This page contains some (hopefully helpful) tips on traveling to and within NYC.
AIR TRAVEL
There are three NYC area airports, listed here in order of proximity to the hotel:
1. LAGUARDIA (recommended)
Taxi to the Marriott: $20-30; will take from 15 minutes up to an hour
Budget-friendly option: Take a city bus ($2.50) and subway (free transfer); will take about one hour and 15 minutes. From LaGuardia’s Parking Lot #3, catch the M60 bus (West Side Bway-bound) to West 125th and Malcolm X Blvd. Get off the bus and enter the nearby 125th St. subway station. Take the New Lots Ave-bound 3 train to the Borough Hall stop.
2. JFK
Taxi to the Marriott: $33-38; will take from 30 minutes to over an hour
Budget-friendly option: Take the AirTrain ($5) to the Howard Beach
subway station. Then take the Manhattan-bound A train
($2.50) to the Jay Street-MetroTech stop. This will take
about one hour and 15 minutes.
3. NEWARK, NJ
Taxi to the Marriott: $65+; will take from
35 minutes to over an hour
Budget-friendly option: Take the AirTrain
to Newark Liberty Int’l Airport Station,
where you can catch a NJ Transit train to
NYC’s Penn Station ($12.50). From Penn Station, take the Brooklyn-bound A or C subway train ($2.50) to the Jay Street-MetroTech stop. This will take about one hour and 15 minutes.
AIRPORT TIPS
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๏We do not recommend renting a car! Once you add various parking fees to the daily rental rates, it often becomes cheaper to simply take a taxi. If you prefer to rent a car, we recommend renting a (or bringing your own) GPS device, and come prepared with printed directions. See “Travel by Car” below.
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๏Do not go with anyone who solicits taxi rides from inside the airport. These are not official cab drivers; they are essentially just guys with cars. Their fares are not regulated by NYC; thus, they can charge you whatever they want, and they will do so! Instead, follow the signs to the official taxi line.
TRAVEL BY CAR
Driving into New York City can be unnerving. If you do plan on driving, try to arrive during the day; you often have very little time to make decisions, and taking the wrong exit (or missing the right one) can take you very far out of the way. We would definitely recommend bringing printed directions from your favorite online mapping site. In other words, don’t rely too heavily on your GPS. GPS devices often get confused in and around the city, as many roads are literally built on top of one another, making your GPS unable to determine which road you are actually on! In addition, many routes are constantly under construction; your GPS may not even know about the most current route, and certain on- and off-ramps are often closed for construction.
USING THE NYC SUBWAY
Note: For in-depth instructions on how to take the subway from the hotel to the wedding venues, see the “Ceremony Information” page.
The NYC subway may seem overwhelming at first, but it is actually very well-organized and user-friendly, as long as you have a subway map. Maps are available for free at area airports and in certain subway stations, and they will be provided to you at the hotel. If you have a smart phone, consider downloading a NYC subway map app. You may also view the map online here:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm
Plan your route before you go, and take your map with you!
The NYC subway system no longer uses tokens, and many stations no longer have station attendants on duty. Instead, in order to ride, you must purchase a Metrocard from one of the automated vending machines located in every station. Cash, debit, and credit cards are accepted; each ride is $2.50 per person for a one-way trip. Multiple people can swipe the same card, so you may total up your cost and purchase a single card for the whole group. (For example, if you have a family of 4, and you plan to take the subway both to and from your destination, you would require $5 per person round trip, making your total $5 x 4 = $20.)
The most important things to do correctly on the subway are as follows:
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1.Get on the right train! Be careful not to wind up going in the opposite direction than the one you intended. Subway platforms are clearly labeled with the stops at the ends of their routes. Check those names against your map to be sure you go the right way. The signs on the platform will also indicate whether the train is local or express. Local trains stop at every stop (i.e. at both the black and white dots on the subway map), whereas express trains will skip some stops (i.e. will only stop at the white dots).
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2.Keep track of where you are. Often times the announcer who tells you which stop you are approaching is muffled or difficult to understand. Always look out the windows at each stop so you’ll know where you are and what stop comes next.
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3.Don’t panic! If you find you’ve gone in the wrong direction or have passed your stop, simply get off the train and take one going in the opposite direction back. Don’t be afraid to ask someone whether you’re on the right track (get it?!).
CAR SERVICES
Yellow cabs are not always readily available in Brooklyn, but car services are plentiful and their rates are comparable. Calling a car is by far the easiest way to get back to the airport. The hotel’s front desk staff can assist you in calling for a car, or you can call the companies directly yourself. We recommend requesting the total fare over the telephone while on the phone with the dispatcher. At the very least, ask for a quote before getting into the car to avoid any surprises!
Arecibo Car and Limo Service: 718-783-6465/3030
Blue Car and Limo: 877-800-2583
Boerum Hill Car Service: 718-855-2222
Cadman Express Car and Limo Service: 718-858-7771
Eastern Car Service: 718-499-6227
Family Car Service: 718-596-0664
Myrtle Car Service: 718-230-8100
Northside Car Service: 718-387-2222
Promenade Car Service: 718-858-6666
