I want to motivate YOU to take a weekend excursion to one of my new favorite cities: NYC!!! It is super easy to get there and affordable considering I’ve already been three times since I’ve made my new home at Brandeis. Each time I went with different people…first time with my parents and second/third with friends. It is all about the experience and memories, which you will surely have by the end of the trip.
How to get there?
All three times I’ve used Yo! Bus to travel back and forth. It is cheap, on time, and convenient. The most expensive was $54 round-trip, four-hour ride one way (longer depending on traffic), and the bus stop in NY is in Chinatown (convenience of the subway station is on par). It just happened that all three times Yo! Bus was the way to go. However, always check other bus providers for cheaper tickets like Greyhound and Megabus. Yo! Bus, Greyhound, and Megabus all leave from South Station in Boston, which is easily accessible via MBTA. There is also Go Bus that leaves from Riverside Station in Newton if that is of more convenience. Last resort is Amtrak if you’re willing to spend more money.
Where to stay?
Unless you’re willing to spend big bucks, I recommend staying outside of Manhattan. The Best Western in Long Island City (NY) and Marriot in Hoboken (NJ) are right outside the subway station. These hotels are 15-20 minutes from Times Square, which is convenient. If you’re under 21, make sure the hotel will let you check in. If you have the choice of staying free with a friend or relative, I highly recommend that path. Be sure to check out hostels, but they tend to be booked months ahead of time. Also, do not be fooled by too cheap hostels. If the hostel has bulletproof windows, don’t stay there. I’d rather you spend more just for safety.
What do you want to accomplish?
If it’s your first time, go check out the typical tourist sites…Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Financial District, Chinatown, and Times Square. I like to break NY up into three sections: Upper, Middle, and Lower (Check out MBTA link below). I found it easier to spend a whole day in one or two sections instead of running back and forth. In Upper, there is Central Park, Times Square, Grand Central, and Bryant Park. Middle, there is Chelsea and Flat Iron. Lower is Statue of Liberty/Battery Park, SOHO, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Financial District.
Keep in mind; you also have three modes of transportation, your feet, taxi, and subway. Walking and taking the subway is great and recommended to get the full experience of the New York lifestyle. However, if a taxi ride is $10-$15, and you go with three friends then taking a taxi is the same price if all of you paid for a $2.50 subway ticket. Saves time and money, but that’s only if you go with friends.
Useful Website Links:
Yelp.com (Food and Attractions; Food can be a whole article in itself…I recommend walking down the street and choosing the first restaurant that spikes your senses to save time. To save money though, yelp to check how pricey the place is.)
http://www.mbta.com (Commuter Rail Schedule; On Sundays the last train back from North Station is at 11:30 in case you wanted to have more time to spend in New York.)
http://www.mta.info/maps/submap.html (New York Subway)
http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps.html (PATH Subway if staying in Hoboken, NJ)
App: HopStop (Convenient to know how to take subway, bus, walk to hotel or a specific location)