NYC quickie
 

We have a 6.5 hr layover at Newark airport one Saturday this summer and want to use it as well as possible--without missing our connection. We'll check our luggage through except for day packs.

My iPhone says we can take a cab from Newark Airport to the Staten Island Ferry in half an hour. Is that likely to happen on a Saturday morning? The subway's website says it would take an hour with a couple of transfers.

I'm thinking of lunch at Katz's deli, either Ellis Island or the Tenament Museum, and trying to hit the candy store before heading back to the airport (although I'm not totally convinced about the candy store. If it's mostly the kind of candy available around the country, I'd rather do something more unique).

Does this sound like it would work? What's the best way to get back to the airport, and what else should we think about?

Ellis Island is a no go. It takes a half-day to do it justice. The Tenement Museum tours are scheduled one-hour tours, however, so that would work (and it's a wonderful "living" museum).

I'm not exactly clear why you take a taxi to the Staten Island Ferry. If you're going to take a taxi, why not take it to where you're going?

There must be hundreds of candy stores in NY, so I'm not sure which one you are referring to as "the" candy store.

Oh, and is that 6.5 hours from the time you land until you depart, or have you built in time for deplaning, and getting back to the airport, checking in, through security, etc.?

I assume that you mean the Manhattan side of the Staten Island Ferry and that you want to spend your time downtown? Were you planning to take the ferry to and from SI? That would be about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on how long you have to wait for the ferry . It doesn't run as often on weekends. If you're not interested on the ferry ride, no reason to take the taxi there. It's not that close to the Lower East Side locations you mention

Taxi will cost about $60-70 each way including tolls and tips
How early on a Saturday morning? That's not a bad time to be driving into the city so 30 minutes is possible, but count on up to an hour. To go by public transportation you;d need a combination of the NYC subway system and another train system --NJ transit from the airport, It would take about an hour of travel time, but again you have to factor in waiting for trains that do not run as often on weekends. You may also be able to make connections through the PATH system (again, not the "subway", a different system)

Economy Candy is probably what you mean http://economycandy.com/

The total layover is 6.5 hrs, including time for security, etc. We get in around 10:00.

The reason for the Staten Island ferry is that it's said to be a good way to see the Statue of Liberty, and I thought we could take it to get to Manhattan. Does that make sense?

Economy Candy is indeed what I meant! Sorry I didn't remember that right off, and thanks for coming up with it.

1 hour is what the Transit Authority's website says to plan for the entire trip, wait times and all. Is that unreliable?

We really loved the Tenement Museum. We did the Irish Outsiders tour and got to see where and how they lived. Katz's is nearby, but when we went the line was really long, out the door and going down the block so not sure if you'd have time for that. Doughnut Plant is nearby and they have yummy doughnuts that you could grab for breakfast. We like the Dulce de Leche and Creme Brulee ones.

OK, got it now - taxi from the airport to the Staten Island ferry terminus, take ferry to Manhattan, then go to Tenement Museum and lunch. Assuming you actually have to be back 2 hours before your flight (international?), that's pretty tight -- probably a good 4+ hours even if everything works out perfectly. I'm figuring 1/2 hour from touching down to taxi, 1/2 hour drive to Staten Island, 1/2 hour on the ferry (including waiting for the next boat, which could definitely take longer), 1/2 hour to get to the Tenement Museum, an hour tour of the Tenement Museum, and an hour for lunch.

I think I have to call it off anyway. We're traveling domestically, checking everything through, so I was thinking arrive at the airport 30 min before departure.

But I haven't been able to book the flights the way I had thought--looks like 4 hrs is the longest layover that would work, and I don't see how we could get into the city and have any time to do anything fun. The point is not to have one more set of things to rush the boy through. Point is to do/see something cool and fun.

Of course, if anyone can come with a plan that would work in that even more restricted timeframe, I'd love to hear about it!

<<<I was thinking arrive at the airport 30 min before departure.>>>

Good luck. :-)

To guarantee making a flight - even domestic - you need to arrive at the airport at least 1.5 hours before the flight. An you need a minimum of 45 minutes to get back from the city. Also 45 minutes to get into the city. When you add the 20 to 30 minutes it will take from wheels down to curbside - assuming your plane is on time - you have at most 2.5 in Manhattan. And you will be paying at lest $150 roundtrip in cabs. (You can;t arrive at the airport 30 minutes before the flight - they are often finishing boarding then - and you would be considered no shows and your seats given to other passengers.

Frankly I wouldn;t risk going to the city - since if there is a problem on the way back - for instance an accident of misplaced truck in the Lincoln tunnel - the trip from Manhattan could take 1.5 hours - and you would arrive at the airport as you planes pulls out of the gate.

But if you do go - pick what you want very specifically- and don;t count on more than 2.5 hours in the city.

(And I have no idea where Staten Island comes into it. If you took a cab to Staten island it would take at least another 45 minutes to get into the City by ferry.)

OK, IF I do this...

30 min to ferry. Cabfare?
45 min past Stat of Lib. Ferry tix under $10 for 2 of us?
1.5 hrs @ Tenament Museum
1 hr @ quirky NYC store(s), carryout Katz's or pizza

What's the best way back to the airport?
Is there a less time-consuming, less expensive way to see Liberty besides the ferry?

I see NYer already said that cabfare could be $70 if we taxi to the Staten Island ferry. But if we do something else to get into the city and pass by Statue of Liberty on the way, how much would that cost?

30 min to ferry. Cabfare?
No idea on cabfare, since you're crossing state borders fare could be high. And remember it might be more tnan 30 minutes


45 min past Stat of Lib.
Ferry ride is about 30 minutes one way, could be 15 or more for wait

Ferry tix under $10 for 2 of us?
Ferry is FREE

1.5 hrs @ Tenament Museum
First you have to get to the Tenement museum from the NY end of the ferry. It's 2 miles away, too far to walk quickly. Not sure of best subway connection on a Saturday morning or how available taxis are in that area.
Museum tours are at specific times. Add in the wait time to your tour (and they need to be reserved in advance)


1 hr @ quirky NYC store(s), carryout Katz's or pizza

What's the best way back to the airport?
You can take NJ transit train from Penn Station (32th street) back to the airport. The ride is about 20 minutes, but you have to get up to 32nd street and NJ Transit trains don't run as frequently on weekends . Figure about an hour all in


Is there a less time-consuming, less expensive way to see Liberty besides the ferry?

You can just see it from a distance from lower Manhattan (from airport go directly to lower Manhattan,skip going to Staten Island, skip the ferry ride)
But it's from quite a distance

OK, if we skip the ferry business, and maybe don't see the Statue at all, is the transit train the best way to come and go (both directions)? I assume cost is much more reasonable than taxi? Can we figure out schedules and buy fix in advance, or is it so irregular that you pretty much stand on the platform and see when it shows up?

I should google this myself, but is Penn Station near the Tenement Museum, Brown's Pens, Economy Candy, and Katz's?

OK, I looked on the map. Museum, Candy and Deli are all very close to each other. If we use Penn Station, we could see if there's time to go to Brown's on the way back.

Another question about my ferryboat/Statue of Liberty idea: would it work to take the ferry from Port Liberte to Pier 11?

Book your Tenement tour online early to make sure you get the time you want, then you can just pick up your tickets at will call when you arrive. Some of the times sell out. In addition to Doughnut Plant and Katz's, Russ and Daughters and Kossar's Bialys are both right in that same area.

I don't see how a Port Liberty ferry would help you, but it would be a cheaper cab ride there from EWR than to either Staten Island (I'd estimate at least $90 because of tolls) or Manhattan (at least $80 because of tolls).

You're trying to squeeze in too much. You can do either downtown (Staten Island Ferry, downtown sites, perhaps a quick bite at Shake Shack) or the Lower East Side (check on the timing for those Tenement Museum tours, which need to be booked in advance). I don't think you can do both.

The combination of Airtrain/NJ Transit can get you into Penn Station in about 40 minutes from your terminal at EWR. It's at least 20 to 30 minutes more to the Lower East Side, depending on traffic or subway conditions. So an hour to 75 minutes for transit. Same to Lower Manhattan.

If you take a taxi to the Staten Island Ferry and then the ferry to Lower Manhattan, then it's at least 90 minutes.

Allow the same amount of time to get back, knowing that traffic will be heavier in the afternoon if you take a taxi but that the train schedules are similar. But you do NOT want to go back to Staten Island to get a cab to EWR. That just won't work.

If you can't get into Katz's for lunch, there are many other options nearby. I like Meatball Shop, but it's also pretty busy. There's a little Greek restaurant down the block on Stanton that's also good. But numerous really good restaurants nearby.

My advice: Decide between downtown and the Lower East Side and then start planning your time more carefully. My transit advice will differ based on your decision.

Thanks for the lunch idea, both of you. We can see which is busy, book the museum for the middle of the time we expect to have, so that if we're late we won't miss it, and can eat before if we get there ahead of time.

So Statue isn't visible from the ferry I mentioned?

By the way, I find the resistance here to the ferry business amusing. New Yorkers don't know how nice it is to have transport options other than sitting on your butt in a car, or that 3rd graders around the country (& probably around the world) have heard of that statue, so seeing it could be a natural jumping-off point for the the Tenement Museum. And, like it or not, that immigrant experience is part of what your city is known for, among other things. If it really won't work, then it won't, and I'm listening to your advice, but the impression I'm getting is that people just can't get their heads around why on earth a tourist would want to take a ferry to see a statue.