Ediee

We will be spending a night at the Four Points Sheraton on Spring Street in Elizabeth, NJ and would like to go into Manhattan for dinner. We arrive around 5:30 p.m. on a weekday and are only spending the night and then flying out in the morning. We have done the train from EWR to NY Penn Station in the past, and wondering if the train would be the best way to get to Manhattan and back. How far is our hotel from the Elizabeth train station? Could we walk or have to take a cab? Or what are the other options. Do not want to spend alot of money by taking a cab into Manhattan. Any suggestions? Thanks.

wantsomesun

Check with the hotel on shuttles they may have or buses that run very close to the hotel. You might also take a taxi to a train station. There is probably a shuttle to the airport from the hotel and you can take the train in from there.

Have fun while you are here.

Cicerone

Spring Street is actually a fairly major road in Elizabeth, it is also known as Route 1 and 9. It is a four lane state highway. The hotel is not in downtown Elizabeth, but is actually quite close to Newark Airport and may actually back up onto the airport land. Nothing is really walkable from here, and Elizabeth is not the nicest town in NJ by a long shot.

I think the fastest way for you to get to Manhattan will be to take the #112 New Jersey Transit bus to the Port Authority in Manhattan (42nd Street and 8th Ave, not far from Times Square). There are bus stops not far from Spring Street, your hotel can tell you the closest one. If the nearest stop is not walkable, you could take a taxi, should not be more than a few dollars. The trip would take 30-45 minutes, I think the fare would be abut $5 each way. For schedules and fares go to NJtransit.com. On your way back, I would suggest the train to Newark and then a taxi (see below) as I think this is safer at night and the trains run more often at night than the buses.

Other than the bus, the next fastest way to get to Manhattan would be to take a taxi from the hotel to the train station in Newark, called Newark Pennsylvania Station (not to be confused with Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan). The taxi ride would take less than 15 minutes and should cost between $12-15. From there, trains run very frequently to Penn Station in New York (takes about 20 minutes) or you can instead take the PATH train to lower Manhattan, i.e Wall Street and World Trade Center area.

There are two train stations in Elizabeth as well, one in Elizabeth and one in North Elizabeth. I am not sure which would be closer for you, ask the hotel. You could take a taxi to the station and then the train; however you have to switch in Newark, so IMO it is just easier to take a taxi right to Newark. I would also not be crazy about looking/waiting for a taxi at the Elizabeth train stations late at night when you return from Manhattan.

Taking the hotel shuttle to Newark Airpot is an idea, but check with the hotel to see how often and how late the shuttle runs, as you may end up having to take a taxi back at night. The fixed taxi fare from Newark to the Sheraton is $16. If you take the AirTrain from the airport you have to change trains once and possibly twice to get to Manhattan. You could also take a non-stop bus from Newark Airport to the Port Authority. For info on public transport options from Newark Airport, go to http://www.newarkairport.com.

The fixed taxi fare from Newark Airport to any point in Manhattan between the Battery (lower Manhattan) and 58th Street is $40 plus $5 for the tunnel. See the Newark Airport website.