Where is the best place to catch a train into Manhattan?
What is a safe, and easy NYC suburb to park at and then catch a train into Manhattan from? Some friends and I will be driving down from Plattsburg and would like to park outside the confusion and insanity of the city and then catch a train in.
The MOST important things to consider are "how often can i catch a train back?" and "how confident am i that my car won't be stolen/filthy/snowed-in?"
I used this same logic when deciding where to leave my car on an extended stay (I live in NYC and got a new job that doesn't require me to commute)
I landed on Yonkers...trains every half hour, almost 24/7...and a secure indoor parking garage (google: Yonkers parking buena vista) run by the city and staffed 24/7. Cheap too, around $10/day, unlike the NYC which is around $40/day.
another good option further north is the croton-on-hudson stop, which has a good indoor parking garage, but only has trains every hour. Also try Tarrytown, which only has outdoor parking, but does have trains every half hour.
remember, you dont want to wait an hour for the train only to find out that it's been stolen. Train frequency and parking safety are the key!
8 Answers
Really anything in Westchester County (e.g. New Rochelle) above the city or Fairfield County (e.g. Stamford) in Connecticut would be fine. New Jersey is also an option, but that would be farther south than you need to go. New Rochelle has through-trains to Grand Central that take just over half an hour, and there is a lot of parking since it's a big commuting community. Check out the MTA website for the train times and the length. Have a good trip!
If you're coming all the way from Plattsburgh, you should probably target Secaucus, NJ. It's on NJ Transit and the trains pass through every 20 minutes or so, every 5-10 during rush hour. It's only about a 15 minute ride into Penn Station. One wrinkle is that on Sundays traffic/parking gets a little crazy around I-95 because of the Giants/Jets games. The parking is decently cheap ($10) for a day. I am not sure if they offer any overnight parking. Secaucus
If you need overnight parking, check out Metropark, which is off of the Garden State Parkway, exit 131 and is about 45-60 minute ride into NYC. Trains come about once an hour. You're going more south than you need to, but you can park for up to 21 days for $9/day. Metropark
NJTransit may recommend Dover, NJ, but that's a 90 minute train ride to NYC, I wouldn't wish anyone be on the train for that long. I'd rather spend 30 more minutes in the car.
If you're driving down from plattsburg you're prolly taking 87. Get off on exit 18 (Poughkeepsie). It's the farthest stop up on the metro north line. You can park there for $5 bucks a day or so and the train (on-peak) is about $25 for a round trip. It'll take you about 2 hours to ride and and will drop you at Grand Central Terminal. Poughkeepsie isn't a tiny town, but it'll be safe enough to park in and it's a pretty big station.
I used to do park and take the train all the time. Driving into the city is better, and not as intimidating as you might think.
Go into the Lincoln tunnel, then at the very end, right when you enter the city, there is a park & lock. You drive in and lock your own car (as opposed to a valet taking your keys)
Here is a map and the street view:
http://tinyurl.com/y967d75
If you're coming from *Plattsburgh, I'd recommend driving at least as far as Poughkeepsie and taking Metro North on the Hudson line, which means you'll need to either cross on the Mid-Hudson Bridge to get on at Poughkeepsie, I84 to get on at Beacon, or Tappan Zee Bridge (toll road) to get on at Irvington. Most neighbourhoods along the Hudson outside the City proper are pretty safe.
Catching commuter rail west of the Hudson will keep you from having to transfer at NJ's Penn Station just to complete your journey into the City and may end up cheaper than NJ Transit. I wouldn't drive down past Yonkers if you're looking to avoid city traffic. Remember that the closer you drive toward the City, the more susceptible your trip will be to traffic delays and the more reliable commuter rail service will be...but at additional cost per person.
Visit the MTA web site for specific schedule and fare information.
Seriously? Really? My 65 year old mom drives in. Alone. Just drive all the way in and park. Put it in a lot if you are so concerned. It's not that expensive, and frankly, the time saved will be well worth it. The lot Shawn is talking about is very easy and there are countless others.
You should not blow $15+ round trip per person (And 30 minutes each way at least, waiting for the train and for the ride) when you could just park for $30 and give your self extra time in the city.
When is this excursion taking place? Is it a weekday or weekend? Also, how far are you willing to drive? If you come down to Jersey there are myriad choices. Most towns along the Bergen Line are safe. Check out NJ Transit for schedules. You can even drive to Weehawken, NJ and park (reasonably priced) and take a ferry into Manhattan. That's easy and kinda fun.