New York: Essentials
TO / FROM THE AIRPORT
New York Airport Service
212/875-8200, nyairportservice.com
Shuttle bus between Manhattan (Grand Central Terminal, Port Authority, and Penn Station) and LaGuardia is $12 one way, $21 round trip; JFK is $15/$27. Departs approximately every 30 minutes. There's also a shuttle link between JFK and LaGuardia 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m., $13 each way.
Newark Liberty Airport Express Bus Service
(Olympia Trails), olympiabus.com
Shuttle bus transportation from Newark is $13 one way, $22 round trip. Departs every 30 minutes for stops at Penn Station, Grand Central, and Port Authority.
AirTrain panynj.gov/airtrain
Follow signs at JFK and Newark for connections into the city. Trains run every 10 minutes. Fare to/from JFK is $5, which must be purchased on a MetroCard. Trains stop at connecting subway stations, so add another $2 for subway fare. If coming from JFK, use the MetroCard machine at the train-subway transfer. Rides to/from Newark are free to/from the Newark Rail Link Station, where you get NJ Transit, which takes you to/from Penn Station for $11.55. Trains leave every 30 minutes.
GETTING AROUND
Subway & Bus mta.nyc.ny.us
$2 flat fare; MetroCards available at subway station kiosks. A daily "Fun Pass" is $7; a seven-day pass is $21. Ask for map at booth. Single-use free transfer available if going from bus to bus, bus to subway, or subway to bus. Ask for transfer ticket from bus driver if using change instead of MetroCard.
Taxis
Initial fare: $2.50; 40¢ each 1?5 mile or for each 90 seconds stopped in traffic. Add 50¢ for rides after 8 p.m.; add $1 Mon.-Fri. from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Taxis take up to four passengers.
Pedicabs
Average rate: $1 per minute; operate evenings and weekends. Licensed "peddlers" only.
Staten Island Ferry
718/390-5253, siferry.com
Free; 25-minute ride between Whitehall St. in Lower Manhattan and St. George Terminal on Staten Island. Awesome views of N.Y. Harbor, the skyline, and Lady Liberty.
New York Water Taxi
212/742-1969, newyorkwatertaxi.com
A double-decker, high-speed catamaran that makes 10 stops in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, including Chelsea Piers, Christopher St., and South St. Seaport. $5 for single rides, $20 for two-day hop-on/hop-off ticket. Hoofing it in NYC It takes the average person one minute to walk one "short" (north-south) block, and two minutes to walk one "long block" (east-west) in Manhattan. Do the math.
WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND TOWN
Free on the Street The Village Voice or New York Press At Newsstands
TOURS
Big Onion Walking Tours
212/439-1090, bigonion.com
Lively, informed historic- and ethnic-themed tours led by guides with advanced degrees in history. Check online calendar or call for meeting spots. Adults $15, seniors $12, and students $10. No reservations required; schedule subject to change in case of inclement weather.
Municipal Art Society of NY Tours
212/935-3960, mas.org/events/tours.cfm
Expert in-depth exploration of city architecture. Weekday walking tours $12; weekend walking/bus combo tour $15. Free tours of Grand Central Terminal only depart Wed. at 12:30 p.m. from the information booth in the Main Concourse.
Nosh Walks
212/222-2243, noshwalks.com
Taste your way from Odessa to Bombay. Most tours are $20 and do not include the cost of food. Sat.-Sun. only.
Radical Walking Tours
718/492-0069, radicalwalkingtours.org
See NYC through the eyes of anarchists, revolutionaries, and good old-fashioned hell-raisers. Summer schedule suspended; call for upcoming tours. $10 per tour.
Gray Line New York
800/669-0051, graylinenewyork.com
Fare is $49 for a two-day hop-on/hop-off tour by double-decker bus. Makes 42 stops in all. All tickets must be purchased online, by phone, or at the official start location, 777 8th Ave. at W. 47th St.
Pioneer Sailings From South Street Seaport Museum
212/748-8786, southstseaport.org
Schooner sailing tours of N.Y. Harbor beat the popular but noisy Circle Line any day. $30. Daily sailings May-Sept.; call for times.
NUMBERS TO KNOW