SUE4LSU

My husband & I are meeting my parents and 2 friends of theirs in NYC in November for 3 days. Any ideas on the easiest way to get around? Mom has arthritis issues, and walking for long stretches not a good idea.
Also, the 4 of them plan to stay in Stamford, Ct. at night, and ride the train back and forth. Anyone have any idea how this will work? Rush hour?
Thanks for any input. My husband & I have been to the city a number of times, but this is the first for them, and our first time with more than just ourselves!

MFNYC

any particular reason why they are staying in CT? With mobility issues, wouldn't it be easier to have a room nearby to take a rest every now and then.

Even without mobility issues, commuting from Stamford isn't exactly convenient for a tourist.

Taxis are the easiest way to get around, but only allow 4 passengers at a time. A hop on/off bus tour may be a good way to see the city, and have fairly convenient transportation for sightseeing.

GoTravel

With mobility issues, staying in Conn isn't the best idea.

When I did this with my inlaws, I booked everyone on the All Loop Grayline Tour. They get to see everything and don't have to worry about traffic, steps, uneven sidewalks, tons of other people, etc.

Just about anything you do will have them on their feet for long stretches.

ellenem

The trip from Grand Central Station to Stamford is anywhere from 45 to 70 minutes, depending on the time of day and type of train. The fare for seniors is $6 each way, unless you are traveling into NYC during the morning rush, when they will have to pay the full fare--$12.25. They will spend a lot of time between getting to the stations, waiting for the trains, riding the trains--3-4 hours each day roundtrip--typical for many commuters in our area.

Please encourage them to get a hotel in NYC if at all possible.

Sarah

no new hints sue....you just check train schedules on line and cab it everywhere, simple and sweet. I would explore the upper east side a lot of ofd fashion elegance on that end. ...galleries and possibly the park if its not too cold. Tavern on the green might be nice at dusk.

Sarah

Meant to leave you this link if it helps at all with planning

http://www.mta.info/

missypie

I'd suggest riding cabs, but you will need to split up. If both parties have working cell phones, you should't get too separated.

Travelkitty

Another vote for one of the "hop on" tour buses to help see the sites. They might even enjoy a circle line tour.

The other advice is not to overdo. It's so tempting in NY to try to get all around the city and see everything, but if there are mobility isues, it's better to pick a specific site or location and just enjoy that.

Perhaps a trip to the Metropolitan Museum. If Mom gets tired from walking, she could rest with you at the cafe while others take in a few extra exhibits.

A play or concert is also a great thing to see in NY that doesn't require a lot of travelling.

I'd also encourage them to stay in NYC instead of Stamford. The commute can be tiring with a lot of waiting and walking around Grand Central. If they had a room in NYC, mom could stop and rest for a little bit during the day.

Depending on what they enjoy, you could concentrate one day in midtown - Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock and St Patricks, plus a little shopping if anyone wanted.

Hope they have a wonderful time with their visit!

lisettemac

As someone who frequently commutes from Stamford to NYC, I agree with the others -- don't have your seniors with mobility issues take the train back and forth. It's a lot of walking, climbing stairs, etc, to get to the train and then doing it all over again to go home.

SUE4LSU

My husband & I have a large room in the city. My parents' friends have been to NY before, and stayed in CT. They've convinced my parents that it's so convenient, and so much cheaper! I know that's the selling point!
Also, they did mention the double-decker bus. I had never heard of that, we've always taken cabs.
They're not infirm, but her knees bother her, so I am concerned about the stairs to and from the train. She may end up staying with us!

nytraveler

They really should not stay in Stamford. It can be a long and crowded trip - and with limited mobility and energy a major waste of time.

I really urge you to have them stay in the city instead - and save those 2/3 hours a day for sightseeing. Plus, they'll have a place to rest during the day when they want.

I can;t reco the hop on/off unless they just sit on the bus. Hopping on and off isn;t that convenient, since there can be long waits for the next bus - with no place to sit. And Nov isn;t exactly sidewalk cafe weather.

With 6 people you're better off doing cabs to go directly where you want to go. Or - my elderly parents sometimes take the city bus for longer trips - but since I live uptown, if they wait until 9:30 or so they can get seats on the bus. They then take a cab back from wherever.

What my parents (in their 80's, but still quite mobile - not fast but steady) do is one major activity per day, then come back to our apartment - and rest and then out to dinner.

ggreen

My sister has stayed in Stamford with her two young kids for a night or two at a time. Getting to and from Grand Central isn't bad; believe it or not, the food court there is pretty good (for a food court), with kiosks from NYC restaurants. But her stays there were when she needed to be in the city for an event like the kids' recital, not for sightseeing. I too would be worried about your parents' stamina. If you don't mind them napping in your room, though, Stamford isn't the end of the world.

I also agree that the Met would be a great place to visit. In addition to the cafes located in various places throughout the museum, there are always benches to rest on. The newly reopened Greek and Roman art display is very beautiful! And there's lots else to explore. If you want to try the subway, you can get there easily on the uptown 4, 5, or 6 train from Grand Central; it's a straight shot up Lexington Avenue and will put you a few blocks from the museum.

Another straight shot on the 4 or 5 subway line would be downtown to lower Manhattan: the tip of the island and the ferry to Ellis Island at Bowling Green; also Wall Street, ground zero.

In the Grand Central subway station, there is one set of stairs (and a sometimes-working escalator) down to the subway entrance, then another set of stairs down to the platform.

From the main lobby of Grand Central, your parents' Metro North commuter train will either be on the same level (just a few steps to the platform proper) or down one flight of wide, shallow stairs with a bannister. If you enter the station from the 42nd Street side, there are no stairs to get to the main lobby, just a sloping floor; the Vanderbilt Ave entrance requires stairs, and entering from the north side of the station at 45th Street goes through the MetLife building and has escalators.

The train station at Stamford is clean and fairly recently renovated: there are elevators where necessary and the train pulls in flush with the platform.

SUE4LSU

thank you ggreen. that's very helpful.

ggreen

You're welcome, Sue!

This may help, too:
www.grandcentralterminal.com

This is a pretty good picture of the stairs leading down from the Vanderbilt entrance to the main floor; you can get a sense of how wide the stairs are. A similar set leads to the lower level for dining concourse, bathrooms, and trains departing from that level:
www.flickr.com/photos/andreavera/531983706

And this one shows a peek of the ramp from the main floor towards the 42nd Street entrance:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreav...57600315593074

I looked for one of the subway entrance, but for some reason no one has bothered to take a photo! LOL.

mclaurie

I don't agree at all with the suggestion of the hop on/off bus. First, the only place to see is up top in the open air. In Nov. it could be quite cold and windy for them up there. More importantly, they'd have to climb up and down stairs each time they get on or off the bus. Sounds dreadful to me.

There are 2 other bus tour options in smaller buses that are enclosed. kingofnyc.com and nypartyshuttle.com But if you're all going on this tour, I'd consider hiring a limo for the 6 of you to take you around to where you want to go. By the time you pay for 6 of you, even with senior prices, that's almost $500. You should be able to get a nice limo for that. Limotours.com is one place to check.

I also think Ct. is a mistake, but since they'll have your room in NYC for a midday rest, it won't be as bad as it could be.

mclaurie

You don't say when in Nov. Just a warning that starting Thanksgiving, there's a Xmas market inside Grand Central that makes the terminal and the area very very crowded. Last year it started on Nov. 20.
http://manhattan.about.com/od/events...centralhol.htm

ggreen

That's true about the Christmas market. It's set up every year in the old waiting room inside the 42nd Street entrance. There are some lovely crafts, and some of the museums usually have a booth, but it does get very crowded when trying to navigate through to the trains. You can always use one of the other entrances (with the stairs or escalators) if the crowds are too much.

Oh, and I just remembered there's another entrance on the southwest corner of the building, at 42nd Street and Vanderbilt, that also employs a ramp rather than stairs. It will put you right near Junior's Cheesecake!