nytraveler-

If they dropped the car off in Hartford or New Haven, like most normal people would do (and was suggested numerous times on this very thread), they would not have your invented problem.

Maybe on your planet they can take the car onboard the Connecticut trains that all go to Grand Central.

So, for the reading comprehension impaired, the plan would be:

1. Drive to Hartford or New Haven.
2. Drop car off at rental place.
3. Board Amtrak train to Penn Station.
4. Taxi to 49th Street.
5. Enjoy vacation.

--versus--

1. Drive to NYC on a parade day.
2. Check car in on the Monday of a three -day weekend in Midtown.
3. Taxi to 49th Street
4. Start day in NYC Stressed.

I know which I would do.

NY Traveller is right on the mark here. Follow his directions and you'll be fine. As long as you stay on the West side, you'll never know there's a parade going on 5th Ave., plus the theatre is dark that day, so it shouldn't be too crazy in that area. Avoid the CROSS BRONX EXPWY at all costs, cut across to the West on the Cross County Parkway, we do it all the time and rarely have a problem. Make left on 48th street, then a right on Broadway, right on 49th to drop all off. Check out ICON parking's web-site for better parking deals. The train might sound good, but with luggage, it will not be user friendly.

Wow! Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, our choices were to either drive our rental car to New York and return it there (arriving at the hotel first to drop off our luggage), or return it in Connecticut and catch a train into New York.

Due to our timing, it looks like we would have to pay for the rental car on Monday anyway, so the train trip would be an additional expense. Everything considered (especially my luggage issues), we will be driving into Manhattan.

Thank you all for your help, especially with the detailed driving directions. I am really looking forward to our trip!

Kylie4, all of us (me included) seem to be making little mistakes in the directions. Note the following DEFINITIVE directions from the West Side Highway:
Take a left onto 50th Street, follow to Broadway. Take a right on Broadway. The Crowne Plaza will be on your right.
(If you go down 48th Street and take a right you're going into opposite directly of the hotel, which is at 49th Street. That is why you must take 50th Street off the West Side Drive to go southbound to reach 49th Street. Whew!)

Hi! Thank you all very much for your help with directions into New York. As suggested by nytraveler, we changed to the Merritt Parkway early (in Norwalk) & entered Manhattan from the Westside. HowardR’s detailed street directions were perfect. We pulled up to our hotel, dropped off our luggage & returned our car. (Driving around New York all week would have been a nightmare.)

It took us longer to get into New York from Connecticut because our plans changed & we left in the late afternoon instead of the early morning. We encountered some traffic, but it wasn’t too bad.

It rained almost every day that we were in New York (everyone told us that this was highly unusual), but we had fun. The Broadway productions were great, especially “Spamalot.” Thanks again!

I'm glad we finally got those directions right....and that they worked!