Best place to stay outside NYC for visit to NYC
 

We are going to be doing an east coast college tour with out daughter during spring break. Among other schools, she wants to tour Columbia and NYU. We've been advised not to drive into NYC. Where in NJ, NY, or CT would it be most convenient to stay to take a train into the city? Would subways work best from the train stations?

I've lived in CT for most of my life and rarely drive into NYC. The traffic is always terrible and there's usually a jackknifed tractor trailer somewhere along the way.<BR><BR>I can't address NJ or NY, but if you're looking at colleges in Connecticut: Yale, Trinity, Wesleyan, etc., you could take Metro North trains anywhere along the shoreline from New Haven through Greenwich, about two hours to go the entire distance. At Grand Central, you can connect with subways. If you don't already know, you can buy a day pass for $4/person for unlimited travel.<BR><BR>I'd specifically recommend staying in the Norwalk-Stamford area for a couple of reasons. From that point it takes less than an hour to get in, since most trains run express from Stamford. You will pay for parking at whatever station you choose, but hotels are much cheaper. I regularly stay at a Doubletree on the Norwalk-Darien line for $35/night through Priceline.

I drove into NYC and it actually was not too bad. Got a great rate at Hotel 41 a 3 star boutique hotel on 41st street near times square. Rooms are small, but it was very nicely appointed. Got it for $92 per night on priceline. Check out bidding for travel for great priceline tips--I have always stayed in the city at 3 star + for less than $100 a night. Broadway Millenium has much larger rooms. I would recommend staying in the city. Call hotel to ask about nearby parking or valet service. I parked on 9th st. near 38th and rates were reasonable. Traffic was not too bad.

IF you do decide to stay in the city, I would recommend arriving very EARLY on a weekend, park the car, and don't touch it until it's time to leave. There are hotels with parking (no, it is not cheap) and I would leave it at the hotel garage, not &quot;just&quot; a parking lot. When it is time to leave, have your route clearly mapped out for the most efficient exit.

If you have driven in cities it is manageable. I would recommend--obviously--avoiding commute hours and weekend evenings. I only park in the city if I have a car and have to keep it with me. But park it and leave it. Public transport in NYC is great! You can buy a 4 day pass good for all subways and buses in most subway stations and walk and ride whereever you need to go.

I recommend driving into the city unless you are really terrified of traffic. I encourage you to do this for two reasons. First, although it can be a challenge, it is still more convenient than driving to NJ and taking the train in. Next, suppose your daughter decides to go to college in NY, how will you bring all her belongings to the college dormitorium? I would think most likely driving. You my as well get a sense of what it would be like. <BR><BR>I don't know where you are coming from, but you might consider coming by the George Washington Bridge. Head south towards Columbia. You could park your car at the school. The traffic is a lot less miserable there than midtown. Next, you could take the subway to NYU.<BR><BR>Definitely take the subways to go everywhere. It will give your daughter a better sense of what living in NY will be like. The 1 and 9 are the ONLY subway lines that go to Columbia. Almost all the other lines will take you somewhere close to NYU. Although, I find the N and R most convenient to the school's admin. offices. <BR><BR>I wish her luck in her search.

It is not at al convenient to stay outside the city and commute daily to the city. Not only is it not convenient you might find it is not cost effective when you factor in the daily cost of the commute for three. But should you feel it best to stay outside the city consider staying in NJ in a hotel convenient to the ferries that service NY and NJ.. The ferry service is operated by NY Waterways and there are hotels close to the terminals in NJ.

Stay at the Holiday Inn in Rockville Centre (Long Island). Its very close to the Long Island Railroad which takes you directly into Penn Station - very convenient. 30 minutes door to door.

People who live in the city will advise you to drive in; those who don't will advise you to train in. It's the reason they made their neighborhood/town decision in the first place. What, specifically, are your destinations outside, but near, the city? It may make a difference. OTherwise, I say drive in and stay in the city. Let her (and you) get a feel for what it's like to live there. Truly, you'll be fine either way, but far more fun to stay in MAnhattan than at a hotel in the burbs...<BR><BR>(I should tell you that I drove into the city for the first time at the age of 18 having grown up in Kansas. It is no big deal at all -- and the streets and grid system are well-marked and easy to navigate.)

You did not mention what other colleges outside NYC you are visiting. I can tell you that a NJ Transit commuter train runs through Princeton and New Brunswick (Rutgers). Princeton is a little over an hour away from Penn Station (NY) and New Brunswick is about 50 minutes away. Princeton is a pretty town to spend a night in, if that is convenient. New Brunswick can be interesting, too. I think there is an Omni Hotel close to the Princeton train station--it has been a while since I have been there. There is a Hyatt near the New Brunswick train station. If you decide to drive into the city, just make sure you are not driving with the commuters. I suggest planning it so you will be driving over the George Washington Bridge around 10:00-10:30 am (best time).

PS-If you decide on taking a train from NJ to Penn Station, there are plenty of subway maps available. They are free as long as you know to ask--they don't advertise them--you need to know they exist. Basically, you can get anywhere from Penn Station quite easily...and for the less adventurous, there are plenty of taxis outside the train station...gosh, I am homesick...I just moved out of that area...

Maybe I missed something here, but the header on this thread indicates that Ellen didn't ask if she should drive into NYC. So this isn't a debate over driving in or taking mass transit. <BR><BR>Clearly if you're moving in a college student, you're not going to take the train. On the other hand, if you're in NJ, LI, or CT and want to go into NYC for the day to look at a couple of schools, it might be good thinking to take the train in.

Holiday - Why the heck would someone drive THROUGH NYC to Long Island and park there and take the train in? That makes absolutely no sense if the intention is to avoid traffic!! <BR><BR>I like the suggestion to drive into upper Manhattan/Columbia area and park and stay there. There's much less traffic up there than in other areas of the city, and hotel &amp; parking rates should be cheaper.

Many thanks for all of the replies. We will be touring several schools on the east coast from Washington, D.C. to New Hampshire. Closest to NYC we will be visiting Yale and Princeton. We are only planning on spending one day visiting both Columbia and NYU so were advised it would be easier just to take a train in early in the morning and back out in the evening to avoid driving, commuter problems and getting lost. Stamford sounds like an easy place to spend the night and go into the city in the morning. Princeton also sounds like a good possibility. Thanks again for the replies.

You might want to consider Paterson, NJ as a good halfway point. Plenty of reasonable motels and good train service.

Although trains go directly from Stamford to NYC, with a stop at 125th street, hotel rates and parking fees are considerably higher than they are at Darien or Norwalk, each only a few stops before Stamford. <BR>

Is there any place closer in NJ to NYC than Paterson that would be nice to stay in and easy to take the train into the city.

I have stayed at Hilton Newark Gateway and the Newark Airport Hilton. The Gateway is directly across the street from Newark Penn Station, where you can choose from PATH, NJT, or AMTRAK to get you to Manhattan. The airport Hilton has a few scheduled shuttles to Penn Station Newark. Both are a little inconvenient, but the savings can be significant.

Given your destinations, I'd strongly suggest the Hyatt in Greenwich, CT. It's a short ride to the train station (either Greenwich or Stamford), then 40 min. or so to Grand Central, or you can get off sooner and taxi to Columbia, etc. Yale is the other way, of course, but not too far.<BR><BR>We used Priceline.com for a recent trip and stayed at the Hyatt for $55 a night - very nice hotel.

ttt