Job interview in NYC/Manhattan - need transportation advice!
 

Small town guy (central Pennsylvania) looking for some big city advice... I just got a call to interview in Manhattan next week and have never been to NYC myself. The office is on Broadway, between 56th and 57th, on a Friday afternoon.

Is it wise to even consider driving there? If so, where should I be looking to plan my parking options?

If not, where are the best places for me to park and take public transportation?

I'm coming in from a bit of a distance but not far enough to justify flying into any of the local airports (it's only about a 4 hour drive). Many grateful thanks in advance!

Do you want to drive 4 hours and then have a job interview? I don't think so especially if you're not familiar with the city.

I would probably plan on driving to Newark and taking the train from there into Penn Station and then grabbing a cab to their offices.

Drive to Hoboken, park there, and take the PATH train to a subway.

Most of Manhattan is a grid and therefore easy to drive. When you come in thru the Lincoln Tunnel, head left to 10th Ave. and go north until you get to 58th St. follow it to Broadway and turn south onto one or two blocks. There will be parking garages in that area.

Would it possible to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel overnight? Might take some of the stress out and you can go to your interview rested and relaxed.

Thanks for the help so far! I'm looking into all of these things, particularly the Newark/Hoboken options though, since the less time I have to sit in traffic behind the wheel of my own car beforehand, the more relaxed I'll be for sure! Arriving early isn't really an option unfortunately because I have class the day beforehand. It looks based on my little bit of research that I can take either the Newark or Hoboken train to Penn Station and then the "C" line to Columbus Circle, which looks to be about two blocks from the address I was given. Any other advice would certainly be appreciated!

I'd avoid Newark if you're not familiar with the area... trin station is downtown and it's a bad/dangerous if you get lost there.
I'd either go to Hooken & take the PATH train to 33rd street and then take the B or D train from there (no need to get out of the station either) to get to Columbus Circle.
Parkingin Hoboken isn't too easy either. You can also go to Newport in Jersey City. Give yourself 30-40 minutes from Hoboken/Newport to 59th st. on the trains and another 30 minutes to park, walk to the train, from the train etc.

Hmmn. That sounds like directions to the David Letterman Show!

:-D

You could take NJ Transit to Penn Station then hop on the subway to Times Square, switch to the N/R line and get off at 57th Street and Seventh and walk over a block and a half.

Personally, I would rather drive into Manhattan where there are lots of parking garages than wander around Newark or Hoboken looking for parking. I guess you could park at Newark Airport and take the train from there.

There's an enormous parking lot kitty corner from the Hoboken PATH station. YOu can take the PATH to 34th St and switch to either the A or the C.

I'm not sure if I would drive into New York if I've never been there before in my life, but it's up to you!

Is there any way you can take the train instead of driving? It will be much more relaxing (much less chance of delays) and you can use the time to relax and prep for your interview - rather than fight traffic.

I might suggest - and strongly suggest - you look at the public transportation option.

There is at least one bus line that runs from the Pocono region into New York City with multiple locations in PA.

Here's the link.

http://www.martzpoconos.com/

Not sure if you'd be heading East towards NY on Route 78 or Route 80. If the former, not sure that the Poconos bus line works as that may be to far north for you.

If you would come via 78, I'd suggest mapquestion the route to the town of Summit, NJ. It's a main train hub with trains at least every hour into NY. (Every 20 to 30 minutes during rush hour.) Depending on the train, it's at most a 40 minute trip.

Personally, I'd avoid driving all the way into NY. As stated, do you really want to walk into an interview after a 4 hour drive. If you haven't lived in this area, I can tell you that the 3 to 4 miles just to get into Manhattan from the approaches to the tunnels and bridges can test anyone patience and temper.

Thanks all. I've ruled out driving into Manhattan basically due to my unfamiliarity with the city and the added stress of having the interview that afternoon. I have looked into buses from where I'll be departing (the State College/Johnstown/Altoona area) but none will get me there early enough, unfortunately. So, at the moment I'm planning on driving to either one of the PATH or NJ Transit stations and taking the train to Penn Station. Any other suggestions welcome as well!

I'd suggest taking Amtrak into the city, that way you can just relax on your way up. You also might think about coming in the night before, and getting a hotel room. The Big Apple Inn and the Americana Hotel are both within walking distance.

If you did Priceline you could get a good price on the hotel and all your expenses are tax deductable.

How about staying somewhere the night beforehand, outside the city but within reasonable distance from a PATH station I can drive to, park my car, and ride into town?

You can do that, but if you're going to come in the night before, seems silly to stay outside the city and still have to travel in. But, for the info you want, the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City is right near the PATH train and I gather the Doubletree Club is as well. People regularly bid on Priceline for a 3* hotel in Jersey City (included in the NYC area airport section of Priceline) and win rooms at either of these for under $100/night.

Another option is the Sheraton on the Hudson in Weehawken, NJ which has a ferry outside the door that takes you across the Hudson and you're in midtown, not far from your interview.

But if you're going to come the night before, seems to me you should stay in the city, whether you take the car in or not. The Travel Inn is the only hotel in NYC with free parking. It's a decent budget hotel, not that far from where you have to be.

Other moderate hotels that would be a walk away from the interview are
>the Hudson (nice, trendy, small rooms but affordable by NYC standards),
>the Salisbury (good budget hotel, nycsalisbury.com)
>the Novotel

You could also try bidding on Priceline for a Manhattan hotel. If you bid midtown west, the area you want, you could likely win the NY Hilton or possibly the Sheraton, either of which would work.

Since you're now thinking of coming the day before, I'd revisit the bus or train idea, leave the car at home and stay in the city. If you decide to use one of the NJ hotels, check parking prices. I'm not sure it's free. Good luck!!

A few more bits of info...if you don't know about bidding on Priceline, look on biddingfortravel.com and/or betterbidding.com where you can see the list of hotels Priceline uses and prices other people have paid.

Driving in Manhattan is not nearly as scary as people think. If you decide to drive, the Travel Inn is not that far from where you'd get out of the Lincoln Tunnel. If you bring the car in and need another garage, iconparking.com is a great website where you can reserve a spot in garages around town.

Hi Mark,

Picking up on Ryan's notes. If you come east thru PA on Route I-80, you can get off at Allamuchy. Within a mile of the exit, at Panther Valley, there is a bus stop where there is service into NYC. You will arrive NYC at the Port Authority Terminal, approx 42th St and Eighth Ave. Take the subway, or a cab, uptown. The bus line at Panther Valley is Martztrailways. Check their website. There are Panther Valley departures at noon and at 3:05PM. The trip takes about 90 minutes into the Port Authority Terminal.

Panther Valley is a rural location with free parking. The bus hops back on I-80 and does the work for you. The fare is probably not much more than the parking alone would be in NYC.

Sorry, I hit the wrong key.

I think this plan, if the schedule works for you, will be much simpler than dealing with Hoboken, the Path, etc. I used to work in NYC. If you know the territory, those routes work great but they require some practice.

Good luck with the interview. Luv ya, Lions.