considering getting a car from Tel-Aviv limo service, are they reputable or will they rip us off when we get to the hotel (using it to get from Newark to 7th ave manhattan)? If a get tickets to TOTR online, do you have to wait in line to go up there or can we go on up? if there is a line about how long will we have to wait? prettiest time to go- sunset or nightime? If i order tickets for the Statue of Liberty online, is there a long line to board the boat? If so about how long? Best time to go for the shortest wait? How long does the trip take including the ride to and from on the boat and the tour of the Statue? Do you have to go to Ellis Island or can you just go to Liberty Island? Would it be possible to see Liberty, Ground Zero, Wall Street, China Town in a day without being down there until dusk? oh, we will be in NY Dec. 19th (arrive approx to Manhattan @ 11:30a.m., and leave Dec. 22). I am having a hard time planning an itenerary, because i don%26#39;t know how long it will take to get around and what we can walk to or not, any help is appreciated! How do I need to plan to get to Battery Park from the hotel on 7th Ave, subway or cab? if subway which one and where do we get on? what can we walk to in the area of ground zero, china town, wall street, battery park? I read somewhere that you need to ride in the car with the person that drives the train (sorry i can%26#39;t remember what they are called...lol), because it is safer, true or not? Also read that you don%26#39;t need to make eye contact with people, why? got this info from one of the ny sites here under a heading of saftey. I need to reserve a car today, so am anxious to find out about Tel aviv, don%26#39;t want to use them if alot of people have had trouble. thanks alot
help with general questionsTel-Aviv get good ratings on here as to carmel
From what I understand TOTR isn%26#39;t overly busy so I would imagine the queues if any are minor
Go at sunset stay til dark - only takes half an hour and you%26#39;ll want to be up there longer than that
Can%26#39;t help with Statue of Liberty questions
Yes possible to see all before dusk (although it%26#39;s perfectly safe to be there after dark)
To get to South Ferry you need to be in the first 5 carriages of the subway train - this is nothing to do with safety it%26#39;s just the station isn%26#39;t long enough to take the whole train.
Don%26#39;t make eye contact - well I%26#39;ve never heard that before and I%26#39;ve survived :)
New York is one of the safest cities these days in the US - you sound very stressed about things - take a deep breath, everything will be fine and you%26#39;ll be perfectly safe :)
Have a great trip
help with general questionsSorry I don%26#39;t have answers but similar concerns. I booked Carmel to take us from LaGuardia to Times Square. Are they ok? Also is there any news on the impending strike? We will be arriving next Monday and that could really jack with our trip. Thanks!
take the subway to battery park - the 1 or 9 - it%26#39;s cheaper than a taxi :)
Don%26#39;t know where you are staying on 7th but there are subway stops all down it 53rd, 42nd, 34th, 23rd etc
Carmel are fine too - if you do a search in the top right box for carmel or tel-aviv you will get all previous posts about them - they are recommended by the NY experts on here.
Don%26#39;t know anything about the strike - sorry.
I%26#39;m a native, and I make eye contact all the time. Don%26#39;t believe the rumors, you%26#39;ll find us pretty friendly.
I went to the Top of the Rock last night, it was fantastic. Three levels -- one indoors, the next outside with glass or plexi wind screens (but enough room between them to take unobstructed photos), and the top which is completely exposed. The views are gorgeous, the people are very friendly (much different from the Empire State Bldg.), and the wait is minimal. They%26#39;ll take your photo and offer to sell it to you later, but you can refuse if you like (I did).
It%26#39;s very cold up there!
Do a search for the buy one-get one free coupon on this forum.
Both Carmel and Tel-Aviv are fine. You have a price from JFK when you booked add on $4.50 bridge toll and about a $6.50 tip and that%26#39;s what you should pay.
Hi, wow lots of questions!
I have read of many people using Tel Aviv and other services--notmany problems. We used Carmel on the way back to airport and had a very nice new sedan. Much nicer than the ratty taxi we had on the way into Manhattan. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll have a problem.
You do have to reserve online for SOL/Ellis to make sure you get on. The best thing to do is go at the earliest time(8 or 9 or something like that). We did that and had a very short wait. You can just go to Ellis--don%26#39;t have to get off at SOL--or vice versa. The ferry will stop at both but you can get off where you please. Ellis is the more interesting though. If you just want to see the Statue, I%26#39;d ride the Staten Island Ferry which is free instead of paying for the official ferry ticket.
When we we went we took the first ferry to SOL and then also got off to see Ellis. Then wlaked to WTC site, visited St.Paul%26#39;s Chapel(must do after WTC!), walked through Chinatown, and then had lunch at lobardi%26#39;s in little Italy(GREAT pizza!!!. Did all this by 2:30 pm. So yes, you could do all you mentioned before dusk. Best way we found was to walk around in lower Manhattan. We took subway from Upper Westside to Battery Park(1 or 9 train) and thne walked after that. You will be tired afterwards.
Subways were very safe--no need to ride with conductor. We never did. Even late at night. I have only heard to avoid the homeless who come through begging. We thought some of them were a bit aggressive in manner but none were threatening or seemed truly dangerous. Just would avoid engaging them. Other than that, I looked at lots of people and smiled. Most were friendly in return!
Hope all this helps!
Tessie
FYI - there is no more 9 train, so don%26#39;t bother looking for one. It%26#39;s only the 1 train now - making all stops. If you take the 1 down to South Ferry, please be in the first 5 cars (in front of the conductor). There are red signs posted overhead at most of the major stations telling you which way to go so you%26#39;ll be in the first 5 cars. If you%26#39;re in the back of the train, you%26#39;ll get stuck looping around %26amp; having to go back to Chambers to wait for another 1 train going to South Ferry.
The subway is safe, fast, inexpensive, and reasonably easy to use (do it once and you will have the hang of it...)
Most trains in Manhattan travel north/south along a particular avenue, and this is what the colors on the map mean: for example, trains with a blue symbol travel, when in Manhattan, along Eighth Avenue. (By the way, don%26#39;t call the trains by the colors, because once they leave the middle of Manhattan they go all over the place -- unlike other cities, there is not just one ';red line'; or one ';blue line';. Trains have letter or number names, such as A, R, or 4)
There are subway stations along all lines at the major cross streets, such as 42nd, 34th, or 14th. You therefore need to know not just the name of the street you want, but also the avenue -- if you just say you are going to take the train to ';42nd Street';, you are talking about FIVE different subway stops, located at Eighth, Seventh/Broadway/Times Square, Sixth, Fifth, and Park Avenues, and all on different lines.
If I remember correctly, you said you were staying at the Sheraton. The closest subway stops to that hotel are at 50th Street/Broadway, where you can catch the #1 train, and at 49th Street or 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, where you can catch the N,R, Q, and W trains. If you are going to Battery Park, you should take the #1 downtown to South Ferry, and ride in the front half of the train (South Ferry is a oddly short station). You may also take the R or the W (NOT the N or the Q) downtown to Whitehall Street.
The R, N, Q, and W all go to Canal Street, which is the station for Chinatown.
The R and W go to Cortland Street, and the 1 goes to Chambers, all of which are near the World Trade Center.
The R, W, and 1 go to Rector Street, which is near Wall Street.
There is no need to ride with the conductor (in the center car - you will see him poke his head out the window at the station to close the doors) for safety, but if it makes you feel more secure you can.
If you ride in the first car, you will not be able to talk to the motorman, but on certain lines you can look out the front window and see what he sees -- which the kids will find fun.
You will probably want to get unlimited use MetroCards from the vending machines in the station, near the change booth. You then swipe these magnetic cards in the turnstile to enter -- all children taller than the turnstile need to pay separate fares.
Here is the Transit Authority%26#39;s page that tells you all you need to know about riding the subway:
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/subway/
LOL..a lot of questions for 1 post! Have you been using the search forum above to read previously posted comments on most of these questions%26gt;? Also, read other peoples trip reposts for help with itinerary. Don%26#39;t get too stressed about it all. Make up a list of the things you want to see, group them by location, and go from there. Things don%26#39;t need to be so precise. If you would just do some reading up on NYC either on the internet or from some good books, I think you%26#39;d feel more comfortable.
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