Hello! Thanks to the help of fodorites my husband and I are staying at the Waldorf thru PL on the 4th of July and plan to watch the fireworks on the east river.

We will also be in NYC on a Sat night later in the month and found a great rate at the Omni Bershire thru their site. I have secured reservations to Babbo that night for dinner and have Mets tickets the next day at Shea. Can someone help me with getting to Shea for a 1pm game from the Omni? Also how long does it take to get back from there? We have to head to the airport around 4:30 (have a car service picking us up). Also I've heard food sucks at Shea! Any suggestions for a great deli or something by the stadium to grab lunch to bring in?

Thanks!

Oh one more question.... what is an approx. cab fare from the Waldorf to JFK at about 5pm on a weekday? And how long does it take?

5pm on a weekday is smack in the middle of rush hour. I don't know the time of your flight, but definitely allow for extra time. It also can be difficult at that time to get a cab. She should call for car service. The cab fare would be somewhere around $40 and could easily take an hour in traffic. Car service prices aren't much more.

To go to the mets, take the #7 train toward Flushing from Grand Central station. You can walk to Grand Central or take the #6 from 51st & Lexington Av, downtown 1 stop to Grand Central and change for the #7. The subway takes you right to the stadium. You should pick up a sandwich before hand. There are tons of delis all over and a food court is in Grand Central.

Different days of the week can affect time to JFK. Wednesdays are matinee days and can be bad for traffic. You should leave yourself 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to get to JFK. Cab is on the meter and depends of traffic and route taken. $40-55 plus possible tolls. A car service should have a flat rate. I agree it's hard to find a cab at that hour. Book a car service ahead of time.

As indicated the #7 train to Queens from Grand Central will take you directly to Shea. The trip will take around 30 minutes so you should leave Shea by 3:30 the latest for the return. Figure anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour for the trip to the airport since you will be traveling during the height of the rush hour. No place to buy food around Shea so shop for food in the area of the hotel.

Excellent responses, thank you. I've booked my car service accordingly!