NYC Parking Help
 

Hello...I will be enetring the city from the Poconos on Saturday the 25th for Arthur Ashe Kid's Day at US Open. I haven't a clue as to where to park. The times are from 10:00a.m. to 04:00p.m. Please any advice would be grand. Thanks!

Are you talking about parking in Manhattan, or parking near the US Open site (which is in Queens, near LaGuardia Airport)?

I don't even know which is better. I am looking for advice as to which options would be safest and easiest.

If you are driving from the Poconos for an event at the Tennis Center, which is in Queens, then by all means, drive all the way to Queens. Not knowing exactly where in the Poconos, I suspect you'll take I-80 east to the George Washington Bridge. The most direct way would then be to take the Major Deegan south to the Triborough Bridge to Queens. I don't know about any roadway closings or construction, so it's possible that the Cross Bronx to the Whitestone Bridge might also be an option. You can go on any internet mapping site for detailed instructions.

In any case, allow plenty of time for this trip. If you go on Mapquest and it says the trip will take two hours, I'd add in another hour for delays, wrong turns, and so forth. When you reach the area of the tennis center, traffic will be as bad as anywhere in NYC. Shea Stadium is just across from the center and its parking lots are in an upheaval since the new stadium construction has begun. You might have to travel some distance from whatever parking areas are available to the tennis center.

If you're driving, it doesn't make much sense to park in Manhattan and then take the subway for 45 minutes.

Just drive across Midtown, either from the Holland or Lincoln tunnel to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel (entrance on 36th Street). You park at the parking lot of the U.S. Tennis Center in Queens. There might be spillover parking at Shea Stadium.

On second thought, I think ellenem's advice to do the Tri-Boro Bridge is a good one. You'd avoid most of Manhattan entirely that way, and it might be more direct.

The route across the triborough bridge makes the most sense - but do realize the traffic you will meet. While the Open is on (and LGA and Shea are in the same area) it can easily take you an hour from the Queens end of the bridge to the the parking lot - so be sure to add that on to whatever time your mapping site gives for the trip.

(Don;t know where you are in the Poconos - but I would assume a 3 hour drive).

Do look at the openweb site and it shows which days also have Mets games at Shea - which makes parking even worse. In any case it is VERY limited so you need to get therre early to get a spot. Price is $14 per day.