Public Commute: How To Get Around New York City

I just got back from my very short trip to NYC and all I can say is, it was a dream come true! It definitely did not disappoint! Anyway, I'll talk about all my adventures in another post but for now let's talk about how to get around the city.

57th Street

Of course, the best way to get a feel of the city (if you're up to getting some exercise) is to travel on foot. I just loved walking down the streets of Manhattan in awe of all the sights, smells and flurry of activity. The wonderful autumn weather made walking more, well, wonderful. Aside from all the amazing things you'll see, another benefit to walking around is you have less chance of getting lost. All the streets are numbers so if you know how to count, you're ready to go!

My station

Another favorite of mine is taking the iconic New York subway. Most people find the thought of navigating through the crowded station a bit scary, let alone trying to figure out which train to take by looking at a seemingly confusing subway map. But not me because I totally looooove the subway! Yes, it can get very crowded and it's not as clean as Singapore's MRT but hello, isn't that just like taking public transportation here in the Philippines? The major difference though is that the New York subway has so much character and the people in it are such characters as well! I've seen lots of artists singing, dancing and even playing classical music so you won't get bored with all the entertainment. And it's not at all scary, I felt comfortable in the numerous times I took it alone. (Of course, I might be a singing a different tune had I taken it at 12mn and the station's empty.)

Subway performer playing classical music

And being a map nerd that I am, I loved figuring out which train to take to get to my destination. Every morning before I headed out, I would plan where I was going and then check the subway map and note the trains and the transfers I needed to take. It would've been a lot more convenient had I not lost my Samsung phone before this trip and had there been free wifi around the city, so I can easily check the map as I went along but hey, I ain't complaining! =)

NYC Yellow cab

One thing I didn't get to try though, is to ride a New York City cab. I thought of taking one from the airport when I arrived but the fare, approximately $60, was a bit steep. And my taxicab issues here in the Philippines (drivers charging more than the flag down rate, or taking you through a longer route, blah blah) helped in me deciding against it. But had I been travelling with someone else, I would have loved to have that experience though, just so I can say that I've been inside a New York cab hehe.


Getting to and from the airport, I decided to take a shared van via SuperShuttle. I made use of its service to and from JFK airport and also to and from La Guardia for my Houston trip. The price depends on the distance: from JFK to my friend's address at 83rd street would cost around $23 plus tax and tip, for La Guardia it's around $15++. Pretty reasonable. The online booking is convenient, the service is fine, and in the 2 times I got picked up from my friend's place, the drivers were on time so I didn't have any problems catching my flight. They even called me up even if I placed my Philippines mobile number as the contact number. And if you're coming from the airport, you just approach the Port Authority desk and give them of your reservation number and then you wait. The wait time is variable so better not make any plans within an hour from your arrival. One slight hitch I observed is that in their website they indicated that the maximum number of passengers is 11, but I think they failed to consider people's sizes. Good thing I only experienced this once and that we were 3 Asians in the van and I was the first one dropped off, otherwise I'd probably get claustrophobic like the others. But other than that, I would recommend taking the SuperShuttle because of safety, the convenience and reasonable price. They also offer their services in other cities and if sharing a van ride with strangers is not your thing, you can opt to pay higher for their SUV or sedan cars.

So there you have it, I hope I was able to give you helpful tips that would make your trip around the city less overwhelming. Happy travelling!