Yellow cabs work in shifts 5AM to 5PM and 5PM-5AM and there are always cabs at 4AM hungry for a fare to the airport. Many cabbies live in Queens or the garage is in Queens or Brooklyn and are sometimes looking to bring their cabs back for the next guy.

It is maddening to most NY'ers that the afternoon shift change is at the PM rush but that is a different topic.

The LGA airport hotels aren't very good, but if you don't stay in one, you're going to have to take a taxi to the airport that morning, and it's going to cost you about $40. So budget for that. A car service can be called for a specific time but costs more. If you ask the driver to take the Queensboro Bridge, you can avoid the tolls to LGA, and that's convenient from Vanderbilt YMCA. But you have to specify that.

I don't understand why you'd want to switch hotels. The Vanderbilt Y is more convenient and central than the hostel on the Upper West Side, and it's closer to the airport. I'd continue staying there if you can.

I had exactly the same reaction as Doug to you comment about switching hostels. The one on Vanderbilt is certainly the most convenient, so why switch?

I just want to echo what Doug had to say about "how unpleasant" it is standing in Times Square for hours upon hours. I did this before 9/11 so security was not what it is today and it was still unpleasant. If you have never been to New York you may not realize what it is like to be standing with thousands and thousands of people knocking into you, it is an experiance.The weather has been very mild so I would dress in layers. I would try to hed over to rock center to see the tree, and you can do the "top of the rock" at the same time. The tree is between 48th and 50th and on 5th ave, you could also check out st.pats cathedrel if you have an interest in that. Enjoy your trip!