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Getting around New York City is a snap! The place is crawling with public transit, and if you're feeling well-heeled, you can always catch a cab. I never do, but then again I never feel well-heeled. My Cheapo Pals and I highly recommend getting a MetroCard if you plan on taking the bus or subway. Not only does a MetroCard allow you to make free transfers, the 1-day, 7-day or month-long passes are quite a bargain if you're going to do a lot of riding. Get details at the MTA Website. |
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718-330-1234
Price: $2
Description: Unlike most cities in America, people actually ride the bus in New York. Rich people, poor people, people with current drivers licenses, even. It's a little weird, frankly. The big advantage to taking the bus instead of the subway is that it gives you a chance to actually see the city as you slowly pass it by while stuck in traffic. Also, during the summer, you can wait outside for a bus, which can be ever-so-slightly more comfortable than the hellishly hot subway platforms.
Reliable? Because of traffic on the streets, busses are less frequent and much much slower than subways. On the other hand, busses can go on whatever street they want, so they are much better for heading cross-town without having to hike 30 blocks to the nearest East-West subway. If you don't have a Metro Card, you need exact change for the bus. And we say change, we mean it. New York City busses have no bill-collectors, so they don't accept dollar bills.
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212-692-8294
Price: $2.50 to start, 40 cents every 1/5th mile or 120 seconds idle.
Description: They're not cheap, but sometimes it's nice to forego the subway or bus for a nice direct ride in a cab. They're easy to catch. Just look at the light on top of the car. If it's lit, the car is available. Hop in and tell the driver where you want to go, then get ready for a lot of horn honking and swerving between lanes. Our experience has been that only a very small number of NYC cab drivers are not insane. After 8 p.m. every night, they tack on a 50-cent charge, and between 4-8 p.m. on weeknights, they add $1.
Reliable? Taxis are available all over midtown and downtown Manhattan at all hours of the day and night. At very busy times, like when it's raining on a Friday afternoon, a lot of full cabs will pass you by, but most of the time you won't go more than a minute or two without an empty taxi rolling along. At night they tack a 50-cent surcharge onto your fare, but it might be worth it if you're heading for a particularly sketchy neighborhood. Cab drivers are required to take you anywhere in the Metro area, so don't let them give you a hard time if you are riding up to Washington Heights or somewhere out in Brooklyn. Oh, and one other thing we discovered - you don't have to give them a tip if they crash their cab into a light post.
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718-330-1234
Price: $2
Description: Ah, the subway. For us there's nothing that symbolizes New York better than standing on a sweltering platform under the ground, listening to a guy play the theme from "The Godfather" on a steel drum and watching some lunatic peeing behind a trash can. It ain't clean, like the Metro in Paris or D.C., and it ain't high-tech, like the Tokyo system, but the New York subway is a great way to travel.
Reliable? Trains run all night long, although after 11 p.m., they tend to come only once every twenty minutes, and often less frequently than that. At rare times, they break down, or stop because a passenger is sick. For the most part, though, the subway is very sturdy, with frequent and quick service. In the last decade or so, the subway has become a much safer place to be, but remain aware that crime does take place on the trains and platforms. Most of it is petty theft, but more serious crimes do occur. Be careful, especially if you're riding late at night by yourself.
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Price: Free
Description: Staten Island might not be high on your list of "must see" destinations when visiting New York City, but don't let that stop you from taking a trip on the Ferry. The ferry's primary purpose is as a means of transporting Staten Islanders to Manhattan and back, but it's also the most scenic mode of public transportation in the city by far. On the half-hour or so ride, you get a great view of Lower Manhattan, New York Harbor, The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Best of all, it costs you absolutely nothing. Seriously. Just head down to the Ferry Terminal, at the lower tip of Manhattan, and hop on the first ferry that rolls in. They make you get off at the other side, but nobody cares if you get right back on and head straight back to Manhattan on the same boat. This might be the best sightseeing bargain in town, especially on a sweltering summer day, when there's always a breeze blowing over the harbor.
Reliable? Ferries run 24 hours a day, weekends and weekdays. During daylight hours, expect a boat at least every half hour, with hourly ferries overnight. Since it's primarily a commuter ferry, you'll have to wait longer on weekends. Check the ferry web site for a more detailed schedule.
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