Advice for driving into NYC

So my two year anniversary is this weekend, and I decided I would take my girlfriend to New York to celebrate. I have been to New York a couple of times before, but I have never driven there on my own. We’re driving up from DC on Saturday and staying at a hotel on W 94th Street. I am calling on the NYC Dopers to help me out with some advice on driving in the Big Apple, as well as things to do once I get there.
Thanks in advance!!

Exactly what advice were you looking for? I would suggest not driving at all and take the train instead. Once here you can take cabs, or the subway if you feel like figuring it out. Your car will be more of a liability than anything else. Parking on the street is an exercise in buddhist patience and a garage will cost you an arm and a leg.

What freaks me out in NYC is driving where there are lots of pedestrians. They appear out of nowhere, especially on left turns, and it’s very bad to hit them.

To this end, I would personally go into the city over the George Washington Bridge and drive down/South on the Henry Hudson. Then you just need to go crosstown at 94th or some other close street, which is really easy.

Driving in, your best bet is to go for the Lincoln Tunnel, then on up the west side highway to 96th, I think. Listen to AM stations 880 every 10min on the 8’s and 1010 every 10 minutes on the 1’s. That’s when the traffic broadcasts are, listen for stuff on the Turnpike and bridges to see if you want to take an alternate route.

Park your car at the hotel’s lot, it’s usually around $20 per day (ask the hotel), and leave it, it’s generally easier to just take the subway around town. There are 2 subway stations on W96th, one on Broadway, one next to Central Park. You can get unlimited daily passes, if you expect to ride a lot. Get a subway map at the hotel.

Things to do:
Take a romantic walk in central park
Carriage ride by Columbus Circle, 59th st.
Take in a broadway show, go to Playbill.com for ticket info, or hang out at TKTS in the middle of Times Square to get half price tickets at available shows. TKTS is a bit of a hassle, but you can save a bunch of dough. Check out Playbill’s “Broadway Grosses” to see what shows are really popular and which shows aren’t, the less popular ones will be easier to get in to see, though this time of year should be pretty good for most shows.
Restaurants: There are lots here, zillions of choices. Check out Chinatown / Little Italy for good eats and a fun stroll.
Museums, Again, lots of choices, kind of like DC that way.

Oh, remember, no right turns on red, and watch for pedestrians when you’re turning on green, they have right of way, and there’s always someone walking.

I second the ‘train’ suggestion.

I go down to NYC a few times a year, and I always park at a metro-north station and take the train into Grand Central. Not only is driving in NYC ridiculous, but parking costs are also ridiculous, when I can park out in Yonkers or Beacon or somewhere for 3.50 a day.

You can go to Carmine’s on Broadway between 90th and 91st for a lively, memorable Italian meal. It’s pretty raucous and the food is great. It’ll be nice to just walk up and down Broadway a little bit after your meal.

Hee hee hee heeheeheeheehee (cough) HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW

Ahhhhh, SmackFu! You’ll be the death of me!

Seriously, CW mon ami, you’ve got the lovely Union Station at your disposal there in downtown DC. You hop on the Metroliner and you’re in the thick of Manhattan in a few short hours (at least two quicker than if you’d driven the distance).

Once leaving Penn Station you tip back your fedora and hail a cab in your cocky, debonair, urbane fashion, and whirl uptown to your hotel, where your girl will drag you straight to the sack because she’s just witnessed how totally cool and carless you’re being.

Whenever we go, we drive across the George Washington and then the Henry Hudson, just as Smack Fu suggested. However, we usually go further downtown to cross the city.

We have never paid for parking in NYC. Unless you count that parking ticket I got up near Billdo’s.

Thanks for the help, friends!!
When I booked the hotel, I was told that I would be able to find a parking spot on the street if I searched for about ten minutes. So, to revise my question: do you think that is a resonable assumption?

I was a little put off the first time I drove in NYC. But you know what? After living in Boston for 5 years, it’s a piece o’ cake. Really, the streets are all numbered and the avenues are like 5 lanes wide. What more could you want?

Just never take the Holland Tunnel and stay away from Times Square (mid 40s). Really keep away from Midtown altogether during rush hour.
Parking might be problematic. You should be able to find spots but I don’t really know all the parking rules. Lots are pretty expensive.

On West 94th street, maybe, depending on the time of day. It’s certainly not as bad as midtown. But I concur with those who suggest taking the train. Driving into New York City should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

He may have meant that you could find a spot on an Avenue after looking for ten minutes, which is a reasonable assumption. He didn’t mention that you would have to get out of bed once every hour through the night in order to feed more quarters into the parking meter.

Finding a parking place on a side street on the Upper West Side (meterless) may take you only ten minutes, if you’re really really really really really really really really really lucky. How about it, punk? You feelin lucky?

I cannot repeat this enough: Driving into Manhattan is a Really Bad Idea.

Take the train. You will not regret it.

Driving in the City is a bad thing. I grew up here and I will never attempt it - not even if you paid me one zillion dollars. The drivers are maniacs. The taxi drivers are kamakazi. There are 17 million cars and 37 parking spaces. There’s this thing called “alternate side of the street parking” which means that if you are parked on a side street you will have to get up every morning at (what 5 or 6?) AM and move your car to the other side of the street (and pray you catch a space).

If you are really stuck on driving, consider driving to Hoboken, NJ and taking the PATH train across to the City.

Go to Greenwich Village. I LOVE the Village.

If you are into museums The Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are my two favorites and you will be right in the neighborhood.

BTW, have a happy anniversary :slight_smile:

It is possible to get a meterless (street, not avenue) spot, though I don’t know that neighborhood specifically. In my neighborhood, just as far up on the east side, I was able to get spots when I drove down before moving here. That was at least a couple times a week for a year or so, it might take 40 minutes on a bad day, it might take 5 on a good day. The trick to getting a spot is to keep your head on a swivel and watch for people pulling out of spots (or getting into cars), on busy days, that’s the only way to get a place to park. It is also highly dependant on season, day and time of day. The hotel guy could be blowing smoke, he could just know his neighborhood.

If you’re going for more than the weekend, just pay for parking with the hotel, it will save you many headaches and possible tickets. Double check with them on what their parking costs, many hotels have either on-site parking or a lower cost arrangement with nearby lots. For a reference point, the Holiday Inn in midtown charges $18 per day for parking, which really isn’t that bad.

I can’t believe that three NYC residents are saying this, when a girl from rural Alberta has no issues driving around the city by herself.

When we went up to NYC this June for the General Slocum thing, we parked two blocks away from where we stayed in Chelsea (Greenwich Village) and stayed parked all weekend - no ticket, no payment.

When I drove up last November to show a girlfriend the sights, we parked with only a bit of problem, and it wasn’t until I moved the car the next day that I was ticketed (no clear signage).

When we were there for NYC Megadope in January of this year, we parked, and didn’t pay, and were fine - again, in the Village, and less than a block away from our host’s home. Same as for NYC Megadope January 2003.

Driving in NYC is just like everything else in NYC. Just bigger and more than you’d encounter anywhere else.

Drive. Dont take a train.

You can pay for parking all weekend and still come out ahead of 2 train tickets.

On top of that, driving in Manhattan is FUN. I’m not joking. I’ve driven into/through New York city more times than I can remember. I like it. And it’s so easy to find your streets. Just make sure you’re on the correct side of central park when you get up around 94th. THe park starts at 56th (or 59th, around there). Driving in NY is part of the experience of going there for out-of-towners.

Native New Yorkers have never struck me as the most experienced drivers. They take cabs and subways all the time. You’ll be fine.

For 94th st. my intuition says take the Lincoln tunnel (around) 42nd st. and then go north. But, it might be about equal to take the GW bridge and go south.

I second that, especially at night. Driving up and down the avenues at around 10 PM when they’re deserted except for taxis is a blast.

Alright, alright I can take a hint. :slight_smile: I booked two bus tickets for myself and my sweetie last night. Now I can enjoy the sights of New York without having to hassle with driving.

That’s exactly what I was thinking. I usually enjoy big city driving (DC, Philly) but I figure New York isn’t going anywhere so I’ll have another opportunity to drive around at some point in the future.
Thanks again for the help!

The bus to NYC? Have fun with that! :wink:

I live in Philly and go to NYC several times a year. I have no trouble driving in NYC. I agree that it is actually easier than a lot of cities since it is a big grid…until you get downtown that is. Just like other cities, if you avoid rush hour you’d be fine.

And I would definatley take the Lincoln and go North, but I hate driving past were I need to go an then back. Just irks me for some reason.