Hilary

Hello
We are flying into New York for a long weekend from the UK next Friday and this is our first trip to New York. I am finalising an itinary and will have a few questions but here is just the first one. We arrive about 8.30pm at our hotel which is the Wingate Inn at 235 West 35th Street. If we have managed to get some sleep on the plane, and are not too shattered, we would like to visit Strawberry Fields that evening as it will be the anniversary of John Lennon's death. We never forget this date as, just as the news broke on the BBC, our youngest daughter was born.
Could someone tell us the best way from the hotel by subway to West 72nd St which I think is the right place to go into the park? I am presuming we will need the subway and that it is too far to walk? I have a small map with no scale on it - I must get a decent map this week! Many thanks.

Greenhouse

You can take the C train uptown from 34th st/Penn Station to 72nd. It would be slightly under a 2 mile walk.

BudgetQueen

You can take the A or C train- just walk west from your hotel, you will be getting on at 34th St. UPTOWN. From the 72nd St, stop, it is across the street, NOT 2 miles away, a few steps to Strawberry Fields. Be aware- there is nothing mentioning Lennon there, only a tile in the sideway "Imagine". It also will be pitch dark at 8:30pm. You might also want to visit in daytime, so to enjoy the park. Consider also a walk around Rockerfeller Center and Times Square on your first night, enjoying the Christmas lights.

Get yourself a good map.

wantsomesun

The easiest way for you to get there is to take either the C train at 34th and 7th AVe (at Penn Station) or the B train at 34th and 6h Ave. Both are local trains and stop at 72nd St and Central Park West.

Don't take the A or the D trains as they are EXPRESS and don't stop at 72nd St.

You might want to take the train to 59th Street and walk up from there.

Since it is the anniversary of his death I'm sure there will be lots of people at Strawberry Fields also marking the date, so I wouldn't be as concerned about being in the park after dark.

If you decide to walk up to the park it will be a little over a 2 mile walk, and I would suggest walking up Broadway to 59th St and then up Central Park West to 72nd.

From there you can walk over to Broadway for a bite to eat and then take the subway or bus back downtown.

Have a wonderful time while you are here, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

johngerard

Strawberry Fields is in front of the Dakota building at 72nd Street. The mosaic was strewn with flower heads & there were lit candles when I went. Some people were singing & playing instruments whilst others left notes or letters.Close by, off to the right when your back is to the road, is a metal plaque on a stone that lists all the countries of the world - some have now changed names

Anonymous

Since your actual question has been answered so well, I can only add a comment about guaging walking distances in Manhattan. The numbered streets that run east/west are set at 20 per mile; so walking directly north from 35th to 72nd street would be nearly 40 blocks, or nearly 2 miles. The Avenues that run north/south are farther apart, and the distances are not as consistent, so factoring-in that part of a trip is trickier.

GeorgeW

Visiting Strawberry Fields should be done with your eyes closed.

Hilary

Thank you everyone for such excellent responses - we are also planning a bike tour in Central Park on Sat or Sun(weather permitting so I havent booked this yet) so will doubtless see Strawberry Fields then, but I just wanted to go on the anniversary of Lennons death. However as it will feel like 4am in the morning to me as we will have just arrived in NYC, there is a possibility we may not make it....

Greenhouse

Budget: The 2 mile reference was to the walking distance from the hotel, NOT from 72nd.