HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND NEW YORK CITY: TRANSPORT NYC
WALKING AROUND
NEW YORK CITY can be a daunting destination for tourists considering its sheer size. It is easy to get overwhelmed when attempting to navigate it. However, one should remember that streets do run parallel in NYC and are more or less numbered except for a few main streets that link up to major attractions. Some of these staple named (not numbered) streets include Park and Madison Avenue which ultimately cross Central Park, Grand Central, and Bryant Park as well.
Again, if you can match avenue numbers to street numbers, then you never have to worry about getting lost. Downtown streets will decrease in number and uptown is the opposite. West side of New York City will start from 11th Avenue and decrease as you move to the east side, so pretty straightforward directions.
TACKLING THE NYC SUBWAY SYSTEM
Now, if you want to embark on the subway system, I suggest you map out your route in advance and save this information offline like the location of the subway station. You will also need to purchase a Metro Card that can be used for both the subway and buses in New York City and at times even buses in surrounding counties like Westchester. Apparently, you will either pay $2.75 per ride or you can get the weekly for the cost of $32.
There will often be multiple subway lines you can take to reach popular destinations such as Times Square (off 42nd Street) and Union Square (off 14th Street). Nonetheless, you cant simply just jump on a numbered or lettered subway line without checking the direction in which that line is headed. This means you will have a choice to ride that specific line uptown or downtown depending on your destination, of course. Watch out for the signs in this case and because subway stations can often be tricky due to multiple levels of platforms.
STAYING STREET LEVEL (BUSES AND BICYCLES)
If you prefer being above ground and want partly walk/ride the bus, then you certainly have that option also. The same Metro Card purchased at subway stations or convenient stores will come in handy. I have been on the bus a handful of times when I was incredibly exhausted and if there wasn’t a nearby subway station. I can also recommend the bus when going a few short blocks for a quick ride. The bus would fare well for shorter journeys and the subway for longer journeys as you can imagine.
Lastly, like most major metropolitan cities these days, New York City also has a bike system that costs $12 for twenty-four hours and has docking stations in key locations like Grand Central. Or if you don’t mind splurging, simply go for a taxi and ride out the journey in the backseat!
SEARCH HOTELS IN NEW YORK CITY
