There are quite a few Park & Ride lots in NJ on bus and train routes. Note that many fill up early in the day. It looks like you may be going later than the average commuter, so it would be best to pick a less popular lot.
Which ones are less popular?
Where are you coming from?
Up I-95 from DC.
(Afterwards, I’m going down the shore for a visit, which is why I’m not taking the train all the way.)
Check it out…
When we took our daughter from the Princeton area into the city for auditions, we’d usually drive and park at the Jersey City Journal Square PATH Station. There is a large parking garage at the station, and we never had a problem parking there in the late afternoon. The PATH takes you to 33rd street which is plenty close enough, and the PATH terminal is associated with a subway stop too. It is a lot cheaper and faster then Jersey Transit.
MetroPark would be a good station to train in from, easy access to the GSP for shore travel. They have a lot of parking there. It is a 40 - 50 minute train ride to NY Penn Station, which is walkable to Times Square. Or the Hamilton, NJ station would be a longer ride, but if your shore destination were around Belmar or below, I-195 would shoot you right out there. Both are train stations are easily accessible from interstates/Garden State Parkway.
Just note that NJ transit trains are a lot cheaper than Amtrak.
Whenever I drive into the city I go right in through the Lincoln Tunnel and park at the Port Authority parking garage. It may fill up but I’ve never been turned away at any time of day, and it’s only a couple of blocks from Times Square. The beauty of it is that when you want to leave, you are not victim to any mass transit schedules, and the ramp goes directly into the tunnel so you don’t have to deal with city traffic.
The toll is some ungodly amount now, and of course you have to pay to park, but nothing beats it for convenience.
Journal Square and MetroPark are both excellent suggestions.
The Port Authority parking garage sounds great, but I’m very worried I’ll either get caught in traffic in the tunnels or else miss the garage and find myself driving around Manhattan looking for a parking spot as the minutes to my interview tick down. I want to arrive early and relaxed.
If you’re coming from DC, why not just leave your car in DC and take Amtrak (or a bus!) straight to NYC?
Take the train in from MetroPark Station, Exit 131 on the Garden State.
Post #5
As someone who lives right on the NJ side of the tunnel, I say if you don’t have to drive near here, don’t. Even driving to Jersey City during the times you’re talking about is more of a pain than it’s worth. Choose a NJT station like UncleBill suggested, one that has easy on/off from the highway and a direct train in.
I wish people would stop driving to my neighborhood, parking illegally, and taking the bus in. There’s so few parking spots as it is that we residents have a hard time of it. Yes, there are signs up saying it’s illegal to park there without a resident sticker but since our town seems to rarely enforce the rules people ignore them.
I wish I could go around and ticket those cars! I’d volunteer to do it for free, as I’d get such satisfaction out of it.
At that time of day, I’d consider parking in Hoboken (it’s actually possible to do when other folks are at work - but after about 6pm, fugeddaboutit) and hopping the PATH to 33rd. You could also hope an Amtrak train from DC and get straight into the City - I’ve done it a few times, and there’s the advantage of not having to drive (so you can use your laptop to read the Dope or something) and not having to worry about horrendous traffic.
On the other hand, as mentioned upthread, Amtrak is more pricey. On the other other hand (yes, I have three), the tolls between DC and NYC and the fuel prices probably make the cost even out (Jesus, Delaware, does it really have to cost that much to drive through your 10-acre state?!?!?).