# checking luggage in NYC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2015, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594 "2015-08-23T10:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/1 "2015-08-23T10:06:08Z")
I’m flying into the states for a week at the end of October. I won’t be flying out of JFK to return home until 11:50 p.m., because I want to spend the day in the city. I was wondering - is there any place in the vicinity of Penn Station where I could check my luggage for the day? I don’t really want to have to shlep it around with me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/2 "2015-08-23T10:37:37Z")
The Hotel Pennsylvania right across the street offers a luggage check service for $5 a bag. Technically you’re supposed to be a guest there but I don’t think they check. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/3 "2015-08-23T13:21:47Z")
Thanks. I didn’t think to even Google it, but “luggage storage New York City” brought up several places. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/4 "2015-08-23T13:27:34Z")
Failing that, I would ask one of the redcaps in the waiting area for advice. I bet he would do it for $5. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/5 "2015-08-23T14:41:58Z")
Don’t they still have storage lockers at Penn Station? I’ve out of NYC in the middle 60s but they had them in Penn as well as Grand Central. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/6 "2015-08-23T15:25:48Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Don’t they still have storage lockers at Penn Station? I’ve out of NYC in the middle 60s but they had them in Penn as well as Grand Central. Not since someone decided to put a bomb in one. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/7 "2015-08-23T19:06:02Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Not since someone decided to put a bomb in one. Self-service lockers were largely done away with at New York airports and stations after the [1975 bombing at La Guardia airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_LaGuardia_Airport_bombing). I don’t recall any such incident actually at a train station. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/8 "2015-08-23T19:54:48Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Self-service lockers were largely done away with at New York airports and stations after the [1975 bombing at La Guardia airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_LaGuardia_Airport_bombing). I don’t recall any such incident actually at a train station. It was at GCT actually as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/9 "2015-08-23T20:19:29Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > It was at GCT actually as I recall. After checking, I see you’re right. Croatian terrorists planted a bomb in a locker at Grand Central in 1976, which went off when it was being disarmed, killing one and injuring 30. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/10 "2015-08-23T21:27:49Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Not since someone decided to put a bomb in one. Well that would certainly do it I guess. Sorry for trying to offer advice so far out of date. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/11 "2015-08-23T21:36:00Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Well that would certainly do it I guess. Sorry for trying to offer advice so far out of date. :eek: When I was traveling in my college days I used them all the time. It was a hassle when they eliminated them. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/12 "2015-08-24T03:45:17Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The Hotel Pennsylvania right across the street offers a luggage check service for $5 a bag. Technically you’re supposed to be a guest there but I don’t think they check. If I were a guest there, I would expect luggage check service to be free. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/13 "2015-08-24T03:58:59Z")
You can check luggage at Penn Station, but are supposed to show an Amtrak or NJTransit ticket to do so. The usual gambit for storing luggage in big cities is to go to the bell desk at a big hotel (acting like you’ve come from the elevators rather than the street door) and explain that you’ve already checked out and have a late flight. In a really big hotel you can get right to the point and just say “I need to check my bag until later in the day.” They hear this dozens of times each day. I always have a room number in mind but have never been asked. Tip the bellman at least $3/bag when you return. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/14 "2015-08-24T04:12:28Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > If I were a guest there, I would expect luggage check service to be free. People staying at the Hotel Penn don’t expect much. It’s not exactly the Four Seasons. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/15 "2015-08-24T07:20:23Z")
deleted ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/16 "2015-08-24T17:05:31Z")
Use Schwartz @ 357 W 37th St. Big orange and white sign. It’s right near Penn Station. $10 a bag. They close @ 11:00 pm, but you will be on your way back to JFK by then. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-luggage-in-nyc/728594/17 "2015-08-25T12:30:20Z")
If you stayed downtown, leave them with the bell captain at your own hotel. They usually do it for free (plus a tip to the bell hop). Then, pick them up on your way to Penn Station.