djkkk

My husband and I (upper 40s)will be traveling from our Philly Burbs home to the Times Square section of New York City by car. We're leaving this coming Friday morning - 10/6, to arrive in NY at approx 12:30PM or sooner,if all goes well. The trip should take approx. 2.15 hours from door to hotel door. Obviously, we don't go to NY, which is why I'm writing. We're only staying one night due to other afternoon obligations the next day back in Philly. Wish we has more time.

Here's a few questions that I'd like help with.

1) Based on 2.15 hours driving with no traffic, realistically on a Friday morning/afternoon, what should we expect in terms of real time with traffic, etc? (the train is not an option).

2) We're checking into a hotel for just Friday night located on 41st St between 7th & 8th (Hilton Garden Inn). We'll be going to the 200 section of 42nd Street for our entertainment this same night(the reason for visiting NY). It's about 8 blocks, I'm told. Is this too far to walk as we're not familiar with NY blocks? Would taking a cab or our car be a better option these 8 blocks?

3) Since we'll have approx 6 hours to kill before our show begins, what suggestions on local sites to see in the area of Times Square or very local where we will be staying as mentioned above. Again, best to walk or drive, which I suppose depends on the distance to the site.

Guess, we really need to visit NY more since we're so close. Thanks for your help.

mcnyc

Hi djkkk, I have made the trip the opposite way, but on a Friday afternoon. I would figure in about 3 hours, considering traffic on the NJ Turnpike alone. Friday mid-morning in NYC shouldn't be too heavy. It'll definitely be moving traffic, unless there's an accident, etc.

2- 8 blocks is not a long walk, not in NYC. It's easier for you to walk than take a taxi on a Friday night. Plus, it'll help walk off some of the great pre-theater dinner specials you can find around your hotel.

3- It's relatively easy to fritter away 6 hours in NYC. Particularly in your part of town. There's plenty of shopping to do, a Madam Tussaud's Museum if that's your thing, Rockefeller Plaza, the MoMA on 53rd btwn 5th and 6th Ave...it really depends on what you want to do. Again, I would recommend walking for best results, although at times the subway, depending on where you head, can be faster.

nytraveler

I don;t know what section of the Philly suburbs you're coming from. 2 1/4 hours may make sense or it may take longer - depending on traffic, rain etc. - esp tiem through the Tunnel.

Once you get to the city put your car in a garage and leave it there until you go home. It is a major pain in midtown traffic, there is no place to park - and each time you in/out the garage the clock starts again so it gets very expensive. If your hotel doesn't have a garage go to iconparking.com to find one and reserve a space - since in the business area many fill up by 9:30 and you might need to go from garage to garage looking for a spot. Figure on $40 for the overnight.

I don;t know who told you it's 8 blocks. The streets go in order and 41st is one block from 42 st. And assuming you mean 200 WEST 42 that's the same cross street you're already at - so it would be a 1 or 2 block walk.

(If you mean 200 EAST 42 St then you would be at Third Ave - can't imagine that's where it is - but in any case that would be about a 10/15 minute walk.)

In either case you don;t need anything but feet.

For what to do - within easy walking distance - less than a mile - you could see Rock Center and Top of the Rock, go visit MoMA, do some shopping at Saks or stroll Fifth Avenue.

You don;t say what you're doing about lunch - but MoMA has a nice restaurant - or at Rock Center you can do the Sea Grille (upscale really good sea food) or Rock Center Cafe - a little more casuale but still good food.

For dinner - is that part of your entertainment? - or are you eating dinner before or after? Without knowing your plans don;t know what to reco.

djkkk

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

nytraveler:
Our hotel's address is 790 8th Ave (I was told it's around 41st street between 7th & 8th. No, dinner is not included in our plans, and we plan to eat before the 9:00PM show, unless we have a late lunch, then afterwards. We're game for anything. The hotel has parking of course, so I'll see if we can check the car in early and leave it there (we can't physically check into the room until 3:00). I'll be sure to wear my comfy shoes.

Anymore suggestions is helpful and appreciated.

rkkwan

Hilton Garden Inn, 790 8th Ave is between 48th and 49th - not 41st/42nd. It's therefore indeed 8 blocks to 200 W. 42nd Street.

Walk east on 48th to Broadway. Turn right on Broadway down through Time Square. Continue on 7th Ave to 42nd.

Suki

djkkk, I know that you said that the train is not a possibility, but I can't stress enough how much better an alternative it is than driving, especially if you are new to visiting NYC. If the cost seems prohibitive, there are cheaper ways to go by train to NYC than Amtrak. We are in the western suburbs of Philly, and we usually drive to Princeton Junction and pay $27 roundtrip on NJ Transit trains to Penn Station.

Traffic will probably be best mid-morning. We drove into NY on a Friday in May since my husband wanted to bring his bike, and it took approximately 3 hours.

mclaurie

"The 200 section" is not a term anyone in NYC would really understand. Everything here is east or west in midtown.

Check how much your hotel parking will cost. There's likely a MUCH cheaper option right near by using iconparking.com. The driver can drop the other at the hotel with bags and park the car and walk back. You shouldn't assume your room won't be ready. PHONE and ask if they could make a note about early check in.

With 6 hrs. "to kill" the world is your oyster. If you're not that familiar with the city, maybe you'd like to do a bus tour? Marvelous Manhattan does a half day afternoon tour.
http://kingofnyc.com/html/tour_selec...midtown_uptown

Or maybe you'd prefer a walking tour. foodsofny.com does several downtown, bigonion.com has a bunch.

Whatever you decide, don't try to drive. Public transportation is best.

Andrew

Having driven from the Philly burbs to NYC before, I too would reconsider the "train is not an option" constraint. From the Philly Burbs, it would probably be two train connections (Septa to center city, center city to Trenton, NJ Transit from Trenton to Penn Station) but it would probably be far less stressful than driving. I'm guessing you could find a place to park near Princeton for the weekend and just take NJ Transit; I parked basically on the Princeton campus (Alexander Street) for the day on my last trip up, but I don't recall if you can park there for the weekend or if there are "no parking after midnight" signs or whatnot.

Andrew

Suki

Parking on the weekends is plentiful and cheap at Princeton Junction. Friday during the day, parking might be more scarce.

BarryK

As another Phillyburbite, I also recommend taking the train. Besides taking less time than driving, it is so much less of a hassle and so much less nerve-wracking not having to pay attention to stop and go traffic.

We usually go into Manhattan once a month and always take the train (from Princeton Junction.)

kmbp

I agree with the posters who suggest that you consider the train.

We use NJ Transit trains from the Hamilton station, just north of Trenton. For schedules and other information--

http://www.njtransit.com/sf_tr_schedules.shtml

For parking--

http://www.hamiltonstationparking.com/

(Call for information and for an explanation of the payment system. Overnight parking is allowed.)

dbenya

Here's a vote for driving. We often drive to NYC from Bala Cynwyd, taking 76 to Vine to 95 to the Betsy Ross to 73 to the NJ turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel to 10th to 44th, where we park in a garage across from the Algonquin for about $25 for the whole day. E-Z Pass makes it especially easy (no pun intended). We talk, listen to music, and don't have to worry about schedules. We started driving to NYC many years ago when we had tickets for the 'Nutcracker' and could get a train to NY, but nothing back until 10 o'clock at night and were traveling with a small child. It's a great fallback. And there's lots to do between noon and showtime.

djkkk

dbenya:

We're leaving from West Chester (Chester County) this Friday morning - getting on the road by 8:30-9:00AM. What kind of traffic may we encounter as we approach NY around 11:30-12:00ish on a Friday? Also, I just don't know if there will be any traffic issues leaving NY via our car on Sat. morning at 8:00AM to come home. I MUST BE back in Philly by 12:30PM. Tight schedule, but I can't change it. Thoughts.

We'd prefer to be on our own schedule with our car, not public trans.

I've searched the train schedules, and I'm told Hamilton and Princeton fill up by 7:00AM. I can't get there by then.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'm reviewing all options.

lizziea06

Have you looked into Amtrak? It is SO easy to take a train from NY to Philly.

djkkk

Lizzie:
Yes, I did check Amtrak....too expensive on top of everything else we're paying for this short trip. And it would be round trip.

Suki

I agree that Amtrak is expensive. We found parking on a Friday at the Trenton station with no problem. We arrived there around 12:30PM. There is a garage there. It cost a lot more than Princeton Junction, but I don't remember exactly how much (maybe $25 for 30 hours or so.)

I know you are set on taking your car, so I am mostly presenting this info for others who might have the same question in the future. I don't find the train schedule restrictive at all. Trains leave Trenton and return from Penn Station about every half hour all day long with the last one leaving NYC around 1:30AM.

Going up to NY you will have a lot of traffic. I guess it's variable, but once we hit the Lincoln Tunnel, traffic just crawled from there all the way up 10th Avenue. I think that if you get on the road by 8 or 9 on Saturday morning, you will have very little trouble with traffic.

dbenya

Hi, djkkk

Two things should make a difference -- one, leaving closer to 8 than to 9, and two, using E-Z Pass. There's no telling what will happen once you're on the road, but traffic tends to clog up at the toll plazas and the tunnels. Once you're in NY, you're basically just making a right, a left and a right and although the streets might be crowded, your route isn't complicated. I was unnerved the first time we did this -- snow was coming down in buckets -- but it's the same universe and they drive on the same side of the road. It's easier than you think.

djkkk

dbenya:

No E-Z pass here. It won't be a problem for us to leave by 8:00 or sooner.

Do you use E-Z pass at the tunnel too? Sorry for my ignorance...new turf for me.

dbenya

Yes. There would be various tolls along the Turnpike and then one to leave the Turnpike and another to enter the Lincoln Tunnel.

kmbp

IIRC, you'll pick up a ticket as you join the turnpike, then pay as you leave. Watch the signs as you approach the tollbooths so you can avoid the lanes that are E-Z Pass only. Then, you will pay the $6. toll as you enter the tunnel to travel to Manhattan. No stopping to pay as you leave to return to NJ. (Tolls eastbound, not westbound, for tunnels and bridges.)

I don't think you'll be using the Garden State Parkway--that's a pay-as-you-go road where you pay a set amount at tollbooths every few miles.