Fort Lee vs. Secaucus
 

I have a chance through work to stay at the Fort Lee Hilton or Secaucus Hampton Inn. Does anyone have an opinion as to which is an easier or cheaper commute to Manhattan? We would be sightseeing in New York for the first time. Thanks for the advice!!

Fort Lee is right by the George Washington Bridge, while Secaucus is right near the Lincoln Tunnel. I don't know anything about each hotel (nor bus service from each), but if you plan on sightseeing in NYC, you'll want to take the Lincoln Tunnel to the Port Authority... this will leave you right in the heart of midtown/times square.<BR><BR>Many hotels in Secaucus have NJ Transit bus service at their doorstep or right near by, you may want to call the hotel to see how frequently it runs.<BR><BR>I don't know how your company picked those 2 hotels, but i'd imagine the Meadowlands Sheraton to be equally priced and has gotten good reviews. I've never stayed there but have been inside and it is nice, i've also read that there is FREQUENT bus service to NYC thru NJ Transit which leaves right from the hotel (see if your company will let you stay at this hotel).<BR><BR>Without traffic the trip to NYC (via bus which stops to pick up other passengers) should be about 20 minutes or so. If you have any add'l questions, feel free to ask.

<BR>Fort Lee. since that is where the George Washington Bridge is-which gets you into the city, the buses leave at the bridge,cabs,and you can even go to Weehauken (yes,that is the name of a town:) and take a ferry across,catching a free bus when you get off.<BR>Secaucus, is farther away, from everything, and is just a longer not so pretty ride into either Fort Lee or The Path train in Hoboken or the Lincoln Tunnel.The Fort Lee Hilton is right on Rt80 and is in good shape..

Fort lee is directly across fromt he GWB as others have noted. This means it is across from approximately 165th Street or thereabouts. Secaucus is just before the Lincoln Tunnel which is at about 40th Street. If you're traveling to midtwon or further down I consider Secaucus to be a better choice. Second fact to consider - there are frequent NJ Transit buses from Secaucus that go throught the Lincoln Tunnel on a special bus lane that bypasses the regular traffic - this bus lane is open during morning rush hour only and starts in Secaucus. Trip in to Port Authority should be about 15-25 minutes and trip back should vary from 15-30 depending on time of day. There are buses that run all night. Forft Lee is a more upscale community but as a place to stay Secaucus is perfectly safe and just fine. If I were working in and/or traveling to midtown and below I'd opt for Secaucus. Not sure when you plan to be going there but there is a new Hilton under construction in Secaucus on Rte. 3 that should be open in a few months. The factor I'm uncertain of is which bus or buses stop by the Hampton Inn. The bus that I take through Secaucus (the 190)does not stop directly in front of it but I believe it may come within a block or two - best to check with the hotel.

Check the post The Real Truth About New York Sights, it is great and will give you some guidance:)

Secaucus. If you stay in Fort Lee, you will come into the city at the bus terminal in Washington Heights, which is way uptown(practically in the Bronx)Then you will have to take the A train down into midtown. If you stay in Secaucus,all you have to do is get through the Lincoln Tunnel and you are in mid-town already. You can go anywhere from there.

Follow up on my prior post:<BR><BR>I happened to pass by each of these hotels today in my travels. The Hilton is located right on the highway, and generally not much within the walkable distance.<BR><BR>Hampton Inn is walkable to a few nearby stores (which include The Wiz, Pier One Imports, Houlihans, Uno's Pizzeria, and a movie theater, as well as some others). <BR><BR>The Hilton (years ago) used to be a Holiday Inn and didn't give me that "Hilton" feel when driving by on the outside, while the Hampton is newer construction has probably been built within the last 10-15 years or so. I reiterate that i think Secaucus is a better option.

Chris, the Fort Lee Hilton is on Route 4 heading east...it's right next to gas stations...you can't walk (safely) to anything from there although it's near Linwood Plaza which has a Starbuck's, pizzeria, CVS (chain pharmacy), King's Supermarket, to name a few...you can take any bus over the bridge to the Port Authority on West 181st Street...however, there is a bus that stops in the Linwood Apartments (adjacent to the plaza) that goes to the Port Authority on West 42nd Street)...during rush hours there's even an express...New York Waterways Ferry also has a shuttle bus that picks up passengers in Fort Lee and surrounding areas...The Hampton Inn in Secaucus is next to 2 shopping centers...Mill Creek and Harmon...I haven't been to Mill Creek in awhile, but they did have smaller stores and a food court...Harmon has a Sizzler Steakhouse, Mexican, Burger King, pizzeria and stores...there's also and Olive Garden Restaurant on Route 3.

I'll vote for Secaucus, too, based on the shops and restaurants nearby and the ease of getting into the city.

I was under the impression that Chris wanted an easy commute into NYC to sightsee-not walk around Ft Lee or Secaucus...considering that, the town closest to the city,would be Ft Lee, I think they both require more than one mode of transportation,once they get into NY-- in the case of eating in Ft Lee or Secaucus, Ft Lee has a large Asian community, so there are many Japanese/Chinese restaurants as well as good Italian, as opposed to Pizzaria Uno's etc...

Chris, the Red and Tan Lines operates a bus route (the 9W) which stops at Linwood Avenue & 9W in Fort Lee that goes to the Port Authority on West 42nd Street and 8th Avenue...their telephone numbers are (845)356-0877 or (201)384-2400...New Jersey Transit (bus service) operates the 154, 158, and 159 which also go the Port Authority on West 42nd Street and 8th Avenue...the 158 and 159 also stop at the New York Waterways Ferry...they also run the 124 and 129 which service Secaucus...their telephone number outside of New Jersey is 1-800-773-2222 or 1-973-762-5100...and Fort Lee does have many restaurants as the above poster stated...Al's Kosher Deli on Main Street, Armando's Italian on Main Street, Silver Pond Seafood, China Star on Main Street, and Callahan's or Hiram's on Palisade Avenue for hot dogs, just to name a few.

I agree with "ny" that in theory Ft. Lee is closer to NYC but I suspect it's much further from the part of NYC that Chris may wish to visit for sightseeing. As another poster mentioned, the GWB deposits one so far uptown that it's almost in the Bronx - it's a long haul from there to the places that most tourists tend to visit.

Thanks for all your comments. It's great to get opinions from people who actually live and travel in these places frequently. Thank you, again.

Another vote here for staying in Secaucus over Fort Lee for the purposes of Chris' NY sightseeing.<BR><BR>Consider not just the commute in, but the commute back.<BR><BR>While we may all agree that Fort Lee is actually geographically closer to the island of Manhattan, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get to all the standard tourist attractions quicker.<BR><BR>Also, the return trip to the hotel would be a hassle. I've seen the Hilton with a van, but I don't know that they have a shuttle service or how it works. Anyway, when taking the bus going back to the hotel you would have to go past the hotel, because the highway is actually divided at that point further west of down Rt 4 and then walk over to get a bus in the opposite direction to go back to the hotel. Or you can get off West bound and try and cross the highway, risking your life and wreaking havoc on the metal fence dividing the highway as many of us have seen far too many people do. <BR><BR>