Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INTERNET
Wireless is king in New York. Most hotels offer it for free, it's also available at wi-fi hot-
spots like Times Square and complimentary at cafés like Starbucks. Wi-fi is also free in
many of New York's parks (select “attwifi”): Battery Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Central
Park (southern section) and The High Line among them. Limited free wi-fi (“Guest-
WiFi”), with a choice of a ten-minute free pass, or a day pass for $0.99, is available at
Madison Square Park. Bryant Park offers it's own free high-speed wi-fi network (
www.bryantpark.org
)
, as does Union Square (“unionsquarewifi”). If you're travelling
without your own computer, accessing your email is still possible at internet cafés, though
their numbers are dwindling. Try the NY Computer Café, 247 E 57th St, which charges $3
per 15 minutes.
A great, free alternative is to stop by a branch of the New York City Public Library, where
wi-fi and computer internet access and printing are available. You first need to get a guest
pass at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (the main library building; Mon and
Thurs-Sat 10am-6pm, Tues and Wed 10am-9pm, Sun 1-5pm), at 42nd St and Fifth Ave.
With the pass, you can reserve time slots at computers in person or via
LEFT LUGGAGE
The best place to leave luggage is your hotel, but you can also use Schwartz Travel Ser-
vices (daily 8am-11pm; 212 290 2626,
www.schwartztravel.com
;
$2/hr to a maximum
$10/day) at 355 W 36th St, near Penn Station.
LOST PROPERTY
If you lose something on a bus or on the subway contact NYC Transit Authority, at the W
34th St/Eighth Ave Station on the lower-level subway mezzanine (Mon, Tues & Fri
8am-3.30pm, Wed & Thurs 11am-6.30pm;
lostfound.mtanyct.info
). For items lost in a
taxi call
311 or file a report online (
www.nyc.gov/taxi
); try to get the taxi's medallion
number (printed on your receipt).
MONEY
On a moderate budget, expect to spend at least $200-250 per night on accommodation in a
low to mid-range, centrally located hotel in high season, plus $30-40/person for a moderate
sit-down dinner each night and about $20 more per person per day for takeout and grocery
meals. Getting around will cost $30/person per week for unlimited public transportation,
plus $10 for the occasional taxi ride. Sightseeing, drinking, clubbing, eating haute cuisine
and going to the theatre will add exponentially to these costs.
With an ATM card you'll have access to cash from machines all over New York, though
as anywhere, you will usually be charged a fee for using a different bank's ATM network
(usually $3). Most banks are open Monday-Friday 8.30am-5pm, and a few have limited
