jenmorg

Hi Fodorites
I am planning our first trip to the USA for May 2017 and my proposed Hawaiian Airlines flight arrives at JFK at 6.55am on a Friday. Will it be hard to get to a rental apartment in Manhattan or Brooklyn by public transport at that time of day? My concerns centre around it being peak hour and we will have luggage. Also we will be tired after having come all the way from Australia.
Any suggestions?

Michael

Take a taxi usingan official taxi stand. It's a fixed rate plus the tolls and tip.

nytraveler

Your problem is not transit it's that short-term apartment rentals (less than 30 days) are illegal in NYC. Although there are many listed quite a number are outright scams and the others are illegal except for a half of a 2 family house (which dos not exist in Manhattan and is very rare in areas nearby).

The city is in the process of a crack down on these illegal rentals, identifying them as quickly as they can and either fining them out of existence or having the owners evicted. Also neighbors in the buildings are becoming much more active in reporting the situation (which they rightly regard as a security risk). Air BnB has already pulled more than 1000 listings in NYC and that will continue as more are identified by the city. (We have a huge shortage of affordable housing in the city and what they apartment owners are doing is to the detriment of many working families in the city.)

So do yourself a favor and get a hotel, which will be safe and will be there when you arrive, unlike many of these apartments.

If your flight arrives at 7 am it will be 8 to 8:30 when you get your luggage and out to the Airtrain - and yes, it will be rush hour and crowded. If you take the subway after the airtrain you will be getting on at the beginning of the line in Jamaica and will get a seat (if you're quick) but if you take the LIRR the train will already be mobbed and you will likely have to stand or sit on your bag. But the LIRR will take only 20 minutes versus 40 or more on the subway depending on exactly where you are going.

The cost per person for the Airtrain/LIRR plus either subway or cab to your hotel will be $13 plus. The cost for a cab (which will also be stuck in rush hour traffic but with a fixed fare) will be about $70 (including toll and 20% tip) to anywhere in Manhattan. For anyplace in Brooklyn tai fare will be on the meter and can vary a lot depending on where you go since Brooklyn is huge.

IMDonehere

The subway system runs 24/7 every day. By the time you get your luggage and clear customs it will be 8:00-8:30 and in the middle of the morning rush hour. I too would advise taking the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) from Jamaica station.

NYT has warned you about rentals.

doug_stallings

Taxis into Manhattan are at a fixed rate. While there will be a lot of traffic during rush hour, at least it's not going to cost you extra. Or you could arrange for a car service. Either way, the trip that might take 30 minutes at other times is likely to take about an hour. If you have huge bags, then you might not like using the Airtrain, though it's certainly going to be faster and cheaper if you are only 2 people. If you are 4 people, then the price advantage of using the train diminishes.

If you are going to Brooklyn, then all taxi trips are on the meter, so rush hour counts against you heavily, and it's a really bad deal. In that case, it's better to reserve a car service or use Uber.

For all the reasons outlined above, I'd strongly urge you not to try to book an apartment rental, but that's really your business. But for goodness sake, be sure to use a reputable agency that guarantees your money and follow their rules. Scams against foreign tourists are rampant in NYC, and you don't want to arrive at your "apartment" only to find that it doesn't exist or that it's been rented out to 5 other groups.

Dianedancer

Brooklyn is a BIG place. Where in Brooklyn?

hpeabody

Check into Dial7. https://www.dial7.com/

jenmorg

Thanks for all the advice. What about Jersey city as another option?

nytraveler

Subletting apts is not illegal in NJ, but in Jersey City you need to be sure you are near the PATH (similar to but NOT part of the NYC subway, so an extra fare) into Manhattan.

nelsonian

Check this apartment out jenmorg, it is legal. The owner owns the building and lives in the building in another apartment.

nelsonian

Okay I didn't put up the link. Sorry about that.

https://www.vrbo.com/3934644

nelsonian

This time

https://www.vrbo.com/3934644ha

jenmorg

This apartment looks beautiful. Thanks

nelsonian

Will let you know what it is like. We are staying there for 9 days over Christmas/new Year this year. We are from New Zealand and find apartments are cheaper, more convenient, and much more spacious than a hotel room. You have to find legal ones though in New York and some other places. We are arriving at Newark at 7.30am flying United, I wish we were using Hawaiian Airlines.

nytraveler

Legal apartments in NYC are incredibly rare. You can tell if the owner charges the city hotel tax of 15%. If they don't charge that - and pay it to the city - then it's not legal. Apartment are NOT legal in any building with 3 or more apartments and are legal in private houses only if it is zoned as a 2 family house.

Naturally owners can rent out their entire house (but only to one tenant, not multiple different tenants at the same time).

jenmorg

Thanks Nelsonian. I'm tempted to lock it in straight away as it looks so good. The good ones always go fast. We are travelling Hawaiian airlines which we booked on Friday, including the extra comfort package. We are stopping for a week in Hawaii on the way home.

nelsonian

Jenmorg, I would lock it in now too. E-mail through VRBO and Jen will probably contact you directly.

jenmorg

Well I left it too late as I was dithering about what to do and now I see the apartment is no longer available in 2017. So I'm back to looking again, including in Jersey City and also for hotel rooms with kitchenettes. I'd still like to hear from anyone with recommendations for self catering accommodation which is legal.

nelsonian

Have you tried Radio City Apartments, they are very popular, and may well be booked up already.

Gwendolynn

Have you looked at Affinia Hotels in Manhattan. They have kitchenettes and have several locations. They've received some good reviews here on Fodors (unfortunately, I can't remember who posted them.)