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For getting around New York, you will be spoiled for choice. Public transport is extremely efficient and connects all the city neighborhoods in a widespread manner.
The car is by no means essential for getting around New York. Far from it!
GETTING AROUND NEW YORK BY METRO
The New York subway is extremely efficient, safe and, above all, extended: 380km in length, and over 470 operating stations. Numbers to say the least impressive!
And it is clear that, for many, the greatest difficulty is being able to orient themselves. The official app of the New York-based transport company MTA is an excellent ally in this regard. It’s free, and available for iOS and Android.
32 lines are in operation, most of which are active 24 hours a day!
To orient yourself in the metro, you can help yourself through the displays on the shelters. Uptown indicates the direction north of Manhattan; Downtown is south and, therefore, towards Battery Park or Wall Street; Brooklyn, instead, will take you across the river, Brooklyn bound). The word local, on the other hand, refers to the line that stops at all the subway stations. Express, instead, stops at the main stations.
Generally, in large stations like Times Square, Express trains run at the central track while Local ones stop at the ends.
The trains are quite frequent: they go from 2-5 minutes of peak hours, to 5-15 minutes from 20:00 to midnight, and, finally, to 20 minutes from 00:00 to 06 in the morning; to signal, moreover, that during the night service, police checks are quite frequent in most stations!
Little curiosity: since 1985, Music Under New York is the project born on the initiative of MTA to promote street artists. A real competition that brings lesser-known faces to the busiest stations, with around 150 weekly shows!
STATEN ISLAND METRO
A single subway line that serves the entire administrative division of Staten Island.
In operation 7 days a week, without interruption 24 hours a day, with a total of 21 lines, and an extension of approximately 24km.
During peak hours, an express service is available in both directions.
GETTING AROUND NEW YORK BY BUS
Modern and efficient as they may be, buses are not ideal for getting around New York. Especially at peak times. In Manhattan, traffic jams are quite frequent.
The lines are incredibly numerous and extensive, reaching all the city areas. The main lines are on duty 24 hours a day. As for the metro, also in this case there are express lines that carry out a limited number of stops.
Each line is identified by one, or more letters, followed by numbers. The first letters always indicate the division, or boroughs, of New York. Thus, the M will identify the lines for Manhattan, Q the Queens …
It should be noted that in the night-time zone, between 22:00 and 05:00, it is possible to ask the driver to stop at any point along the route, even outside the established stops.
GETTING AROUND NEW YORK BY CAR
To move in New York and the surrounding areas, the car is not essential. Quite the contrary. It is necessary to take into account the rather high cost applied by car rental companies and the price of petrol, perhaps, the highest in all the States!
For those who really want to rent a car, credit card and driving license are essential; it is recommended, above all, the international license, because considered by the urban police of New York, a document much more reliable.
GETTING AROUND NEW YORK BY TAXI
Tell the truth … how many times from home, watching American films, you have dreamed of raising your hand and stopping a Yellowcab (yellow taxi). Maybe, right on Broadway !!
Let’s start by saying that, generally, the service is quite efficient, comfortable and not particularly expensive … with the due exceptions. You can pay in cash or by credit card, always leaving a tip (tip) of 10-15% of the total amount. If, however, you have the misfortune of running into some unpleasant taxi driver, who perhaps raises exceptions to your payment by magnetic card, or asks more than necessary, do not worry: take the receipt and note the taxi number, and, later, you can report everything to the competent authorities.
WATERTAXI
The Watertaxi is an excellent solution for getting around New York, admiring the city … from another perspective!
The small yellow boats that make up the NY Watertaxi fleet (www.nywatertaxi.com) make 14 stops from West 44th St on the Hudson River, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island City and Queens.