Well, you’re already in New York. And now that? The first thing is to guide you. And you’re in luck: the city center is planned as a grid of streets and avenues. That means that if you know how to count, you won’t get lost.
The avenues : They are the wide streets that are distributed from north to south , and most are numbered: First Avenue is to the east, and Tenth Avenue is at the west end. Fifth Avenue is obviously in the center, and divides the city into the eastern part (East Side) and the western part (West Side). Anyway, there are some avenues that escape this mathematical ordering, so it is best to look at this list of avenues, from east to west:
- East End
• York
• First Avenue (1st)
• Second Avenue (2nd)
• Third Avenue (3rd)
• Lexington
• Park
• Madison
• Fifth Avenue (5th)
• Sixth Avenue (6th), also known as Avenue of the Americas
• Seventh Avenue (7th)
• Eighth Avenue (8th), also known as Central Park West
• Ninth Avenue (9th), also known as Columbus Avenue
• Tenth Avenue (10th), also known as Amsterdam Avenue
• West End Avenue
• Riverside Drive
The streets : They cut to the avenues from east to west , and are numbered from south to north. Thus, Eighth Street (8th Street) is in the south (downtown), 35th Street (35th Street) is in the center (midtown), and 94th Street (94th Street) is in the north (uptown).
Broadway: It is a wide street that crosses the city diagonally , from the southeast (Lower East Side) to the northwest (Upper West Side). At the points where Broadway intersects with an avenue there are squares such as Times Square (at the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street, or in New York language, “on Broadway with 42”) or Herald Square (on Broadway with 34 ).
Once you have this structure in mind, moving through the streets of Manhattan and the rest of the neighborhoods will be easy. Almost every street in the city has wide and comfortable sidewalks, so walking will be the best way to see New York in all its glory. New Yorkers are very used to crossing the street without worrying too much about traffic, nor (by extension) for your own safety. Practice jaywalking(crossing outside the pedestrian crossings) can be a very dangerous urban sport, so everyone should see if they are equipped for such adventures. In any case, if you want to respect the signs and places to cross the streets, you have to remember to leave room free for others to risk their hide without restrictions. It should also be borne in mind that the locals consider it a detestable practice to walk in groups through the streets without leaving room for the most hurried to overtake. Keep in mind that more than one New Yorker in a hurry (that is, 99% of the city’s population) might vividly remember your ancestors if they have to slow down because of you.
Anyway, there will be times when you do not want to walk the enormous distances that separate some interesting points from others. In those moments of weakness, it is best to resort to the different means of transport with which to move around the city.
Subway: Despite its reputation for dirt and insecurity, the New York subway is the most efficient way to get around the city . The cinema in the 70s and 80s transmitted a bad image of the New York subway, with continuous robberies and other violent acts, but today the stations and wagons are as safe as any main street in the city: they should only be avoided at high hours of the night if there is no company and valuables are brought into view.
The metro operates 24 hours a day throughout the year. However, at night or on weekends some lines do not work and there are stations that close. There are also scheduled closings for maintenance, which are conveniently notified at the stations themselves. All stations have customer service employees who will gladly inform you if you are lost. There are stations that are well-maintained and others that are not so, but there is a constant throughout the network: the temperature in any of them is 15 degrees higher than outside, and in summer it can be suffocating. Instead, the wagons are air-conditioned.
The fare is uncomplicated – a MetroCard must be purchased, which gives access to the metro system. Until you go through the exit or transfer turnstile, you can travel as many times as you want and wherever you want. Be careful when inserting the card into the slot of the turnstile, as it is not very difficult to insert it upside down and jam the machine. If you get stuck in the access, notify an employee, they are experts in serving tourists with card problems. On the New York subway, up to three children under 1’10 can ride for free when accompanied by an adult.
The MetroCard , despite its name, is not only suitable for the subway, but also for the bus. It can be bought in the station booths, in special vending machines (which ask for the credit card PIN) and also in many stores, which will have an information sign about it. There are MetroCards of various types:
– Single-use MetroCard: it costs $ 2.50, does not allow transfers and expires after two hours. Albricias, tight-fisted: with many turns, it is possible to travel practically the entire New York subway network in a single transfer.
– Pay-per-ride MetroCard:Reloadable card, with a minimum of $ 4.50. Each use is subtracting $ 2.55, since you pay a reduced rate. If it is recharged with more than 10 dollars, the payment has a discount of 7%. Each use allows one free transfer. Perhaps it is the best option on a short trip to the city.
– Flat rate MetroCard: One week ($ 29) or one month ($ 104). Be careful, cheaters: a flat-rate MetroCard used at one station cannot be used again at the same station for 18 minutes, to avoid being used by multiple people.
The PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) subway, which operates between New York and New Jersey, does not belong to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and therefore has a separate fare and does not accept the MetroCard.
Moving on the metro in any big city is terrifying on the first day, and it becomes more logical as we use it. For the New York subway, keep in mind that the color system is not very helpful outside of downtown Manhattan. It is better to orient yourself by the letters or numbers that each line has, even if they are not part of a common logic. The best thing is to always have a map at hand to guide us, and it can be obtained free of charge at any station. A couple of details: the express lines do not stop at all stations, and the shuttles are circular lines. Station entrance signs typically have, in addition to the station name, the address that door leads to (for example, “Downtown and Brooklyn” or “Uptown and The Bronx”). If there is no such information,
Bus: Even in Manhattan, with its dense subway network, buses can be the best way to travel across the city (that is, from east to west or vice versa). The journey can be slower than using the metro, but the views are better if there is no rush and we avoid rush hour traffic. There are local buses, with many stops, and express buses, which make longer trips with few stops to areas without subways, such as East Queens, the East Bronx, Southwest Brooklyn and Staten Island. The latter are more expensive and usually more spacious and comfortable. There are local buses called “Limited”, which only stop at the main stops such as express, but at local prices.
Bus lines are identified by letters followed by numbers. The letters indicate the main district of the line (M = Manhattan; Bx = Bronx, B = Brooklyn, Q = Queens, S = Staten Island). A ride on a local bus costs $ 2.50, and on an express bus it’s $ 5.50. The ticket can be paid with coins, but not with bills. Buses also accept the MetroCard. This must go into the slot in a different way than the tube, so be careful when entering. Be careful, there is a bus network (the + Select Bus Service + or + SBS +) that does not support MetroCard.
Ferry: The Staten Island Ferry runs from Battery Park in southern Manhattan to Staten Island. The boat only carries passengers on foot and bicycles, it leaves every 15 minutes at peak times and with longer waits the rest of the day. It’s free , so don’t be fooled by scammers trying to sell tickets at the pier. In addition to being a good means of transport, the ferry offers impressive viewsfrom the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor, so it’s worth boarding even if you don’t go to Staten Island. Hundreds of tourists make the round trip just to enjoy the journey, so the ship can go full one way and not allow more passengers to return. As this is common at certain times and mobility on board will be limited, if you want a good view go to starboard if you leave Manhattan and to port if you leave Staten Island. The Manhattan heading passes a little closer to the Statue of Liberty. If you want the best views or take pictures, get on board early and look for a window that can be opened; there are few and they are taken care of immediately.
In addition to this ferry, there are water taxis that will take you from different points of Manhattan to Brooklyn and New Jersey. They are painted yellow, and unlike the ferry they are not free. Ask the rates before boarding, as they vary a lot.
Commuter train: Commuter trains are used primarily to travel between Manhattan and other neighborhoods. Many interesting points are closer to the suburban train stops than to the metro stations, so it is a means of transport that must be taken into account. This train network does not accept the MetroCard, and the ticket can be paid at the station or inside the train. It is advisable to get it at the station, since there is a surcharge for buying it on the train itself, which can sometimes be very high. It is not accepted by commuter train. separate tickets or period must be purchased. When buying commuter rail tickets, it is advantageous to purchase online or at rail stations, before boarding. While tickets are for sale on trains, there is an onboard surcharge that makes them much more expensive.
The Long Island Railroad , known as the LIRR , is the fastest way to get from JFK Airport to Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens, and also serves popular subway-free points such as Long Island, Long Beach, Port Jefferson, or Montauk. The LIRR has a well-deserved reputation for delays, but that’s more true in parts further from the center.
The Metro-North Railroad leads north of the city, especially to the Bronx and Harlem, where the subway has almost no lines. It’s the best way to get to Arthur Avenue and the New York Botanical Gardens, as well as Westchester County, Poughkeepsie and New Haven.
Car: Renting a car to get around New York is perhaps the worst idea when it comes to transportation. Of course, it will be nothing like the idea of long trips down the wide highways idealized in the cinema. Not that driving and parking in the city (especially in Manhattan) is impossible, but it comes close. Getting a car can be comfortable to move around the territories near the city and the rest of the state of New York, but driving through the center (and the center is a very, very broad concept if we talk about this city) is a real complication . Traffic is always dense and close to permanent traffic jams, especially in Midtown and at peak times, which are several throughout the day. And also, New York drivers, both private and public transport, They are not exactly famous for their patience and understanding behind the wheel. It’s no accident that few New Yorkers (and almost no Manhattanites) own a car. If these tips don’t make you change your mind and you finally rent a car to get into the city, you can visitour car rental section .
One of the common traffic jams that take place almost every day on the streets of New York (Photo: Plant Design, flickr)
Parking is a daunting task in the surroundings of any tourist spot. You’d better check with the same rental company for the location of a garage to use throughout the stay. At least the parking problem will be solved, although prices are also usually exorbitant from a Spanish perspective. And another warning: the vast majority of hotels in New York do not offer valet service. A good helper for getting around New York by car is the bus map, which includes the main streets and is available for free in many parts of the city. Subway maps are usually helpful too.
Taxi: The problems of road traffic in the city will not be avoided by taking a taxi, but perhaps at night or other certain times it is the best option to go to certain places. The classic New York yellow cabs are an iconic image and can be a good option. Here is some useful information about this mode of transport:
- There are many taxi companies in New York, but to avoid problems it is better to choose those that are regulated by the Taxis and Limousine Commission, an entity that unifies services for the benefit of the user. For example, its regulations oblige you to provide precise information on rates and routes: many of them have screens in which a GPS informs you of the route taken, and most allow you to pay by card.
- Taxis that are not attached to the Commission are not yellow but black, and they are more abundant outside of Manhattan. You must agree on the price with the taxi driver before he lowers the flag. Remember that tolls must be paid by the passenger, but the taxi driver will have to inform you of their existence before the race.
- Don’t forget to ask for proof of payment, in case problems arise. The car and the driver are identified in it, in case of a possible claim to the Taxi Commission.
Many of New York’s taxis are driven by recent immigrants, who may not be fluent in English. Make sure to make yourself understood to avoid complications. - Taxi drivers expect a tip for their service, which is usually 10% or 15% of the fare. On this issue, we refer to the tips section of this blog.
