CT to Brooklyn Cruise Port

[dickinson]

We will be driving from a relative's home in Shelton, CT. How do we get to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal? The directions on their website are clear as mud to me and don't seem to address coming from CT.

 

Thanks!

[138east]

From I95 there is a cutover to the Merritt at Milford CT exit 38. At Rye NY there is another cutover to the Hutchinson River Parkway South exit 21 immediately after exit 1 in CT. This cutover is longer than the one at Milford and involves getting off onto I287 West and following the signs to the Merritt/Hutch. You get off onto a service road, go through a few lights and take the turn for the Hutch south.

 

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($4 toll). Stay on the Henry Hudson to where it ends at the Manhattan Cruiseport. The toll is worth every penny.

 

The are no trucks on this route and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the intersection with I87.

 

From the Manhattan Cruiseport you continue south on 12th Ave and West St along the former route of the West Side Highway to lower Manhattan. Even though this is local streets, the route is designed to move traffic more quickly down the west side.

 

From smeyer418 on how to get to Brooklyn from the west side route in Manhattan.

 

Go to the Brooklyn Battery tunnel toll is about $5.50 with a required ezpass.

once through the BBT take the Hamilton Avenue exit just passed the tolls.

 

Make the first left,

make another left making sure not to get back on to the tunnel(there are blue signs that show this.

go straight ahead to Van Brunt Street make a left

and then the first right at the light into the cruise terminal. Total time about 20-30 minutes.

 

Directions are fine. GPS alone is not enough. The overall recommendation for Brooklyn is to print out the directions.

 

Sid - if these folks miss the BB Tunnel like I did one night, can you give them the directions via the Brooklyn Bridge? I know I just stayed on West St, circled around the lower tip of Manhattan in some sort of tunnel roadway, and came up the east side to the Brooklyn Bridge. I managed to get myself on the I278, but that was only by following where most of the cars seemed to be going.

[dickinson]

Thanks for replying however your directions are confusing. Of course, NY is probably confusing :eek: We will be driving on a Saturday morning (day of cruise) so we can't spend hours getting lost. We will be coming from the Merritt although a little closer in to NYC than Milford.

[138east]

Sorry they are confusing, but as you said NY is confusing. Pull up a map to see the roads that are being utilized.

 

High level objectives of the route - avoid I95 through NYC and use a cars only route for the NY trip until you reach the Manhattan Cruiseport area. Avoid driving the BQE from Queens to Brooklyn.

 

1). You can cut over to the Merritt/Hutchinson River Parkway at the NY/CT line. Exit onto I287 west. Follow the signs to the Hutchinson River Parkway South at this point.

 

2) In New Rochelle the road divides and you want to take the Cross County Parkway. On the Cross County get in the middle left lane.

 

3) Exit onto the Saw Mill River Parkway South. This becomes the Henry Hudson Parkway at the NYC line. $4 toll. Parkway ends at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

 

4). From the Manhattan Cruise Terminal you follow 12th Avenue all the way downtown to the Brooklyn Battery tunnel. This road follows the route of the former West Side Highway. Yes it has lights, but the roadway is good unlike the East River Drive which I think is very tight and can be filled with crazies. You can pick a lane and just stay in it.

[boo214]

no need to go through manhattan. try these directions. follow the merritt pkwy into the hutchinson river pkwy (merritt becomes the hutch at ct/ny border). follow the hutchinson river pkwy to the whitestone bridge. stay left as you cross the bridge and follow the signs for the cross island pkwy south. follow the cross island into the belt pkwy (just past exit 25 the highway splits with the belt forking to the right and the southern pkwy forking to the left, so you would stay right). continue on the belt and follow the signs for I-278 (Battery Tunnel). its the same highway just changes names after you go under the verrazano bridge. get off at exit 26 (hamilton ave). follow hamilton ave to van brunt st. make a left on van brunt st and then make the first right onto bowne st. and follow that to the port. it may sound complicated but its really pretty easy. although it may be a little longer than 138s route i think its better than going through manhattan. also its a cars only route with the exceptions of the whitestone bridge and I-278 which is at the end.

[smeyer418]

LOL you want to do it without any tolls? That is a little more complicated

 

the toll amounts are listed with e-z pass without an ez pass they cost more. There are no longer any manned toll booths on the SpitenDivil bridge on the Henry Hudson parkway to Manhattan-they will just send you a bill.

 

The fastest way is probably is not the way Boo lists it that is the LONG way. and takes you past JFK. The shorter way takes you pass LGA or on the LIE.

 

If you want the directions let me know...

 

Sid

[dickinson]

Luckily for us we do have an EZpass :) We went to AAA but I am not so sure I like their directions. At first they directed us to 95 in CT (even Mapquest put us on the Merritt Pkwy). When I realized the TripTik that was made had us on 95 I asked for one on the Merritt. On the Merritt they direct us to the Hutch going over the Whitestone Bridge. They have us taking exit 13 and then it looks like we would be on the grand central pkwy til we go to I-278 BQE and getting off at exit 27 then taking a few local roads.

 

Lots of ways to get there but which will get us there without getting lost and without lots of traffic on a Saturday morning? We would be in NY around 9-11 sometime depending on what time we leave CT.

 

I appreciate your help and will probably take several sets of directions!

 

Sid - I would appreciate the directions you feel would be best. You said they would be shorter but would it be loaded with tons of traffic and trucks?

[boo214]

Luckily for us we do have an EZpass :) We went to AAA but I am not so sure I like their directions. At first they directed us to 95 in CT (even Mapquest put us on the Merritt Pkwy). When I realized the TripTik that was made had us on 95 I asked for one on the Merritt. On the Merritt they direct us to the Hutch going over the Whitestone Bridge. They have us taking exit 13 and then it looks like we would be on the grand central pkwy til we go to I-278 BQE and getting off at exit 27 then taking a few local roads.

 

Lots of ways to get there but which will get us there without getting lost and without lots of traffic on a Saturday morning? We would be in NY around 9-11 sometime depending on what time we leave CT.

 

I appreciate your help and will probably take several sets of directions!

 

Sid - I would appreciate the directions you feel would be best. You said they would be shorter but would it be loaded with tons of traffic and trucks?

while the route i provided is a bit longer, it is also probably the least complicated and you will encounter the least amount of trucks. Going the other way would be the same to the whitestone bridge. when you cross the bridge stay left and straight onto I-278 (whitestone expwy). follow I-278 keeping to the right and following signs for grand central pkwy west and Laguardia Airport. follow the grand central pkwy west just past laguardia airport to exit 4 (I-278 west, Brookly Qeens expwy). follow I-278 west to exit 27 (Atlantic Ave). make a left onto Columbia street. follow that to President street (about 8 blocks) and make a right. follow that 1 block and make a left onto Van Brunt street. follow Van brunt st. to Bowne St. (about 4 blocks) and turn right and follow bowne st. to the port.

[smeyer418]

Luckily for us we do have an EZpass :) We went to AAA but I am not so sure I like their directions. At first they directed us to 95 in CT (even Mapquest put us on the Merritt Pkwy). When I realized the TripTik that was made had us on 95 I asked for one on the Merritt. On the Merritt they direct us to the Hutch going over the Whitestone Bridge. They have us taking exit 13 and then it looks like we would be on the grand central pkwy til we go to I-278 BQE and getting off at exit 27 then taking a few local roads.

 

Lots of ways to get there but which will get us there without getting lost and without lots of traffic on a Saturday morning? We would be in NY around 9-11 sometime depending on what time we leave CT.

 

I appreciate your help and will probably take several sets of directions!

 

Sid - I would appreciate the directions you feel would be best. You said they would be shorter but would it be loaded with tons of traffic and trucks?

 

 

I live near the Brooklyn Cruise terminal. My summer home was in Westbrook CT. we still go up there a few weeks and weekends a year. That is the way I go and I have tried most of them at one time or another.

 

They are working on the BQE between JFK and the Hamilton avenue exit and its a mess. I would listen to the traffic on either 880 or 1010. The way without tolls takes you into Manhattan and across the Brooklyn Bridge.

[boo214]

while the route i provided is a bit longer, it is also probably the least complicated and you will encounter the least amount of trucks. Going the other way would be the same to the whitestone bridge. when you cross the bridge stay left and straight onto I-278 (whitestone expwy). follow I-278 keeping to the right and following signs for grand central pkwy west and Laguardia Airport. follow the grand central pkwy west just past laguardia airport to exit 4 (I-278 west, Brookly Qeens expwy). follow I-278 west to exit 27 (Atlantic Ave). make a left onto Columbia street. follow that to President street (about 8 blocks) and make a right. follow that 1 block and make a left onto Van Brunt street. follow Van brunt st. to Bowne St. (about 4 blocks) and turn right and follow bowne st. to the port.

a little correction. when coming over the whitestone bridge stay right and straight onto I-678 (not I-278), whitestone expwy

[dickinson]

I live near the Brooklyn Cruise terminal. My summer home was in Westbrook CT. we still go up there a few weeks and weekends a year. That is the way I go and I have tried most of them at one time or another.

 

They are working on the BQE between JFK and the Hamilton avenue exit and its a mess. I would listen to the traffic on either 880 or 1010. The way without tolls takes you into Manhattan and across the Brooklyn Bridge.

 

Are you saying that what AAA told us to do is the way you would go? Not sure which directions you were referring to when you said that. Thanks.

[smeyer418]

Are you saying that what AAA told us to do is the way you would go? Not sure which directions you were referring to when you said that. Thanks.

Use the AAA directions modified to the Merritt.

[dickinson]

ok, so you are saying to use the AAA directions from the Merritt. But that includes the BQE and you mentioned it is a mess. Is that in an area I would be going through?

[138east]

Sid,

 

Just keep in mind that the OP is not a New Yorker and is not used to the NY roadways and the shortcuts and the toll avoidance. This is a one time trip for them.

 

I proposed the west side route in the interests of KISS - keep it simple stupid. It's hard to get lost. It's a good road all the way to 57th St. As I recall 12th Ave and West St are three lanes wide each way and they are ample lanes. If you just stay in the center lane, it should be OK. Going a little more slowly is not the worst thing when you are on unfamiliar territory with cars whizzing around you. All they have to do is follow the river downtown to the BB tunnel.

[smeyer418]

ok, so you are saying to use the AAA directions from the Merritt. But that includes the BQE and you mentioned it is a mess. Is that in an area I would be going through?

the bqe which is a mess is not the part of the bqe you will be on!. its below

south of the cruise terminal.

yes I know there will be some traffic but the roads and exits are clearly marked. the way without tolls uses a few blocks of city street with lights and I-95....you notice I haven't send them that way...

 

if any one is interested you take

 

 

 

 

i-95 to the third avenue bridge-which is free-part of the way on city streets to the fdr south bound to the brooklyn bridge and follow the blue signs to the cruise terminal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i

[138east]

Been there done that with the 3rd Ave Bridge. Don't recommend for out of towners. Found myself on a short stretch of Bruckner Blvd in the South Bronx and a huge traffic jam getting across the bridge. If I remember correctly I had to cross 4 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic to get off. I think an exit was closed and I found myself on E 125th St in East Harlem or whatever they call that area. FDR Drive was the usual traffic going too fast with narrow lanes.

 

When I was younger we used to do this all the time, but coming back to the city again after many years, I found it was much less appealing. The next time I did the trip I went down the west side and was much more comfortable. I missed the BB Tunnel exit and went around to the Brooklyn Bridge, which was fine.

 

I'm just trying to give the perspective of someone who has had extensive but now rusty experience driving the NYC roads.

[dickinson]

I really appreciate everyone's perspective. NYC has a lot of highways and many ways to get somewhere. For an out of towner what looks good on paper may not look good in reality. What is one person's favorite way is not the best to another person. I will bring both sets of directions with me and ultimately we will see which one we follow. As long as we get to the port in one piece it is all that matters! I hope this thread has helped others because the directions listed on the port's website is not good at all.

[smeyer418]

for full disclosure. Among other things I have driven a yellow cab in NY City. So NY city traffic is not an issue for me. I also have driven in most major cities in the US and in Europe(Paris is a challenge). I use GPS here and in Europe but have been known to disregard those directions too. I wouldn't drive in NYC without a turn by turn voice GPS. The first GPS I used was in France....and it was a different world really.

 

I have also been a driver impovement evaluator(DIE-really) and a driver safety specialist(DSS) for NY State DMV and have taken a police high speed low speed pursuit course- a lot of fun.