better airport in nyc?
 

We'll be staying in Manhattan. Should we fly into LGA or JFK? Thank you.

No good answer.

LGA is closer, but has horrible on-time flight records.

JFK is easily accessible by inexpensive public transport by train/subway. Getting there by road can be a nightmare or a breeze.

You didn't mention Newark (EWR), which is also an option, with reasonable public transport access and newer infrastructure.

Base your choice on ticket price and best schedule. The airport really isn't the biggest issue.

Agree - the most important is the schedule and cost of flights from your departure city. LGA is closest and cheapest to get into the city by cab - but does have by far the most delays - esp if you land in the later afternoon or evening.

I suspect that things may start getting better at LGA. I just noticed that nonstop flights by AA from Ft. Lauderdale to LGA will end in the spring. LGA is reducing the number of flights in.

For me, the risk of a little delay isn't enough to make me want to choose one of the other airports (unless I got a really good savings by doing so). Taking a taxi from LGA is so easy, so quick, and so "comfortable" compared to the alternatives from Newark of JFK.

Shockingly, I'll say neither... my preference if I need to be in Manhattan is flying into Newark.

I'm kind of indifferent b/t LGA & Newark, but JFK would be my least favorite option if forced to choose. The cab is long and expensive, and public transportation takes forever.

If you are taking public transit, JFK is the most accessible airport in the NY Metro Area, in my opinion. It's about 30 minutes from the terminal to Penn Station via the Long Island Railroad/Airtrain. You can't beat that. Penn Station is at 7th Avenue/34th St. You can also take an airport bus to Grand Central or the Port Authority bus terminal at 8th Ave/41st St. A cab costs $45 plus toll plus tip, for a total of about $60.

EWR is almost as accessible if you use the Airtrain/NJ Transit option. And you can take a bus directly from EWR to the Grand Central area or to the Port Authority. Cabs are usually much more expensive from EWR to Manhattan (though going TO EWR is about the same as JFK if you arrange it through a car service).

From La Guardia, the only viable options are cab or airport bus, but buses go to both the east and west sides. As NeoPatrick points out, though, a cab from LaGuardia is much easier in most cases than any other option, though admittedly expensive. If traffic is bad, though, a cab from LaGuardia can be both tiresome and expensive.

But as most other posters have pointed out, your airport choice doesn't really matter that much. Flights are commonly delayed at all the NYC area airports, so choose based on flight schedule and price. None of the airports deals well with adverse weather.

One of the big considerations here is the number of people. Whenever someone is talking about any kind of public transportation, you must multiply the fares by the number of people. Yet a taxi or car service is for up to 4 people (5?). I still remember the time we stupidly took a shuttle from LGA we thought to our midtown hotel, only to find we had to sit and wait for a transfer at Grand Central Station and then sit on the smaller shuttle in pre theatre traffic stopping at four other hotels in a grand circle before arriving at our hotel. Meanwhile the two shuttle tickets were ALMOST the same price as a taxi would have cost.

Paying $25 or $30 for a taxi may seem expensive for one person, but for two it's not so bad, and for four people, it's an absolute bargain!

I'd pick the airport with the best flights/prices/times for you. If that doesn't make the selection any easier, if you plan on taking a taxi, use LGA. If you prefer public transport, either of the others.

A travel agent once told me that if the weather/fog is borderline, EWR is marginally more likely to stay open than LGA or JFK. I personally like the ease with which you can get to EWR, and approach/departure patterns allow pilots to stay slightly out of the JFK/LGA rats nest on take-off and landing. If you're heading south you can sometimes just head straight out.