# Geography Trivia: What's the closest (in miles) that you have ever been to New York City? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024 "2012-06-04T13:23:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/1 "2012-06-04T13:23:15Z")
After getting some interesting votes in [Geography Trivia: What’s the closest (in miles) that you have ever been to New Orleans?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653870) I realized that perhaps New Orleans might not have been the best city to choose. So I followed up with [Geography Trivia: What city will beat New Orleans?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653959) I’m curious what New York City will do as a target city, but I would love to see similar (or somewhat modified) polls on such places as Chicago, Las Vegas, or any that you think would get more Dopers having been there. You have my encouragement and support to start your own version of a similar thread/poll. In this poll, to follow the lead of the New Orleans one, I’m using the mileages options, but also allowing for the mileage-challenged to go by nearby states. Since it’s a public poll with one vote per Voter, you decide how to label your “close but no cigar” distance. Poll on the way… ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/2 "2012-06-04T13:28:03Z")
The airport in Newark, NJ. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/3 "2012-06-04T13:37:10Z")
Born in the Bronx. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/4 "2012-06-04T13:42:58Z")
Four times last year, but I barely got out of the Port Authority. I haven’t had a really decent meal in Manhattan since 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/5 "2012-06-04T14:01:43Z")
Layover at the airport although I am assuming the Kennedy is in the city. If it’s not, then I chose incorrectly. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/6 "2012-06-04T14:03:05Z")
Born in Manhattan. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/7 "2012-06-04T15:35:42Z")
I have flown over it, or perhaps a section of it, so I said 6.82 miles ( 36,000’). ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/8 "2012-06-04T16:59:34Z")
Currently sitting in Midtown Manhattan. **Pai325** - Kennedy is in Queens, so it’s in NYC. That said, within New York City, referring to ‘the city’ generally means Manhattan, sometimes Manhattan south of 125th St. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/9 "2012-06-04T17:17:36Z")
Do you mean visiting or residing? I’ve never lived in NYC but have visited multiple times. Stayed with a friend who lives in Hell’s Kitchen. Central Park is a great place to run. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/10 "2012-06-04T17:22:03Z")
Been there, circa 1990. Have successfully avoided returning. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/11 "2012-06-04T17:22:09Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Do you mean visiting or residing? I’ve never lived in NYC but have visited multiple times. Stayed with a friend who lives in Hell’s Kitchen. Central Park is a great place to run. In my way of thinking, “been to” covers all sorts of things. Any of them works for this exercise. I do have a bit of a problem with “flying over” but if that means “been to” for you, I won’t quibble. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/12 "2012-06-04T17:43:25Z")
Spent 5 days in Manhattan in March. Prior to that, I had a 3-hour layover at JFK once, but now I figure it’s “official”. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/13 "2012-06-04T18:05:02Z")
Spent 3 days there in 2008. Had fun, but by the end of my stay there I felt like the buildings were closing in on me. I am just not a big city kinda gal… ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/14 "2012-06-04T18:26:25Z")
Visited there many times. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/15 "2012-06-04T19:14:54Z")
Lived there for 2 years, 1962-64, 113th near Amsterdam. My daughter has lived there continuously since 1989 and my son also lived there from 2004 to 2010 so I have visited innumerable times. I think I would move there in an instant, if only the US had medicare. And I don’t include Obamacare even if it is ever fully implemented, which I very much doubt. Even in the unlikely case that Scotus doesn’t throw the whole thing out, Congress will never vote the implementation funds needed and most states won’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/16 "2012-06-04T19:34:35Z")
Spent eight event-filled hours in Manhattan in 1979, so “been right there!”. Also, I lived in New Jersey for several months as an infant and might have been to NYC then, but not sure. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/17 "2012-06-04T19:35:20Z")
Spent a couple of weeks there on vacation visiting my brother. He lived in Queens/worked at MoMA. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/18 "2012-06-04T19:40:37Z")
I’ve lived in Staten Island since '99. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/19 "2012-06-04T19:42:42Z")
I went through Penn Station on Amtrak last weekend and have stayed in Manhattan a bunch of times. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024/20 "2012-06-04T19:57:42Z")
I was there in 2008 over Labor Day weekend and I hope to do like **kayaker** and avoid it from here on out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-york-city/624024.md?page=2)