New York for one night

[TerryP]

Hi there. I am from Canada and am going to be in NYC for the first time on Saturday February 16, on my way to Thailand. I am flying in to La Guardia at 12:40 PM, but I fly out of JFK the next morning at 11:30 AM. So, I have booked the Holiday Inn Express at JFK.

 

My plan is to transfer from LGA to the Holiday Inn at JFK, check in to my room, and then go out for the evening.

 

A couple questions:

 

- I found this - http://www.nyairportservice.com/ - which offers transfers between LGA and JFK for $13. Does it make sense to take that to JFK and then use the Holiday Inn's free shuttle to get from the airport to the hotel? I'm not sure how far the hotel is from the airport but I understand that it is close.

- After all this, I'm assuming probably as much as three hours would have passed? Given the time it would take to clear customs and get luggage, wait for the shuttle, transfer to JFK, and then get to the hotel?

- Will I be able to take the subway to Manhattan after I've checked in to the hotel, and roughly how long would that take? Or should I take a cab?

- Do you have any suggestions on what to do with one Saturday evening in NYC? Is there a strip club or any suggestions for somewhere to go for a drink once I've walked around and explored for a couple hours?

 

I know these are very open questions, and the possibilities of things to do are endless. Just looking for some pointers/ideas.

 

Thanks,

Terry

[BgMstr4u]

I don't know about the shuttle between LGA and JFK, but the shuttle service between JFK and Manhattan on this service is quite good. I would therefore expect their inter-airport service to be fine as well. The JFK-Manhattan bus goes from JFK to Grand Central Terminal (42nd Street and Park Ave.), or on to Penn Station (34th on the West Side -- 8th Ave.). I have taken this shuttle many times and it is a good value. In terms of getting from your hotel to Manhattan, it probably means getting back to JFK to where the shuttle picks people up. It goes to each terminal and then on to the City. Your hotel probably has a shuttle to and from the airport. I would definitely recommend it going into Manhattan.

 

However, the shuttle doesn't run late at night -- if you check the schedule, you'll see that the last bus from GCT to JFK leaves at 10pm, which might put a crimp in your evening. There are other options to get back. The easiest is a cab, but it will put you back some -- in the neighborhood of $50 or more to JFK from midtown Manhattan. The cabs FROM JFK are price controlled -- $45 plus tolls and tip -- but not controlled going out to JFK. There is the AirTrain, which means a subway or LIRR ride to Jamaica (Long Island) and then a transfer to a dedicated monorail type train to JFK. This will take a lot more time. There are other, even more involved, ways. Here's a helpful site for transportation options:

http://gonyc.about.com/cs/airlinesairports/a/getto_jfk.htm

 

Like much else in NYC, there is a more or less direct inverse ratio between expense and comfort in getting around. Pay more money and you can go in style -- and if that's what you want, call a car service for door to door, which will quote you a fixed price, $48 generally to JFK, which avoids the anxiety of unrestricted cab fare in that direction, and will get you into something like a black Lincoln town car. It's the best way I've found to get out to the airport. And a lot less hassle. Here's a website for a good one I have used and recommend:

http://www.dial7.com/index.html?link=ggl&gclid=CPqd16vmjZECFQIQFQodT0ekGw

 

Welcome to the Big Apple!

[twinkboylover28]

Any gay strip clubs specializing in skinny white twinks like Club Taboo in Montreal?

[raulgmanzo]

>- Will I be able to take the subway to Manhattan after I've

>checked in to the hotel, and roughly how long would that take?

> Or should I take a cab?

 

Sadly that area is kind of weak on subway service.

I think the closest options are Howard Beach or Sutphin Ave/Jamaica both of which are probably 2 miles.

 

You could take the hotel shuttle to JFK then the Airtrain to either HowardBeach or Sutphin ave.

 

The subway from Howard beach will take a long time making dozens of stops. I think the E train from Sutphin avenue will make only half a dozen stops till midtown.

 

I think better than hassling with going to JFK would be to take a cab from the holidayInn to SutphinAve/Jamaica (or the Q40 bus accross the street). From there take the LIRR straight into manhattan which takes 20 minutes. The LIRR runs pretty frequently (10 to 20 minutes) but you have the Subway as an alternate.

[+ Lucky]

Not to be crass, but is your goal to have fun in Thailand or see New York? If I were you, I'd get a good book, stay in a comfy Hotel near the airport, and just rest before the long trip to Thailand. You'll be glad you did after your arrival when you see all that fun facing you and you have the energy to deal with it.

Just a suggestion!

[TerryP]

Lucky: You make a valid point, but I don't plan to stay out late - just to see a little bit of Manhattan. I can probably be in Manhattan by 6:00, have 4 hours to kill, and be back in my room by 11 (if I take a cab back), with a good night's sleep ahead of me.

[Epigonos]

I have to agree with BgMstr4u on this one. Use a car service NOT a cab or public transportation. Sure it will cost you around $50 but what the hell you are on vacation.

[+ Charlie]

I'm not sure what you hope to see in Manhattan between 6 and 10pm on a Saturday night. In February, it will be dark, probably cold, maybe wet, and the only places that are likely to be open and active at those hours are restaurants. It's too late in the day to visit museums or most other public buildings, and you have to return to Queens too early to go to the theater or a concert. If your only goal is simply to walk around Times Square, Lincoln Center, and a bit of Chelsea and Greenwich Village--no gay venues will be active at that time of evening--it might be worth the trip into Manhattan, but I think that Lucky (a frequent visitor to both New York and Thailand) is probably correct about using the opportunity to rest before a very long flight, rather than deal with the tension and hassle of an improvised tour of an unfamiliar city. And this all assumes that your flight into LGA will be on time and the transfer to the hotel near JFK goes smoothly, none of which I would count on.

[TerryP]

That sounds like a fair assessment. Thank you for the reality check. I will probably just wing it and make the decision once I get there - if everything is on time, the weather is good, etc - I might take the opportunity to walk around Times Square or something like that. Alternatively of course I could always try to get one of the many well-reviewed NYC escorts to come out to my hotel.

[Cooper]

I find NYC to be the greatest City in the World. So, "Shout when you cum!" and have some fun.

 

Whether it be just walking around Times Square/Broadway or checking out the stores on 5th Ave. NYC is the City that never sleeps. Maybe you'll just have time for a view of the City from the "Top of the Rock" or The Empire State Building. It's your 1st time in NYC so take some memories back home with you.

 

If you're looking for some gay fun. On Saturday nights between 9pm-10pm, Splash Bar has their amateur underwear contest. It can be fun.

 

Splash Bar aka SBNY

50 West 17th St. between 5th and 6th Avenues. The area is called Chelsea.

 

Enjoy your brief stay, hopefully you'll be able to return for a longer stay.

 

Coop (**)