Staying in NJ & Visiting NYC

[BarryT82]

We’re driving to NJ in June a few days before our cruise and staying at the Hilton Garden Inn. If we want to visit NYC what’s the best way to get there and what should we plan to visit? We’ll have two kids with us that are 16 and 9. 

[mskaufman]

Have you been to NY before?  If not, I would start with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  Either Empire State Bldg or Top of the Rock.

[BarryT82]

6 minutes ago, mskaufman said:

Have you been to NY before?  If not, I would start with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  Either Empire State Bldg or Top of the Rock.

I’ve been to NY, but never went to NYC.

[mskaufman]

1 minute ago, BarryT82 said:

I’ve been to NY, but never went to NYC.

Then that is where I would start with children 9 and 16. 

[Got2Cruise]

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will take up a lot of time. Which is fine if that is something you want to do. I’m born and bred and have never visited. 

 

For 9 and 16 year olds definitely the Empire State Building or Top of Rock. A ride on the Staten Island Ferry is fun and gets you close up to Statue of Liberty real close for photo ops. Plus it’s free. 

 

Going to Times Square at dark and seeing all the lights is something all kids love also. 

[138east]

What exact dates would you be going into NYC?  This is important because of the transit schedules, parking costs, and traffic.  The Hilton Garden in Ridgefield Park only has nearby bus service to Port Authority Bus Terminal that seems to run hourly.  I’m estimating that it would take you at least 45 minutes to get to PABT including time to find the bus stop and wait.  Call the hotel to find out what they suggest.

 

You might want to consider driving south on the Turnpike to Harmon Meadows in Secaucus, which is a large outlet mall with free parking and much better bus service -http://www.harmonmeadow.com/PublishingImages/HMDirectory.pdf

https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/Meadowlands_Full_TransitGuide.pdf

This could work if you want to go into midtown Manhattan and return from downtown Manhattan.  Driving into Jersey City could work as well if you want to do a circle among NJ, downtown, and uptown.

 

Bottom line - it’s important to have an overall plan.

[mjkacmom]

You can also drive to the north Bergen park and ride which will have frequent bus service (DH parked there for years when he worked in midtown).

[138east]

2 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

You can also drive to the north Bergen park and ride which will have frequent bus service (DH parked there for years when he worked in midtown).

Another good suggestion.  With 4 people (1 “child” for NJ Transit buses and trains, but not PATH and probably not the NYC subway (44”) plus any parking fees, costs can mount up quickly if you don’t have a good plan.  

[racetech]

Ill be doing the same thing in December. Same hotel, 2 days before cruise begins, so we will want to explore the city. There will be 4 adults no kids. We are thinking of using uber to get into city, unless the hotel has bettter ideas.

[BarryT82]

8 minutes ago, racetech said:

Ill be doing the same thing in December. Same hotel, 2 days before cruise begins, so we will want to explore the city. There will be 4 adults no kids. We are thinking of using uber to get into city, unless the hotel has bettter ideas.

I’ve read that Uber charges $20 to cross over the bridge. 

[racetech]

Well maybe ill find a cheaper option lol

 

[mjkacmom]

Off peak uber should be around $50, although I don’t know if that includes the toll which is $10+.

[racetech]

I have not used uber much and never in NYC, is it easy to get an uber for 4? 

[Nitemare]

Most cars fit 4 passengers

[138east]

It appears you will be there on Sat and Sunday before your cruise.  How about driving to Secaucus Junction, paying the weekend rate to park, and taking the train to Penn Station?  Where are you going in Manhattan?

[BarryT82]

I have no idea where we’ll go yet. My wife’s family lives in N.J., but closer to Philadelphia. I’ve been as far as Trenton in the past to purchase a car, but never went to NYC. 

I wanted to stay at the Navy Gateway Inn & Suites in Manhattan, but they wouldn’t allow me to leave my vehicle there while on the cruise. 

[racetech]

2 hours ago, Nitemare said:

Most cars fit 4 passengers

Are you suggesting I do not know how many passengers a typical car holds? Lol

As stated, I have not used uber much, just for myself a few times. And Im not sure if they  limit the number of passengers regardless of vehicle capacity.

[Nitemare]

Not suggesting anything, but folks use their own cars for Uber, it's just like getting picked up by a friend you've never met and most cars seat 4.  There's no rules, no dividers, no visible license, nothing restricting anything

[mjkacmom]

3 hours ago, BarryT82 said:

I have no idea where we’ll go yet. My wife’s family lives in N.J., but closer to Philadelphia. I’ve been as far as Trenton in the past to purchase a car, but never went to NYC. 

I wanted to stay at the Navy Gateway Inn & Suites in Manhattan, but they wouldn’t allow me to leave my vehicle there while on the cruise. 

$40 a day parking at the pier is cheaper than most other options in NYC, if a hotel offers parking, it will be over $40 a day and for guests only. 

[BarryT82]

14 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

$40 a day parking at the pier is cheaper than most other options in NYC, if a hotel offers parking, it will be over $40 a day and for guests only. 

It’s a military base and I’m in the military. We’re parking at the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s $235 for a night and that includes parking and transportation to and from the port.

[jtheile]

We caught the ferry to the Statue of Liberty from Liberty Park in NJ and went to the Statue and Ellis Island(get tickets to the crown if still available) then we took the ferry to Battery Park in NYC and walked up to and toured the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. We then just bought ferry tickets back to Liberty Landing Marina at Liberty State Park.