Mount Sinai hospital New York - need help...asap...
 

My SIL is having surgery next Tuesday at Mount Sinai in New York. I am trying to see if I can get there to see her. The surgery has the potential to be serious due to previous conditions. She is VERY nervous. She has been told she will be in the hospital any place from 5-7 nights. :( She mentioned to me "that no one will even come and see me" She lives in NJ now but has to have the surgery at this hospital because of her surgeon. She almost died about 20 years ago and now they have to go back in.

I have a flight on hold with Delta with miles. Money is tight right now so I have to make this work for as least amount as possible along with get my children handled here to be able to go.

Assuming I can pull it together on this end I need help with:

Hotel. It appears the Marriott is close by (according to the Mount Sinai web site). My SIL said Mount Sinai is very close to Harlem <sp>? I want to be sure I stay in a safe area. I will be traveling and staying alone and as I have shared before am a huge nervous nelly. I know hard for you that always travel alone to imagine. The Marriott has a good rate of 169.00 a night if you make the reservation through Mt. Sinai. I am looking for other good recommendations. I am checking Starwood hotels as well because I have points but am not sure any are close. I would like to be able to walk to the hospital if safe and close.

transportation - I have used a car service the last few times I went to the city - I will be traveling with carry on only - is it safe to take the subway - I do not arrive till 7:44 pm into JFK. I felt good about the last few times I managed the subway but again share I am a pretty nervous traveler. (how I love it so much is beyond me!)

I would like to try to pull this off..thanks in advance for your help!

I don't think Mt Sinai is considered to be "in" Harlem. <i>The Mount Sinai Medical Center campus stretches from 98th Street to 102nd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues on Manhattan's Upper East Side.</i>

I think it is a safe neighborhood. Would you consider staying at the YMHA? It is a safe area and might be cheaper.

This page shows way to get from airport to hospital/area. Take a taxi if the subway concerns you.

I am sure locals with offer ideas, as I haven't been a local in a number of years. My info might be dated. Email me if you need to,DD.

Deb

Sorry, forgot the link

http://www.mountsinai.org/Visiting%20Us/Directions

I looked at the map of where the hospital is as refresher to me -- and it really is a good, safe area. Deb

Would you consider trying Priceline and if you can get a good rate using subway, bus or cab to get you to hospital with the money you save? While NYC is always expensive, early March is hardly prime tourist season so you might catch a deal.

Okay good Deb - thank you. The Y huh? Gwad... OC Houswife really saves money. Ughhhhhh --- is it safe? I saw that on the page too but was worried...

My SIL is from Brooklyn - she said that it was right next to Harelm - seemed different then what the website said too. I can just see me booking a room in a bad area.

I checked out the Y, don't seem that they have short term rooms, butI did see it on Mt Sinai website as a possible place.

You know, not all of Harlem is awful. Much,most of it is fine. And keep in mind, even a true sketchy area has to start somewhere. I think of how The Tenderloin in SF is just a block from Union Square and all the trendy shops!

Honestly, that are is fine. Don't let that stop you.

Deb

that area is safe--it's pretty much Riverside Drive, i.e. fancy.

Okay - thank you all. I am very unfimilar with the city. I have stayed at the Waldorf and liked that area - the Marriott in the financial area on business, the Marriott in TS (hated it) and the Hilton Garden Inn by TS (it was not bad not RIGHT in the center but close to subways).

I will work on a room tonight when I get home. If anyone can suggest a hotel that would be great.

Gail - that is a good idea. I am unfimilar with PL for NYC and am running out the door but will see this evening. I wonder if I wait till next week if I will get a "better" rate.

I assume The Marriott in question is the Courtyard at 92nd street and while it's sort of close, it's not exactly right next door. The Courtyard is at 92nd street and 1st avenue.
That's 6 avenues (very long blocks) and at least 6 blocks to Mount Sinai (which has several buildings).
Most of the area is perfectly safe, especially during daytime hours, but someone unfamiliar with the neighborhood might feel a little uncomfortable on some blocks. A good idea is to always stick to the avenues and "main" streets (in this case 96th which is an always busy wide road).
So, if walking, walk up from 92-96 on 1st avenue then head over on 96th street to Madison or 5th avenue (depening which hospital building and entrance)and up to the street you need.

You might also consider hotels on the Upper West Side, about a 15 minute bus ride across Central Park. It's about the same distance as the Courtyard, but I do not recommend walking across the park. (While most parts of the park arere safe, especially during the day, there's no reason to walk across)Look at the Newton Hotel on 95th street or the Days Inn on 94th street.

Agree that the Newton would be agood choice. You can hop on the 96th St crosstown bus and then after crossing the Park just walk up Fifth Ave to Mt Sinai.

It's probably actually faster than getting to the Marriott - and is in a better, busier area - with lots of little shops and restaurants.

As for being safe - Harlem sort of starts at 106th steet if you go further east - but on Fifth Ave up to 106th is all hospital buildigs and museums - so safe - but can be quiet after dark.

Being a "nervous" traveler, I would suggest you NOT use Priceline in this circumstance as it would be hard to know exactly what/where you will end up. It would cause me angst -- and I am not known to be a nervous traveler.

Deb

thanks for the feedback - this is exactly what I am looking for. That is why I wanted to ask here - even though it is on their website I knew you would all have more information. Thank you. We are still trying to see if we can make this work. Dh may end up going instead of me - seeing if he can work it out and need to see the cost of the hotel.

Take a cab from JFK. If you are nervous then the subway at night from JFK to the Upper East Side (Not Riverside Drive area, which is Upper West) might make you nervous. The cost is $60. maybe going back if you are more settled, you can take a cab to the airport.

MomDD-

1) knowing you through your posts in the past, I would not use Priceline.

2) If you don't feel comfortable staying close to Mt Sinai, look for hotels in the Upper East Side that's close to the No.6 subway.

3) There's a deal for the Affinia Gardens hotel on travelzoo right now:
http://hotels.travelzoo.com/new-york-hotels/539446

4) Getting to the hospital in the AM, it's perfectly safe to take the subway there. If you're staying at the hospital until late at night, then just hop on a taxi back to your hotel. I'm not a huge fan of crosstown buses, it always seems like they run infrequently at night.

Yk - to be known :) -

I took the bus from Staten Island to back to Time Square in October. That was okay. I really am "okay" with public transportation but am one of those people who is very afraid of mugging/attack. (PTSD) I figured at night to just stay away from the subways.

I do think that the hours will be odd - I know when I went to be with my Mom after surgery -- I spent the nights and came back during the days etc.

Dh and I talked and he might go and he will only take a cab - and he is the New Yorker. LOL

I will take a cab from the airport. If I change it to EWR I might do the train. DD and I did that from the city to Newark to get a rental car in the fall. It worked well (unless you all tell me it is not safe?)

Right now I am flying into JFK though.

oh and the Affina is unfortunately sold out on the dates I need at those rates according to the website :(

If you are very fearful of mugging/attack from PTSD then I also suggest not taking subway at night - not that this will happen to you, but there is an eclectic group of individuals who ride public transit in NYC, some of which who look a little creepy - although almost all are safe. If you can possibly afford a cab, whyt stress yourself at a time when you are already stressed.

In the past, I have travelled to NYC for business at Mount Sinai Hospital. It's always fairly easy to get there with a cab during the day but I found that there was not always cabs around when I left there at night, especially if the weather was bad. That can be rectified by setting yourself up with a car service if you plan to be there at night.
I just looked at Marriott on line and there is a new Fairfield Inn by Marriott on West 40th that has a rate of $132/nite (AAA rate) for March 3 - 8 and the regualr rate is 139/nite. For this location this is a pretty good deal and you would be in an area that is quite safe to walk around. Near Times Square but not in Times Square...
Good luck to you and especially to your relative that is having surgery. I hope all goes well.

Just to help you with a few of your concerns, the Airtrain to Long Island Railroad at JFK is VERY VERY VERY VERY safe, as is the Airtrain to NJ Transit from Newark. Absolutely no problem at all at that time of night (this is REALLY early by New York standards and prime time for traveling around the city), and then I'd recommend a taxi in Manhattan if you end up staying on the Upper East Side.

The Upper East Side is particularly safe. Harlem is on the WEST side of Manhattan and not anywhere close to where you are going. Now EAST Harlem starts about 110th Street on the east side, and you might feel a little odd walking the streets there late at night, but you can always take cabs.

The new Fairfield Inn isn't really convenient at all to the hospital, so I'd recommend the Courtyard above that. But virtuallyl every area in Manhattan where there are hotels is safe; some are just much more convenient than others.

The Hotel Wales is very close to Mount Sinai, but it's $195 a night, so I don't think you want to go that route. However, any hotel on the east side above 50th Street would be convenient for the hospital. You'd be about 15 or 20 minutes away by subway (perhaps a tad longer by bus) on the busiest subway and bus lines in Manhattan. I also really like the idea of staying around 96th Street on the Upper West Side. It's a busy, safe residential area and very convenient to Mount Sinai on the crosstown bus.

Just buy a 7-day transit pass when you arrive, and you will never have to pay for the subway or bus again until you go home.

By the way, if you stay at the Courtyard and you want a good, cheap dinner, check out Pio Pio on 90th/1st Ave. Truly excellent Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken. Dinner will cost about $10 or $12.