New York City
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New York City is the biggest city in the United States.
Contents |
Meetings
Thursdays have been the weekly meeting day but there is always something going on. As of October 2007 the Thursday meetings are taking place at a bar called Revival (129 E 15th St, New York, NY 10003). Bastien, a NYC ambassador, has done a great job of securing space and drink specials specifically for couchsurfers. Attendance varies based on the season but as of late there has usually been 50+ surfers and hosts there.
The Google Calendar for NYC is a great way to keep informed of all recent events.
The New York City Group is also an excellent way to keep up to date. You should definitely join before visiting.
Tips
In Manhattan you can do some great dumpster diving. One spot for that is at the Food Emporium of 83rd Street and 3rd Avenue close to one of NYC's most active hosts, Slawek. You might be able to organize a big feast there. But be careful: dumpster diving was criminalized under the so-called quality of life initiatives.
New York City isn't just Manhattan. It's worth at least a visit to each of the outer boroughs to provide yourself with a well rounded experience. New York City is comprised of Manhattan (New York County), The Bronx (Bronx County), Queens (Queens County), Brooklyn (Kings County), and Staten Island (Richmond County).
Some highly recommended places outside Manhattan include: Astoria, Queens (N,W from Broadway to Ditmars Bvld or R,V to Steinway) located directly across the East river from Manhattan. Houses a plethora of great ethnic restaurants from Eastern European and Greek to South American and Asian cuisine. Population is very diverse and mostly young; Jackson Heights, Queens (Roosevelt Ave stop on the E,F,R,V or anywhere on the 7 between about 74 and 90) is an incredible multicultural neighborhood primarily populated by various latino groups (bring your Spanish phrasebook!) and make sure to stop by the Little India; Williamsburg, Brooklyn (L to Bedford Ave.) is the up-and-come hipster neighborhood filled with many cute shops, restaurants, bars and clubs; Coney Island (D,N,F,Q to Coney Is.) is not to be missed almost any time of year if you can stomach the long subway trip. This is such a tiny offering of the hundreds of fascinating and diverse neighborhoods to explore.
When in Manhattan, JUST WALK! You can walk for hours and hours, and almost every street is fascinating. See how places change character over a matter of blocks, how different people live next to one another, etc. This is one of the best cities for just getting lost (although that's a bit difficult given the grid).
Being the big city that it is, New York City is home to many of the world's finest art museums featuring many well-known and famous paintings. Naturally (and unfortunately), you will have to pay for admission to these museums. Of course, these admissions benefit the museums and help them preserve their collections, but there is a once-weekly exception to this. On Fridays from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, one can gain free admission into the Museum of Modern Art (also known by its abbreviation, MoMA, and is commonly refered to as that) through their Target Free Friday Nights (which is sponsored by the American department store chain called Target). Outside of the museum before 4:00, a series of dividers are placed to the side of the museum to create a place for people to stand online while they wait to enter for free. Despite the 4 hour time range, one should arrive at least 45 minutes beforehand (3:15) because the line does becomes very long and full of people interested in free tickets. Tickets are given out first-come first-serve, so be sure to arrive early. Yes, the museum will be much more crowded than normally, but this is a great way to see some of the world's finest collections of modern art yet have money for dinner later on that night as well.
Ask early
Very important for New York City visiting CouchSurfers - you often want to ask early and be prepared to move around a bit while you are staying in the city. New York hosts are busy and often live in cramped quarters.
Also when doing a search, be prepared to look in Brooklyn (city), New York (state/province), or to search at least a 5 mile radius around the city, as saying New York, New York will only give you Manhattan and not bring up Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island - all boroughs of New York City! If you want to have a great view of Manhattan itself while visiting, look for couches in Brooklyn & Queens (which will include the 'cities' of Astoria, Woodside, Kew Gardens, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Flushing, Elmhurst, & others).
Also, keep in mind that New Jersey is just over the river. Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, Fort Lee, are closer to Manhattan than some parts of Brooklyn & Queens, and provide 24 hour access to the city (check hosts profile to see if they say that they live near a 24 hour bus or the PATH train).
Transportation
By Plane
There are three major Airports in the NYC area. JFK and Laguardia are both Located in Queens. Newark is located in New Jersey but provides for easy access to the city.
JFK
The airtrain costs $5 and runs from JFK and connects to the following subway/train stops • LIRR trains and E/J/Z subways at Jamaica Station • A subway at Howard Beach Station From these subways and trains most of the 5 Burroughs and outlying areas can be reached rather easily. Cab rides to Manhattan are a flat fee of $45. If you're looking to cab in don't be afraid to ask people where they're going and see if they're willing to split a cab with you. Various Express buses are also running and range from 15 - 25 dollars for a trip to Manhattan. Left Luggage is available at JFK if you will only be in for a short while. http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/ken_luggage.html
Laguardia
Various buses run between Laguardia and the 5 Burroughs. The two most popular buses are the M60 and the Q33. The M60 drops you off in Manhattan near a subway stop. The Q33 drops you off in Jackson Heights near different subway stations depending on where you get off. Cab rides to Manhattan and other areas are metered. During non rush hours the typical cab ride into Manhattan will be at least $30. If you're looking to cab in don't be afraid to ask people where they're going and see if they're willing to split a cab with you.
Newark
The airtrain runs from Newark to Penn Station and costs around $14. This is usually the fastest method. Cab rides to Manhattan and other areas are metered. During non rush hours the typical cab ride into Manhattan will be at least $50. If you're looking to cab in don't be afraid to ask people where they're going and see if they're willing to split a cab with you. The cheapest way is to take the New Jersey Transit #62 bus ($1.25) in front of the terminals to Newark Penn Station (20min), and then the Path train ($1.50) to lower Manhattan (25 min). They are both very frequent during the day.
By Bus
There are many buses that connect New York with other major cities in the Northeast, which are often significantly cheaper and more convenient that Greyhound or even Amtrak. These are the Chinatown buses and will typically run from Chinatown to Chinatown. Often they pick up and drop off on the side of the street, so it is important to know where they are. There are many companies that operate between the major cities, usually running every half hour every day. The following are a few of the many companies:
New Century Travel
http://www.2000coach.com/
Operates between NYC and Philly ($20 RT), Washington ($35 RT) and Richmond ($60 RT)
Fung Wah Bus
https://www.fungwahbus.com/Default.aspx
Operates Between NYC and Boston ($30 RT)
Apex Bus
http://www.apexbus.com/
Operates between NYC and Philly ($20 RT), Washington ($35 RT), Richmond ($60 RT), Baltimore ($35 RT), Rockville, MD ($45 RT), Norfolk ($60 RT), Albany ($45 RT), Atlanta ($200 RT), Nashville ($70 RT)
The best way to find other companies is to google "Chinatown bus New York 'city'"
By Car
Goethals Bridge Runs into Staten Island Holland Tunnel runs into Manhattan Lincoln Tunnel runs into Manhattan George Washington Bridge runs into Manhattan Current toll rates can be found at: http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/tunnels/html/tolls.html
By Foot
I think the George Washington Bridge is the only one that lets you walk across it when coming from the mainland.
Mass transit once in the city
New York City has arguably the best developed and easiest public transporation system out of all major cities in the United States. It is easily navigable, runs 24/7 and fairly safe; however, is smelly, and there are a lot of rodenticides sprayed on a regular basis. Also, there are random "bag checks" by the police at all times. As a traveler without a car or bicycle (you do not want to drive a car in Manhattan--parking is almost impossible, but biking is quite practical if you have somewhere safe to put the bicycle), you will heavily rely on NYC's public transporation and will take at least half a dozen rides in the subway/bus on any given day. Thus, your best bet are "fun passes", meaning metro cards that provide unlimited rides within the subway and bus system of NYC (all 5 boroughs) for either 1 day (7 $), 7 days (24 $) or 30 days (72 $, not including free bus transfers). The metro cards are available 24/7 at the vending machines in any subway station. Always favor "fun passes" with unlimited rides over the other options ("12 rides for the price of 10 - 10 $" cards, single rides for 2 $ etc) to save money - you will end up riding more often than anticipated as you might have to leave and re-enter the subway system to get to your destination (or, more likely, use a combination of subways and busses). In one of the most expensive cities in the world, the "fun-passes" are one of the most cost-efficient purchases you can make.
Guides
HeyLetsGo New York- Lists fun events in New York. csgroup:329 wikipedia:New York City wikitravel:New York City hitch:New York City
