Helpful information
New York alone. Taxi and metro.
New York alone. Taxi and metro.
If you already have an idea about New York and want to explore it in more detail, or, in principle, do not like restrictions and dependence (the Hop-on Hop-off bus stops are still a little tied), the option of independent movement around New York in just right.
There are also various possibilities here.
You can move around the city on foot. Calculate your strengths while doing this. If you want to see a lot, you have to walk a lot! Even if we take into account one Manhattan, it consists of separate areas (unofficial), which are very different and very interesting in themselves - Chinese China Town, Italian Little Italy, cultural Chelsea, bohemian SoHo, noisy and restless Midtown or calm Greenwich Village and a lot others.
China Town in New York
There may be no flashy sights, but each neighborhood has its own vibe and can be enjoyed simply by strolling the quiet streets of Chelsea or having breakfast at one of the cozy cafes in the West Village.
Little Italy in New York
It is also very convenient to use a taxi to get around New York. Yellow cars are impossible to miss. They are everywhere. You just have to raise your hand and you won't have to stand for a long time. This is especially convenient if you are traveling with a small group. Sometimes for the price it turns out the same as the fare for everyone in the subway.
By the way, there are yellow and black taxis in New York. In yellow, payment is always by meter. In black - as agreed. In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is better to use the official yellow taxis.
If there is no desire to travel by taxi or there is a budget limit, then the metro is just right. The subway network in New York is very developed. This is his advantage and his disadvantage.
Wall Street subway station in New York
The advantage is that it is convenient to get to almost all of New York (including the airport). The disadvantage is that the first time you can not understand the scheme and movement of trains.
New York subway map
The main thing here is to understand in which part of the city you are. (That's why it's good to take a city tour in the first days). The signs in the metro do not list the stations through which the metro train will go (the list may turn out to be one more). Only the direction is indicated - Downtown and Brooklyn (down Manhattan and into Brooklyn) or Uptown and Bronx (up Manhattan and into the Bronx).
Based on your location, you already choose which way to go. Several routes can pass along the same paths, which then diverge to different parts of New York. You need to watch which train you take so as not to accidentally leave in the other direction.
There are also trains that stop at every stop (Local) and express trains that can skip multiple stops (Express). This must also be taken into account in order not to skip the desired station.
Not at all stations, you can often see screens where you can also see your route - the name of the embarkation and disembarkation stations, the number of stations, the availability of transfers (transfer), the travel time to your destination.
There is another nuance associated with the subway. In New York, the subway network is huge and needs to be repaired/repaired/maintained regularly. In this regard, sometimes some sections of the metro may overlap. Stations always warn about it. This is often done on weekends. So, you can and should plan your vacation, but you also need to be flexible enough in terms of the possibility of making changes to your movements.
It is also possible to make a route - Trip Planner +
For payment in the subway, MetroCard cards are used.
For payment in the subway, MetroCard cards are used.
MetroCard travel cards are purchased and topped up at vending machines or from cashiers. If there are difficulties, the metro staff always try to help. A subway ride in New York costs $2.75 regardless of distance. There is a system of bonuses - you replenish the MetroCard with a larger amount, more bonuses, which means more trips to the metro. For example, when replenishing the MetroCard for $10, a bonus of $1.10 is charged. And then it will be enough not for three trips to the subway, but for four (4x2.75=$11, another $0.10 remains on the balance sheet). For more information on travel costs, bonuses and topping up the New York subway card, see the MTA website ( Metropolitan Transportation Authority )
So that all of the above does not look very complicated, you need to remember one thing - to understand in which part of the city you are at the moment and where you want to go. And then, as they say, modern technology will help you. If earlier you had to walk around the city with a map in your hands, now almost everyone has a smartphone / tablet. We upload a map there (for example, google maps) and a New York subway map (one of the most convenient "NYC Subway"). Both applications work offline and do not require wi-fi or internet connection. So, wherever you are, look at the map where you need to get, enter the data in the NYC Subway app - and get a subway route with the time, number of stops and the availability of transfers. Simple and affordable! :-)
We make our list of New York attractions - and go for a look!
Battery Park in New York
Watch, learn, choose!
And have a good rest!
To be continued…
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