niona

Hi everyone,

I plan a short shopping visit to NY at the end of April (weekend prior to 1st of May) and I will also go to Woodbury Common. I've already been there, but my husband did the driving back then and it was on a weekday. This time I'm alone and I can only get there on Saturday.

As I arrive very late on Friday, my first hotel is directly at the airport (JFK). My second hotel is downtown Manhattan, close to the WTC site.

What do you suggest?:

A - Rent a car at the airport on Saturday Morning (how early?), drive directly to WC, shop until the afternoon or so and drive back to Manhattan, where I could leave my bags and case at the hotel (although I remember major traffic problems in the WTC area because of the building site) and then return the car at the city rental station somewhere in Greenwich Village. Is there any major traffic from JFK (via Manhattan?) to Woodbury on a Saturday morning and into Manhattan in the afternoon or evening?. I feel uncomfortable with the idea of driving in NY City. I would certainly take a GPS and try to get back by daylight. I presume that the car is more flexible, can carry my bags, and I don't have to wait for the bus.

Or

B - Take the airtrain or subway into Manhattan Saturday morning (how long does it take from JFK to Port Authority Bus Terminal?), get to WC by Greyline or similar and get back to NY in the afternoon or later. I would have to get from the bus terminal to the hotel by subway, and I have to carry my heavy suitcase - are there any elevators or lifts? I can only remember normal stairs...

Thanks in advance for your answers and suggestions!

tomfuller

Have you seen this website? http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet...tions.asp?id=7
Have a fun trip. Would it be cheaper to stay in a hotel out of the city?

HowardR

As for driving, two comments:
1. You won't encounter that much traffic on a Saturday morning.
2. If you decide to drive, make sure you go early. Often after 11 a.m., it's tough finding a parking space on a Saturday at Woodbury Common.

suewoo

I would never spend my NYC time on Factory Outlets. Because they are not factory outlets.

There was a time when we actually had factories in the US. I loved going to the actual Fieldcrest factory outlet. I still have the second Missoni sheets I bought there for 2 bucks. They are the best.

niona

Thanks!

@suewoo: For me coming from Germany, the offer and prices of Woodbury shops are a lot better than what I can get here. Last time I've been there I found a lot of nice stuff and saved much compared to German "outlet" prices. So I'm certainly going to get there this time, too. On my second day I'll get to the city and see the shops there.

@tomfuller: I stay in the city and pay nothing for that, I had some reward miles from the airline and could book a hotel with those "for free".

Any experience with bus

niona

Any experience with buses to WC? Thanks!

doug_stallings

I've never taken the bus to Woodbury Common, but a lot of people do. It's going to be a slog to get to your hotel, drop off your bags, and get back to the Port Authority, so allow at least 3 hours. If you are short on time, take a taxi directly to your hotel from JFK. Early on a Saturday morning, there won't be much traffic, and you won't have to wait for the train, which doesn't run as often on the weekends. This could save you at least an hour.

I'll disagree (strongly) with SusieWoo. Woodbury Common is one of the best outlet malls in the U.S., and it's a true outlet, particularly for high-end designer goods. There are very few Prada outlets in the U.S., and one of them is there. But prices aren't cheap, and the lower-end stuff is grade-B manufactured especially for the outlet or in the case of places like Guess exactly what you'll find at the same prices in stores, but the upscale stuff is true outlet quality and a bargain.

Now the bad part. Saturday will be one of the worst of all possible days for traffic, so expect the trip to take a long time and expect crowds at the mall to be crushing. But since you are coming from Europe, you'll find plenty of bargains.

My only suggestion: If at all possible change your hotel to something in Midtown that will be more convenient, even if it's a lower-class hotel. You'll be very thankful for that if there are any other options at all (I"m assume you're using miles). If you are staying at the Millennium Hilton, you may experience extreme noise from the construction. People are always complaining about that there. I'd opt for the huge Hilton in Midtown even though it's not as nice a hotel.

niona

Yes, I'm Standing at the Millenium Hilton, I can't change the hotel anymore because I booked it with miles, but I''ll try to get a room on the upper floors....

So if I start at JFK at 8 AM, is this going to be too late regarding the traffic?

Thanks!

J62

If you leave JFK in a rental car at 8am you will not have any issues with traffic or parking. It's only about 60miles from JFK to Woodbury Commons.

HowardR

J62 is correct. You should encounter little traffic and should be at Woodbury Common before 10 a.m., which means you'll have no problem finding a parking space there.

niona

But what about returning? When would be the best time for that in order to avoid major traffic?

I also have to fill up the car before returning it. How / where can I find a gas station? I can't remember seeing any in the city...

J62

It's Saturday - don't worry about traffic back to NYC.

If you're going to Millenium Hilton, then you could gas up in NJ before passing through the Lincoln Tunnel. Easiest may be the Vince Lombardi Service area on I-95. Gas in NJ is far cheaper in NJ than NY.

doug_stallings

Saturday traffic isn't anywhere near as bad as Sunday traffic, but I don't think it's realistic to say "no problems". The OP should definitely try to get back to the city by dark, particularly if she is not familiar with the route. So I'd say leave no later that 4pm. That should be enough shopping for one day.

Gas stations in Manhattan are few and far between. There is a gas station on 10th Avenue around 45th Street (sorry I don't know the exact corner, but there's a building under construction immediately behind it). There are also some stations uptown in Harlem.

J62

I'm not saying no problems, but rather don't worry about it.

There will be normal congestion on all of the crossings - either GW Bridge or Lincoln tunnel. It'll be what it'll be, and it's not something one can guess at to work around.

It'll be far less than a weekday or Sunday.

Sunset at the end of April is close to 8pm. Plenty of time to get back to NY by sunset even if they leave by 6pm.

My opinion on enough shopping is arrive at 11am and leave by noon. YMMV.

ggreen

Of course both options have their pros and cons, but I think the advantages of a car outweigh taking the bus: you'll be able to go directly to WC without schlepping into Manhattan first, and IMO very importantly, you'll be able to use the car's trunk to periodically drop off purchases during the day! (That's always a huge benefit for me when I go to outlets.) JFK to WC is straightforward, and starting off outside of Manhattan can be a good thing.

Driving in the city is always hit or miss, though I agree that a Saturday is easier than most other days. Personally, I would not take the Lincoln Tunnel back in! I-87 (Tappan Zee toll is southbound only; $5) to the Cross County Parkway to the Henry Hudson Parkway to the West Side Highway works for me, but check out a couple of routes on Google Maps and decide for yourself.

While of course the WTC area is still under construction, it feels a lot smoother than it did a few years ago, with less rerouting and tie-ups. However, they change the traffic pattern as they progress, so again check it out on Google Maps ahead of time so that you're familiar with what's going on down there.

IMO, the biggest issue you'll have is what you'll do with the car while bringing your things into the Millenium Hotel. Parking options are terrible down there! Though Saturdays are slightly better than weekdays...

As for gassing up in Manhattan, it's going to be a pricey proposition. As Doug said, there are few of them - and they get scarcer every year as the real estate gets taken for other ventures! There's a station on the corner of the West Side Highway and Canal Street, and I'm always amazed at how much they get away with charging. Again, Google Maps will help you find any other stations in the vicinity. Fill the tank before you leave Harriman and you shouldn't have to add too much before drop-off. You also instead could take the car rental option of returning not full and paying the difference that way for peace of mind... FYI, last weekend the cheapest gas prices just north of the city were $3.85/gallon, and here in Brooklyn right now it's just under $4.

Lastly, I don't know which car rental agency you're using, but I know Avis and maybe others have offices in Battery Park as well as Greenwich Village, so maybe you don't have to go that far to drop off. Confirm with the agency that they won't charge you extra to drop off in the city - they usually don't, but again it's good peace of mind!

niona

I would rent from Avis, just like last time, it was ok. I can only hope I'll also get a GPS, my husband did the driving back then and I read the maps.

Thanks to J62 for the information about gas being cheaper in NJ, I'll remember that! Anyway, even NY prices are cheaper than German ones, last week I had to pay around $8,11 for a gallon!!!

I found an Avis station on 68E 11st street, it shouldn't be so far from the hotel. I could ask the doorman to let me park in front of the hotel to drop off my bags. I could also drive directly to the Avis station, but, as I stated earlier, I don't know if there are elevators at the subway stations, so I don't have to carry my heavy bags on normal stairs.

As an alternative, I just found a bus company which pick you up at your Manhattan hotel at 8 am and deliver you and your shoppings back at the hotel, but I would have to be in Manhattan before 8 and I'm not quite happy with that idea.

So I presume I'll take a car...

doug_stallings

68 E 11th is quite far from the hotel. Really far, so by no means choose this one. You want a facility in the financial district or in Battery Park City, not in the East Village, which is on the opposite site of Manhattan from where you're staying. Failing that, it would be easier to drop off the car in West Midtown and then just take a taxi down. There are a LOT of car-rental places west of Times Square in the 40s west of 8th Avenue. Look for one in that general area, and then you can hop in a cab.

But you'd be better off with a rental location in Chelsea or the far West Village or even Tribeca; all those are more convenient to your hotel.

Some subway stations have elevators, but not that many of them. Most have only stairs. If you want a lot of bags, you just want to take a taxi.

doug_stallings

And as for your route back into the city, take the George Washington Bridge and then head down the West Side Highway (called the Henry Hudson Parkway further uptown where you exit off the bridge). That will take you all the way down to the Financial District, and it's by far the most direct route from Harriman. Navigating down by the WTC site is more difficult, but your hotel skirts the westernmost edge of the construction site and is in a really congested area (it's close to Century 21, our famous discount clothing store).

niona

Thanks Doug!
I found an Avis station at 153 West 54th Street, which is quite ok when coming from the G.W. Bridge and the West Side Highway. I'll take a cab from there to the hotel.

niona

P.S. what's the usual tip I would give a cab driver? Would a hotel shuttle bus driver expect one, too?