irinigk

Hello!

We will be traveling to New Jersey on Business and want to take a day trip to New York City! We will have a rental car, but I would rather not drive into the city. We want to visit Central Park and shop along 5th Avenue. Is there a place where we can park closer to the city in New Jersey then take the train into the City? Do you have suggestions on the best/cheapest form of transportation to get from Long Branch, NJ to Central Park?

Thank you in advance for your help!

tomfuller

Where are you renting your car? If you are flying into EWR, you can return the car and take an Amtrak NE Regional to Penn station from the EWR station which is at the airport.

SusieQQ

You can get a train right in Long Branch that will take you to Penn Station in NYC. From there a taxi or subway to Central Park. I frequently go into Manhattan and usually drive but my alternative is the train from Long Branch.

www.njtransit.com

irinigk

Awesome!! Thank you both so much! I like the idea of taking a train straight from Long Branch. Our day trip is in the middle of our trip so we will have to keep the rental car for another few days!

If we were to drive into Manhattan, where would be a good place to park near Central Park? On average, how much would it cost to park for the day?

SusieQQ

Central Park is big....over 800 acres. So, don't know what park of it interests you.

www.centralpark.com

Here is a site showing parking and prices in NYC. www.bestparking.com/NYC

nycguy10002

Drive to Manhattan? Don't. Traffic is horrendous on the streets of Manhattan (and that is after the LONG drive from Long Branch).

There are parking facilities in Mid-town Manhattan but are very expensive. Just Google (or Bing or Yahoo) "Parking Midtown NYC" to see listings of parking garages and rates.

You are better off using NJ Transit's NJ Coast Line from Long Branch (operates hourly during non-rush hours) to NY Penn Station. The one-way trip averages about 1 hour, 40 minutes

NJ Coast Line Timetable and fares: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0080.pdf


From NY Penn Station take the subway:

For Columbus Circle/Central Park West - uptown A or C train on the 8th Av side or uptown 1 train (not 2 or 3 train) on the 7th Av side of Penn Station,
For the east side of Central Park (5th Av), exit NY Penn Station on the 7th Av side and walk one block to 6th Av/Broadway and take the uptown N or R train (also the uptown Q if the side electronic sign reads "To Ditmars-Astoria") to the 5th Av station (at 59th/60th Streets).

nycguy10002

I forgot to mention if you use the A, C or 1 Train get off at 59th St-Columbus Circle. The C train also makes stops along Central Park West (72nd St, 81st St-Museum of Natural History, 86th St, 96th St, 103rd St, etc)

There is also the uptown E train (same platform as the C at 34th St-Penn Station) - the E train goes to 5th Av at 53rd St (6 blocks from Central Park which is at 59th St/Central Park South).

SusieQQ

Actually driving in Manhattan is not "horrendous"...I've driven in most of the major East and West Coast cities and find Manhattan much easier than for example Boston. SF or D.C. since most of it is a grid...Traffic may be slow, but not bad.

just my experience.

doug_stallings

If you do drive, you need to consider the significant cost of tolls as well as parking.

You will pay a $15 tunnel toll regardless of whether you enter Manhattan from the Holland or Lincoln Tunnel. There are also road tolls, but I don't know what they are.

Parking will cost between $20 and $45 depending on where you park. It's $40 for the Port Authority garage, one of the most convenient since it's just past the Lincoln Tunnel. Midtown is more expensive than the outskirts.

mclaurie

A fun but not inexpensive way to go would be the ferry from Atlantic Highlands.
http://seastreak.com/ferry-routes-an...new-york-city/
For Central Park stay on til 35 st.

Ancheaper option is to drive to Jersey City and park near a PATH train station.

sf7307

I live in San Francisco, but grew up in NY, and I hate driving in Manhattan (San Francisco is no picnic either). I'd take the train both ways and use the subway in the city.

MP07950

The ferry is a nice way to go, but they are expensive. You could drive to Jersey City but will still hit the heavy traffic going into Manhattan, and parking for the day will be around $22 (plus PATH tickets).

maxima

I would take the train from Long Branch and then the subway. although the trip appears to be about the same time for the train and driving, you need to consider traffic. if you want to make the most of your day you will end up traveling during rush hour, tunnel backups are known to be in the range of 30 minutes to an hour.

and if you are tired at the end of the day, its more relaxing to take the train.

Gwendolynn

I've taken that ferry which is fun. But the port at 35th Street is really out of the way. Don't know what the taxi situation is these days, but getting across 34th St. on the crosstown bus is a real PITA.

I have friends who have a place in Long Branch and they always take the train in.

irinigk

Thank you all so much! You all have been very helpful!