NYC Info

[OneFinger]

I'll be heading shortly to NYC. I haven't been there in years and would appreciate some info on the public transportation system. For example, in DC I could purchase an "all day" pass for about $5. In San Francisco they didn't offer an "all day" pass for BART but used a debit system that deducted the value of the trip from your pre-paid pass.

 

How do things work in NYC? Is there an "all day" pass which is good for both sub and bus? Is it relatively safe riding the subway? What are the hours of operation?

 

Appreciate any info. Would especially like suggestions on the best way to get from the Penn Station area to the Village.

[ready182]

Yes, there is a 24-hour MetroCard you can purchase for the subway -- not sure exactly what it costs, but it is reasonable. Not sure if it also covers the buses or not?

 

But if you want to stay in Manhattan, the subways are all you need. During the day time, especially rush hour, cross town traffic sucks - it is faster to walk than take a cab. The subways are almost always the fastest way to get around. To get from NY Penn Station (did you know that there are actually 100's of "Penn Stations"?) to the village, the subway will quickly & safely do the trick. In my experience Manhattan is very safe, day or night (thank Rudi), except possibly for the very most northern and southern most parts.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Ready

[Guest BenAJ]

Yes there is one...in NY, one swipe of the metrocard lets you transfer from subway to bus (or bus to subway) or bus to bus. After one swipe, your allowed the one transfer but then you must wait a certain time before you can use the unlimited metrocard again (i think it is 12 or 15 minutes?)

 

you can buy the card at any subway station or some stationery (sp?) stores sell them too. they used to also be called "fun passes" but not sure if they still are.... enjoy your stay in NY....and take a bite out of the big apple ;-)

[Guest BenAJ]

Unlike most cities where the subway system shuts down...the subway in NY (as far as I know) is 24/7. Although, the service slows down in the wee hours (you have to wait longer for a train to come). Bus service though, I believe stops around midnight to 1 AM and resume early in the morning, so don't count on using the bus at those hours.

 

There are plenty of cabs but that is dependent on the area.... with regard to the safety..it depends on the train line and the area...as does the bus service...some areas are not as safe as others...

 

Hope this helps. :-)

[CT Dick]

Last summer I used a London Pass and it was great. NYC offers one, too (http://www.newyorkpass.com/index2.asp)

 

For $49 you get a Metrocard, free admission to most of the tourist attractions, restaurant discounts, and a guide book. Buy a 2nd day (on your Mastercard) and you get a 3rd free.

 

Or, you can just buy an Unlimited Use Metrocard - 1 day is $7, 1 week is $21. Check their site for sales locations (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm#unlimited)

 

The regular fare is $2 per ride on buses and subway. If you transfer from bus to bus or subway within a short time, there isn't a second charge.

 

I hope you have a great time.

 

Dick

[dick_nyc]

Just one word of caution about transferring. If you transfer from bus to subway or bus or if you transfer from subway to bus you get one free transfer from a regular metrocard. However, if you transfer from subway to subway where you have to re-enter the turnstile, that is another regular fare. I know because I got hit with that a couple of times before I asked.

[OneFinger]

Thanks for the great responses and info. I knew I could count on your guys. I really appreciated CT Dick's links. Those were very helpful. I think I'll get the 7-day pass. Won't be there an entire week but I like the idea of unlimited on/off at a set (and affordable) price.

[Guest YFSC]

>Thanks for the great responses and info. I knew I could count

>on your guys. I really appreciated CT Dick's links. Those were

>very helpful. I think I'll get the 7-day pass. Won't be there

>an entire week but I like the idea of unlimited on/off at a

>set (and affordable) price.

 

Yes, the unlimited cards are definitely worth it if you're not just going to & from a single destination. Esp. the 7-day one.

 

>Would especially like suggestions on the best way to get from

>the Penn Station area to the Village.

 

Depends what you mean by "the Village": West, East, adjacent area often included in the general term "the Village" etc. Penn station is right on a subway line, and you can get to just about any part of "the Village" broadly construed either on one train or with just one easy transfer. It's not far, 1-4 stops total, depending on where you want to go and how little you want to walk from the station. But the precise train/s and stop/s depend on your destination.

 

A few other things following up on some earlier posts:

 

Yes, indeed, the subway never sleeps. It's 24/7, 365. "After hours" and on Sun and holidays the frequency of trains is reduced, but you can always get in and "get there from here."

NOTE: Don't be fooled into thinking the subway is closed by the following:

Many stations have more than one entrance, which may be a block or more apart. SOME of those entrances may be closed at various off-times (evenings, nights, weekends, etc., exact periods may differ from station to station). But there will be at least one entrance which is open, and there will usually be a sign at the closed entrance telling you where the open one is.

 

The subway is safe in most areas, esp. wherever you are likely to want to go. In some areas (not where you are likely to be) it may not be entirely safe at night on the street getting to or from the subway, but there is no special problem riding through on the train. Just be vigilant, as you would/should be anywhere, and in a crowded car watch for pickpockets no matter what area you are in. And I second the comment that esp. in Manhattan it's the fastest way to get around.

 

There is an excellent map of the subway system which is available free from the agent in the booth at the station entrance. Sometimes they run out, so just try again at another station when you go in or out. The same map is also posted (usually) in the station and always in each car of the train, usually in more than just one place, next to a door.

 

About transferring between subway lines and Dick's cautionary note:

You won't really care about the "extra" fare if you have an unlimited card. But in general there are "free transfer" stations where lines come together, and which are clearly identified on the subway map. If it's not a free transfer, you will have had to go out through a turnstile and would be aware of having done so, and would likely have had to go up to the street level and then down and in again. If you find yourself about to go out through a turnstile at a transfer station, it probably means that you missed a sign a ways back that was directing you to a passageway to make the transfer that you want. Here again, watch the signs along the way and esp. at the head and foot of stairs. Sometimes from a long platform certain stairways will lead you either out or to a transfer, while others will lead you only out, or maybe to a transfer other than the one you wanted to make.

 

Each train line is identified by a letter or a number clearly visible on the front of the train and the sides of the cars, and those numbers/letters are on the map and also appear in different-colored circles or diamonds on the signs in the station. Just know which line you are looking for and follow the signs. Each track of the platform also has signs with those identifiers, telling you which trains stop on that track, so you can easily tell if you have found the right place.

 

Also read the signs at the entrances at the street level. At many stations you can go in from any entrance and then get to either uptown or downtown trains, but at some stations the entrance is for one direction only, and to go the other way you have to cross the street and enter from the other side. At those stations, if you do go downstairs and pay a fare to get into the wrong side, you will have to go back out and pay another fare to get in on the right side. This could be a pain even if you have an unlimited card, since there is the minimum waiting time (about 10-15 minutes) already referred to before you can use it again. That's to prevent you and your friend from both using a single unlimited card.

 

Have a great time.

[OneFinger]

>Also read the signs at the entrances at the street level... if you do go downstairs and pay a fare to get into the wrong side, you will have to go back out and pay another fare to get in on the right side. This could be a pain even if you have an unlimited card, since there is the minimum waiting time (about 10-15 minutes) already referred to before you can use it again. That's to prevent you and your friend from both using a single unlimited card.

 

Thanks for this tidbit of info. I didn't fully understand about the 10-15 minute waiting period and its implication of using the wrong entrance. I'm definately going to check the signs carefully before entering the station.

 

Sounds like things have really been cleaned up the past few years. I remember a horror story of a local (Utah) boy that was stabbed to death in the subway when someone tried to rob his parents.

 

Also appreciate the warning of pickpockets. I usually carry a "disposable" wallet in my back pocket just for such instances. (My definition of a "disposable" wallet is one with a couple of bucks in it but no credit cards or ID. It's the wallet I'd gladly give up if robbed or confronted.)

[Guest YFSC]

>Thanks for this tidbit of info. I didn't fully understand

>about the 10-15 minute waiting period and its implication of

>using the wrong entrance. I'm definately going to check the

>signs carefully before entering the station.

 

You're welcome. Most stations are not like that, but you might just be using one that is.

 

>Sounds like things have really been cleaned up the past few

>years. I remember a horror story of a local (Utah) boy that

>was stabbed to death in the subway when someone tried to rob

>his parents.

>

>Also appreciate the warning of pickpockets. I usually carry a

>"disposable" wallet in my back pocket just for such instances.

>(My definition of a "disposable" wallet is one with a couple

>of bucks in it but no credit cards or ID. It's the wallet I'd

>gladly give up if robbed or confronted.)

 

Yeah, but don't be overly concerned.

New York is fun and about as safe as any big city in the US can be, more so than many others.

While at one time it was very high up among US cities in several categories of crime, the crime rate has gone down dramatically and NY has long since been far surpassed in those categories by a number of other cities.

[J-Man]

>

>For $49 you get a Metrocard, free admission to most of the

>tourist attractions, restaurant discounts, and a guide book.

>Buy a 2nd day (on your Mastercard) and you get a 3rd free.

>

 

I'm going to NYC in January (already got my ticket for the Lane/Broderick "Producers") and the New York Pass sounds like a great idea, but their website doesn't mention anything about a Metrocard being included.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

Worth IT

 

The 7-Day pass, even if you are only there for four or five days, is worth not having to get tokens or changes, deal with the machines, or otherwise hassle. If you are there for at least that length of time, you will find it worthwhile.

 

The map is definitely worth it and, except for a few exceptions, I found the station agents to be very informative and of help. If you have time before your trip, you can request that the map be mailed to you from the MTA website.

 

I also found the subways (and station areas) verysafe, this included traveling to areas with few people, such as the financial district late at night, and over all, found New York City to be very safe.

 

Definitely bring very comfortable shoes.

[Guest YFSC]

RE: Worth IT

 

>The 7-Day pass, even if you are only there for four or five

>days, is worth not having to get tokens or change

 

Tokens are gone now. The only way now is a metrocard.

[CT Dick]

You're right. But, the pre-link page on the MTA site does include the pass:

 

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/metrocard/promos/NYPass/index.html

 

Dick

[TedLinden]

If you're particularly nervous about being on the subway late at night, try to get on towards the middle of the train where the conductor is. More people are in the middle cars as well.

[Rick Munroe]

>More people are in the middle cars as well.

 

That's why, a couple of summers ago, when we felt like doing something risky, I sucked Derek off in the last car of the 'F' train late at night. We had it all to ourselves. And 'F' is very appropos because when he shoots, Derek often yells, "FUUCK!!!"

[btmstudnyc]

>>More people are in the middle cars as well.

>

>That's why, a couple of summers ago, when we felt like doing

>something risky, I sucked Derek off in the last car of the 'F'

>train late at night. We had it all to ourselves. And 'F' is

>very appropos because when he shoots, Derek often yells,

>"FUUCK!!!"

 

as I recall...he doesn't yell FUCK with two U's he just keeps yelling fuck Fuck FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

 

Yes for a few dollars a day...you can hang out and have sex on the platform...or off...or in the subway. Damn, I'm bored with this city.

I've had sex on the bus, in the taxi, what the hell is left...OHHHHHHHH I know... the Roosevelt Island Tram.

 

JIM

If it dont fit, force it

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[ddarko]

To get to the West Village and gay central, take the 1/9 line from Penn Station to the Christopher Street station. It's the fifth stop after you get on.