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-   -   PATH train from Newark to Penn Station, NYC (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/path-train-from-newark-to-penn-station-nyc-315345/)

artstuff Mar 3rd, 2008 03:59 AM

PATH train from Newark to Penn Station, NYC
 
We're planning a day trip into NYC on Friday and are looking for an alternative option for getting into the city.

We are coming from NorthEast Pennsylvania, on Interstate 80. For years we've been taking the George Washington Bridge to Henry Hudson, getting off at the 79th St Boat Basin and parking in a garage a block off of Broadway (2 blocks from the Subway and Zabar's... we enjoy the Upper West Side).

Last time we tried taking the Lincoln Tunnel, which I didn't like at all.

Now we're looking at taking Route 280 into Newark / Harrison, and picking up the PATH train into Penn Station (we're heading to Madison Square Garden for the day).

QUESTIONS??
We will be arriving mid morning, after the commuter rush. Will we have a problem finding parking?

There is a Newark and a Harrison train station, both within a few miles of each other, which are both accessible off of I-280. Any opinion on beginning our journey from either station?

We'll be leaving NYC / Newark around 8:00-10:00 pm. Is the neighborhood around the train stations safe, if we need to walk several blocks to get to our parking garage/lot? I'll be travelling with my husband and another male friend.

Any other alternatives for getting into the city (coming from the Poconos), particularly if we can avoid high parking fees, tolls for crossing the river, and sitting in traffic?

Thanks for any input.

Robyn :)>-

mclaurie Mar 3rd, 2008 05:02 AM

I can't really advise you about PATH and parking form personal experience, but here's a guide that might answer your questions.
http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTrave...rkingGuide.pdf

Robyn, have you considered using one of the Hudson River ferries? If you drive to Port Imperial in Weehawken, NJ, you can park there for $10-15 for the day. I think the ferry now costs $7/person each way so for parking and ferry ~ $52.

http://www.nywaterway.com/ferry/term...t-imperial.asp


doug_stallings Mar 3rd, 2008 05:07 AM

There is also regular bus service from the Poconos. Not sure which town you are coming from, but if you are just on a one-day trip, that would be my choice so you avoid driving entirely.

joethekay Mar 3rd, 2008 05:18 AM

Can't imagine parking is easy or inexpensive at either Newark or Harrison, maybe someone more familiar with that area could attest.
I have parked at the following locations: All of which are safe and run late in to the night.
Liberty Park Park n Ride, Jersey City, Off NJ Turnpike.HB Light Rail to Exchange Place and PATH to NY or NY Waterway ferry.
Drive to Port Imperial in Edgewater along the waterfront. NY Waterway ferry to NY
NY Waterway offers a bus connection from its 33rd st terminal to various stops in Manhattan
There is also a new commuter rail Park n Ride further out at Mount Arlington (near Dover) and at Rt 23 in Wayne. See NJ Transit Boonton Line trains for schedule. These trains run direct to Hoboken where you can catch PATH trains or NY Waterway ferry to NY or transfer at Secaucus Jct to other trains to NY Penn Station/ MSG

curious12 Mar 3rd, 2008 01:13 PM

I go to school in Newark and I wouldn't recommend parking late at night in Newark or Harrison. I think the ferry may be your best option, however, I'm not sure how late the service runs coming back to NJ.

MP07950 Mar 3rd, 2008 02:21 PM

I haven't heard good things about the PATH parking areas in Newark and Harrison, lately. There are plenty of places to park in the Journal Square area of Jersey City, although the PATH lot tends to fill up by 10 or so. It's not the best neighborhood to be in, however. If this is a fun day, the ferry would be my recommendation. It's a quick ride and then when you arrive on the NYC side, there are buses that will take you to different sections of the city. they'll give you a map that shows where you can pick up the bus to return to the ferry at night (or you could always take a cab).

jodeenyc Mar 4th, 2008 06:15 AM

I personally wouldn't park in Newark or Harrison. However I work with a few people who park in Harrison and say it's perfectly safe -they've worked here till 3am some nights. I would choose that if you insist on one of the two.

My recommendation? Come in on 78 follow signs for the Holland Tunnel. At the first light, make a left and follow the road into Hoboken. The road will eventually turn into Newark Ave which has two parking lots right next to the PATH station on Hudson/River streets.


Ryan Mar 4th, 2008 06:37 AM

Can I suggest you think about driving to a station for the NJ Transit train if you don't want to drive all the way into NY. Driving to Newark doesn't make sense to me as you'll be heading into the worst spot for traffic.

My suggestion is to look at taking the train from the Dover station on the Morris and Essex line. Dover or Morristown are two possible options. I don't know about parking for non-residents, but I'm sure the town website will have information on a one day pass.

When leaving NY Penn Station, for example, if you take a 6:05 p.m. train, you'll be back at Dover by 7:20. From there, I believe it's about 40 minutes to the PA border. Certainly, you could drive the distance from NY to Dover in less time. But, at the wrong time of the day, it's a problem.

If driving is your intention, I think you are far better off driving to the NY Waterway terminal in Weehawken than in driving to Newark.

artstuff Mar 4th, 2008 05:31 PM

WOW! You guys are great! Thanks for all the different suggestions to get into the city. I didn't realize there were so many different types of options.

Our group has now grown to four people (me, husband, and two male friends), and our one friend will be driving, so the decision on how we get in and out of NYC will ultimately be up to him.

With four people in the party, taking the train from Dover has now become too expensive, however it might be an option at a later date for my husband (or my girlfriend) and me.

We've taken the commuter bus out of Stroudsburg a few times (particularly after 9-11, when we didn't want to deal with our van being searched). It's actually not a bad deal, if you buy the partner ticket.

Taking the ferry actually sounds like a neat idea, but I think we'll wait until it's a bit warmer to try that adventure.

Personally, I think I would heed everyone's warnings about parking in Newark/Harrison and taking the PATH train. I already had my concerns about the safety of the area, that's why I posted the question. However, it does provide the cheapest option, since it looks like most of the parking lots/garages at both stations charge $3.00-$10.00/day (thanks mclaurie), and the fare for the PATH train is $1.75/person/each way.

Our friend, who is driving, wanted to avoid getting caught in traffic on the George Washington Bridge, thus the search for alternative ways to get into the city. If all goes according to plan, we should be approaching NYC around 10:30 am. Any idea how the traffic will be on the GW and the Henry Hudson to 79th Street? Will rush hour(s) be over?

jodeenyc - How is the traffic going into Hoboken? Picking up Rt.78 is a bit out of the way, but if the traffic is limited getting into Hoboken, it might be worth the drop down Rt. 33 from Rt. 80 to pick up 78.

I'll let you all know which route we finally decide to take into the city. If it was up to me, I'd just keep doing the same thing we've done for the last 20 years. It's a left out of our driveway, then five right turns and we're at 79th & Broadway.

Robyn :)>-

lizziea06 Mar 4th, 2008 05:47 PM

The traffic going into Hoboken is always the same as the traffic going into the Holland Tunnel. You drive right up to the tunnel until you almost hit it, and then take a left to get to the 'Boken. The traffic will most likely not be severe, but it's not abnormal to wait 20-30 minutes outside the tunnel anytime of day during the week.

As and FYI - the NY Waterway ferries have huge enclosed cabins, so you'll be comfortable regardless of the outside temperatures.

MP07950 Mar 5th, 2008 09:03 AM

fyi...there's construction at the Morristown train station so parking has been moved to the Headquarters Plaza hotel and there's supposed to be a shuttle. My security concerns about the PATH station in Newark or Harrison after dark would be the same for Dover....Have a good time (however you go!)

bmw732002 Mar 5th, 2008 09:45 AM

How about this....

Take rt 80 to r95 to exit 16 for the Vince Lombardi Parking Lot.

$7.75 for Parking, and one R/T ticket

$6.00 for each additonal R/T passenger.

So you beat the Tunnel Toll $8.00 and the city parking $30.00 Up

Leave the "heavy driving" to the Professional Drivers!!

artstuff Mar 7th, 2008 03:05 AM

Well, we'll be leaving for NYC in about an hour, and I'm still not sure which route we will take to venture into the city.

Our friend, who is driving, HATES being stuck in a traffic jam... he'd rather drive an extra hour to avoid sitting in traffic for a 1/2 hour (go figure). He must have had a bad experience at the GW in the past, because he really would like to avoid the bridge. He's leaning toward taking Rt. 78 towards the Holland Tunnel, into Hoboken, then taking the PATH train into the city, which seems like a lot of driving to me (in unchartered territory). Me... I'm still pushing for the most simplistic journey - straight down I-80 and into the city. I guess the decision will be made somewhere out there on Route 80.

<b>bmw732002</b>, the Vince Lombardi Parking Lot sounds like a great deal! I see the parking pass is good for a 24-hour period. Would it be safe to park the car in the lot overnight? My husband and I had the same idea when we read your post - how easy and affordable it would be to Priceline a hotel room in the city for the night, but park outside the city where it doesn't cost an &quot;arm &amp; a leg&quot;. Am I correct that the bus does NOT run during the weekend?

Thanks again, everyone, for all your different suggestions. We're off to a Postage Stamp show (I know, it sounds boring) at the Garden, then a mini pub crawl and dinner afterwards. Hope the rain doesn't dampen our plans...

Robyn :)&gt;-

mclaurie Mar 7th, 2008 04:13 AM

Have fun and report back after the trip. ;)

happy_train Mar 7th, 2008 06:43 AM

I live in Jersey City, so I can comment on the Hoboken/Harrison/Newark parking issues. While I feel it IS safe, I would not recommend it if you're not sure what you are doing. And it can be tough to find spots after rush hour.

I would HIGHLY recommend the Vince Lombardi plan. It is so easy and convenient, and relatively cheap.

I personally love the PATH, but finding parking will be a pain, and it's easy to get lost driving around in Hoboken!

bmw732002 Mar 7th, 2008 07:36 AM

Art stuff:

It is probably too late for an update. However it looks like the VL Park and Ride is weekday only.

I use the Park and Ride closer to the Lincoln Tunnel. It goes by the name &quot;North Bergen Park and Ride&quot;.

It is further down rt 95. After you pay the toll for the Turnpike exit to the Lincoln Tunnel you will start to see BLUE signs for the Park and Ride.

Huge Lot, weekend parking and Busses that will run on a weekend schedual. About a 10 min ride from Lot to the the Port Authority at 42nd street.

Let us know how it all went!


artstuff Mar 11th, 2008 03:48 AM

I want to thank everyone again for all their great suggestions for getting into the city. After all the different ideas, we ended up taking our regular route - driving into the Upper West Side and parking there. You can read my trip report at the following link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35114558

We did decide that next time we head into the city we'll definately be taking the train from the Mt. Arlington Station, just outside Dover. It's easily accessible from I-80, parking is free, and there seemed to be plenty of empty parking spaces available when we passed the station around 10:30 am.

Robyn :)&gt;-


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