JFK-Midtown Manhattan-JFK
 

My hotel is at the corner of W39th and 6th Avenue. Actual address:
Residence Inn by Marriott New York Manhattan/Times Square
1033 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10018 USA

My ETA at JFK is 1500 on Aug 5th (Thurs) while my ETD out of JFK is 2350 on Sept 17th (Fri).
I am a single female, traveling solo, carrying a laptop (backpack) as well as a 20kg trolley bag (larger than cabin sized trolley bag).
I have eliminated Taxi/private car since it is too expensive for a single passenger. I have also eliminated shuttle services like Supershuttle since I read that it will take forever.

My options are now between :
1. NYAS Express Bus to Grand Central Station+mini van to hotel, and/or
2. Airtrain+LIRR to Penn Station+cab to hotel.

Knowing the location of my hotel in relation to both Penn Station and Grand Central Station and my situation (trolley bag+backpack), single female, never been to NYC before, value for $, and my arrival and departure time... Which option do you recommend?

My concerns - safety and risk of pick-pockets, lugging my luggage up the stairs, missing the departure flight.

Thanks!
Mel

Penn Station is one long city block and five short blocks from your hotel.

There is very little pick pocketing going on and the area around Penn Station and Gran Central are very busy when you arrive and a little less busy when you leave.

The Express buses can go to either Penn or Grand Central.

Whatever you do, do not take the Super Shuttle.

When you arrive, you could take AirTrain to subway A or E train instead of taking the LI RR.
Cost is 7.25 total. Bus to Penn Station easier option,$15.00.
Do not take the subway on your return trip so late at night.

Safety is not an issue as long as you can haul the luggage up or down a couple of flights of stairs easily. (You must of course keep it with you at all times with your hand holding it. You won;t be able to take it to your seat - but by Jamaica the train is often so crowded there aren't any empty seats anyway and you will probably have to stand with the luggage for the few minutes from Jamaica to Penn Station.

Airtrain to LIRR plus cab will cost about $20 with tip for the cabbie. But you need to haul your luggage from the LIRR platform up to the station proper - a double set of stairs with a lot of other people galloping to get to wherever they're going.

If you take the bus to Grand Central you would have to walk about half a mile on VERY crowded sidewalks. If you can manage your luggage that far - then just walk. (Not aware of any mini-van from Grand Central to the hotel.)

Just so you know, pickpockets are NOT rampant in NY - as long as you take the normal precautions:

Never put down your purse or any luggage

In a restaurant keep you bag either on your lap or with the strap wrapped around your ankle of knee

In the subway or bus watch your belongings at all times and don;t take your hand off them (a backpack on your back that you are ignoring is asking to have someone slit it and take something)

Not so Happy Traveller

Mel would be leaving 8 PM or so for her return flight. And as NYTravel points out you take the LIRR to Jamaica and then the Airtrain. It is well loght and there are always people there.