JFK layover options
November 1, 2023 7:18 AM Subscribe
I have a long-ish layover at JFK T4 (3pm-11pm) later this month. My top priority is getting a decent vegan meal before rolling the dice with the onboard vegan options on my connecting flight. Beyond that, I can't decide whether to try to go into the city for an hour or two, or just hang out at the airport (maybe with a lounge pass). Seeking options & recommendations.
The vegan food options at T4/JFK in general aren't easy to find on the airport website - most of the T4 restaurants don't have online menus. I also have no idea if any of the lounges serve decent vegan food or snacks, and this information also isn't readily available online.
Overall I'm leaning towards not going into the city (it would be a lot of travel/hassle for a few hours, I've never been to NYC before and don't necessarily want my first visit to be "whatever I could cram in randomly before going back to the airport", I'm an anxious traveller and would probably be less stressed just staying at the airport, it will be at the end of a three-week trip with a two-week intense work component and I will probably be low on money & energy by then), but then I browse the menu from e.g. Spicy Moon and it looks like a much more compelling food option than anything the airport can offer.
I'm looking for:
Recommendations for decent vegan food at JFK (T4 or any terminal) Info on whether any of the lounges that offer day passes will have vegan options (I don't want to pay $50 to sit in a slightly nicer room than the regular airport where I can't eat anything) Thoughts on whether it is in any way a good idea to try going to Manhattan (or other boroughs, I'm open to suggestions) with the amount of time I have and the caveats I mentioned above Any other 2023 JFK advice
In case it matters, incoming flight is with Delta from Cleveland Hopkins; outbound flight is with Virgin Atlantic to London Heathrow.
The vegan food options at T4/JFK in general aren't easy to find on the airport website - most of the T4 restaurants don't have online menus. I also have no idea if any of the lounges serve decent vegan food or snacks, and this information also isn't readily available online.
Overall I'm leaning towards not going into the city (it would be a lot of travel/hassle for a few hours, I've never been to NYC before and don't necessarily want my first visit to be "whatever I could cram in randomly before going back to the airport", I'm an anxious traveller and would probably be less stressed just staying at the airport, it will be at the end of a three-week trip with a two-week intense work component and I will probably be low on money & energy by then), but then I browse the menu from e.g. Spicy Moon and it looks like a much more compelling food option than anything the airport can offer.
I'm looking for:
In case it matters, incoming flight is with Delta from Cleveland Hopkins; outbound flight is with Virgin Atlantic to London Heathrow.
I'd look into the Paris Café at the TWA Hotel, connected to JFK Terminal 5. I'm not a native but stayed here once, we tried taking the AirTrain to the subway station to downtown Manhattan and gave up. Too stressful and it's not a pleasant environment altogether. The subway station at Jamaica is awful. The hotel was a nicer place to be.
You could pretty much spend your layover just hanging out at the hotel, it's very quiet and casual. It's got a lot historic significance if you're into architecture, airports, etc.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:33 AM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
You could pretty much spend your layover just hanging out at the hotel, it's very quiet and casual. It's got a lot historic significance if you're into architecture, airports, etc.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:33 AM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
If the weather is nice....
You could get to the Nostrand stop in Bedstuy in about an hour. From there, provided the weather is nice, it's a pleasant walk 30min walk to Prospect Park. Also near the top of the park is the Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Museum. In the area of Crown Heights, which you will walk through, lots of West Indian vegan options. If you like rotis, Ali's on Nostrand has a channa/potato option. But there are other ital Rastafarian places that are 100% vegan.
posted by coffeecat at 7:50 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
You could get to the Nostrand stop in Bedstuy in about an hour. From there, provided the weather is nice, it's a pleasant walk 30min walk to Prospect Park. Also near the top of the park is the Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Museum. In the area of Crown Heights, which you will walk through, lots of West Indian vegan options. If you like rotis, Ali's on Nostrand has a channa/potato option. But there are other ital Rastafarian places that are 100% vegan.
posted by coffeecat at 7:50 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Take the AirTrain to Jamaica and then the Subway to Jackson Heights, total journey about 30 mins. There you'll find lots of vegan options, many of them Indian (as there's a large Indian community there) but lots of choice from all around the world.
Jamaica is not the fanciest station, and neither is Jackson Heights, but I (small, middle-aged woman) have never had any problems travelling through either station.
posted by essexjan at 8:09 AM on November 1, 2023 [8 favorites]
Jamaica is not the fanciest station, and neither is Jackson Heights, but I (small, middle-aged woman) have never had any problems travelling through either station.
posted by essexjan at 8:09 AM on November 1, 2023 [8 favorites]
Eight hours is enough time to get into the city (or Queens or Brooklyn) and back even with an international departure, and New York City is an incredible place with literally thousands of vegan-friendly options (e.g. Superiority Burger). But you sound like you want to stay at the airport.
The Delta lounge does indeed have adequate vegan options, but you cannot buy a day pass to the Delta lounge. There are ways to get in without a premium cabin ticket or elite status, but none of them are as simple as handing over $50 and none of them will let you camp out there 8 hours before your flight departs.
There are many lounges you can pay to access at JFK, but the logistics of getting through the TSA checks if your flight does not depart from a given terminal are complicated. If you're keen on the idea of lounge access I would look at your options on LoungeBuddy and/or ask this question on FlyerTalk.
For what it's worth, there is a Shake Shack in T4. They can make their veggie burger vegan-friendly.
If you decide to leave the airport, locals will tell you it's faster and cheaper ($11-$15 each way) to take transit, and they're right, but it's complicated and poorly signposted relative to e.g. London, and you say you are an anxious traveller. So if you're going to leave the airport, you'll probably take a cab. Yellow cabs are the best way to get from JFK to Manhattan. They cost a fixed fare ($75ish + tip) each way. Cabs to Brooklyn and Queens are metered and a shorter distance but if you hit traffic they could end up costing about the same as a cab to Manhattan.
To be honest, unless money is no object, I think you should bring a packed lunch and then wander around T4 for an hour before admitting defeat and eating the packed lunch.
posted by caek at 8:11 AM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
The Delta lounge does indeed have adequate vegan options, but you cannot buy a day pass to the Delta lounge. There are ways to get in without a premium cabin ticket or elite status, but none of them are as simple as handing over $50 and none of them will let you camp out there 8 hours before your flight departs.
There are many lounges you can pay to access at JFK, but the logistics of getting through the TSA checks if your flight does not depart from a given terminal are complicated. If you're keen on the idea of lounge access I would look at your options on LoungeBuddy and/or ask this question on FlyerTalk.
For what it's worth, there is a Shake Shack in T4. They can make their veggie burger vegan-friendly.
If you decide to leave the airport, locals will tell you it's faster and cheaper ($11-$15 each way) to take transit, and they're right, but it's complicated and poorly signposted relative to e.g. London, and you say you are an anxious traveller. So if you're going to leave the airport, you'll probably take a cab. Yellow cabs are the best way to get from JFK to Manhattan. They cost a fixed fare ($75ish + tip) each way. Cabs to Brooklyn and Queens are metered and a shorter distance but if you hit traffic they could end up costing about the same as a cab to Manhattan.
To be honest, unless money is no object, I think you should bring a packed lunch and then wander around T4 for an hour before admitting defeat and eating the packed lunch.
posted by caek at 8:11 AM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
I agree with essexjan that taking trains to Jackson Heights and eating Indian food (or Thai food or something else) is the right option if you want to leave the airpot. Angel is my favorite and clearly marks their vegetarian and vegan options.
Eater has little blurbs about all the restaurants at the airport but not great advice about vegan options. caek's suggestion of Shake Shack and JoeZydeco's of going to the TWA Hotel are probably the right ones if you stay at the airport.
posted by A Blue Moon at 8:26 AM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Eater has little blurbs about all the restaurants at the airport but not great advice about vegan options. caek's suggestion of Shake Shack and JoeZydeco's of going to the TWA Hotel are probably the right ones if you stay at the airport.
posted by A Blue Moon at 8:26 AM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
I would totally get a day pass to the TWA hotel heated pool and then eat at the Paris Café. Even locals do that as a fun day activity sometimes.
Getting into Queens and Brooklyn would be stressful for an anxious traveler with time limitations.
posted by greta simone at 8:39 AM on November 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
Getting into Queens and Brooklyn would be stressful for an anxious traveler with time limitations.
posted by greta simone at 8:39 AM on November 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
Thoughts on whether it is in any way a good idea to try going to Manhattan (or other boroughs, I'm open to suggestions) with the amount of time I have and the caveats I mentioned above
No specifica vegan suggestions, but I've done gone into town from JFK several times this year, out of Terminal 4, and think you have time, if there was a great vegan place in the city you really want to go to. Am assuming you'd be in Manhattan by 5pmish, then hopping back on the subway by 7:30-8ish. Do not wait any longer than that to head back, as JFK can get oddly and wildly busy at the security checkpoints.
The CityMapper App helped a lot, just type in the address or the name of a place and it'll route you there.
Caveats, as a fellow anxious traveler: New York has a lot of ways to get to a specific destination, which can be confusing. But trust the people you ask (locals are very helpful) or the App, they'll get you there.
AirTrain is $9 USA each way, plus about $3 USA for each subway ride, so keep that in mind, price wise. Those are rounded up prices, it's like $8.50 or $8.25 for Airtrain, just can't remember exactly, just don't want the natives coming for me, lol.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:04 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
No specifica vegan suggestions, but I've done gone into town from JFK several times this year, out of Terminal 4, and think you have time, if there was a great vegan place in the city you really want to go to. Am assuming you'd be in Manhattan by 5pmish, then hopping back on the subway by 7:30-8ish. Do not wait any longer than that to head back, as JFK can get oddly and wildly busy at the security checkpoints.
The CityMapper App helped a lot, just type in the address or the name of a place and it'll route you there.
Caveats, as a fellow anxious traveler: New York has a lot of ways to get to a specific destination, which can be confusing. But trust the people you ask (locals are very helpful) or the App, they'll get you there.
AirTrain is $9 USA each way, plus about $3 USA for each subway ride, so keep that in mind, price wise. Those are rounded up prices, it's like $8.50 or $8.25 for Airtrain, just can't remember exactly, just don't want the natives coming for me, lol.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:04 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'd like to amend what caek stated - for the remainder of 2023, you can pay to access the Delta lounge for $50 if you hold the Delta Platinum Amex, as stated in the article. I did just this last month at LGA.
posted by mcgsa at 9:23 AM on November 1, 2023
posted by mcgsa at 9:23 AM on November 1, 2023
mcgsa: Technically correct (the best kind), but the annual fee for that card is $250 and the benefit goes away in 8 weeks, so you're basically paying $300 to get into a lounge once. I would argue that is covered by the "unless money is no object" bit of my comment :-) (Also judging by their comment history, OP lives in the UK, so that card is not an option.)
posted by caek at 9:46 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by caek at 9:46 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I too vote for Jackson Heights.
If you get delayed and need to grab something in the airport, the internet suggests there is a Farmer's Fridge vending machine in T4. Almost everything vegetarian has cheese, but the Napa Chickpea Wrap is vegan. (It's the only vegan option I spotted, but check the menu in case I missed something.) If you're really in a pinch, the Cibo Express shops are ubiquitous at JFK/EWR/LGA and almost all Clif Bars are vegan if you have to subsist on protein bars and nuts. They also have kosher sandwiches, and I think there's a grilled vegetable one, but I'm not sure (nor whether it's vegan). As a vegetarian I have been saved by the Cibo kosher selection at least once (I remember some admittedly sad egg salad at LaGuardia).
I'm sure you can google as well as I can, but this site suggests there's a Korean restaurant in T1 with vegan options.
As a note, I believe there is nothing vegan at US McDonald's except the apple slices and maybe the french fries (that's a whole rabbit hole).
posted by hoyland at 2:57 PM on November 1, 2023
If you get delayed and need to grab something in the airport, the internet suggests there is a Farmer's Fridge vending machine in T4. Almost everything vegetarian has cheese, but the Napa Chickpea Wrap is vegan. (It's the only vegan option I spotted, but check the menu in case I missed something.) If you're really in a pinch, the Cibo Express shops are ubiquitous at JFK/EWR/LGA and almost all Clif Bars are vegan if you have to subsist on protein bars and nuts. They also have kosher sandwiches, and I think there's a grilled vegetable one, but I'm not sure (nor whether it's vegan). As a vegetarian I have been saved by the Cibo kosher selection at least once (I remember some admittedly sad egg salad at LaGuardia).
I'm sure you can google as well as I can, but this site suggests there's a Korean restaurant in T1 with vegan options.
As a note, I believe there is nothing vegan at US McDonald's except the apple slices and maybe the french fries (that's a whole rabbit hole).
posted by hoyland at 2:57 PM on November 1, 2023
As a vegan New Yorker and anxious traveler, I'll second the recommendation to hang out at the TWA hotel. I haven't been to Paris Cafe, but JGV is usually good to vegans at his restaurants and it looks like there's a vegan main, an almost identical appetizer and veggie sides to try. The vegan options at the more casual bar at the hotel are deeply mediocre but the overall experience is great. So, if you'd like to get a drink in a relaxed, charming spot and eat a sad hummus plate, you can definitely do that! The hotel's also got a lot of great little nooks and crannies with historical stuff to explore.
I also really like the recommendation to take a cab to Veggie Castle. It's close enough that you don't have to worry about timing and it shouldn't be expensive. It seems like it might now be take-out only, so you'd still have plenty of time to check out TWA before going back to your terminal.
I probably wouldn't risk Manhattan. You do have enough time, though you'll only get an hour or two at best of stress-free time before you have to start thinking about getting back assuming your 11pm flight is international. I'd also think hard about taking public transit for this if you do it. It's a long trip, but it's easy and somewhat more predictable than traffic (though, of course, you can get stuck on the subway too - but it's much rarer than traffic to JFK). Also take a look at the LIRR schedules if you're tempted by a restaurant in midtown or on the west side of Manhattan -- if the timing works out, LIRR trains are the quickest way to get into the city. And just to validate your thinking about not coming into the city, Spicy Moon is good, but it's not spend an extra $150 on cab fare and worry about missing your flight good.
Terminal 4 has crappy vegan options, but there will be something. Bento Sushi will likely have a veg bowl and/or sushi rolls; plus there's the Shake Shack option mentioned above. I didn't see a Cibo Express on the map but if there's one in a nearby terminal, they do have a vegan sandwich -- usually either hummus + roasted veg or a chickpea salad filling -- and an excellent selection of candy and snacks.
posted by snaw at 4:52 PM on November 1, 2023
I also really like the recommendation to take a cab to Veggie Castle. It's close enough that you don't have to worry about timing and it shouldn't be expensive. It seems like it might now be take-out only, so you'd still have plenty of time to check out TWA before going back to your terminal.
I probably wouldn't risk Manhattan. You do have enough time, though you'll only get an hour or two at best of stress-free time before you have to start thinking about getting back assuming your 11pm flight is international. I'd also think hard about taking public transit for this if you do it. It's a long trip, but it's easy and somewhat more predictable than traffic (though, of course, you can get stuck on the subway too - but it's much rarer than traffic to JFK). Also take a look at the LIRR schedules if you're tempted by a restaurant in midtown or on the west side of Manhattan -- if the timing works out, LIRR trains are the quickest way to get into the city. And just to validate your thinking about not coming into the city, Spicy Moon is good, but it's not spend an extra $150 on cab fare and worry about missing your flight good.
Terminal 4 has crappy vegan options, but there will be something. Bento Sushi will likely have a veg bowl and/or sushi rolls; plus there's the Shake Shack option mentioned above. I didn't see a Cibo Express on the map but if there's one in a nearby terminal, they do have a vegan sandwich -- usually either hummus + roasted veg or a chickpea salad filling -- and an excellent selection of candy and snacks.
posted by snaw at 4:52 PM on November 1, 2023
And just to validate your thinking about not coming into the city, Spicy Moon is good, but it's not spend an extra $150 on cab fare and worry about missing your flight good.
I have also been turned away from Spicy Moon for lack of a reservation, so there is that.
posted by hoyland at 6:36 PM on November 1, 2023
I have also been turned away from Spicy Moon for lack of a reservation, so there is that.
posted by hoyland at 6:36 PM on November 1, 2023
If you have any interest in architecture, the TWA hotel is in a very famous building. It looks like the adaptation from terminal to hotel has been respectful to the original.
A note on JFK: Dont walk between terminals.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:16 AM on November 2, 2023
A note on JFK: Dont walk between terminals.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:16 AM on November 2, 2023
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As for leaving the airport, Veggie Castle has excellent food in a super casual environment not too far from JFK. It is vegetarian with lots of vegan options. You'd need to uber/cab to/from airport.
posted by Pineapplicious at 7:31 AM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]