Transportation from 54th and 6th to World Financial Center
 

We are travelling with 2 toddlers and infant and will be in New York staying at the Hilton New york at 54th and 6th. Most of our outings will be concentrated in this area. Though, we are interested in paying our respects at the WTC site and possibly viewing the site from the Winter Garden (to gain a better perspective as we had not seen the towers before the tragedy).

So, my question... Should we take a cab or the subway to Lower Manhattan? We are 3 adults travelling with 3 children under age of 5. If the subway is your recommendation, what line, where do we access and what stop gets us closest to the World Financial Center?

Also, we hope to visit St. Paul's, FDNY 10 House, Federal Hall, and NY city Police Museum as well... ending at NY city police museum at Old Slip between Water and South St... what would be closest subway stop to this location to return to 54th and 6th? Thanks so much in advance.

any suggestions?

Depends on what you prioritize. From a cost perspective, a cab ride from 54th & 6th will probably cost around $15+ tip each way. A subway ride is usually $2 each way unless you have the subway day pass etc. where it'll be cheaper, I suppose.
The best subway to take from where you are is the B,D,F or V to West 4th Street & switch to the E train at West 4th which is a very easy switch (just ascend/descent 10 steps at West 4th. The E rain pretty much brings you to the WTC site if you get off on WTC stop (last stop).
To get to the Worlf Financial Center, you have to walk around the WTC site (around a 10 min walk) but probably worth it since you're going to pay your respects & want to take a look at the site.
If you take a cab, ask him to take the West side hightway to the front of the World Trade Center between Liberty St. & Vesey St. where you'll enter the building into the Winter Garden. Cab gets you righ to the building & you don't have to worry about walking around the WTC site & the subway transfer etc.

Will a single cab take 6 people, if 3 of them are little? I know there are rules that limit the number of (regular-sized) passengers. IMHO, $6 in subway fares vs $15 to avoid schlepping the 3 tots through the subway, with transfers, is a no-brainer: Take the taxi, if one is enough.

akwill, with 3 kids under age of 5, I'd cab it. Sometimes there are gliches on the subway, like when I was in NYC in August on a Sat. and we planned (after checking the online subway info to be sure we could) to switch lines one time btwn. midtown and downtown. But when we got to the area in the subway underground to do the switch, there was yellow tape and a metro person saying no access, line is down, without any warning. We would have had to bus it to another station to get the subway- but there were no buses when we got upstairs and we then took a cab to the next subway station where we could get on that 2nd line. lso there is weekend work going on one some of the subway lines going from midtown to downtown right now.

Also, w/2 kids that young, I just wouldn't want to try to keep track of them in the subway station. Do you have to use a stroller?

I'm not sure if kids that age are free on subway or not. But I'd just cab it if I was you. And I'd try to time it so I wouldn't get stuck in lots of traffic in the cab.

I agree with the others, take a cab. Of the 3 times I've been in NYC, my trip last month was the first time I took a taxi. I couldn't believe how affordable it was and so much easier than dealing with the subways (when you need to trasfer trains anyway.)

As Anonymous pointed out, you will not be able to take a single cab with 3 adults and 3 children. If you decide to take the subway, you should probably take the E train (get it at 5th Ave./53rd Street) and get off at the WTC stop. It's still a walk from there to the Winter Garden, but you skirt the southern edge of the construction site, which gives you several different views of the site. As long as you are not traveling during rush hour, I don't think you'll find the subway too bad, though I'd recommend that you have some kind of carrier/harnass for the infant rather than a stroller. It makes a lot more sense in the city than trying to push an umbrella stroller everywhere.

Actually, once you get out of the E train, it's best to walk along the northern edge of the site. This will bring you over to Vesey and the W. Side Hwy, and you'll be right near the Winter Garden. Agree with catching the E train uptown and avoiding switching trains. I work in the WFC, so let me know if you need lunch recommendations or other info about the building.

I would never try taking the subway with 3 little kids and 3 strollers. Or do you have a double stroller (practically impossible on the subway) with getting up and down the stairs - and through the (possibly closing) doors. Or are you planning on carrying them? (But the toddlers sound too big to be in carriers all day.)

By law, NYC cabs are limited to 4 people. But if you have 3 adults and 3 lap toddlers a cabbie MAY take you - IF the strollers will easily fold and fit into the trunk. But you may have to try several cabs to do this (many will turn you down as too many people).

Another option is to book a car service - it will cost somewhat more than a cab - but will not object to the 3 little kids and strollers. Consider calling Carmel or Dial7.

If you were in another area of the city I might reco taking a bus - but the ones in midtown are so packed it would be very uncomfortable for everyone - trying to hold a child and a folded stroller.

Separately, the area you're staying in is definitely not stroller friendly (in the middle of huge office buildings with a mob of very fast moving foot traffic). I don;t know why you chose this hotel, or if you have any other options, but you would really be much better off in a hotel in a more residential area - like the upper west side. There sidewalks are less mobbed and commuters rushing for the subway or bus won;t be bumping into or tripping on the strollers.

(And yes - this does happen - though less often in residential areas. I had a problem myself with a stroller mom who couldn't understand that SHE didn't own the sidewalk, and hit my ankle 3 times, once drawing blood. I WAS NOT happy about this - or her attitude that strollers take priority because babies are so important. It's really not fair - to other pedestrians or to your little ones - to try to push them around in such heavy traffic.)

Walk over the Seventh Avenue and 49th and take the N/R to City Hall.

Also, check out this site:

www.DowntownNY.com

I'm sure anyone with three little ones could walk in pleasant weather: we're way into our 60's and walked everywhere in Manhattan in Apr. (FD: we live at nearly 6800 ft in central Mexico).
Buen viaje.
M

Mike - are you suggesting that they walk from their hotel down to the WFC? That's at least 4 1/2 miles! Once your down there, it's fine to walk around, and the walk from the subway to the WFC is easy.

Walking in Manhattan (in the occasional good weather) is the very best:
meet lots of folks; see lots of stuff; speak many languages; great hole in the wall restaurants, etc.
FD: DS and DIL live on Elizabeth St.
Many of the "injured" on 72nd St yesterday could not walk down the stairs and were "exhausted".
Forget the taxis and subways and walk>
M

Walking from W. 54th St. to WTC site with 3 babies in carriages is not an option.

Either grab 2 cabs (;you'll need 2 with 6 people & 3 strollers) or a hired car. If this is the only thing you're going out of the area for, it's worth it.

Last week, on a Friday afternoon (approx 12:30PM), DH and I took the E from 50th street all the way to the last stop which is the WTC. It was an easy walk from the subway to the site. Not much traffic on the subway that time of day, but coming back a few hours later, we hit the inevitable rush hour people & trans traffic. Frankly, never saw anything like it, even here in Philly.

I do agree with the other poster as to the fast moving foot traffic all over...there's no escaping that. And with strollers and tots, that's a few handfuls to manage along with all the people knocking into you...and they will...in this extremely, fast-pasted city.

Though, I disagree with the other poster regarding walking from your hotel to the WTC site with the tots. Frankly, I wouldn't recommend that!