# New York City Transit - JFK to Manhattan **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305 "2023-06-10T23:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/21 "2023-06-12T16:04:53Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I think you can pay for multiple people on one card, but you can’t let multiple people ride for free on one card. So before you hit the 12 rides, I think you can pay for one person after another. Then after 12, then you’re only allowed to let one person through. I’m just guessing based on my experience. Thanks! I was trying to picture all the possibilities from a programmer’s perspective and knew they would simplify/ take a shortcut somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/22 "2023-06-12T18:55:03Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I’m not sure about the best bagel, but Times Square itself is very touristy. I’m not sure you’ll find the best of anything right in that area. But a few blocks ~~north~~ is the wonderful Bryant Park and incredible NYC public library. There’s some nice eateries in the park. And a few blocks north of that is Rockefeller Center. It’s nice to walk around there and they have an awesome observation deck: [Top of the Rock](https://www.rockefellercenter.com/attractions/top-of-the-rock-observation-deck). You should make reservations since it can get full. If you’re going to do a handful of attractions, you can look into getting a [City Pass](https://www.citypass.com/new-york-comparison). Top of the Rock is one of the attractions you have access to in the City Pass. Uh-uh. It’s **east** of Times Square Going up the Rock allows you to see the Empire State Building but I always thought ESB was a much more iconic building if one only has time to explore one of 'em. ---
**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 12, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/23 "2023-06-12T19:57:28Z")
Up to four people can be taken on one Metro card (you swipe once for each person). One word of warning. You cannot buy or fill a Metro card with a non-US credit card since they require a Zip code. Although the Bank of Montreal has a workaround and maybe other banks too. If your postal code were H3P 1S4 (as mine was until four years ago), then you use 31400 (the three digits plus 00) and the bank verifies that. I really doubt you can get a bad bagel in NY. Well, there is place in Brooklyn that purports to sell Montreal style bagels that I would stay away from. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/24 "2023-06-13T02:35:32Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I really doubt you can get a bad bagel in NY. Challenge accepted! ha ha ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/25 "2023-06-14T22:34:19Z")
Trying a slice of the famous $1/slice NYC pizza now. (Well, 1.50 now). Not bad. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/26 "2023-06-15T02:55:41Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > The OMNY card costs $5 and can be bought at convenience stores (not at the subway) and can be loaded with money with cash where OMNY cards are sold, a CC, and maybe a bank account. For the latter two recharge methods, I think you have to setup an online OMNY account. I haven’t actually used an OMNY card, so I don’t know how well they work. For just a short vacation, I would think a MetroCard would be better. Alternately, you can just use a regular contactless credit card as an OMNY card if you register it online first. Scroll down [this page](https://omny.info/omny-card) for details. I’ve done it and it works fine. You can register multiple contactless cards to the same OMNY account if you want, even. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/27 "2023-06-15T18:17:50Z")
Got my bagel. At Chelsea Bagel on 34th st if that means anything to you. > **[20230615-135647 hosted at ImgBB](https://ibb.co/TvFcnS1)** > > Image 20230615-135647 hosted in ImgBB ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/28 "2023-06-16T00:19:24Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Trying a slice of the famous $1/slice NYC pizza now. (Well, 1.50 now) Now, folks, _ **that** _ is doing New York. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/29 "2023-06-16T01:31:15Z")
If you want to stick with the “cheap eats in NYC” theme, and find yourself in Chinatown, check out Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food. It’s a total hole in the wall, but it’s cheap and tasty. At the time I was there you could get lunch for under $5, although it’s probably more now. > **[Wah Fung No 1 - New York, NY](https://www.yelp.com/biz/wah-fung-no-1-new-york-2?osq=Cheap%2BEats)** > > 2013 reviews of Wah Fung No 1 "I was bad. I was very bad. To quote one of my other favorite daily websites (overheardinnyc) "I got kicked out of vegetarian for eating brains." Well, it wasn't brains, but it might as well have been. > > My usual lunch... ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/30 "2023-06-16T02:04:51Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > If you want to stick with the “cheap eats in NYC” theme, It seems to be the theme so far. Ha ha. I’m really just here as support staff but slipping some touristy stuff in there. (Have to work some too, boo) With increasing bravery I also tried a street vendor hot dog. Coming from Chicago, I was horrified, _horrified_. Mush in a bun. If not for the spicy brown mustard, it would have had no taste at all. I don’t know if that’s normal, but I won’t try again this trip. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/31 "2023-06-16T02:12:50Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > If you want to stick with the “cheap eats in NYC” theme, and find yourself in Chinatown, check out Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food. It’s a total hole in the wall, but it’s cheap and tasty. Thanks! I would like to make it down there if I can swing it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305/32 "2023-06-19T01:31:34Z")
Well, back home already. Just wanted to make a final report about taking the subway to LaGuardia. It turned out to be super easy. The free shuttle bus location is right there at the subway station. Comes every 10 minutes or so and was a 15 minute ride. Easy to get on for the ride back as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-transit-jfk-to-manhattan/985305.md?page=1)