Madam397

Yes the E train from Jamaica goes directly to the Port Authority so should be an easy walk to your hotel and depending on what street you will need you might be able to exit at the 50th Street stop. The good thing about getting on the E at that station is that you will have a seat as it is the first stop on the train heading into Manhattan. I was thinking abut changing for the 7 line into Times Square but not necessary to do that.

nycguy10002

Just a minor correction - the first stop of the E train when it enters Manhattan is 53rd Street/Lexington Avenue (actually between Lexington and Third Avenues) , then 5th Avenue/53rd Street (with an exit at Madison Avenue), the 7th Avenue/53rd Street and then it gets to 50th Street/8th Avenue. I should point out that at 50th St station the train is on the lower level (it is a 2 level station)and there is an elevator at this station (on the downtown platform only).

tom_mn

Here's a steam vent thingy in the West Village, last year.

Nautiker

sorry for my late reply and: wow, thanks again for all your subsequent remarks, what a wealth of information!

@ all those who chipped in on the airport transfer: much appreciated! maybe I should have been clearer about our accomodation: it's the Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square, right between metro stops Times Sq/42nd and 42nd/Bryant Park (yes, good transport options played a role selecting this place). therefore, subway/LIRR would indeed be excellently feasible and personally I would take one of these options instantly. however, given my MIL turned 80 this spring, right now we are discussing which option would be the best compromise in terms of ease vs. cost, and that's the moment the bus comes into play: no changes, no stops, no stairs, no lugging of baggage, short walk from Bryant Park etc. so there is a bus after all, special thanks to nycguy! (odd, that the transport section of the JFK-homepage does not lead there)

@ fra diavolo: thanks for the ice cream place. looks a bit out of the way (and is nycguy's hometurf?), but then there is hope we may actually stray from the main tourist paths! tools are always nice, and even though I have most of the stuff I need, there is usually always room for one more, so one further (and farther) possible detour... (and funny to see so many German brands like Festo and Osmo on their page ;-) )

@ madam 397: don't worry, we have the basic stuff covered, here for the non-basics ;-)

@ ekscrunchy: BDDW looks excellent and -for a change- should fit snugly to current plans. and thanks for the general thumbs up - the internet really is a blessing and a curse: it has become so much easier to research unusual/quirky stuff, at the same time it bears the risk of overplanning and missing out on the 'real' discoveries. actually, manhole covers are a pet peeve of mine, too, alas I read a lot of good ones that used to be around in Lower Manhattan until recently have been moved (and by 'steam vents' I really thought more of the iconic vapour itself). and: vault lights! that's exactly the sort of ideas you only get on a travel board like Fodor's - I'll be on the lookout (oh no, skycrapers and vault lights will make a strenuous combo for my neck...). other things to spot from my to-do-list are fireladders (but those should be easy to find) and blind-alleys with piles of cardboard boxes and a chain-wire fence at its end: given they are ubiquitous in American movies, these as well should be no problem to come across... ;-)

@ nycguy/eskrunchy: re: busses. goodness. I usually consider myself public transport savvy, but with today's contactless/paperless etc options I notice I am getting old. we will likely opt for a 7day-pass (should pay off, otherwise it will be for the convenience) - I gather SBS busses would be covered by the pass (since it's not 'express'), so I'd still need a receipt beforehand when travelling on a Metrocard, however with an Omny I could check-in whilst boarding, right? the only disadvantage of an Omny is that you need $1 to purchase the card first - or what am I missing?

I hope you all do not mind in case I come around for further inquiries...

Nautiker

Exactly what I have in mind!

Nautiker

sorry, nycguy, the closer I look at that airport bus, the more I am convinced this service is longer running (for quite a few years, actually). it somewhat boggles my mind that THE city New York cannot/does not want to/will not sustain something as simple as a bus connection to its most important airport...

tom_mn

Actually Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square is close enough to walk from Penn Station, 0.4 miles. You are actually a half mile south of Times Square.

Nautiker

@tom: thanks!

0.4 miles, so that's 3 1/5 furlongs or 0,64 kms, right? I hate doing conversions. perfectly fine with me, probably less for my MIL (with baggage in tow). would cab drivers accept a short ride from GC/Penn to our hotel or would bad karma spoil the next couple of days?

sorry, it's midnight over here and I had too much gin in my tonic (and I am not even the G&T type of guy). have been looking up old threads on this board and getting all nostalgic, considering picking up again...

nycguy10002

The distance is 8 blocks from Penn Station (34th St) To Times Square (42nd St).

(In NYC we quote distances in blocks, most of the time rather than parts of a mile). In NYC a mile is about 20 blocks).

nycguy10002

@ nycguy/eskrunchy: re: busses. goodness. I usually consider myself public transport savvy, but with today's contactless/paperless etc options I notice I am getting old. we will likely opt for a 7day-pass (should pay off, otherwise it will be for the convenience) - I gather SBS busses would be covered by the pass (since it's not 'express'), so I'd still need a receipt beforehand when travelling on a Metrocard, however with an Omny I could check-in whilst boarding, right? the only disadvantage of an Omny is that you need $1 to purchase the card first - or what am I missing?

I hope you all do not mind in case I come around for further inquiries...

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like. You will always ind members of the Fodors community willing to provide answers when any of us can.

.
Anyway getting to your MetroCard/OMNY qeustion:

In Manhattan chances are that the few SBS buses will not be useful to you as they probably do not run where you will be (or where you will want to go). There are regular local buses though.

If you are going to go with the subway option (AirTrain to Jamaica and then E train to Manhattan), I strongly suggest that you take the E train and get off at Queens Plaza and wait on the platform for the R train (across the platform) and take the R to Times Square-42nd St. Reason - The E train will go to 42nd St & 8th Av while the R train will go to 42nd St-Times Square (7th Av/Broadway). An avenue block is equal to almost 3 street blocks in width. From Times Square (7th Av & Broadway actually cross each other at this point) the hotel will be only 1/2 block away.

In regard to OMNY - You can use a contactless enabled debit or credit card or smart device in place of buying an OMNY Card . Just hold the card you will use to the screen at the turnstile and wait for the screen to show "GO". You can do this up to 4 times at any station (or bus). This limit also applies to the OMNY Card itself. If you use it on a bus you merely hold the card against the reader screen near the farebox (which is next to the bus operator).

If you want the OMNY Card - an OMNY card will cost only $1 if purchased from an OMNY Card Vending Machine in a subway station (these machines are still slowly being added to stations). You will still have to add money for the fare. I suggest you think in terms of the fare amount $2.90 and add multiples of that so there is nothing left over (the MTA does not refund unused fares) - I'll put a short chart at the end giving amounts just for convenience. If you buy an OMNY card from an authorized vendor (7-11, CVS) you would pay $5 for the card - you can add value to the card at that vendor). The OMNY program does not have passes (the MetroCard does - keep in mind that a pass is valid for use by only one person - it cannot be shared with others in your group - after each use the card "locks out" for 18 minutes at that station.)
A regular MetroCard does have the $1 fee when you buy a new one) and it can be used up to 4 times at the same station (or bus) provided you put enough money on it. Special Note: When using the MetroCard Vending Machine or OMNY Vending Machines keep in mind these machines are geared to do only 1 transaction at a time. If using a credit/debit card to make your purchase at a MetroCard Vending Machine there is a limit of 2 transactions per day (this applies system wide). The OMNY Card machines have the same limit but it also applies if using a smart device.

If doing your purchase at one of the machines using a credit/debit card that is not U.S, bank based and the machine asks for a "Zip Code" (not your pin) - put in 99999 and press enter. This will tell the system that you are not using a U.S. Based card to make the purchase.

As I mentioned the OMNY program does not have unlimited passes but it does have an automatic "maximum limit" of you being charged no more than $34 if you use the same OMNY card or credit/debit card for 12 times within a consecutive 7 day period (any use after that would be free). Note that if you use the same contactless card (whichever one OMNY or credit debit etc) and are paying at the turnstile for more than one person - only the first use each time will be counted toward the 12 the rest you would be charged for.

A note on child fares -- the MTA rules is that up to 3 children who are under 44 inches (111.76 centimeters) in height may ride free when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Contrary to some belief - a child's age does not make any difference. If the child is 44 inches and above the $2.90 fare applies.

MetroCards and OMNY cards can be "refilled" as needed (subject to the daily 2 transaction limit).

Sample fare amounts (MetroCard or OMNY Vending Machines): - You can specify the amount you want to add rather than just $10 and $20 values that the machines may suggest). The machines will not return change in excess of $6.00 and may suggest a higher value added to your card.

1) $2.90 (you must already have and existing MetroCard or OMNY Card otherwise a separate single fare card from these machines is $3.25)
2) $5.80
3) $8.70
4) $11.60
5) $14.50
6) $17.40
7) $20.30
8) $23.20
9) $26.10
10) $29.00
etc.

I hope I haven't gone overboard with my explanation - I just want to you know ahead of time what you might have to deal with when using the types of farecards. The MTA website has most of this but not always in the same places. If I missed anything specific let me know.

tom_mn

I think the “Times Square” words in the hotel name are confusing people. The hotel is not particularly near Times Square. The closest subway or train station to the hotel is Penn Station, arriving either via the E subway or the LIRR. There’s no logical transfer on the subway to get closer to the hotel.

EDIT: There are TWO hotels with the SAME NAME in Google Maps.

Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square on 37th St

Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square on 40th St.

I was assuming the 37th St location.

ekscrunchy

Ha Ha, You think that YOU are getting old! I'm old enough to have the half-fare MetroCard for the "senior" set. And almost every time I board a bus I inevitably need help from the driver about how to insert it into the slot! And I did not even know the correct name for the "limited" bus--"Select," not limited! I wonder how that change was instigated.

We are in Sicily now and will stop in Munich for 5 nights on the way back home......youu are not by any chance from that city (??)

PLEASE let us know how the trip goes, and if you find those elusive vault lights! And the steam vents!! And if you buy a Lake dresser at BDDW!!!! I am VERY curious about your opinion of the woodworking...I only love the wood items, particularly the Lake line, do not know their others items....

Nautiker

hehe, indeed, we are on 40th... I bet it regularly causes quite a couple of headaches both for customers and staff. weak marketing

tom_mn

The 37th street location has a seventh word at the end of the name, West, to differentiate it SLIGHTLY, but it gets truncated on the map.

nycguy10002

Hotel locations confuse a lot of people even native NYers.

The physical address for the CourtYard hotel on 40th St is 114 West 40th St. This is located on West 40th St between 6th Avenue and Broadway.

The suggestion I made above of taking the AirTrain to Jamaica and then the E train to Manhattan and transferring at Queen Plaza for the R to Times Square - 42nd St might be best as the R train station is under Broadway and at the front end of the station the stairs will exit onto Broadway at West 40th St, very close to the hotel. One thing to note thought you'll have to carry your luggage up the stairs. There is an elevator at the Times Square - 42nd St station but it is at the other end of the platform. That elevator goes to a mezzanine and then you can get another elevator or escalator up to the street to exit (42nd St). You then have a short 2 block along Broadway walk to W40th. Make a left on W40th St from Broadway to the hotel.

If you go with the LIRR from Jamaica to Penn Station option, and plan to walk (hopefully the weather will be good). Make sure you follow the signs to exit to 7th Avenue. At 7th Avenue walk up to 34th St and walk along the Macy's store (along 34th St) for one l-o-n-g avenue block to Broadway. At Broadway make a left and walk up Broadway to 40th St and make a right at 40th St to the hotel. If the weather isn't cooperating you can take the uptown 1, 2 or 3 train from 34th St-Penn Station for one stop to Times Square-42nd St (different platform from the R train but part of the same station complex). Standard subway fares apply (even if it is only for one stop). There to the stairs at the back end of the platform will exit onto W40th St and 7th Av. Walk along 40th St for a very short block to Broadway, cross over and continue to the hotel. (There are signs on the platforms which tell you which exit leads to what streets).

For reference Penn Station itself is located between 7th and 8th Avenues and between 30th and 34th Streets. The recently created Moynihan Train Room (Amtrak train access was moved here from Penn Station as well as some LIRR stairways but you can exit into Penn Station) is Between 8th and 9th Avenues and between 33rd and 30th Streets.

Nautiker

thanks once more, all of you!

@nycguy - thumbs up for the suggestion of transfering at Queens Plaza, this is very helpful (glancing at the map, initially I had reckoned not to switch subways until we are in Manhattan). as we will be in NYC for five nights, I hope luggage will be a minor issue (maybe more so on our way back, with all the tools and furniture I'll be buying...), still good to know the shortest way to our hotel!

your explanations of the ticket-system are exhaustive, however if you (or any of you) could check whether I understood correctly, I'd be very grateful:

-for us four adults, we would likely just use our individual contactless ccs/wallets, the cap will kick in automatically
-though my boy is smallish, no way he's anywhere near 44inches (fortunately), so will need tickets for both our kids
-we _could_ put the kids on our cards, yet this would not be favourable, since there will be no cap for them for the additional trips (quite rightfully so)
-so we need either a Metrocard or an OMNY for them. both cards can be purchased for $1. for the metrocard I would get a 7day-pass straight away, the OMNY I would load with the equivalent credit of $34, which will then be consumed with each ride until it reaches the cap/zero.
-the OMNY-homepage says I cannot purchase cards at the Airtrain-JFK stations, however I could get them at Jamaica subway, right?
-we could use OMNY for the airtrain (additional credit needed), however it seems there is a discounted 10ride ticket available and somewhere I read these rides could be shared, too - how would this work? we would tap one of our ccs 6x on our way downtown, and 4x+2x regular on our way back? or is there a cap of max 4 rides at a time as well? it would still be worth it, however when would the discount kick in? probably not until the 10th ride? theoretically, a cap would apply from the 4th ride onwards already.
-out of Metrocard and OMNY, which one makes the better souvenir for the kids? ;-)
(-additionally: for the NYC Ferry, too, there are 10ride-tickets available - I understand I can split those between us as well, right?)

different question:
there is a faint prospect for us of going to Coney Island. not for a full day, of course, rather a late afternoon/early evening stroll sort of thing. however, given it's mid-October and no holidays, I guess it will only get lively towards the weekends, and probably much less so on weekdays? I gather it will be roughly 1h on the subway, so we will have to weigh the pros and cons. and since we're at it: if we go there, I would just love a quick dip in the sea. forecasts say to expect water to be mid-60ies degrees, which is ok for me. internet tells me there will be no changing rooms, for which we will find a workaround.

thanks again!
Nautiker

Nautiker

in my hometown (Düsseldorf), they are currently re-numbering AND re-Routing most of the trams/subways - whenever I visit my father, I feel very old and lost!

living near Cologne, so Munich is unfortunately quite some stretch for me (~550+kms), sorry. are you going for the Oktoberfest? I'd love to help out with a couple of ideas for things to do, however as a fodorite you probably have a pretty decent plan yourself already! ;-) hope you enjoy Sicily, I have been twice, alas last time has been more than a decade ago, so anything I could share would be pretty dated... what places are you going?

if you think there is an audience on here for a NYC trip report, I will gladly return for it, yet there is probably no other place on earth as densely covered by blogs, reports etc as Manhattan, sure you would enjoy some more blurry snapshots of the Statue of Liberty taken from the Staten Island ferry?

nycguy10002

-for us four adults, we would likely just use our individual contactless ccs/wallets, the cap will kick in automatically

If you use your contactless cards then there is not need for you to go with the OMNY Card or the MetroCard (unless for some reason the turnstiles will not accept your contactless cards).

-though my boy is smallish, no way he's anywhere near 44inches (fortunately), so will need tickets for both our kids
-we _could_ put the kids on our cards, yet this would not be favourable, since there will be no cap for them for the additional trips (quite rightfully so)

-so we need either a Metrocard or an OMNY for them. both cards can be purchased for $1. for the metrocard I would get a 7day-pass straight away, the OMNY I would load with the equivalent credit of $34, which will then be consumed with each ride until it reaches the cap/zero.

There is not any reason to get cards for your kids unless you feel that you and they will use the subway for 12 trips or more within the 5 day period you'll be visiting NYC. The "or more" is important since 12 trips at the regular fare equals $34.80 (12 x $2.90) so you if you go with the 7 Day unlimited or the OMNY card you have to go past the 12th usage (13th, 14th use etc) to start to save money (or reach the cap on OMNY). The 7 Day pass at $34 will save you 80 cents at the start but will not save you anything if you don't go past the 12th use (13, 14 etc) within the 7 days. The same is with the OMNY cap, it would be the at the 13th use that you would save money.

(As a reminder to everyone, when using OMNY/Contactless card on the subway or bus to pay for up to 4 people only the first use would be counted toward the 12 use cap)


-the OMNY-homepage says I cannot purchase cards at the Airtrain-JFK stations, however I could get them at Jamaica subway, right?

That is correct. You cannot purchase OMNY cards at the AirTrain stations but there are MetroCard Vending Machines at the Jamaica station. You can use your contactless cards at the AirTrain turnstiles (the AirTrain fee is $8.50 per person).

I should point out that while the AirTrain station and the LIRR station is called Jamaica, the subway station is Sutphin Boulevard-JFK and it is located a distance (and several levels) away from the AirTrain station.

When you exit the AirTrain turnstiles proceed straight ahead to and then go to the left into the LIRR station mezzanine and continue to the elevators on the far side. Take an elevator down to level A (lowest level) for the subway. When tou exit the elevator go to the left for the subway turnstiles. You can use your contactless cards right at the turnstiles but there is one OMNY vending machine and 2 MetroCard Vending Machines just before the turnstiles.


-we could use OMNY for the airtrain (additional credit needed), however it seems there is a discounted 10ride ticket available and somewhere I read these rides could be shared, too - how would this work?

The AirTrain 10 trip discounted ticket is a actually a MetroCard which can be purchased only at the MetroCard Vending machines in the AirTrain station. That card can be used only at the AirTrain turnstiles. While the JFK AirTrain website does not indicate anything, I have a feeling that the pass is intended for use only by one person and cannot be shared. It would be fair to say that none of the various agencies have deals with "multi-trip passes" would create a pass that can be used by multiple users. The intention is for a single user for such passes.
.
I just want to mention that while all subway turnstiles (and NYC buses) will accept OMNY and other contactless media, not all subway station entrances have OMNY Vending Machines yet (the MTA is slowly installing them) and in some stations that have multiple street entrances the OMNY Vending Machine may only be at one of them. Nearly all subway entrances do have MetroCard Vending Machines.


we would tap one of our ccs 6x on our way downtown, and 4x+2x regular on our way back? or is there a cap of max 4 rides at a time as well? it would still be worth it, however when would the discount kick in? probably not until the 10th ride? theoretically, a cap would apply from the 4th ride onwards already.

Keep in mind what I had mentioned in one of the earlier posts - you can only use the same
MetroCard, OMNY card or Contactless card for a maximum of 4 times at a subway station. If you tried a 5th time none of the cards would be accepted (until 18 minutes has passed). For lack of a better term the system has a "usage limit" (not a cap) of 4 at a subway station.

-out of Metrocard and OMNY, which one makes the better souvenir for the kids? ;-)
(-additionally: for the NYC Ferry, too, there are 10ride-tickets available - I understand I can split those between us as well, right?)

The MetroCard itself is a somewhat plain plastic coated card with the word MetroCard and a magnetic strip on the front. On the back of the card will be a safety message (one of many). Up until recently the MTA would print cards with advertising or other special photos on the cards but that has ended since they plan to completely stop use the MetroCard in favor of the OMNY system within the next year.. The AirTrain MetroCard are slightly different as it has AirTrain on the back.

The OMNY Card is the size and thickness of a credit card and the design is, well, plain (as you probably saw from the OMNY site. Whether either card would make a good souvenir would be up to your kids.

On the NYC Ferry 10 trip pass, I looked at the NYC Ferry site and there is no specific detail but I would guess from the short description that they give "A 10-trip pass adds value for frequent travelers that love the water." would tell me that it is intended for the use of one person and not shared (like the 7 day Unlimited pass on the subway).

Nautiker

hi again and sorry for the long hiatus, I wish I could check-in more regularly here.

thanks on more time, nycguy, I really appreciate the time and detail you spend on your elaborate answers for me! guess we have the transport questions pretty much settled now

in case anyone still has answers, I keep having questions:

- I realised we arrive on Columbus Day: would there be anything noteworthy? I understand there might be a parade? however as we will likely not get started touring until 3pm, probably most stuff will have finished by then I guess...

- on the other hand, I notice we are just scratching the OHNY-weekend with the end of our trip. I understand the program won't be out until October, 1st, yet maybe you can share some broad thoughts? I would love a look behind the scenes somewhere, however I wonder how difficult it would be to secure a place/places (in general)?

- we are leaning towards the Rockefeller Center for a view of the city. on their homepage, they offer a ) a 'weather guarantee' (re-issue in case of bad weather) and b) a 're-issue guarantee' (general option to re-issue a ticket to another timeslot as long as it done at least 24h prior to scheduled visit) - is anyone familiar with any ot these? who is to decide whether the weather is fair enough (or not)? would I be able to switch to a timeslot of my choice (i.e. are there buffers factored for such circumstances) or will I need to make do with whatever timeslots are still available?

- mmh, masks - how is the situation? COVID is slowly getting into swing once again over here (fortunately not as grim as before) and masks are getting more frequent a sight in public spaces, e.g. transport. I guess we will be free to wear masks, but are there actually places where it would be compulsory? we do not mind, in this case we would just like to stock up in time...

kind regards
Nautiker

nycguy10002

thanks on more time, nycguy, I really appreciate the time and detail you spend on your elaborate answers for me! guess we have the transport questions pretty much settled now

You are quite welcome.

- I realised we arrive on Columbus Day: would there be anything noteworthy? I understand there might be a parade? however as we will likely not get started touring until 3pm, probably most stuff will have finished by then I guess...

The Columbus Day Parade will be on 5th Av and will be over by 3 PM. Generally speaking your touring will not be affected in any noticeable way. There may be more many more people on the streets than there might be for a regular Monday but that is Manhattan for you.

The MTA site, while informative, only provides a certain amount of information (and not always on the same page). That leaves you and others to try to figure somethings out on your own. I try to fill in some of the gaps based on my own knowledge and experience with the subway system (I don't work for the MTA but I have been a rider of the subway and buses for a very long time). There are many times when I am either exiting or entering the subway that I notice some others having problems with the MetroCard machines or can't figure out exactly where they are and what trains to take. I will try and offer assist and advice when I can.

I do want to mention a few things :

Direction of travel on the subway: the direction of travel is usually stated in relation to Manhattan - Uptown is northward (or northbound), Downtown is southward (or southbound). Many of the stations on the various lines have separate entrances on either side of the street (one side for uptown, the other side for downtown). The signs just above the staircases will show what trains normally stop at that station and have - for example: "Downtown and Brooklyn" or "Uptown and the Bronx". If the sign does not mention direction it means that you can get the trains indicated on the signs going in either direction. On some lines there might be variations which may have the terminal of the direction the train is going (you would then have to refer to the subway map as a reference if necessary). One the station platforms just above the edge of the platform (and usually near a staircase) will be signs with a bit more description of what train route it is and where it is going (these are formally called "Wayfinding signs" but no one but the MTA uses that term.

Maintenance/Repair projects (called 'Planned Work' by the MTA) - as you can imagine the NYC subway has to be in a constant state of repair and upgrade. This includes track replacement, electrical upgrades, station refurbishing etc. To accomplish the work may involve closing of stations, closing entire sections of track (resulting in changes/rerouting of train service). Sometimes when entire sections are closed the service will be replaced by free local/shuttle buses which will make stops only at the subway entrances on the street (or as close as the streets will allow). There are detailed signs posted at station entrances, near the turnstiles and on platforms (on the walls or on the support pillars on the platforms) of the stations affected. Sometimes the effect is the express trains operating on the local track and making local stops or local trains operating on the express track and bypassing local stations.

Minor work might be done on a weekday between 9:45 AM and 2or 3 PM. But on weekends much, much more work is done and can have a big effect on a lot of lines/routes. What you see on a regular subway map or even on many APPS will be very different on the weekend. Weekend work starts usually on Friday sometime between 9:45 PM and 12 midnight and will continue until the following Monday morning at 5:00 AM. If a major holiday falls on that Monday the subway will remain on a weekend schedule and the work will continue until Tuesday morning at 5:00 AM.
Note: Columbus Day 10/14/2024 is not considered a major holiday so a regular weekday schedule will be in effect​​​​​

You can see what work is scheduled at this link https://new.mta.info/alerts When you get to that page click on "Select Routes" and then click on what route you'd like to see (you can also select all routes to just get them all listed). Note that the date always defaults to the current day, Click on the down arrow to bring up calendar for the current month to select a date or the left or right arrows next to the month to advance it to the next month.

At many stations there may be a large video screen upon which they will display on the weekend a modified map showing the changes in effect for that weekend. These many be located at the turnstile area or on mezzanines or even on platforms.

A special note on OMNY - it was reported this week in a local newspaper that of all the 472 subway stations only 87 stations have the OMNY Vending Machines installed as of the beginning of this week (9/15/2024) If you recall, I mentioned in an earlier post that the MTA was slowly putting these machines in - but I had no idea it was that slow.


But enough about the subway.

- mmh, masks - how is the situation? COVID is slowly getting into swing once again over here (fortunately not as grim as before) and masks are getting more frequent a sight in public spaces, e.g. transport. I guess we will be free to wear masks, but are there actually places where it would be compulsory? we do not mind, in this case we would just like to stock up in time...

As of right now, masks are NOT MANDATORY. In fact I would say 99% of the people in NYC (locals and visitors) are not wearing masks. If there are any places where it might be compulsory (aside from a hospital) they would have a sign posted posted on the door (and I have not seen any). In fact there are some stores (small ones) that actually have signs say that the masks must be removed before entering (that is to prevent potential thievery and that way the store cameras have a good view). I have seen a few people wearing masks on the bus and subway and on the street but that is their choice.

I think I might have gotten a bit carried away again in my answers. I can't advise much at all on the Open House NY or the tours at Rock Center (many NYers might say Rock instead of Rockefeller). Maybe one of the other regulars can provide some insight on them.

Oh and one more thing - Houston Street is pronounced 'Howe-ston' not 'Hou-ston' as in you-ston. Someone actually stopped me on the street a short while back and asked how to get to Hou-ston Street. That is almost as bad as someone asking "How do I get to Carnegie Hall" and expecting us to answer 'practice' (I always say take the N, Q, R or W trains Uptown to 57th St - then I say practice).

Anyway, welcome to NYC (in advance). Hope you you have a smooth flight and the weather here will be good and you have great time during your visit. (and if any other questions come to mind just post them).