jokaca

Next weekend we are coming to new york for wedding and want to see the city. Will be staying to begin with in Huntington. Are the hop off and hop on buses the best way? Where do you get the tickets? On Monday we will be leaving Huntington and spending the night in Tarrytown but during the day we will be in the city.Where would park on a Monday to go visit the city?
thanks

nytraveler

No - the HoHo buses are, IMHO, a terrible way to see the city. All yuo do is sit in traffic and hear a bunch of garbled incorrect info.

You should pick the 2 or 3 places that you really want to see and then just go there and see them.

Huntington and Tarrytown are both a considerble distance from the city - in opposite directions. I would drive from Huntington to Tarrytown and dump the car there - then take Metro North into the city. But start early - as in 6 am or so - or you will hit horrendous traffic.

HowardR

I assume you will be leaving Huntington on Monday morning, drive into the city and spend the day there and then drive to Tarrytown sometime the evening. Correct?
To answer your questions, first of all, you can by tickets to the hop on/hop off buses when you get to wherever you happen to board the bus. Should you do it? That will get a mixed response from responders.I'll let others debate that question.
As for where to park, since you're going to Tarrytown from there, the best route is via the west side. So, for ease of driving out of the city, obviously park in a garage somewhere on the west side.
The best driving route to Tarrytown is the West Side Drive, which leads right into the Henry Hudson Parkway which leads into the Saw Mill River Parkway to the Tarrytown exit...a little over 25 miles from mid-Manhattan.

doug_stallings

A lot of people love these tours. I hate them, and they are a particularly bad idea on a Monday, when traffic will be really bad and you'll end up spending more than half your time standing still at lights.

With a limited amount of time, you cannot "see" NYC. My advice would be to pick two or three things you really want to do and to do them, taking public transportation or taxis from place to place. If you can buy any tickets in advance, buy them (but do not under any circumstances buy a "CITYPASS" which will be a particularly bad deal for people in the city only for a couple of days)

I read in your other thread that you are going to be in the city on Sunday for Lion King. Definitely come early and do a couple of things then, and then try to do more on Monday.

But I disagree with Nytraveler that you should drive straight to Tarrytown. It will be a long, difficult slog, but come into Manhattan, ideally via the Brooklyn Bridge, so you can drive straight over to the west side, and then park in the theater district unless you really want to see the Financial District. Take public transit from there, and plan to leave the city by car either no later than 3 or 3:30 or after 7:30.

nytraveler

From Huntington to the Brooklyn Bridge will take about a week. Coming from LI the fastest way to get into the city is to take the Triborough, head through the park at 96th St and down the West side highway. To get to the Triborough I take the northern state (versus the Expressway) and follow around past LGA. If there is some activity making that route bad you can follor the Cross Island all the way around and the just jump off for the Triborough.

Heading all the way through Brooklyn - or even anywhere near Brooklyn - will really take forever.

But = into the city on Monday between 7 to 9:30 am will be a parking lot - as will out of the city to Tarrytown anytime from 4:30 to 7 pm. If you are taking the car to the city for the day assume you will eat dinner there and then head to Tarrytown around 10 pm - when it should take about a half hour or so.

CYESQ

Folks, all these directions are great IF you know where you're going. For a first timer in NYC, I'd advise to stay as far away from Manhattan with the car as possible.

Actually I think NYtraveler had it right but I'd make a suggestion. Instead of taking the car all the way to T'town, there must be a park and ride along the route that will get them out of LI and headed in the right direction without being too far from NYC. Then go back and get the car and head to T'town after evening rush hour.

jannieween

I know NYs hate the HOHO buses but I made my first trip to NY last June and loved the HOHO bus...gave a great overview of the city...had a 2 day pass...ticket sellers are on the street in Times Square...When I return this June I now have an idea what I want to see more of and what doesn't interest me.

nytraveler

Partway between Huntington and Tarrytown would be Long Island near the Throg's Neck or the Bronx on the far side of the bridge. I'm not aware that there are park and rides anywhere near either one. And getting to either one via public transit is a major pain involvingmultipld subway and buses.

(I believe there used to be one near the old Shea stadium and you could take the 7 into the city - but don;t know if that still exists.) And you certainly don;t want tourists wandering around random areas of the Bronx.

There are train stations in Westchester where you can park if you get there early enough - but by then you are so close to Tarrytown you might as well go the whole way.

SueNYC

Have a plan A and a plan B. For such a short time, I would pick one or two places and go to them by subway. If it's a beautiful day, the Uptown loop only takes 2 or so hours if you don't get off. I'd then spend some time in Central Park and at one museum.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/expl...t-of-view.html

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/expl...ey-to-nyc.html

CYESQ

nytraveler - too bad no other park and ride lots. Could go to White Plains and drop off early morning. At least they are then done with the car and have good public trans access. It's just that their plans are not logistically the easiest to work with. Tourists wandering around the Bronx! That's a scary thought - although I have a cousin who lives there and some parts are ok.

nytraveler

Some parts of the Bronx are quite pleasant and a lot of parts are perfectly safe - but not a place you want tourists wandering (confusing if nothing else).