Consulates
important lines in manhattan
The Lexington Avenue Lines 4, 5, 6 are essentially the only trains on the East Side above 23 St. Useful to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 4, 5, or 6 to 86th Street Station or the 6 to 77th Street Station, Guggenheim Museum 4, 5, or 6 to 86th Street Station, and other East Side museums. Also to get to the Statue of Liberty 4, 5 to Bowling Green Station, Chinatown 6 to Canal Street Station, and Yankee Stadium 4 to 161 St./Yankee Stadium Station.
The Seventh Avenue Line 1, 2, 3 serves Broadway above 42nd Street, and Seventh Avenue below 42nd Street. Useful to get to the West Village, Chelsea, and Tribeca neighborhoods as well as the Staten Island or Statue of Liberty ferries 1 to South Ferry Station and Columbia University the 1 to 116th Street Station.
The Eighth Avenue Line A, C, E serves Eighth Avenue between 14th and 116th streets, then St. Nicholas Av., Broadway, and Ft. Washington Av. starting at 125th St. in Harlem. Useful to get to the Natural History Museum C to 81st Street Station, the west side of Central Park the C makes local stops on Central Park West, Cloisters Museum A to 190th Street Station, JFK Airport A to Howard Beach or E to Jamaica.
The Sixth Avenue Line B, D, F, M runs on 6th Ave. from West 4th St. to 57th St. or to 47th-50th Sts. for all but the F, and is useful for accessing the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and St. Patrick's Cathedral 47th-50th Sts.. D and F trains are useful for going to Coney Island, Brooklyn Stillwell Av.. Grand St. on the B and D is the best all-purpose stop for Chinatown. The D train also converges with the 8th Av. Line from 59th St./Columbus Circle to 145th St., and is useful for traveling to Harlem, or to Yankee Stadium 161 St./Yankee Stadium.
The Broadway Line N, Q, R runs down Broadway below 42nd Street and on Seventh Avenue above Times Square. The N, Q, and R trains are useful for accessing Chinatown Canal St, SoHo/NoHo, NYU area, Union Square, the Empire State Building 34th St, Times Square 42nd St, Carnegie Hall 57th St., Central Park 57th St and 5th Av stations, and the southern end of the Upper East Side. The R trains also go down to Financial District and South Ferry Whitehall St. N and Q trains provide service to Brooklyn's famed Coney Island Stillwell Ave..
Citizen Service Center
tel 311 lines open 24/7 - New York City's official non-emergency help line, available in 171 languages for questions parade hours and routes, parking restrictions, transport problems and complaints litter, noise pollution, access.
car theft
Be wary of your surroundings. While NYC is a safe city for its size, it's not necessarily safe for your car as well. Make it as unworthy to steal as possible.
parking fines
Trying to leave a car parked illegally for very long will often end with a $150 fine, and a vehicle illegally parked in an overcrowded place is very likely to be towed away and face a $300 fine. The New York Police Department operates the tow pounds (http://www.nyc.gov/html/n...).
buybacks
Tip your bartender well and buybacks drinks on the house do happen- especially in the outer boroughs.
one-way streets
Some avenues and many streets in Manhattan have only one-way traffic. Thankfully, one-way streets generally alternate direction, so if your destination is down a one-way street going in the wrong direction, go another block and double-back. A handy mnemonic is "Evens go East," meaning that, for the most part, streets with even numbers will head east, and vice-versa.
staying with locals
It is highly advised to stay with someone you know who lives in New York. If you don't know anyone, you can look into a hospitality exchange. New Yorkers love showing off their city and understand that hotels are expensive. Taking an old friend out to dinner one night in return for accommodation is far more economical than staying in a hotel - and you will get a real take on New York as opposed to just the tourist attractions.
types of metrocards [79]
Up to three children 44 inches tall and under ride for free on subways and local buses when accompanied by a fare paying adult.
Single Ride MetroCard - costs $2.50. This allows no free transfers to other buses, or subway lines, if you leave the system. It is only valid for two hours after purchase.
Pay-Per-Ride Regular MetroCards - available in denominations from $4.50 to $80. You can add additional money to the card at a later time. Each trip deducts $2.25 from your card; however, transfers between bus and subway or between buses are free. Get a 7% bonus added to your card for purchases of $10 of more. This is the best option if you are spending a few days in New York and plan on using public transportation intermittently.
7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, costing $29, and 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, costing $104, are valid from the time you first use them until midnight of the 7th and 30th day, respectively. Do the math; these cards may work out to be cheaper if you plan on using public transport frequently during your stay. These cards are NOT valid on express buses, JFK AirTrain, Long Island Railroad, or the PATH trains to New Jersey.
7-Day Express Bus Plus - costs $50 and allows unlimited use of the express buses (mostly serving Staten Island.
Also available are two passes good only for unlimited use of the JFK Airtrain: a 30-day unlimited AirTrain pass for $40, and a 10-trip pass for $25.
You can also get discounted tickets to certain events by showing your MetroCard when purchasing tickets. Current promotions are listed on the MetroCard website (http://www.mta.info/metro...)
parking rules
Check all parking signs carefully. Parking meters demand constant feeding, and are hungry late into the night in some areas. In some parts of Midtown Manhattan, there are pay-and-display meters which are only in effect from 6PM to midnight on weekdays and all day on weekends. In these areas, parking is prohibited during the workday, except for commercial trucks. It is a good idea to keep a roll of quarters in your car, as not all meters accept credit cards. Parking is permitted at broken or missing meters for the time posted on the signs. (http://www.nyc.gov/html/d...) Parking is illegal at ALL bus stops and within 15 feet 4.5 m of fire hydrants. Yellow lines on the curb have no legal meaning in NYC, so they cannot be relied upon to tell you if you are parked far enough from a hydrant. Many motorists simply pay garage fees to avoid the anxiety of finding a parking spot and the risks of expensive parking tickets.
boroughs
New York City consists of five boroughs, which are five separate counties. Each borough has a unique culture and could be a large city in its own right. Within each borough individual neighborhoods, some only a few blocks in size, have personalities lauded in music and film. Where you live, work, and play in New York says something to New Yorkers about who you are.
The five New York boroughs are:
Manhattan
Midtown
Central Park
Times Square
Wall Street
Harlem
Greenwich Village
SoHo
Brooklyn
Coney Island
Queens
Flushing
The Bronx
Staten Island
by subway
Despite being grungy and dirty, the subway, which operates 24 hours per day, is the best way to travel around the city. Fares are $2.50, regardless of distance traveled. The much-feared subway crimes of the 70s and 80s are for the most part a thing of the past, and it is almost always completely safe. Just use common sense when traveling late at night alone and try to use heavily-traveled stations. Nowadays, you are statistically more likely to get struck by lightning than be a victim of crime on the subway.
to/from other locations
BoltBus
(http://www.boltbus.com) offers service from Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia; fares start at $1 online, closer to the date they typically cost around $20. Wifi, electrical outlets. Buses to D.C. stop at 33rd Street & 7th Avenue as well as Canal Street & 6th Avenue. Buses to Philadelphia stop at Canal Street & 6th Avenue as well as 34th Street & 8th Avenue.Greyhound
(http://www.greyhound.com) offer connections across North America and internet-only bargain fares to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue & 42nd Street. Wifi, electrical outlets and the works on some buses.Megabus
(http://www.megabus.com/us) frequent service from Boston, Buffalo, New York State, Toronto, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. Most buses arrive on the west side of 7th Avenue just south of 28th Street and depart from the west side of 9th Avenue just north of 31st Street. Atlantic City services arrive and depart at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue & 42nd Street. Wifi-electrical outlets. From $1 online. Cash-less pre-booking only online or by phone.NeOn
(http://www.neonbus.com/in...) is a service operated by Greyhound and partners to Toronto, buses run to the New Yorker Hotel on 8th Avenue and 34th Street from the Royal York Hotel in Toronto and stops across New York state. Wifi, electrical outlets. Fares start at $1 if booked several months in advance, closer to the date they more typically cost around $50.Peter Pan Bus Company
(http://www.peterpanbus.com) operates between cities in the Northeast U.S. and the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue & 42nd Street.Today Bus, Everyday Bus, and Tiger Bus
All three operate from Chinatown in Manhattan non-stop to Virginia Beach/Norfolk Virginia approx 6 hours; the first two go to Norfolk, while the third goes to Virginia Beach, the next town over. Price varies, but is generally around $60 round-trip or $35 one way.
path to jersey city, newark, and hoboken
PATH (http://www.panynj.gov/pat...) Authority Trans-Hudson is a subway type system connecting Newark and various points on the New Jersey shore of the Hudson River with New York City. Two lines pass under the Hudson and enter the city, one terminating at a temporary World Trade Center site station in downtown, the other at 33rd Street in midtown. The 33rd Street Station was once connected underground to Penn Station, but now, presumably due to security concerns, the underground passage is closed and you must walk a block west on the surface of 33rd.
PATH train fares are $1.75 per trip. An RFID-type stored value card known as the Smartlink (http://www.panynj.gov/Com...) affords PATH users discounts: $13 for 10 trips; $26 for 20 trips. However, the card itself must be purchased $5, $18 including 10 trips. Fortunately, the PATH system accepts the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, but no Unlimited Ride MetroCard or free transfer with the MTA system. (http://www.mta.info/metro...) For the visitor traveling from New Jersey daily, it is more convenient and possibly cheaper to purchase the MetroCard to travel on both the PATH and the MTA systems.
long island city, queens
In Long Island City, Queens, there are 10-15 clean and safe hotels in the region just across the Queensborough/59th Street Bridge from Manhattan. Accomodation here can cost as little as $50 per night. This area is being developed by the city as its new "hotel zone." Take advantage of it! Since the subway runs all night, you can go out in Manhattan and come back at any time.
squeezing in passengers
All licensed taxis and sedan limousines are authorized to take 3 passengers in the backseat and 1 in the front seat for a total of 4. However, some of the newer minivan and SUV yellow cabs can seat more passengers and may take more than four passengers even though the licensed limit is posted in the cab. Larger than sedan limousines can be reserved, also useful for airport trips with lots of luggage, by calling any of the dozens of companies in the yellow pages.
right turns on red
Unlike other places in the United States, right turns on red lights are illegal in New York City, except where otherwise posted, like a sign that reads "AFTER STOP RIGHT TURN PERMITTED ON RED". (http://www.nyc.gov/html/d...) Be careful when driving as some but not all entrances to New York City have signs alerting motorists that it is illegal to turn on the red in New York City, and other drivers from out of town may not know this rule.
delis & street food
The New York Bagel
There is no bagel like the New York Bagel anywhere else in the world. Bagels, which are a doughnut-shaped round of boiled dough with a distinctive, chewy, sweet interior and a leathery outer crust, arrived from the old world with Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and have become utterly New York in character. You can get bagels anywhere in the city but, for the best bagels you may have to trek away from the main tourist sites. H&H Bagels at W 46th St. and 12th Av. is very popular and expensive, but many bagel connoisseurs consider Absolute Bagels at Broadway and 107th street to be the most traditional and best. Ess-a-Bagel on 21st and 1st Av. and 3rd Av. between 51st and 52nd Sts. also has a strong following. For anyone out there wanting to try a REAL bagel, you need to go to Brooklyn. One good spot is the Bagel Hole see Prospect Park (7th Avenue of the F or G or try looking in Midwood Avenue J on the Q subway line. For the best bagels, go early when they are warm and straight from the oven. There's also a little-known cousin to the bagel, the bialy, which is like a bagel but the hole does not go all the way through. Kossar's Bialys on Grand Street at Essex is an ancient Lower East Side institution.The New York Hot Dog
Vendors all over the city sell hot dogs - affectionately called "dirty water dogs" by the locals - from pushcarts on city sidewalks and in parks. Choose your toppings from mustard, ketchup, and relish or just ask for everything, wrap the dog in a paper napkin, and walk along the sidewalk trying not to let the toppings slip and slide all over your hands. Also recommended is Papaya King several locations, (http://www.papayaking.com...) known for their inexpensive meals $3.25 for a dog and a drink and their blended tropical fruit drinks and smoothies. Or, take the Subway to Coney Island D, F, N, Q trains, Coney Island - Stillwell Ave. stop for the famous Nathan's hot dog 1310 Surf Ave. Be forewarned that many New Yorkers never eat either one of these foods.The New York Deli Sandwich
Another delicacy brought over by Jewish Immigrants, you must try either a corned beef or pastrami sandwich a "Reuben" is always a good choice. There are some better known delis in the city, but the most famous one is Katz's Deli at Houston and Ludlow Streets. They have been around since 1888, and still pack them in day and night.The New York Pizza
A peculiarly New York thing, you can buy pizza, with a variety of toppings, by the slice from almost every pizzeria in the city. A New York pizza has a thin crust sometimes chewy, sometimes crisp, plenty of cheese, and an artery-hardening sheen of grease on top. Buy a slice, fold in half lengthwise, and enjoy. If you just want a piece of plain cheese pizza, ask for "a slice." Or pick up one with pepperoni -- the quintessential meal on the go in New York.The New York Cheesecake
Made famous by Lindy's and Junior's deli in New York, it relies upon heavy cream, cream cheese, eggs and egg yolks to add a richness and a smooth consistency. Now available throughout the city, but to get the original, go to Junior's, just off the Manhattan Bridge in Downtown Brooklyn see Downtown Brooklyn B, Q, or R to DeKalb AvenueThe New York Egg Cream
Also often referred to as a "Chocolate Egg Cream". A blend of chocolate syrup, milk, and seltzer water. One of the best is found at Katz's Delicatessen. Though not often on the menu at many diners, if you ask for one they will still prepare it for you at most locations.
to/from philadelphia, baltimore, and washington dc
Also see BoltBus, Greyhound, and Megabus serving other locations.
Apex Bus
(http://www.apexbus.com/) - service to/from Washington D.C. $20, Philadelphia $10, Richmond $40 and Atlanta $105 among others.DC2NY
(http://www.dc2ny.com) service to/from Washington DC. Wifi.Eastern Travel
(http://www.easternshuttle.com) - several buses a day to Chinatown and/or Penn Station. Wifi on some buses. Partner with Megabus on some services.Hola Bus
(https://www.holabus.com/)New Century Travel
(http://www.2000coach.com/) - at least seven daily buses from Philadelphia and Washington D.C. $20.MVP Bus
(http://www.mvpbus.com/) - service to/from Baltimore and Washington D.C.Today's Bus
(http://www.todaysbus.com)The Know It Express
(http://theknowitexpress.com/) - service between Atlantic Ave-Pacific Street subway station in Brooklyn and Washington DC.Tripper Bus
(http://www.tripperbus.com) - service to/from Bethesda, MD; Arlington Rosslyn, VA. Pickup location is at 7th Ave. & 34th st. at Penn Station & Madison Square Garden. From $1 online.Vamoose Bus
(http://www.vamoosebus.com) - service between New York City Penn Station 7th Ave & W 30th St and Bethesda, MD; Arlington, VA & Lorton, VA. Fares start at $30 each way.Washington Deluxe
(http://www.washny.com) service to/from Washington DC. Wifi. From Washington D.C. $21 some to Brooklyn.
toll charges
When entering New York from New Jersey, (http://www.panynj.gov/bri...) as well when driving across bridges and tunnels within New York City, (http://www.mta.info/bandt...) you will incur tolls of up to $10, and associated traffic delays.
to/from new jersey
New Jersey Transit
(http://www.njtransit.com/) operates service between destinations in New Jersey and Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Ave & 42nd St.
amtrak
Amtrak, +1 800-USA-RAIL +1 800-872-7245, (http://www.amtrak.com), operates from New York Penn Station, directly under Madison Square Garden, on 34th St between 7th & 8th Aves. Popular trains leaving during rush hours can fill up quickly; it is a good idea to make reservations online (http://reservations.amtrak.com), or via phone, and pick up your ticket using a credit card or your confirmation number at one of the electronic kiosks located throughout the station. On some of the non-business routes, for example New York to Montreal, Amtrak actually takes more time and costs more money than taking the bus or renting a car. Check and compare schedules and prices before booking.
Amtrak's Acela (http://www.acela.com) express train provides regular fast commuter service between major points along the east coast such as Washington, D.C., Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Haven, and Providence. Amtrak services are also available to points along the East Coast down to Florida, to points between New York and Chicago, including Pittsburgh and Cleveland), to New York state including Albany, Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and to Toronto and Montreal in Canada. Service to California takes 3 days and requires a change of train in Chicago.
Amtrak's ClubAcela (http://www.amtrak.com/med...), located near the big security desk in Penn Station, offers complimentary drinks, wi-fi access, newspapers and magazines, and clean bathrooms. Access to the club is granted to travelers with sleeper tickets, First Class Acela tickets, Amtrak GuestRewards SelectPlus membership, or Continental Airlines BusinessFirst tickets for same-day travel, and Continental Airlines President's Club members..
red light cameras
There are red light cameras at 100 intersections in New York City. (http://www.nyc.gov/html/d...). A camera will take a picture if you run a red light and a fine disputable on the web will be issued in 30 days. (http://www.nyc.gov/html/d...) However, since the camera does not identify who is driving the vehicle, no points will be issued against your drivers' license.
commuter rail
New York City is served by three commuter railroads.
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
(http://www.mta.info/lirr/...) operates between New York Penn Station and Long Island with New York City stops at Jamaica Station, Long Island City, and Hunters Point in Queens as well as Atlantic Terminal station in Brooklyn. LIRR tickets can be purchased online or inside stations prior to boarding the train. Tickets are also available for purchase on the train but are significantly more expensive. The cost of the ticket varies based on the distance of the ride.Metro-North Rail Road (Metro North)
(http://www.mta.info/mnr/i...) operates between Grand Central Terminal and points north and east of the city all the way to Connecticut. Trains also stop at the Harlem station on 125th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan. The New Haven line serves cities along the coast with branch lines to Danbury and Waterbury. The Hudson Line serves points along the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie. The Harlem Line serves Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties to Pawling and Wassaic. At New Haven, passengers may transfer to Amtrak or to the Shore Line East providing local service between New Haven and New London, Connecticut. LIRR tickets can be purchased online or inside stations prior to boarding the train. Tickets are also available for purchase on the train but are significantly more expensive. The cost of the ticket varies based on the distance of the ride.New Jersey Transit
(http://www.njtransit.com) operates between New York Penn Station and points in New Jersey. The Northeast corridor line goes to Princeton and Trenton. Services are also available for points along the Jersey Coast and, with a transfer in Secaucus, to points north of the city in New Jersey and New York State west of the Hudson. Connecting service is available from Trenton to Philadelphia via SEPTA or to Camden New Jersey via RiverLINE. Connecting service to Newark Liberty International Airport is available from some Northeast corridor trains. NJ Transit tickets can be purchased online or inside stations prior to boarding the train. Tickets are also available for purchase on the train but are significantly more expensive. The cost of the ticket varies based on the distance of the ride.
smoking
Smoking in public places is highly restricted. It is prohibited in indoor sections of bars, restaurants, subway stations and trains all transit system property, public parks, public beaches, pedestrian malls, both indoor and outdoor stadiums and sports arenas, and many other public places. If you light up in any of these places, you are subject to a summons and fine, ejection, and/or indignant reactions from residents. There do remain a small number of legal cigar bars that are exempt, as are the outside areas of sidewalk cafes and the like, but these are very much the exception. If you need to smoke while eating or drinking, be prepared to take a break and join the rest of the smokers outside, whatever the weather; many establishments have large space heaters. As in most cities, drinking alcoholic beverages on the street is illegal, so bars will not let you take your drink outside.
alternate side of the street rules
New York has "alternate side of the street" parking rules (http://home2.nyc.gov/html...), which may require street parkers to move their cars at different times of the day such as early morning, or overnight in a few business districts. Alternate side rules are suspended on many obscure holidays, while parking meters and other weekday restrictions are only suspended on a few major holidays not even on all Federal holidays.
jaywalking
Jaywalking is extremely common among New Yorkers; an average New Yorker typically jaywalks 10-15 times a day. However, it can be extremely dangerous. If you cannot properly gauge the speed of oncoming cars, it is recommended you wait for the walk signal. Do not blindly follow someone crossing, as while they might have time to make it across, the person behind them might not. If you do jaywalk, remember that in the U.S., people drive on the right side of the road on two-way streets so remember to look left to check for on-coming traffic on your side of the road. Be aware that most streets are one-way, so you may have to look right. Most New Yorkers who know which streets go which way will only look in the direction traffic is coming from rather than looking in both directions. A useful mnemonic to remember which way streets not avenues go is "evens go east" -- or if there are cars parked, look which way they are facing. This helps about 98% of the time. But beware of any bicyclists unlawfully going against the proper flow of vehicular traffic -- or, for that matter, police or other vehicles doing the same. It never hurts to just look both ways, even on a one-way street.
If you do not wish to jaywalk, be considerate of New Yorkers by not blocking them from jaywalking while you are waiting for your signal. Also, it is considered extremely poor etiquette, if you are walking with a group, to block the sidewalk without providing space for others to pass or overtake you.
parking
While cheap or free parking can be found in some parts of New York at some times, parking is generally extremely expensive, generally costing $40 per day in Manhattan. Street parking can be free or much cheaper, but can be extremely hard to come by. Also, "bumping" cars in front of and behind of you to get into and out of a parking spot known to some as "Braille Parking" is common, so if you choose to park on the street, don't be surprised if you find a few new scratches and scrapes on your bumper.
As a general rule, hotels in New York do not supply parking. The few that do will charge you handsomely for the privilege. To find parking, look at the following four websites:
BestParking.com
(http://www.BestParking.com) is a free service that allows users to search and compare all daily and monthly rates and locations for parking facilities in Manhattan, NYC. Users can book free parking "Reservations" and "Rate Guarantees" at over 20% of parking garages including Icon Parking Systems and Edison ParkFast. The website's instant rate comparison clearly displays the rates on a Google map and the interface is extremely user-friendly. Regular rates, early bird specials, weekend specials, night Specials, SUV/oversize/luxury vehicle rates, motorcycle rates, and all additional posted charges are included in their instant rate comparison.PrimoSpot.com
(http://www.primospot.com). is a free site that allows users to find on-street free parking. It will calculate the amount of time you can stay in metered and alternate side of the street city parking. They provide a breakdown of the regulations and photos of the signs. There is coverage for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Hoboken, New Jersey. Users can type in an address, intersection, or zip code and will get the regulations for that area. The parking regulations display on a Google map and the interface is easy to use. Note that PrimoSpot will only tell you how long you can stay in a parking spot in any particular zone; there's no guarantee that there will actually be an empty spot waiting for you when you arrive.IconParking.com
(http://www.iconparking.com/) is a service where you can book your parking time if you know it by the block, date, time, and even choose which garage within the IconParking system has space and they MUST honor it. One traveler says, "I've gone into garages that have initially said they're full up and then I said I booked it online and they shrugged and honored it." When you book online with this company, print a confirmation and take it with you. Most times the attendants/valets will assume you know what you're talking about, but sometimes they want to see the printed confirmation. Also, when you pay, they may feign ignorance as to the price you were quoted online. This is another reason to print out the reservation. Using this service, it is possible to pay $10 on a weekday for 8 hours of parking from 10AM-6PM on John Street in the Financial district. If initially the valet says they don't have to honor that rate, be persistent and you should get it.ParkFast.com
(http://www.parkfast.com). This site is for Edison Parkfast, the owner/manager of 40 parking locations around the city. The site isn't as feature-rich and you can't pick your hours or dates, but at least they have some basic rates and locations.
to/from boston
Also see BoltBus, Greyhound, Megabus, and Peter Pan serving other locations.The trip between Boston and New York takes about 4.5 hours.
Boston Deluxe
(http://www.bostondeluxe.com), connects Chinatown to Boston and Hartford. Weekend service. $15.Fung Wah Bus
(http://www.fungwahbus.com) granddaddy of all Chinatown buses, with service to and from Boston at the corner of Canal and Chrystie Streets. $15. At least hourly 7AM-11PM, additional weekend service.Limoliner
(http://www.limoliner.com) from Boston with on board attendant, food service, wifi, wide seats.Lucky Star
(http://www.luckystarbus.com/) runs from Boston to their Chinatown office at least hourly 6AM-11PM and at 2AM. Wifi on some buses. From $1 online, $15 walk-up.
emergency vehicles
If there is an emergency vehicle trying to get through with its siren blaring, pull over to the side and move forward as necessary. On many one-way streets avenues in particular, the middle lane is designated as the "FIRE LANE."
phone use while driving
Talking on hand-held cell phones without a hands-free device while driving is illegal and dangerous. This law, however, is spottily enforced. Even if you do have a hands-free device, minimize your talking and prioritize driving.
staten island
Another option for customers coming from Newark Airport is to stay in Staten Island. Some Staten Island hotels, such as The Hilton Garden Inn at 900 South Avenue, offer free shuttle buses or are on bus lines to the free St. George Ferry to Manhattan. Do be aware though that Staten Island is a lot farther than it seems from the main attractions.
driving under the influence of alcohol
Don't even think of driving while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs! The police will seize your car and sell it at auction if you are caught.
metrocard
Metropolitan Transit Authority (http://www.mta.info/) sells MetroCards for use on the New York City bus and subway systems. While it is possible to pay bus fare using exact change coins only, you must have a MetroCard to enter the subway system. Cards can be bought online, at station booths, at vending machines in the stations, and at many grocery stores and newstands look for a MetroCard sign on the store window (http://tripplanner.mta.in...). The vending machines in the stations accept credit cards; however, the machines require that you type in your 5-digit zip code, or just your regular pin on international cards.
With a MetroCard, you can transfer from subway to local bus, local bus to local bus, express bus to subway, or express bus to local bus but not to the same bus route or a bus route going in the return direction during a two hour period for free. If you board a local bus and pay the $2.25 fare with a MetroCard, you can transfer to an express bus for $3.25, resulting in the standard $5.50 fare for an express bus. You can transfer from one subway line to another for free as often as you like at designated transfer stations any station where you can cross over to a different line/direction without exiting through a turnstile. While the PATH system accepts payment by MetroCard, no free transfers are available.
gas/petrol stations
Gas stations are few and far between, especially in Manhattan, where only a handful exist around the perimeter of the island. Be prepared to up to $0.50 more per gallon than in the surrounding suburbs or New Jersey. Therefore, if you have the option, it is best to fill your car while you aren't in NYC, as long as you have enough gas to last!
unlicensed taxis
Be wary of unlicensed cars known as 'gypsy cabs' cruising for passengers, especially near the airports. While drivers may claim to offer you a cheaper rate than an actual taxi, your chances of actually getting this rate not to mention getting to your destination safely and quickly are slim. If you are in doubt, ask an airport staffer for help finding a cab or cabstand. Major airports have taxi information cards for passengers.
There are also bizarre van and shuttle services in different parts of the city. You will have to ask where it is going and how much it costs. Usually, you will see people lining up and some mysterious van will appear and they will board. There are services between Chinatown and Queens you won’t have to make any transfers if it goes where you need to go!, and also there are separate services in Brooklyn, and Queens. Many of these services are branded as "Dollar Vans" actually costing $1.25, and follow major bus routes. One should use good judgment before using these vans to prevent getting cheated out of money, or something considerably worse than losing money.