchester Express (800-910-5466), and Classic Limousine (800-666-4949) are available from JFK and LGA from 7 am to Midnight. Go to the ground transportation desk at each airport to catch a relatively inexpensive Gray Line Express bus to Grand Central Terminal. Limousine rates vary greatly, depending on the number of passengers from each airport, major events nearby, and the time of commute.
Car Rentals: all three airports feature a huge selection of Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and National cars. Taxis are plentiful at all three airports.
Train Stations
The dramatic and airy Moynahan Hall at New York Penn Station; D Benjamin Miller/Wiki Commons
New York Penn Station anchors the most Amtrak routes in America. The old part of Penn Station, located underneath Madison Square Garden, is cramped and rife with utilitarian architecture. The new part is west across 8th Avenue in a dramatic, renovated post office building renamed Moynihan Hall. Trains arrive every 5-20 minutes, 24/7.
That level of activity supports gift shops and cafes from 5:30 am-11:30 pm for Amtrak, MTA subway, Long Island Railroad, Metro-North, New Jersey Transit, and PATH commuter train patrons. BoltBus, Taxis, Uber/Lyft await you on 33rd Street and 7th Avenue as well. New York Penn Station serves these Amtrak routes:
Acela: DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Northeast Regional1: DC-Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Northeast Regional2: DC-Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Hartford-Springfield
Crescent: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Charlotte-Atlanta-New Orleans
Palmetto/Silver: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Jacksonville-Miami
Carolinian: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte
Cardinal: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago
Vermonter: St. Albans-Burlington-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC
Popular Amtrak Acela and Amtrak Northeast Regional trains run in the Northeast Corridor between Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington DC every 20-30 minutes. Recently introduced Next-gen Acela trains feature comfortable seating with at least 39 inches of legroom, outlets for your laptop, complimentary WiFi, and extra storage space for luggage. Modest infrastructure upgrades in the 457-mile Northeast Corridor permit Next-gen Acela to reach 160 mph over 60 miles, more frequent train service and 3 more cabins of seating per train.
Northeast Regional Business Class also features more legroom. Both trains feature extra Amtrak Guest Rewards Points, refundable tickets for those last-minute changes, reserved seating, and a complimentary beverage. Budget-minded travelers can purchase Amtrak Saver Fares and save money when they book seats 21 days or more in advance. Each quarter, Amtrak service in the Northeast Corridor is setting new ridership records above pre-pandemic levels.
Over 2027-35, more bridge, tunnel, track, electrical & signaling upgrades will increase half of Northeast Corridor mileage to 140-160 mph speeds for even higher train frequency, and substantially better schedule reliability.
Tours
Harlem Heritage Tours
Celebrate Harlem’s past and participate in the cultural and economic renaissance taking hold in the community. All tours are conducted by those who live in the community; they offer an assortment of cultural walking, bus, jazz, gospel, and day trip experiences with experiences tailored for Religious Groups, Family Reunions, Individuals, Senior Groups, School Groups, Fraternities & Sororities
ADDRESS: 104 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY
PHONE: 212-280-7888
WEBSITE: https://www.harlemheritage.com
Braggin’ About Brooklyn
Excellent historical and cultural tours to make you aware of the contributions of African American art and science in Brooklyn and Manhattan
ADDRESS: 685 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
PHONE: 718-297-5107
The Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant
House tours featuring the architectural and cultural heritage of Brownstone houses in the Bed-Stuy community of Brooklyn; contact Akwaaba Inn Brooklyn for more info.
PHONE: 718-455-5958
Rapid Transit
Rapid transit, local buses, taxis, Uber & Lyft rule New York City commutes. Unless you are hauling family plus luggage, rental cars only make sense for travel to the outskirts of Queens, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) manages a vast network of Metro subway trains, commuter trains, and buses linking the entire region at a single low cost. Though called MTA Subway, it includes substantial mileage of elevated track to 471 stations over 660 miles. Also, more than 4,000 buses travel on 207 local and 36 express routes citywide.
An MTA subway or bus ride costs around $2, regardless of trip length, and all fares are paid via a MetroCard at the pay fare machine or a downloadable mobile app. Visit MetroCard Promotions to access money-saving deals for reduced admission to museums and attractions or discounts at many stores and restaurants. Do not confuse MTA Metro subway trains or MTA commuter trains with New Jersey Transit or PATH trains, since they have separate ticketing, schedules, and station boarding areas.
The Arts for Transit initiative is designed to enhance the travel experience of subway riders by adding the beauty of art and culture to their trips. The initiative’s Music Under New York (MUNY) program provides riders with a variety of musical performances at select subway stations.
MTA Metro Subways, though somewhat noisy and hard-seated, is an efficient transportation marvel that runs 24/7. Many subway stations have been refurbished. Newer trains replace older trains each year. Several north-south subway lines through Manhattan have express and local trains on separate tracks, speeding commuters from Downtown to Midtown to Uptown in minutes. Express trains skip 3-4 stations (20-30 blocks) between each stop, making it the best way to go north-south during commute hours.
Ask an MTA station agent for a free subway map and information about express trains before boarding. MetroCard vending machines accept cash, debit cards, and credit cards. The MTA Q line recently extended north from Lexington Ave/63rd St Station under Second Avenue to 96th St Station, thereby reducing congestion on the MTA 4, 5, and 6 lines through the Upper East Side. The MTA Q Line Phase 2 extension up to 125th Street in East Harlem is planned for completion in 2028. There are currently 26 MTA subway lines:
Waiting for the MTA train; credit Nina Hill/Adobe
MTA Long Island Railroad (LIRR) commuter trains serve the length of Long Island, New York. It is America’s busiest commuter railroad and operates 24/7. Excluding the Port Washington line, all lines from Penn Station stop at Jamaica Station in Queens for connection to JFK Airport. LIRR operates on these popular routes:
Grand Central Terminal (GCT) serves over 500,000 daily transit commuters and out-of-town visitors. Civil engineers marvel at the multi-layered network of 44 platforms and 67 tracks under this transportation temple first opened in 1871. It remains one of the busiest train stations in the world.
Enter from Lexington Avenue to get a jaw-dropping view of the GCT Main Concourse. Its vaulted ceiling has an astronomically inaccurate design that nonetheless makes it a joy to crane your neck looking at. Dotted with monuments and marble steps, Grand Central Terminal reminds us of what America lost when it destroyed many of our great train stations. Twice upgraded, Grand Central Terminal has nearly 30 upscale boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. Visitors may contact the Municipal Art Society at (212-935-3960) for a Wednesday tour. While there, check out the free New York City Transit Museum and store.
MTA Metro-North is another busy commuter railroad that operates 24/7. Three Metro-North lines run from Grand Central Terminal — Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines. Their first stop is 125th Street Station in East in Harlem, where the Hudson Line peels off with a stop at Yankee Stadium, then proceeds north along the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie, NY.
The Harlem Line goes several dozen miles north to Wassaic, NY. The New Haven Line passes through Stamford and then branches into 4 routes to New Canaan, Danbury, Waterbury, and New Haven, CT. Two Metro-North Lines run from NYC Penn Station — the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. They split into 4 branches.
Before boarding, review the Metro-North Map, confirm your station destination, and confirm your train’s precise name, since boarding the wrong train can cause a very bad commute.
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) trains connect Newark, Jersey City, and Hoboken in New Jersey to the World Trade Center and Penn Station each day between 5 am and Midnight. PATH commuter trains to downtown utilize the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is home to 2 PATH lines, 12 MTA subway lines, and a taxi depot. Architecturally stunning, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub includes the eye-popping Oculus, plus an underground Westfield shopping mall that makes it an outside-inside destination equal to Grand Central Terminal.
World Trade Center Transportation Hub; credit Silverstein Properties
In New Jersey, Hoboken and Jersey City have large public transit centers, but one other intermodal transportation center stands above the rest. The restored Neo-Classic Newark Pennsylvania Station is home to Amtrak, PATH subway trains, a New Jersey Transit light rail line, and New Jersey Rail Transit commuter trains, including those to New Meadowlands Football Stadium and Atlantic City.
Cruise Ports
New York and New Jersey Spirit Cruises
Bateaux New York and Spirit of New York day & dinner cruises traverse both sides of the Hudson River. On the NYC side, they depart from Chelsea Pier. On the New Jersey side, they depart from Lincoln Harbor.
PRICES: vary depending on the type of cruise
ADDRESS: Pier 62 at West 23rd Street, New York, NY
PHONE: 212-727-7735
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry
Breath-taking Inexpensive ride that departs every 30 minutes in warm months, every 45 minutes in colder months. On either island, stay for as long as you like, since there are many return ferries throughout the day. Depart from Battery Park at the foot of Harlem.
ADDRESS: Ferries dock next to Castle Clinton in Battery Park, NYC
PHONE: 212-269-5755
WEBSITE: http://www.ny.com/transportation/ellis.html
Hoboken-Battery Park City Ferry
A commuter ferry that crosses the Hudson River; great inexpensive views of the Statue of Liberty, Jersey City, and lower Manhattan skylines.
PHONE: 201-420-6307
Circle Line passing by the Statue of Liberty; credit Marley White/Circle Line
Circle Line Ferry
New York City is an island of breathtaking man-made structures and riverside parks. Both traits make it ideal for sightseeing by a circular route ferry. Service departs from Battery Park in New York City and Liberty State Park in Jersey City; purchase refreshments and souvenirs on board; check websites for schedule and prices
WEBSITE: http://www.circleline.com
Freeways & Tollways
The extensiveness of New York City Freeway & Tollway Network makes it confusing for novice drivers. If you are a gluten for congestion traffic punishment, NYC overflow your plate.
Nevertheless, two regional highways worth driving are the magnificently designed Verrazano-Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island and the George Washington Bridge between Manhattan and New Jersey. Avoid the Tappan Zee Bridge. The tollways, bridges, and tunnels are expensive for short distances traveled. Keep at least $15 handy for the drive to/from Manhattan. The highways are crowded and in varying states of repair, so congestion can occur at any hour before 10 pm. Such congestion incentivizes urban dwellers to use the rapid transit system.