<p>I am completely unfamiliar with NYC and need help figuring out the logistics of our stopover there. Next month my son and I will be flying into JFK around 11 pm on a Wednesday and flying out of JFK around 5:30 pm the following afternoon to head off to an international fencing competition.</p>
<p>We would like to take advantage of this stopover to tour Columbia. There is an information session at 10 am followed by a one hour tour at 11 am and I expect we could visit their fencing facilities as well.</p>
<p>Considering that we'll be travelling with the usual luggage plus a fencing bag, can anyone more familiar with the city recommend an intelligent stategy to determine where to book a hotel and whether to use a taxi or public transportation to get around?</p>
<p>If there is any benefit, we could fly into Newark rather than JFK Wednesday night.</p>
<p>Choose any hotel above 59th street on the west side (7th, B-way or 8th ave.)
Leave gear at hotel and take a cab. You CAN take a bus up B'way or the subway. Subway: take the 2 and change at 96th street for a local. There's a stop at 116th St. practically on Barnard's campus right across B'way from Columbia. You can PM me if you have more questions.</p>
<p>I don't think Newark offers any benefit unless schedule or price is better.</p>
<p>I agree with mythmom above. If your hotel is not close to an express stop, just take the local (#1) to 116th. You can also cab it. I don't recommend taking the bus back to your hotel because I don't think you will have enough time.</p>
<p>I would get a hotel around JFK. You could drop your luggages off there and take a bus/train/taxi to Columbia, have lunch in NYC. There will usually be a shuttle to and from JFK to hotels around JFK. Hotels around JFK will also be less expensive and available. This is high season in NYC. It will be harder and more expensive to get a hotel in NYC.</p>
<p>I live in NJ and have stayed at hotels around JFK when I had early international flights. The hotels around JFK are perfectly fine. There are buses to Port Authority, where you could then take a subway right up to Columbia.</p>
<p>Staying in JFK would also be a good option. I used to live in NYC and went to Columbia so I know how to get around from the city. I'm not familiar with public transportation to & from JFK, but it would allow you to get a little more sleep when you arrive. If you take this route, plan carefully how you get into NYC the next morning. There will be heavy traffic. Other than that, it would work well too.</p>
<p>If you stay in NYC your son will get a better idea of city life. Morningside Heights is its own world so cabbing straight to Columbia might provide a strange impression. JMHO.</p>
<p>My daughter attends Barnard/Columia and NYC is their campus, not just the enclave in Morningside.</p>
<p>However, perhaps others are right, and staying at JFK is more convenient. I wouldn't go that route, but I love NYC at night. You could look at Lincoln Center. I am sorry I am being a bit opinionated here. Native NY'er. What can you expect?</p>
<p>Apparently I mixed up the #! & the #2. Other poster was too polite to point it out in those terms.</p>
<p>sherpa, I think it would help to identify your budget. Obviously hotels at JFK are cheaper than those in Manhattan and even within Manhattan there's a big range. Same goes for taxis vs public transportation. It goes without saying that you pay for convenience and time savings.</p>
<p>I would agree with Mythmom that any one interested in Columbia should try to spend some time in Manhattan. The city is the elephant in the room -- it's either a massive plus or a massive minus to the whole Columbia/Barnard experience. </p>
<p>I've never been there but my son has several times. It was recommended by his friends at Barnard. It's in a nice neighborhood convenient to Columbia. It's basic but clean and well run. Most likely you could negotiate keeping your room -- and storing your stuff -- until you leave for the airport around 2:30 p.m.</p>
<p>There are a zillion other low cost options, but my advice would be to go with a neighborhood over the Times Square area.</p>
<p>Second advice, is TAKE TAXIS. Get there, get out and go on with life, even if it seems wildly expensive. You can learn the bus and subway system on your next trip when you have more time and experience.</p>
<p>I prefer the Newark airport to JFK, but I've had bad experiences with New Jersey taxis, so for a 11:00 p.m. arrival I'd stay with JFK. Any chance of flying into Laguardia? It's closer to Manhattan and therefore less expensive.</p>
<p>The Riverside hotel looks like a nice option, but I'm not sure there's much point since you are arriving so late. On the other hand you'd have a more leisurely morning and time to explore the subway or buses. If you stay on the West Side buses go up B'way and subway under B'way. Subway is nearly always faster, but bus is more scenic. Express buses from the airport to Grand Central (JFK) or Port Authority bus station (Newark) are usually as fast as a cab. If you go with public transportation it's easier to get to Columbia from Port Authority. However, I'd be inclined to take cabs for this visit since you aren't familiar with the city.</p>
<p>Try the Hotel Lucerne on 79th. It is a very short walk to the subway station on Amsterdam. Then just hop on the line and take it up to Columbia. The hotel is also very close to Central Park, The Natural History Museum, and Rose Planetarium. Then in the morning take a taxi to the airport. The concierge can help you with the taxi. Everyone who works there is very helpful. It's my favorite place to stay. Your son will love Columbia, it's a shame that you don't have more time to explore the city.</p>
<p>No nonstops into LGA, so its JFK or Newark. Because we're so short on time I'll only use public transportation if it's the fastest option. I'm inclined to cab it into Manhattan and sleep there since there should be minimal traffic at midnite and it will only feel like 10 pm to us (MST).</p>
<p>Any other hotel suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>momrath: As to the budget question, I can best put it into perspective by alluding to the VISA advertisement:</p>
<p>Entry fee to the Slovakian fencing tournament: 10 euros,
Airfare to get there and back: $2500,
Hotel in Manhattan: $150-400,
Opportunity to help my son choose the most appropriate college: Priceless.</p>
<p>In that price range, I'd second the Lucerne for the upper West side. For mid-range (remember this IS Manhattan) on the upper EAST side try the Surrey. Both are in friendly neighborhoods, accessible to museums, park, restaurants and are not so bare-bones as the Riverside.</p>
<p>It's very easy and fairly fast to take the Long Island Railroad from JFK in to Penn Station, and then get on the #1 subway line and get off at 116th St. You can't possibly miss the campus from there. </p>
<p>For an 11 pm arrival I think you should stick with an airport hotel -- between waiting for your luggage at the baggage carousel and the taxi ride in, you'd find yourself checking in a Manhattan hotel at 1 am. The nice thing about NY is that there are plenty of restaurants & cafes open at that hour.... but sleep is nice, too. So I think you will be happier just trying to get an early start into the city the following day.</p>
<p>The stopover is so short, why drag your luggages into Manhattan. I would invest time and money in NYC after he gets into Columbia. Next morning I would take the public transportation as mentioned by calmom.</p>
<p>sherpa
look at it logistically
flight arrives at 11 (hopefully on time)
waiting for luggage at a NY airport =1/2 hr at least
if you were to travel into Manhattan and then uptown for a hotel=at least an hour ,hour and a half.Distances are big in NYC,and you'll be tired.Do you really want to start dragging yourself another hour or two just to check into a Manhattan hotel,wake up and rush out?
best bet at that time..to me at least..an airport hotel with a shuttle.Hotel area around Kennedy is perfectly safe.
Next morning you can take the shuttle back to the terminal,hop on the air tram to the Long Island Railroad,take that in to Penn Station and cab it or subway up to Columbia. If you are unsure about travelling or in the interests of saving time, you can cab it all the way in (expect it to be costly but would save time and logistic headaches)
Enjoy your tour of the campus.Get back to hotel as expendiently as possible to pick up luggage if you need to be at terminal at a certain time for an overseas flight (make sure and check out how long you need to leave open for that flight).You can save extended touring of area surrounding campus/Manhattan hotel stay for another visit before or after admissions!
And good luck at the overseas fencing match!!</p>
<p>I'd definitely take a cab into the city when you arrive. Sleep in a Manhattan hotel for both the location and the experience (Lucerne is a great option). Then you have only a short distance to travel in the morning to visit Columbia. No hassles with morning traffic or worries about missing the info sessions. Definitely use cabs for this first and short trip. I agree that you can learn the subways/buses on another longer visit. Enjoy your stay!</p>
<p>I am so glad that parents like the Lucerne as much as I do. When we visit New York that's where we stay. All of our friends stay there too. It is so easy to travel to Columbia from the hotel. When we stay there I go downstairs in the morning to the Nice Matin, read the New York Times and have a mocha latte with my dad. After that we take a walk down 79th to Amsterdam, walk down the subway entrance by a ticket, ride it to the Columbia stop, get off and walk upstairs to the university. Once, you are on the street level, walk through the gate to Low Library (you can't miss it, it has the giant dome) walk up the stairs and into the orientation office. Yeah, I am one of those crazy teens who actually like to visit college campuses for fun. Columbia is great. Even, if I never go there I love to visit it. Make sure you take a moment, sit on the steps of library, and listen to the students talk.</p>
<p>Without question, stay the night in Manhattan. You'll arrive in the dead of night (quick cab ride with no rush hour traffic). You'll be able to get a feel for the neighborhood in the morning. Fun! Airport hotel? Been there? done that? Ugh, ugh, ugh.</p>
<p>I'd also fly into Newark. It's a smaller airport (faster luggage delivery) and it's closer to the Upper West side by cab.</p>
<p>Here's a hostel on 95th near Riverside for $90 a night for a standard room.</p>