I'm Visiting NY for one day. Is it feasible to drive to see a few sites?

Question

My son and I are going on a road trip that will include New York. I've never been and we can only visit for a day. Is it possible to see the WTC site, Statue of Liberty and Times Square by driving or should I save New York for a longer visit?

Answer 1

First things first : As a New Yorker I DO understand why people visit the the WTC site. It's the same reason that they visit Gettysburg , Antietam or the Normandy beaches and I think it's fitting and proper that they do so. Set yourself apart from the crowd by placing your head all the way back on your shoulders and looking UP.
OK having gotten that little problem out of the way I'm gonna tell you this: Do not drive in Manhattan. There is absolutely no advantage to it at all .The cheapest and fastest way around Manhattan an is either below ground on the subway or above ground using the shoe leather express.
Personally I would park my car at the Staten Island dock and take the free ferry in.Bring a rolll of quarters for parking. For directions using yahoo ,mapquest et.al go St George NY > Richmond County
When you get off the boat ; The # 1 subway going up Broadway is right there at South Ferry .
As I advise others: Do the things that can only be done before 5:00 PM before 5:00 PM and everthing else afterwards.

Answer 2

You can drive through Times Square and see about all you need to see. Unless you're set on going to a play, or absolutely have to have a photograph of yourself in the Square, there's no need to stop there. Then get on West Street, and drive all the way downtown. Park in Battery Park City. That will put you within easy walking distance of the WTC, South St Seaport, the NY Stock Exchange, the Battery (and Statue of Liberty Ferry), and four good museums: the American Indian Museum, the Financial History Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and the Irish Potato Famine Museum (no kidding). There's also an interesting exhibit (not always open to the public) called "New York Unearthed" at State St Plaza, where you can watch archaelogists working on preserving artifacts from NY's 17th century Dutch history. Spend the day, hit the things that interest you, have dinner at the World Financial Center's Wintergarden or al fresco around the boat basin, and be on your way. One day, no disappointments.

Just an aside, if you have to drop one thing off your list, drop the WTC site. It's really just a big construction site. I've never understood the morbid interest that brings tourists there.

Answer 3

The ferry to and from Liberty is pretty much an all afternoon affair. You could see Little Italy, the WTC, drive north through Times Square, north through central park, and I personally recommend the Cloisters (on the North side of Manhattan) - it's home to the Metropolitain Museum of Art's medieval collection and is a reconstruction of 12th & 13th century European churches.

Most of the touristy things are going to either cost a lot (like $40 for the Empire State building) or take all day.

Answer 4

Leave your car either uptown or in Jersey City, and travel to downtown Manhattan by subway. The short visit will encourage, not prevent, your coming back for a longer visit some other time. The car would just cause you stress and contribute to NYC's congestion and pollution problems; like someone else said, in the Times Square and financial district (where you catch the Liberty Ferry) areas, it's rarely even a time-saver to drive.

Answer 5

You could always park and take a double-decker bus tour. I took a tour with this company (Gray Line) and can't complain. The guide was good and even pointed out the restaurant owned by the inspiration for the 'Soup Nazi' from Seinfeld.

They offer one tour called the 'New York Minute' that includes:
"Double Decker Downtown Loop (Times Square
Empire State Building
Rockefeller Center / Top of the Rock
World Trade Center Site
Little Italy, and more.)
Ticket to The Empire State Building Observatory
Lady Liberty Harbor Cruise"

Answer 6

After the visit to the World Trade Center it is a short walk to the Battery and get a ferry out to the statue of liberty and ellis island. When you are done there, you can take a subway uptown to times square. This can easily be done in under 8 hours if that is your time limit

Answer 7

leave your car on the nj side, and take the path train into the WTC. then you can either walk down towards the statue of liberty ferry and take a cab or the subway up to times square. it'll save you money rather then having to find parking for your car. you can do this in a day trip.

Answer 8

If you drive into the city, you can see all those in one day - just drive right by 'em!

Seriously though, you can do most of those in one long day - if you don't drive! Leave the car somewhere outside the city and use public transpo or foot power and you can see a LOT more than driving!

Driving in NYC is expensive (gas is still around $3 a gallon, you can easily spend $100 a day parking) and can be infuriating with crazy traffic - it can take hours to go a couple of blocks. NYC leads the country in gridlock, and it's worse in the summer.

Answer 9

Stay in New York for a longer visit you will love it in the summer you have Radio City Music Hall Madison Square Garden Yankee Stadium etc.Believe the places you want to see really historic landmarks.

Answer 10

I would find safe parking , then take the subway around to what you want to see. Download a map of the city so that you know where you want to go and the distances between them. Many of the places you mention are with in walking distance of eachother. As for the Statue, seems to me we parked near there and took the ferry over... then went by subway to downtown. YOU MUST have a HOT DOG with THE WORKS, and PIZZA! Both THE BEST to be had. mmmm mmmm