Fastest way to pick someone up from New York?

August 31, 2007 10:38 AM

I'm heading up to Boston from Philadelphia tonight, and I need to pick up someone who lives in Brooklyn. How can I get them to a rest stop or exit? Can they take public transportation to somewhere that I could easily grab them without having to go that far out of my way, and definitely without going into New York?
posted by excitementMD to travel & transportation around New York, NY (20 answers total)

What is your route? They could take the Metro North train up to Connecticut... all those stops are along I-95.
posted by smackfu at 10:42 AM on August 31, 2007

Maybe an airport? Easy for both of you to get to... I think Newark would work out OK, but make sure you bring a map, the roads around there can be confusing.
posted by joecacti at 10:43 AM on August 31, 2007

I'll be going turnpike all the way to 95 and straight on 'till morning. Sometimes I cut around and do the Tappan Zee, but not tonight since I'm grabbing someone from New York.
posted by excitementMD at 10:45 AM on August 31, 2007

Can they grab the Acela from Penn to someplace outside of the city?
posted by ellF at 10:46 AM on August 31, 2007

Why not have them take the subway to Fulton St, and PATH to Newark Penn Station? Very cheap and easy to get to from 95.
posted by deadfather at 10:46 AM on August 31, 2007

I believe the last rest stop on the NJ Turnpike has a park-and-ride stop that they could potentially go to.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:58 AM on August 31, 2007

Have them take the commuter rail to New Haven and pick them up there?
posted by pazazygeek at 11:04 AM on August 31, 2007

Seconding the PATH to Newark. this way you could still cut up to the Tappan Zee. Also, this is cheaper than the Metro North. (and also doesn't stop you from taking the Tappan Zee and 684 to 84 to 90 thus avoiding the nastiness of I-95 through CT. Yeeecccch)
posted by mkb at 11:04 AM on August 31, 2007

$2 solution: The 95 goes through the Bronx, and I have been picked up by people driving from Boston to Philly at the Fordham Road exit, which is close to the Pelham Parkway station on the 2 subway line, which connects Brooklyn and the Bronx. The person you are picking up might not like hanging around that area after dark, though. (I spent six years shambling drunk around that neighborhood and lived to tell the tale, but it is isolated and poorly lit and in the Bronx and so might be intimidating.)
$3.50 solution: The other easy thing you could do is get them to take the PATH train to Newark Penn Station, which would be a slightly longer diversion for you but (marginally) less sketchy for them.
posted by nowonmai at 11:06 AM on August 31, 2007

This is what I'd do, optimized to avoiding 95, because, as we say in my house, 96 Is Always The Wrong Choice.

Have your person take the 1 to its last stop (242nd?) by Van Cortland park. There's a decent Mexican place on the west side of Broadway, they can get a beer and chips while waiting, or they can watch the guys playing handball in the park. It's a perfectly safe neighborhood to wander around if it's light out, I would hang out in the restaurant after dark.

Drive up your normal way. After going over the George get on the Henry Hudson going north, take the Broadway exit in the Bronx, which is less than a half mile from that last stop on the 1. Pick up your person, turn around, get back on the HH, take it to the Cross County, take that to the Hutch, which becomes the Merritt, which you take up to Hartford.

Absolutely the best way to do it, you stay off 95 in NY, and only divert a half mile from the parkway.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:44 AM on August 31, 2007

(er, 95 Is Always The Wrong Choice)
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:44 AM on August 31, 2007

Wait, I misremembered that. My friends used to pick me up at the Fordham Road exit of the Bronx River Parkway, which is a slight diversion from the 95. The 95 does, however, go close to the Pelham Bay station where the number 6 train stops, which is the Westchester Ave exit of the 95. Google Map. Also the E177th Street Parkchester stop, which is in a less-than salubrious neighborhood. Pelham Bay is leafy suburbia. The 6 train is slow, but above ground so cellphone communication will work.
posted by nowonmai at 11:49 AM on August 31, 2007

Here's a map of the area with the HH and subway stop.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:49 AM on August 31, 2007

Your best bet is to either pick them up at Secaucus Junction from NJTransit off the Turnpike (exit 15X, schedule, fare: $3.25 from NYP and lots o' trains going that way). or metro north, which goes as north as new haven if your friend wants to spend the money. the metro-north new haven line basically goes parallel with 95 and leaves from grand central.
posted by Mach5 at 11:54 AM on August 31, 2007

Seconding Mach5's suggestion of Secaucus Junction - it is literally feet from 95, and easy/cheap for your friend.
posted by xsquared-1 at 12:07 PM on August 31, 2007

After going over the George get on the Henry Hudson going north, take the Broadway exit in the Bronx, which is less than a half mile from that last stop on the 1. Pick up your person, turn around, get back on the HH, take it to the Cross County, take that to the Hutch, which becomes the Merritt, which you take up to Hartford.

I was just about to suggest something similar. I make the Boston-Philly-Boston drive a lot w/the mister and we always take the GW bridge and through the Henry Hudson Parkway. A couple of times we've ended up on 95 because we've been chatting and the one driving isn't paying enough close attention in Hartford. 95 is the devil.

The Merritt to Hartford -->84 --> 90/Mass Pike is the fastest way, IME.
posted by sutel at 12:28 PM on August 31, 2007

If you follow Mr. Alarmed advice, rather than get on the cross county, consider going up the Henry Hudson which turns into the Saw Mill all the way to 684. Take 684 N to 84 E to Boston.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:47 PM on August 31, 2007

In addition to all of the actual good advice here, I'm having a very hard time not envisioning some sort of giant catapult.
posted by Caviar at 7:45 AM on September 1, 2007

Secaucus is probably the best option.
posted by oaf at 6:58 PM on September 1, 2007

So what'd you end up doing?
posted by smackfu at 5:20 PM on September 2, 2007