Help...cannot find thread on transport from JFK to Manhatten??
 

My neice going for tour of NYU amd of course is on a tight budget. Lodging already arranged.
I will give her money for "supper shuttle" and/or cab.
However I know she will use that money for other expenses so---need directions on how to take public transit. She just has large backpack and tote bag.
Anyone out there that can help...

http://tinyurl.com/7wgvo2

It helps if you spell Manhattan properly.

If she is staying in the area of the main NYU campus in Greenwich Village, her best public transit option would be JFK AirTrain to Howard Beach subway (A train), the A train to West 4th St. This would cost a total of $7 one way.

Do NOT tell her to take the Super Shuttle, a huge mistake in NYC.

Public transit will be a pain if she has both a large backpack and a tote bag. Depending on where she is staying there are a couple of options.

Air Train to subway to walk to hotel.
Air Train to LIRR to subway or cab or walk to hotel.

If she uses the subway at all (and at the LIRR in Penn Station) she will have to tote her luggage up two slights of stairs (at a minimum) as well as along long passageways. If she can carry it easily - fine.

She might also consider a bus into the city (Grand Central of Port Authority) and take a cab from there.

Costs depend on where her hotel is.

A cab from JFK into Manhattan is $45 flat fare plus tip and toll (if used) - so $55 to $60.

Oops- re: misspelling Manhattan. posted before my morning coffee..
Great info from everyone..
Becky is greateful for any help about trip..
She is Jr. in college, lives in "Bay Area".
Told me that she is very comfortable moving around and staying in San Francisco therefore NYC is "doable"
"Honey, NYC is not like SF" then we had a talk about ..
NYC-Manhattan areas. She conceded --more research was necessary.
thanks to all who responded to my post...
One more question--does she have to have a "metro" card for these transport methods ???can she use cash???
Thanks again...

No -

Cash is useless in the subway - she must have a Metro Card. She can probably buy a basic one - don;t know what she will need since you haven't said how long she will stay or where - at a newsstand in the airport.

Traveler24, if this were my niece or daughter, I would have her take a cab from the airport to the lodging. The city is large and extremely busy and you would not want her to get lost and end up somewhere undesirable by herself. Is she flying into JFK or LGA? Not sure, but it may be cheaper to cab it from LGA into NYC since it is right over the Tri-Boro bridge. (someone else may confirm this) Once she is in place, the subways are easily navigated but I suggest becoming familiar with the lines before jumping on them. Get to know where the express and local stops are, uptown vs. downtown etc. She will need to purchase a metro card, there is no cash accepted on the subways.

After the first few uses of the subway, the subway becomes a minor consideration.

As an alumni of NYU and someone who still uses the gym here are some things to consider:

It is the largest private university in the country with an attendant bureaucracy.

There is no such thing as a campus, per se. The buildings and dorms are spread out.

The school does not have any big time sports programs or teams.

NYU is considered a neighborhood bully. They tore down a house Edgar A. Poe lived in when they built the new law library. They closed a NY institution The Bottom Line, although there is enough blame for all. They are constantly goobling up property.

The doctoral programs still lag in prestige to the Masters, law, and MBA programs.

The good things include:

There is a great diversity of ideas, people, and places.

The university is always concerned about the academic standing of the school.

New York is the campus.

Thanks for all the info--especially re:NYU
I think an older (40's) cousin is going with her.
Cousin worked in NYC few years ago and will be her guide..
So now i won't worry so much...

I took LIRR from Penn Station to AirTrain/JFK a few years ago on the way to Italy with a big bag, and it was perfectly fine. But I am used to public transportation and in good shape. I wouldn't hesitate to use AirTrain/LIRR again. Even the subway option sounds fine even if it's a few more flights of stairs - not bad compared to what I had to deal with in Italy!