Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Hudson to the Palisades. Committed off-the-beaten-path sight-
seers might also want to visit the Dyckman Farmhouse, a historic
jewel built in 1783 and the only remaining Dutch Colonial struc-
ture in Manhattan.
8 Getting Around
Frankly, Manhattan's transportation systems are a marvel. It's miracu-
lous that so many people can gather on this little island and move
around it. For the most part, you can get where you're going pretty
quickly and easily using some combination of subways, buses, and
cabs; this section will tell you how to do just that.
But between gridlock and subway delays, sometimes you just can't
get there from here—unless you walk. Walking can be the fastest way
to navigate the island. During rush hours, you'll easily beat car traf-
fic while on foot, as taxis and buses stop and groan at gridlocked cor-
ners (don't even try going crosstown in a cab or bus in Midtown at
midday). You'll also see a lot more by walking than you will if you
ride beneath the street or fly by in a cab. So pack your most com-
fortable shoes and hit the pavement—it's the best, cheapest, and
most appealing way to experience the city.
BY SUBWAY
Run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority ( MTA; www.mta.info/
nyct/subway), the subway system is the fastest way to travel around
New York, especially during rush hours. Some 4.5 million people a
day seem to agree with me, as it's their primary mode of transporta-
tion. The subway is quick, inexpensive, relatively safe, and efficient,
as well as being a genuine New York experience.
The subway runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The rush-hour
crushes are roughly from 8 to 9:30am and from 5 to 6:30pm on
weekdays; the rest of the time the trains are much more manageable.
Paying Your Way
The subway fare is $2 (half-price for seniors and those with disabil-
ities); children under 44 inches ride free (up to three per adult).
Tokens are no longer available. People pay with the MetroCard, a
magnetically encoded card that debits the fare when swiped through
the turnstile (or the fare box on any city bus). Once you're in the sys-
tem, you can transfer freely to any subway line that you can reach
without exiting your station. MetroCards also allow you free trans-
fers between the bus and subway within a 2-hour period.
MetroCards can be purchased from staffed token booths, where
you can only pay with cash; at the ATM-style vending machines in
 
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