Big Apple Train system/subway help

Yep - it won't be as busy as Broadway would be, but I was recently in the area and 5th Ave is still busy at that hour. Less people than the daytime, and definitely more tourists than business people, but you'll be fine. You might find that most stores close around 9pm-10pm but that doesn't mean the streets shutter up and it becomes a ghost town. Most restaurants are open until 10-11pm as well, so there's very little, if any, dead areas. If it makes you feel better, the trains are packed until well past midnight here, so there's always people moving around.

So just to be clear , would that apply to the whole stretch between say Rockefeller center and ESB , {Hotel is pretty much between the 2} all the way up 5th avenue for example ? And for clarification , when I say evening I am talking 9-10 P.M... If I ever kept my wife out past midnight after a long day in NY , she would turn into a pumpkin.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Colin

You’re safe. There are police cameras all around that area.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks for all the info guys,

Colin

That’s right. If you want to stop and visit the SOL you’ll need to do that through Statue Cruises (statuecruises.com)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

And you would need to get and and then get back on (it’s a commuter ferry).

so even though the staten island ferry is a free ride , you still have to get off and then get in que to get back on for the return ride ?

so even though the staten island ferry is a free ride , you still have to get off and then get in que to get back on for the return ride ?

Yes but it's easy - you'll literally just follow the huge crowd disembarking and then just hop back on. The rule is that all riders must depart the ferry, no exceptions. Be sure to also get a view from the front (going back towards Manhattan) for a stunning view of lower manhattan.

sweet

thanks

Thanks to all posters, this has been a big help for me planning to visit NY for the first time as well.

You need to be very street smart. 

On 10/19/2018 at 2:50 PM, we're sailing away.... said:

You need to be very street smart. 

It’s a very safe city, my young teens take the bus or train in by themselves and feel safe.

6 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

It’s a very safe city, my young teens take the bus or train in by themselves and feel safe.

It is safe, but be alert. 

Wallet in front pocket, purses clutched tightly by arm and zipped shut.  Stay alert to your surroundings.  I have walked late in NYC all around Midtown, Theater district, Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, East and West Village, no problem.

For those considering staying in NJ and using PATH, Jersey City is a great area with reasonably priced hotels and short walks to the station.  Get 2-trip tickets for the PATH into Manhattan and back.  You buy an MTA card for the subway and buses but don't board an express bus.  Get phone apps to help you navigate the subway and bus.  Be aware some NYC subway trains are express trains, learn to read the map and identify them unless you are using major hub stations where they all stop. Learn to identify the train letters/numbers that apply to your route.  Some trains split up:  1 2 3 are separate in the outer boroughs, come together for a time, separate at some places.  Know if you are going uptown or downtown and pick the right platform. Confirm train direction by reading the end station(s) of your line for the direction of travel.  These are posted on the train's signs.  

Luggage is hard on the subways.  If you can pick your luggage up and hold it as you pass through turnstiles (the open/close kind) you will be OK.  I don't recommend it for people with heavy rolling luggage.  I see people get stuck all the time.  If you come to an exit gate that rotates and it seems to tight for luggage, look around - there will also be a "crash bar" gate to exit.

Be aware that the NYC subways, buses and PATH are not mobility friendly.  There are some elevators but a lot of stairs and long walks.