CLBtravel

I'm in the early stages of planning this trip -- have never been to New York City. Am retiring in July and so looking at September dates for an adventure. Road Scholar is offering a 5 night program that sounds like a good introduction to the city, starting on a Sunday late afternoon and finishing Friday late morning. I am also interested in doing a wellness/elementary yoga retreat and my yoga teacher has recommended Rhinebeck Omega Institute, which is about 90 miles from NYC. They have an inexpensive, dorm room weekend stay from Friday night to Sunday mid-afternoon so that seemingly would fit well into schedule.

I'm not used to big cities and will be on my own for transportation. Advice appreciated on the logistics. Road Scholar is using the New Yorker Hotel, which advertises itself as being right across from Penn Station. I can get an Amtrak train from Penn Station to Rhinebeck, with trip taking 1 1/2 hours, and the 2:52 train from Rhinebeck has arrival time as 4:45 at Penn Station. The institute has a shuttle that will pick up at the Amtrak station. How should I get to LaGuardia from Penn Station on my return trip? My plane leaves at 8:30, will that be enough time? I don't want to stress and again, I've never ridden a train or been in NYC before.

I had planned to use Super Shuttle from LaGuardia to the New Yorker on arrival, is that a good idea? I've used them in other airports and been satisfied.

Also, is LaGuardia the best airport to fly into? I will be flying Delta from Atlanta and it seemed closest, plane tickets reasonable.

I've considered staying Sunday night in the town of Rhinebeck but don't want to rent a car & not sure that there would be much for me to do without one. Thank you!

annhig

Hi CLB - I'm doing my first visit to NYC in September too and for about the same amount of time so I hope you don't mind my piggy-backing your thread. I hadn't thought about doing a Road scholar programme but I thought it would be interesting to look at what they offer and see the responses you get. I'm also arriving on the train from Washington DC into Penn Station so the hotel would be very convenient.

J62

I would not take a super shuttle at LGA to your hotel. In NYC they are notorious for taking on passengers with destinations all over the city so you could be on the van for far longer than you need to be. I'm not a NYC bus expert but I am sure there are direct bus to Penn Station or the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Maybe others will chime in. I'd take a taxi or city bus before doing the super shuttle.

Your plan from NYC up to Rhinebeck looks fine.

As for airport. Flying out of LGA is ok but not your only option. Look at flights out of White Plains (HPN) or Albany (ALB) and see if they give you better options., but getting to those airports would likely be more complicated than getting to LGA.

Getting to HPN you could take Amtrak to Tarrytown, then taxi over to HNP, Albany, you'd have to contact Omega and see what they say. It's about an hr drive +/- to ALB from Omega

Your LGA departure plan with the 4:45 arrival into Penn station is plenty of time to catch the 8:30pm flight, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If you wanted to stay Sunday night you could go about 15min down Rt 9 to Poughkeepsie - see the walkway over the Hudson, or visit one of the historic mansions in Hyde Park (Vanderbilt & FDR). There are chain hotels along Rt9, and maybe one near the Poughkeepsie (POK) train station. Getting a train from POK gives you the option of Amtrak to Penn Station, or Metro North into Grand Central (more & earlier train options)

ellenem

annhig, I think for your visit, if not attached to a Road Scholar event, you might find a better option/location than the New Yorker Hotel. Proximity to Penn Station offers the same pros and cons as staying near Roma Termini or Venezia SL.

ellenem

CLBtravel,

Do NOT use SuperShuttle. In NYC, SuperShuttle typically includes riding around Manhattan for an additional hour dropping off different passengers at many different hotels.

There are many different ways to get from LGA to your hotel--all depending on your budget. A taxi would cost about $40-$50 one way including tolls and tips, depending on the time of day.

Via public transportation, from LGA to the New Yorker Hotel, you could take the Q70 SBS (Select Bus Service) to Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue and there transfer to the E train (subway) to Manhattan. The E train has a stop at 8th Ave and 34th St, right under the New Yorker Hotel. I believe the transfer between bus and subway would be free, so this might cost $2.75. Even if you had to pay again at the transfer, it would just be about $5.50.
mta.info | MTA Subway Map
For a visit to NYC you might want to explore transit fares and MetroCards:
MTA/New York City Transit - Fares and MetroCard

NYCExpressBus offers dedicated bus service between Manhattan and the various airports. The closest stop to the New Yorker Hotel is at Port Authority Bus Terminal (8th Ave and 41st St, 7 blocks north of the New Yorker). This costs $16 one way.
https://www.nycairporter.com/ourserv...-to-manhattan/

After your time at Omega, if you decide to take a MetroNorth train from Poughkeepsie (in place of Amtrak back to Penn Station), instead of traveling all the way to Grand Central Terminal, the final stop, you might get off the train at 125th St. From there you might transfer to the M60 SBS which goes to LGA. You can see this route at the subway map link previously provided.

CLBtravel

Thanks for the tip on SuperShuttle. I've used it in smaller cities such as New Orleans, San Francisco and Orlando when coming in for a huge conference (and arriving at the same time as many of my fellow conference attendees, all of us heading for the same 4 or 5 hotels around the convention center). Thank you for letting me know NYC is a different situation!
I'm not sure I can manage luggage and subway/bus on arrival but I'll keep it in mind. Seattle had an easy metro connection from airport to convention hotel & that was so convenient and cheap.

annhig

annhig, I think for your visit, if not attached to a Road Scholar event, you might find a better option/location than the New Yorker Hotel. Proximity to Penn Station offers the same pros and cons as staying near Roma Termini or Venezia SL.>>

thanks, ellenem. I know what you mean about hotels around stations, but I was just exploring options. I have had a cancellable reservation at the Beacon on Upper West Side for some time - expensive [for me] but a nice area i think where I will feel comfortable and reasonably near/ easy it get to to most of the things I want to see.

ellenem

annhig, the Beacon is a more pleasant area, a residential neighborhood near good transportation and some sights. The New Yorker has good transport and extreme congestion because it is just a few blocks from Penn Station, Port Authority Bus Terminal, and the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey. Some might enjoy the hubbub.

IMDonehere

Many people are intimidated by their first visit to NY, but last year there were 68 million visitors. Roads Scholars, from what I have seen, are quite expensive. And as Ellenem has pointed out the New Yorker is an extremely busy part of NY, but without much charm and a limited selection of restaurants.

You can navigate Manhattan with a combination of cabs, walking, subway and buses.

Please note: that Penn Station is not a pleasant experience. They will not post your train until about 10 minutes before departure and then there is a mad scramble. Just be prepared as that is still your best alternative to get to Rhinebeck.

If do stay at the New Yorker, the cheapest way is to take the AirTrain to Jamaica. Once there look for LIRR (Long Island Railroad) to Penn Station. It will leave you across the street from the NY'er. Both the AirTrain and the LIRR are easy to navigate. It is easier to arrive at Penn than leave.

ellenem

"If do stay at the New Yorker, the cheapest way is to take the AirTrain to Jamaica. Once there look for LIRR (Long Island Railroad) to Penn Station. It will leave you across the street from the NY'er. Both the AirTrain and the LIRR are easy to navigate. It is easier to arrive at Penn than leave."

To be clear, this is for people arriving at JFK Airport.
The OP is arriving at LGA Airport and does not have this option.

IMDonehere

To be clear, this is for people arriving at JFK Airport.
The OP is arriving at LGA Airport and does not have this option.

Sorry, missed that. Just take a cab.

CLBtravel

I'm starting to consider trying New York on my own instead of with a Road Scholar group, mostly because RS tour includes places that I'm sure are great fun (Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall tour, etc.) but not as high on my list to visit as NY Public Library, American Museum of Natural History, etc. Tour does spend one whole day at Met, MOMA is closed for renovations in September. But I admit that I enjoy the camaraderie of a group & meeting new people.

I read a trip adviser review of Penn Station that recommended using Red Cap baggage agents to help with luggage and that they could even help you board a bit earlier. I know that I will be very anxious about this part of trip so thanks for the warning about how the posting for Rhinebeck will not appear until late.

J62

You could ask Omega if they pick up at Poughkeepsie metro north RR (MNRR) station. It's not that much further from Omega vs the Rhinebeck (Rhinecliff) Amtrak station. (17mi vs 10mi)

Metro North RR has more trains throughout the day, and trains originate at Grand Central so you can board at your convenience. But, Amtrak will be faster & also more expensive. Pros and cons both ways.
If you do take the MNRR look for an express train to Poughkeepsie (with only 3 or 4 stops enroute) vs a local which would have 20 or more and take quite a bit longer. Amtrak & MNRR take different tracks out of Manhattan but starting in the Bronx they use the same tracks.

nelsonian

We used Red Cap agents at Penn Station, and we were a group of 6, with lots of luggage. They worked out great, took all the luggage down, we went down with them so were at the track before the rest of the passengers. A brilliant service.