Fleet week for the urban impaired
May 27, 2011 7:09 PM Subscribe
NYC fleet week advice needed. Please help the Midwestern clueless.
We just found out that we have to be in Philadelphia on Monday. (We live in Ohio.) My husband has always wanted to go to fleet week in NYC so our plan was to try to spend Sunday day in NYC and drive down to Philly in the late evening. We have no idea what we are doing.
1. All ship tours in manhattan are closed Sunday. Only staten island is open. Can we reasonably expect to find a parking spot there? Wikitravel tripadvisor and google are not yielding helpful answers so far. I realize this is a ridiculous question and am embarrassed I am even asking as I'm sure the answer is obvious.
2. Is the staten island part as good as the manhattan part? Like worth several hours of driving out of our originally planned path?
3. We played with the idea of stopping further outside of the city and taking public transportation in. Or we could drive to Philly and take the bolt bus but that seems like way too much traveling for me. What would you savvy MeFi's do?
Any and all advice is appreciated. No matter how simple, we will probably find it immensely helpful. This is some last minute, thrown together planning but I'm hoping we can make my husbands fleet week dreams come true.
We just found out that we have to be in Philadelphia on Monday. (We live in Ohio.) My husband has always wanted to go to fleet week in NYC so our plan was to try to spend Sunday day in NYC and drive down to Philly in the late evening. We have no idea what we are doing.
1. All ship tours in manhattan are closed Sunday. Only staten island is open. Can we reasonably expect to find a parking spot there? Wikitravel tripadvisor and google are not yielding helpful answers so far. I realize this is a ridiculous question and am embarrassed I am even asking as I'm sure the answer is obvious.
2. Is the staten island part as good as the manhattan part? Like worth several hours of driving out of our originally planned path?
3. We played with the idea of stopping further outside of the city and taking public transportation in. Or we could drive to Philly and take the bolt bus but that seems like way too much traveling for me. What would you savvy MeFi's do?
Any and all advice is appreciated. No matter how simple, we will probably find it immensely helpful. This is some last minute, thrown together planning but I'm hoping we can make my husbands fleet week dreams come true.
Best answer: It seems there will be four Navy warships and a Coast Guard Cutter there, and that includes the USS New York, so it should still be worth a tour if they're offering them.
Parking on Staten Island is pretty damned easy compared to the rest of NYC, although considering the special event you might still have to hunt a bit to find a spot. Most parking on Staten Island isn't metered or restricted to residents, which means you could visit Manhattan if you wanted to after the ship tour. The Home Port is in the Stapleton neighborhood on Staten Island. It's an easy ride on the Staten Island Railway (part of the MTA, takes the same Metrocard passes as every other form of mass transit in NYC) from Stapleton to the Staten Island Ferry (just a few minutes), and from there a 20 to 25 minute boat trip across the harbor to downtown Manhattan.
posted by 1adam12 at 7:21 PM on May 27, 2011
Parking on Staten Island is pretty damned easy compared to the rest of NYC, although considering the special event you might still have to hunt a bit to find a spot. Most parking on Staten Island isn't metered or restricted to residents, which means you could visit Manhattan if you wanted to after the ship tour. The Home Port is in the Stapleton neighborhood on Staten Island. It's an easy ride on the Staten Island Railway (part of the MTA, takes the same Metrocard passes as every other form of mass transit in NYC) from Stapleton to the Staten Island Ferry (just a few minutes), and from there a 20 to 25 minute boat trip across the harbor to downtown Manhattan.
posted by 1adam12 at 7:21 PM on May 27, 2011
What does your husband actually want to do? Is he interested in the ship tour primarily, or does he want to hang out with sailors, or what?
posted by decathecting at 7:22 PM on May 27, 2011
posted by decathecting at 7:22 PM on May 27, 2011
Response by poster: I think he is mostly interested in the ship tours but he is definitely the type to strike up a conversation with strangers in a bar so he would probably enjoy hanging out with sailors if the opportunity presents itself.
posted by halseyaa at 7:25 PM on May 27, 2011
posted by halseyaa at 7:25 PM on May 27, 2011
I don't recall what the schedule of events lists since I looked at it briefly a few days ago, but if memory serves the Staten Island events tend to be more action oriented - demonstrations, etc so if its been a long standing desire to go, it'll probably be worth the trip no matter what's happening. You can certainly park in Manhattan. Its actually easier to park on Staten Island though - so you might want to do that instead, particularly if you're not touristing around Manhattan.
If you go with the idea of stopping outside the city and taking public transit in, that's very doable. I live 8 miles from Manhattan right by Giants Stadium and you could park your car just about anywhere (very, very suburban neighborhoods) in Carlstadt or East Rutherford, NJ and hop on a bus and be in the city very quickly - plenty of people do it.
Just as a purely alternate suggestion - if you've got time, Governors Island (former Army and USCG base and my former home) just reopened for the season and the ferry terminal is right by the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. If you're looking for something to do, its worth checking out because even most New Yorkers don't visit GI - its a treasure hidden in plain sight.
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:27 PM on May 27, 2011
If you go with the idea of stopping outside the city and taking public transit in, that's very doable. I live 8 miles from Manhattan right by Giants Stadium and you could park your car just about anywhere (very, very suburban neighborhoods) in Carlstadt or East Rutherford, NJ and hop on a bus and be in the city very quickly - plenty of people do it.
Just as a purely alternate suggestion - if you've got time, Governors Island (former Army and USCG base and my former home) just reopened for the season and the ferry terminal is right by the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. If you're looking for something to do, its worth checking out because even most New Yorkers don't visit GI - its a treasure hidden in plain sight.
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:27 PM on May 27, 2011
Here are the events for Sunday (well, all the days, scroll down for Sunday):
http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/events.html
Sunday, 29 May
0830-1700 Navy Flight Simulator, Stapleton Pier, Staten Island
1000-Noon U.S. Marine Corps Marine Air Ground Task Force Demonstration at Corona Park (Queens)
1100-1130 U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Helo Demonstration, Homeport Pier, Staten Island, NY
1400-1600 U.S. Marine Corps Marine Air Ground Task Force Demonstration at Playland Park, Rye, NY
1400-1700 Military Bands in Times Square
Staten Island is generally not hard to drive to and you should be able to find parking without too much trouble. Have fun!
posted by lyra4 at 7:55 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/events.html
Sunday, 29 May
0830-1700 Navy Flight Simulator, Stapleton Pier, Staten Island
1000-Noon U.S. Marine Corps Marine Air Ground Task Force Demonstration at Corona Park (Queens)
1100-1130 U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Helo Demonstration, Homeport Pier, Staten Island, NY
1400-1600 U.S. Marine Corps Marine Air Ground Task Force Demonstration at Playland Park, Rye, NY
1400-1700 Military Bands in Times Square
Staten Island is generally not hard to drive to and you should be able to find parking without too much trouble. Have fun!
posted by lyra4 at 7:55 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Staten Island is a bit of a backwater here in NYC. It's a perfectly nice place to live but I highly doubt that the sailors are going to want to hang out there. Most of the sailors will head for the bright lights of Times Square.
posted by jason's_planet at 8:23 PM on May 27, 2011
posted by jason's_planet at 8:23 PM on May 27, 2011
Best answer: If you aren't from the City, I would suggest heading in and parking anywhere on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. With a bit of driving around side streets and a lil' luck, you should be able to find some on-street parking. Just pay attention to the street signs. If you find you are wasting a lot of time driving around, just find a garage somewhere. Anywhere in the 70s or 80s above 72nd should be good. The reason I suggest that, is that if you haven't spent a lot of time in NYC, it is a bit more laid back, and easy to drive around. You can get to the West Side highway easily, for easy access to the GW Bridge or the tunnels. You will also be near the "1 train" will get you to most of the places I would recommend going.
First, depending on where you park, either walk or take the "1" train down to 59th St. Columbus Circle. From there, walk west until you hit the bike path along the Hudson River. Then, walk south along the bike path. You will start seeing ships. Big ships. Enormous scary awesome ships. Your husband will love it. Even if the tours are full, you will see a lot of the ships docked between the Cruise Terminal and the Intrepid. You will also see tons of service men and women going to and from their ships. You can keep walking there until you get to the Intrepid. I am sure that will be jammed up, and I don't know the official events, but you will see a lot there too -- even if you can't get in.
When you've had your fill there, you can walk back east until you hit Times Square. There, you will see a million sailors, in their dress whites, to your heart's content. Walk to the northern end up Times Square, where you will see a bunch of steps above the TKTS booth. Find a spot to sit as high up as you can, and just plop down and stare out at the City and the people and take a break. It's a little oasis in the middle of the chaos, and it is a pretty good perch.
From there, you could hop back on the 1 and take it down to the last stop. South Ferry. Walk out and to the water, and you will see the Statue of Liberty. From there, just start winding your way north either along the path along the Hudson or through the City up to Ground Zero, where you will see a ton of service men and women once again.
At this point, you can head to any bar in the City, where you will see sailors. The City is theirs this week and they are hard to miss.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 12:08 AM on May 28, 2011 [4 favorites]
First, depending on where you park, either walk or take the "1" train down to 59th St. Columbus Circle. From there, walk west until you hit the bike path along the Hudson River. Then, walk south along the bike path. You will start seeing ships. Big ships. Enormous scary awesome ships. Your husband will love it. Even if the tours are full, you will see a lot of the ships docked between the Cruise Terminal and the Intrepid. You will also see tons of service men and women going to and from their ships. You can keep walking there until you get to the Intrepid. I am sure that will be jammed up, and I don't know the official events, but you will see a lot there too -- even if you can't get in.
When you've had your fill there, you can walk back east until you hit Times Square. There, you will see a million sailors, in their dress whites, to your heart's content. Walk to the northern end up Times Square, where you will see a bunch of steps above the TKTS booth. Find a spot to sit as high up as you can, and just plop down and stare out at the City and the people and take a break. It's a little oasis in the middle of the chaos, and it is a pretty good perch.
From there, you could hop back on the 1 and take it down to the last stop. South Ferry. Walk out and to the water, and you will see the Statue of Liberty. From there, just start winding your way north either along the path along the Hudson or through the City up to Ground Zero, where you will see a ton of service men and women once again.
At this point, you can head to any bar in the City, where you will see sailors. The City is theirs this week and they are hard to miss.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 12:08 AM on May 28, 2011 [4 favorites]
You can park in Manhattan. You might have to drive around looking for a spot, but you can find one. Or, if you are willing to spend $50, park in a paid lot in Manhattan. The advantage of the paid lot is: a) your car is safe b) your car is exactly where you want to be (times square area, or whereever)
Times Square is a focal point for fleet week - but another thing I would suggest is to ride the Staten Island ferry. It is free. The ferry station is right next to the Whitehall St subway stop. The fleet is anchored in NY Harbor - the Staten Island ferry crosses the center of the harbor. Riding the the Staten Island ferry during fleet week is always cool, with a great view of the all the ships.
posted by Flood at 5:36 AM on May 28, 2011
Times Square is a focal point for fleet week - but another thing I would suggest is to ride the Staten Island ferry. It is free. The ferry station is right next to the Whitehall St subway stop. The fleet is anchored in NY Harbor - the Staten Island ferry crosses the center of the harbor. Riding the the Staten Island ferry during fleet week is always cool, with a great view of the all the ships.
posted by Flood at 5:36 AM on May 28, 2011
Best answer: You're talking about Sunday as in tomorrow, right? Parking should be comparably breezy in the city, everyone who owns a car in Manhattan is out of town Memorial Day weekend.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:03 AM on May 28, 2011
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:03 AM on May 28, 2011
Oh, also: If you're going to Staten Island, then just drive and park there. Driving in Staten Island is like driving in New Jersey. Not urban like you're thinking; it will no problem. Philly is far more urban than Staten Island, for example. I wouldn't really recommend doing the Manhattan parking thing since it will be harder and more exhausting to drive around and to find a spot, plus it will probably put you at least an hour via public transit from where you're going in Staten Island, and it sounds like you don't have a ton of time to spend. It would be worth it if you wanted a mini NYC tour, but it doesn't sound like you do.
I think driving in and then driving to Philly is the way to go, no question. Don't mess around with buses. It's less than a couple hours from NYC to Philly (and if you're leaving from Staten Island, you're already in the right part of NYC and don't have to deal with getting out of Manhattan, which should make the drive even easier).
Can't help with Fleet Week specific stuff, sorry. But it is going to be a beautiful weekend to be by the water here!
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:11 AM on May 28, 2011
I think driving in and then driving to Philly is the way to go, no question. Don't mess around with buses. It's less than a couple hours from NYC to Philly (and if you're leaving from Staten Island, you're already in the right part of NYC and don't have to deal with getting out of Manhattan, which should make the drive even easier).
Can't help with Fleet Week specific stuff, sorry. But it is going to be a beautiful weekend to be by the water here!
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:11 AM on May 28, 2011
You will start seeing ships. Big ships. Enormous scary awesome ships. Your husband will love it. Even if the tours are full, you will see a lot of the ships docked between the Cruise Terminal and the Intrepid. You will also see tons of service men and women going to and from their ships. You can keep walking there until you get to the Intrepid. I am sure that will be jammed up, and I don't know the official events, but you will see a lot there too -- even if you can't get in.
May be too late for the OP but while there are oodles of sailors in town, there certainly aren't "A lot of (the) ships". As far as I'm aware, only the Iwo Jima is in port next to the Intrepid. Far more ships are in Staten Island this year.
That said, there's some fabulous people watching to be had.
posted by TravellingCari at 7:54 PM on May 28, 2011
May be too late for the OP but while there are oodles of sailors in town, there certainly aren't "A lot of (the) ships". As far as I'm aware, only the Iwo Jima is in port next to the Intrepid. Far more ships are in Staten Island this year.
That said, there's some fabulous people watching to be had.
posted by TravellingCari at 7:54 PM on May 28, 2011
Response by poster: Sorry for the slow response but I wanted to update everyone. First of all, thank you for all of the answers, they were all helpful! We all had a wonderful time, especially my husband.
Even though the events for this year are over, I guess I will respond for posterity. I was certainly under the impression that Staten Island was more urban than it is. Parking was free and just outside the gate. Also, the tours were really cool but we did wait about 4 hours to see the USS New York, resulting in a pretty bad sunburn, so anyone attending in the future– bring that sunscreen.
And yes, most of the sailors walking around were in Times Square, not Staten Island. We saw a Navy rock band play and there was an impressive sand sculpture. Overall a great trip. Thanks, MeFis!
posted by halseyaa at 2:22 PM on May 31, 2011
Even though the events for this year are over, I guess I will respond for posterity. I was certainly under the impression that Staten Island was more urban than it is. Parking was free and just outside the gate. Also, the tours were really cool but we did wait about 4 hours to see the USS New York, resulting in a pretty bad sunburn, so anyone attending in the future– bring that sunscreen.
And yes, most of the sailors walking around were in Times Square, not Staten Island. We saw a Navy rock band play and there was an impressive sand sculpture. Overall a great trip. Thanks, MeFis!
posted by halseyaa at 2:22 PM on May 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I don't think there are Nvy people in Staten Island.
Most Navy people seem to hang around Times Sq.
posted by dfriedman at 7:17 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]