My wife is traveling to New York City for work this weekend, so we're making a family trip out of it (including a 5 and 1 year-old). Their first time - yay! Unfortunately, we're flying into LaGuardia and the person organizing her travel just changed the hotel reservation to the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. We've only visited NYC a handful of times, but enough to know that's a difficult jaunt with no direct route. Getting a car service is an option, but it's almost $200 and we'd like to find more frugal option using public transportation if at all possible. Is our best bet an airport bus to the Port Authority, then transfer to something going into Weehawken (bus or bus/ferry combo)?
posted by brozek around New York, NY at 6:28 AM - 16 answers

In a few weeks I'll be flying into NYC around 9:00 AM and flying out around 9:00 PM, and I'd like to take a shower somewhere and maybe even leave my bag for the day so I can wander the city. So far the only options I've found are to pay about $50 for access to an airline lounge, which seems too pricey for what I want, or to book a hotel room. Surely there are cheaper options? I'm not too picky about location, but somewhere in Lower Manhattan would probably be best. Please help me out, New Yorkers!
posted by reductiondesign around New York, NY at 3:33 PM - 20 answers

I'm road trippin' with friends. They are driving from Boston to Deleware. I'm in NYC. I need to meet them somewhere along the 1-95 route in the NYC area, So they don't have to go out of their way to pick me up. [more inside]
posted by thatgirld around New York, NY at 7:30 AM - 10 answers

I'm trying to decide whether to take MetroNorth to Grand Central Monday morning. Will a train arriving @8:51am be unpleasantly packed, or is that considered late in the rush hour? [more inside]
posted by Quisp Lover around New York, NY at 7:21 PM - 22 answers

I will be traveling to Manhattan this weekend. I would appreciate recommendation for izakaya or other Japanese eating/drinking establishments of note. [more inside]
posted by Tanizaki around New York, NY at 2:12 PM - 9 answers

A colleague and I are traveling to New York at the end of the month (Tues-Thurs, if it matters) for business that will take place near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. [more inside]
posted by obliquicity around New York, NY at 9:29 PM - 9 answers

I'm taking my daughter to NYC for her 13th bday gift around the end of June. She is going to be so excited!! I'm trying to plan some great things for a Mom and a 13 yr old to do but I'm getting overwhelmed.... We will do a broadway show for sure...but any other suggestions? Help me decide what is really cool and worth doing and what would be just "meh". She loves the arts and creating and cooking and falls on the nerdy, quirky, funny side of life. She's perfect!! We will be there 3 nights and 4 days. Staying in SoHo but can Uber Car pretty much anywhere. I also have a very dear friend who lives there and will be with us to help navigate. He loves my daughter and will be up for anything but has no clue what 13 yr old girls of her ilk are into so he hasn't been much help....Thanks all!
posted by pearlybob around New York, NY at 3:23 PM - 20 answers

My partner will be in NYC for the next month for medical treatment, with varying energy levels, and I will be visiting her over the long weekends. Looking for people's favorite diversions that would be appropriate for a non-athletic, museum-interested, grad-school-educated, foodie couple based on the Upper East Side (70th St.) We're 40-somethings who've done a lot of the NY standard stuff in the past, including the big UES museums and MOMA -- although I have to admit a lot of my experience is nearly 20 years ago at this point -- but we're both comfortable using the Metrocard to take subways and buses around town. Partner will probably not be up to walks over 20-30 minutes. Just looking for cool stuff locals might recommend for weekend activities that wouldn't be in travel guides or major web sites or mobbed with typical tourists. Thanks in advance!
posted by aught around New York, NY at 11:08 AM - 15 answers

ISO the best place tonight 13 April 2013 to view possible northern lights within an hour's drive of Manhattan? [more inside]
posted by xetere around New York, NY at 2:34 AM - 11 answers

Heading to NYC next week with the family for a few days. What are some good destinations for a family that likes geeky things? [more inside]
posted by bondcliff around New York, NY at 7:26 AM - 33 answers

I need to rent a ZipCar minivan to drive upstate with a bunch of friends. Which location should I pick it up from so as to maximize how quickly we get out of the city and minimize both sketchiness and inconvenience? [more inside]
posted by Narrative Priorities around New York, NY at 9:22 AM - 13 answers

How early should two people who will not check baggage arrive at JFK airport for an 8:00 AM flight to Barbados (BGI)? [more inside]
posted by neushoorn around New York, NY at 7:00 AM - 11 answers

A friend of mine and I have managed to both get this Wednesday (27-March-2013) off from work. She lives in Long Island and I live in New Jersey, so Manhattan seemed like a good middle ground to get together. The point is mostly to hang out and see each other, but we'd also like to visit whatever interesting things that might be around. My cleverest thought at this point is the Museum of Natural History, or to just wander and let serendipity happen. Are there any cool happenings Wednesday afternoon or evening I should keep in mind? Especially nifty lunch spots we might not have thought of?
posted by Karmakaze around New York, NY at 9:03 AM - 9 answers

Killing 2 hours in immediate vicinity of Penn Station. Is there enough stuff to look at to fill 2 hours? My bus arrives just before 5, my friend works in the same neighborhood til 7. I'm not looking for a place for dinner--I'm waiting for her. Maybe a drink, though. I don't wan't to walk very much--I'll have a bag and be wearing OK but not super comfy shoes. No more than a 5 block radius? So, aside from maybe stopping for a drink in a bar, is the neighborhood interesting enough that just wandering will keep me interested for two hours?
posted by primate moon around New York, NY at 8:00 PM - 27 answers

I am sorry to ask such a dumb question, but I have a very early flight from South Park Slope to LaGuardia, and googling car services so far is returning not great results. Is there a car service someone can recommend for an early pick up (our flight is at 5:30 a.m.)?
posted by Peemster around New York, NY at 6:35 PM - 13 answers

Really excited to bring my daughter to NYC for her first time next weekend. I haven't been for a few years and never with one of my kids (she's 15) so this trip poses some new challenges. I want her to have a blast, as I have every time I've been there, so I thought I'd see if anyone had any suggestions. Oh, and we get along great and she's awesome and I love her! [more inside]
posted by chococat around New York, NY at 9:52 PM - 34 answers

Looking for family friendly hotel or airbnb flat for May in NYC, for visiting pals. [more inside]
posted by vrakatar around New York, NY at 7:08 PM - 3 answers

I'm catching a morning flight out of JFK next Saturday and I need to leave my car at the airport for a few days. I would like to use the on-airport long term parking lot because it looks like there's AirTrain access, but I don't think you can reserve those spots. So I've got two questions: 1) is the parking lot (on Lefferts Boulevard) hard to find? 2) what are the odds that there won't be any spots when I show up? Thanks!
posted by reformedjerk around New York, NY at 6:53 AM - 5 answers

My family is going on vacation to New York in june for 9 days. We want to find a nice apartment in airbnb, but we have no clue on what would be an appropiate neighbourhood. My parents are over 60, don't speak the language, and want to do all the tourist-y things, so location is very important. My brothers and I are laid back and want to enjoy city life so we are looking for a neighbourhood with interesting things to do. [more inside]
posted by valdesm around New York, NY at 4:26 AM - 25 answers

So we're taking our kids (6 & 8) on an overnight trip to NYC and we need diner and pizza restaurant recommendations near Grand Central, the Empire State Building and the American Natural History Museum. [more inside]
posted by victoriab around New York, NY at 2:51 PM - 11 answers