? for NY locals

[alwalaska]

Hi all! We have a chance at getting a hotel with our Marriott points in Tarrytown, NY for our 2 nights while we tour NYC and the Statue of Liberty.

 

The hotel says it has free shuttles to the Tarrytown bus and train stations. Would it be easy to get into the city from here? If so, do you know how the price would compare to parking at Newark station to go into town?

 

Any idea where I can find info on the bus and train routes?

 

The Springhill Suites in Newark is where we were originally planning on staying, but we don't have enough points for it and purchasing the additional points is $125 so I'm not sure if it is worth it just to be local.

 

Other than touring the Intrepid museum and the Statue of Liberty, we don't have much planned yet.

[nybumpkin]

Tarrytown is on the Hudson line of the Metro-North Railroad; the website is http://www.mta.info/mnr/. The fares depend on the time of travel and the manner in which you purchase your ticket - there are prices for purchasing on the train, at the station, or on the web. It's about a 40-50 minute train ride into Grand Central Station.

[moyaroo]

Tarrytown is actually quite nice and if the stay is free. . . the train is pretty easy. We have stayed at the Courtyard and it was a very good property for the brand. Dinner in Tarrytown offers, Brazilian, Italian and more.

[138east]

The Tarrytown schedule and price looks good. If the hotel is free, it would be a reasonable option. Round trip peak service is about $20. From Newark round trip would be $8 plus parking, which I'm guessing is in the $10-$15 range so the dollar difference is not significant.

 

Then there's the urban factor. Alawaska - I see that you are from Ohio. In my opinion you will feel very comfortable in Tarrytown. Newark is very urban. It's one thing to stay in downtown Newark in a hotel and take the nearby train or Path. However, it's another thing to stay in a Newark Airport hotel and be driving in and out of downtown Newark, finding parking, and walking to the station, particularly later in the evening.

 

I actually think the travel time in and out of NY will end up being similar for both places. Tarrytown is considered close in to NY in the commuter world - there are express trains during rush hour that take 35 minutes. Thousands of people take these trains in and out of the city every day to go to work.

[CRIRUN]

Tarrytown vs. Newark? As a New Yorker, there is NO comparison. Tarrytown all the way. The Metro North trains are very comfortable and from Grand Central it is easy to get anywhere in the City. For a free hotel, it is worth the price of the train ticket.

[alwalaska]

Thanks all - Tarrytown it is. Now all I have to do is decide what we are going to do in NYC all day Saturday besides visit the Intrepid museum which is on our must do list. We are going to try and see Lady Liberty on Friday.

[138east]

You may want to make reservations for the Statue of Liberty. Go early before the crowds build up. From Grand Central you can take the Lexington Ave. subway (4,5,6) to Bowling Green and walk through Battery Park to the ferry dock.

[alwalaska]

You may want to make reservations for the Statue of Liberty. Go early before the crowds build up. From Grand Central you can take the Lexington Ave. subway (4,5,6) to Bowling Green and walk through Battery Park to the ferry dock.

 

Friday we will be getting off of the Explorer of the Seas in NJ, so we will probably go to Liberty park rather than Battery Park and save NYC for Saturday when we take the train in.

 

My worry about buying reserve tickets is if the ship is too late we lose our tickets and our money. If we order flex passes, we have to stand in line longer, but we don't stand a chance of losing our money. This is a hard decision. We can do Lady Liberty on Saturday from Battery Park, but then what do we do on Friday? I don't want to pay to take the train into the city twice.

 

Also, we are going near the end of March so I don't know how big the crowds will be on a Friday for the Statue of Liberty.

 

Oh - decisions - decisions.

[138east]

My mistake. I thought you were doing all this pre-cruise instead of post cruise. You should have no problem getting to the Statue from NJ. It's the NY departure that is more of a problem. Have you considered express departure so you can get going early?

 

You also need to ask for directions to Tarrytown. I pulled up mapquest and they were sending you through NYC. I'm not sure I agree with that. It will be a Friday afternoon, so that is a consideration. If it were me I would look at getting back on the NJ turnpike, going back to exit 14 (Newark Airport) and going north to exit 18 - George Washington Bridge. Stay on the upper level and get in the far right lane. The very first exit is the Henry Hudson Parkway - go north. This becomes the Saw Mill. Get off at the Cross Country parkway in Yonkers and go east a short distance to 87 North (New York Thruway). This will take you to I-287 west about a mile from Tarrytown. This route is a little longer and a little more expensive, but it is all major highways and might be better on a Friday. Another option instead of the GW bridge is to get on the Palisades Parkway and go north to I287/87 and then east across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Tarrytown. This would be a more scenic ride.

 

Hopefully others will speak up with their recommendations.

[alwalaska]

Thank you. This is why I love these boards. So much helpful information.

 

So, anyone else want to chime in on directions for heading from Liberty Park to Tarrytown on a Friday afternoon or evening?

 

We have a recommended diner near Liberty Park, so if we end anywhere near rush hour (which I assume lasts for a coupe of hours in NY), we will eat dinner before heading north.

[138east]

Well, if it's dark, you don't need a scenic ride up the Palisades Parkway. Another trick in NY is to listen to the traffic report on 1010 WINS. If you go north on the NJ Turnpike, you have to make a decision immediately after getting on the main turnpike at exit 14. The signs say George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel. What they don't say is that Lincoln Tunnel is also the shorter way to the George Washington Bridge, but only if the traffic report does not indicate some major problem at the Lincoln Tunnel that backs up all the way to the turnpike. That is not normal - I always go to the GW bridge by following the Lincoln tunnel signs. The other road goes out across the Meadowlands right by the sports arenas. It also seems as if more trucks take that route.

[Got2Cruise]

Tarrytown vs. Newark? As a New Yorker, there is NO comparison. Tarrytown all the way. The Metro North trains are very comfortable and from Grand Central it is easy to get anywhere in the City. For a free hotel, it is worth the price of the train ticket.

 

AMEN to that. I would not go to the city of Newark-- ever. It is dangerous to innocent people. Is saving a few bucks worth it. . .not to me. Tarrytown is very nice. Newark was once a fine city, but it has fallen onto tough times with no industry and high unemployment.

[Got2Cruise]

I would take the Palisades to the Tappan Zee Bridge.

[GTJ]

Tarrytown vs. Newark? As a New Yorker, there is NO comparison. Tarrytown all the way. The Metro North trains are very comfortable and from Grand Central it is easy to get anywhere in the City. For a free hotel, it is worth the price of the train ticket.

 

The Marriott in Tarrytown is in the middle of no place. It is on highway that connects White Plains with Tarrytown, and the hotel is simply a tower in a parking lot. There's nothing to walk to, and transportation is a hassle. Having to rely on a hotel bus to get to and from the railroad station is not especially convenient. The railroad fares add up quickly if there are multiple people in the party, and the trains don't run all that frequently outside of rush hours. Only people who love the homogeneity of the suburbs will enjoy this hotel.

 

Whether or not to stay in Newark depends on the hotel. The Springhill Suites is not the best place to stay as it is situated alongside routes 1 & 9, a fast moving arterial that is not very conducive to walking. There's really nothing around the hotel but for other airport businesses (and not even that many restaurants). The best place to stay in Newark is the Hilton as it is downtown and directly connected to Penn Station (with easy access to PATH and NJT for the short ride into New York).

 

I don't see a clear preference for one or the other . . . I really don't like the location of either.

[GTJ]

AMEN to that. I would not go to the city of Newark-- ever. It is dangerous to innocent people. Is saving a few bucks worth it. . .not to me. Tarrytown is very nice. Newark was once a fine city, but it has fallen onto tough times with no industry and high unemployment.

 

I disagree strongly with this post. As someone who lives in New York and travels regularly to Newark, I find that the city simply requires the same type of care as one would exercise in most any urban area. It is not an affluent city, and its commerce leaves a little to be desired, but is the not same emptiness as, say, East St. Louis, Ill. Just like New York City there are certain areas that are very well traveled, and other areas that can be rough. In general, most all of downtown Newark (including Penn Station) is just fine during the day, but be more vigilant at night. Making connections at Penn Station between the buses and trains there is fine most any time of day or night. Immediately to the east of Penn Station, the Ironbound is a fabulous Portuguese neighborhood with some of the region's best restaurants, worth a visit any night. The airport, like Penn Station, is fine anytime of day or night (just be careful walking around because the airport is not too friendly to pedestrians).

[alwalaska]

Thank you for the information. The Hilton is way out of our price range and since we are staying 2 nights, but only going into the city one day, the price at Tarrytown Springhill Suites (Free) even with the $80 RT for the train (4 of us) is well worth it.

 

Not to sound like a country hick (OK - I kind of am) but, the Tarrytown station web site says in the parking section that it has a free weekend and holiday policy. Does that mean all holidays and weekeds have free parking or is there a doc I need to read about which weekend times are free.

 

Also, would parking on a Saturday morning, probably to catch the 8:10 or 9:10 train be a problem?

[l_n_m]

My mistake. I thought you were doing all this pre-cruise instead of post cruise. You should have no problem getting to the Statue from NJ. It's the NY departure that is more of a problem. Have you considered express departure so you can get going early?

 

You also need to ask for directions to Tarrytown. I pulled up mapquest and they were sending you through NYC. I'm not sure I agree with that. It will be a Friday afternoon, so that is a consideration. If it were me I would look at getting back on the NJ turnpike, going back to exit 14 (Newark Airport) and going north to exit 18 - George Washington Bridge. Stay on the upper level and get in the far right lane. The very first exit is the Henry Hudson Parkway - go north. This becomes the Saw Mill. Get off at the Cross Country parkway in Yonkers and go east a short distance to 87 North (New York Thruway). This will take you to I-287 west about a mile from Tarrytown. This route is a little longer and a little more expensive, but it is all major highways and might be better on a Friday. Another option instead of the GW bridge is to get on the Palisades Parkway and go north to I287/87 and then east across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Tarrytown. This would be a more scenic ride.

 

Hopefully others will speak up with their recommendations.

 

FYI, these directions are very direct, but the cost of tolls is quite high. Don't know offhand what the NJ turnpike will charge, but the GW Bridge/Lincoln Tunnel is now $8, the Henry Hudson Bridge is $2.25, if you want to save some toll money, go to the Tappan Zee Bridge, it ends right in Tarrytown.

[eddiethekub]

A couple of comments on the previous comments. Yes GWB is $8, but so is the Tappan Zee Bridge. Also the Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP) is not free either. Don't know the tolls there. Trust me, the traffic engineers have made sure that there are very few alternatives in the NYC area to avoid a toll.

Also note that if you are on the NJTP North (and as one poster said - either way at the split immediately after you get on the main line by Newark Airport will get you to the GWB), the NJTP officially ends well before the GWB and it becomes I 80 / I 95. But it is a seemless change, the road continues, merges happen, the name changes, but you basically keep driving straight. As you travel towards the GWB, trying to get on the Palisades Parkway is rather convoluted. The easy well marked approaches are on the GWB westbound to the PIP Nortbound, and the PIP southbound to the GWB east. In the direction you are traveling, there is no easily marked exit that I can recall that gets you to the PIP - so you will likely wind up on the bridge. As another poster noted, stay to the right and follow the signs to the Henry Hudson Parkway immediately after the bridge. (I was on these roads last weekend)

Suggest you do a google map search and get a feel for the layouts and directions of all these road names and numbers that we are throwing at you. Good luck and post a reply if I can unwind any of the further confusion that I just threw at you.

[eddiethekub]

Oh I forgot to mention a couple of other suggestions for your day in NYC. See a Broadway show, on Sat they are at 2:00 & 8:00. Visit the Empire State Building. The view from the 102nd flor (on a clear day) is fabulous. Go to a museum - Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Natural Hstory, or any number of other museums in Manhattan. Visit Southstreet Seaport (not my most favorite though). Take a grey line of red line tour. They have busses that allow you to hop on and hop off at places that interest you (I must confess that since I live right across the river in Jersry, I've never taken any of them...so I can't make a recommendation)

Also if you have enough time on Friday and don't spend the entire day at the Statue, there is Ellis Island where the 19th century immigration processing center has been restored and made into a museum. Back in Jersey, there is the Liberty Science center, not too far from the Statue.

Google to get more info on these and other opportunities. Enjoy.

[alwalaska]

Thank you all so much. Your ideas sound great. I will definitely print up the different routes and use maps to get a visual on all the directions you have all been giving me.

[GTJ]

A couple of comments on the previous comments. Yes GWB is $8, but so is the Tappan Zee Bridge. Also the Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP) is not free either. Don't know the tolls there. Trust me, the traffic engineers have made sure that there are very few alternatives in the NYC area to avoid a toll.

 

The toll on the Tappan Zee Bridge is $4.50 (eastbound only). Even less expensive is the Bear Mountain Bridge at just $1.00 (but you don't want to go that far north!).

 

You may be confusing the toll-free Palisades Parkway with the tolled Garden State Parkway.

[138east]

There are definitely routes through NY that will save you in tolls. If you lived in the area, you would have had an opportunity to discover these routes and decided which ones are worth it to you. I know that when we lived in NY, we tried to stick with the "free" routes and only paid tolls when it was absolutely necessary.

 

However, we have lived near Boston for over 25 years and we now only drive to or through NY several times per year. We've learned to spend a little money to do that on routes that tend to be less congested. For folks who are not really familiar with NY, I always recommend throwing some money at tolls in order to have an easier, less stressful trip in the metropolitan area.

 

If you want the cheap way from Liberty State Park to Tarrytown, you would follow the mapquest directions through the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan, up West St to the West Side Highway. In order to avoid the toll on the Henry Hudson Parkway, you would get onto I-95 east at the George Washington Bridge and pick up I-87 north to go to Tarrytown. However, given the fact that they will be doing this on a Friday evening, probably in the dark, I can't bring myself to recommend this route for out-of-towners. I also would not recommend the Palisades Parkway in the dark. The route is longer and what you might save on the Tappan Zee toll, you will spend on gas.

 

By the way - another travel tip. Be sure to fill up your gas tank in New Jersey before you go to NY. Also, if you are going into NY by train on Saturday, that would be an off-peak rate of $15 round tip. Children are $7.50. I would call the town offices in Tarrytown (914-631-7873) to find out about the weekend parking. I wouldn't be surprised if it were free. I've parked at Larchmont and Rye on the weekend for free but each town is different.

[138east]

One more thing - Metro North has a family fare if you are traveling with children under 12, so a family of four could travel round trip for $14.26 x 2 plus $1.42 x 2 = $31.36 on a web fare.

 

Family Fare

Pay no more than $1 each for up to four children (ages 5 to 11) with a fare-paying adult (18 years or older). The fifth child and all other children pay Child Fare. Not valid on inbound morning peak trains. Valid for six months from date of purchase.

[alwalaska]

One more thing - Metro North has a family fare if you are traveling with children under 12, so a family of four could travel round trip for $14.26 x 2 plus $1.42 x 2 = $31.36 on a web fare.

 

Family Fare

Pay no more than $1 each for up to four children (ages 5 to 11) with a fare-paying adult (18 years or older). The fifth child and all other children pay Child Fare. Not valid on inbound morning peak trains. Valid for six months from date of purchase.

 

Unfortunately our kids are 15 and 17 and almost no one considers them childrens prices any more.

[GTJ]

One more thing - Metro North has a family fare if you are traveling with children under 12, so a family of four could travel round trip for $14.26 x 2 plus $1.42 x 2 = $31.36 on a web fare.

 

If you really wanted to save a few dollars and get some local color, board the Bronx-bound 1W bus right outside your hotel. Use a MetroCard and the fare will be $2 per person ($8 total for all four people). At the last stop use the MetroCard for a free transfer onto the subway to continue onward to any station in Manhattan or elsewhere. Note that if you don't use a MetroCard then it will still be $2 per person on the bus (exact fare, no bills), plus an additional $2 per person the enter the subway. The bus ride is about one hour in duration, and since it does not operate very frequently (or late into the night) you'll want to download a timetable here:

 

Bus - Bee-line route 1W

beelinebus.westchestergov.com/new_web_pdf_timetables/fall_2008_service _change/rte_1ctwx_fall_08.pdf

 

Subway - MTA New York City Transit no. 1 train

www.mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/t1cur.pdf

 

Service on bus route 1W operates about once an hour weekdays 7:51 a.m. until 5:08 p.m., and Saturdays 9:44 a.m. until 5:10 p.m. (no Sunday service). At other times you will need to use Metro-North or a combination of bus routes.