Hello. My husband and I plan to drive to NYC, take Amtrak from Penn Station to Montreal and cycle back to NYC. Any advice on week-long parking? I thought perhaps there are term-parking areas close to the city.
Parking in/near NYC for cycling tour?
Mon, 07/28/2003 - 2:26pm
Mon, 07/28/2003 - 6:27pm
#1
Try the long-term lots at or near one of the airports. From JFK you can take the A train back into Manhattan for $2.00. From LaGuardia, if you know what you're doing, you can take a city bus back in for $2.00 - otherwise it's a more expensive airport bus ride.
Go on the websites for the airports to find out the parking rates.
Mon, 07/28/2003 - 7:15pm
#2
Newark
Newark is now the most accesible of the airports with the rail link. NJ transit trains take bikes with the usual restrictions (rush hour etc)
Mon, 07/28/2003 - 8:17pm
#3
Where to stash two tons of metal on a crowded island?
Manhattan municipal parking facilities (some are limited to two hours; some are longer term): http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/parking/manpkfac.html
If you MUST drive, it might make more sense to depart from an Amtrak station outside the city where parking is less dear.
I was going to suggest a Metro North station north of the city (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm) but then I realized you said you were taking Amtrak.
At any rate, good luck with your trip!
Mon, 07/28/2003 - 10:23pm
#4
parking
On that note. Amtrak does stop in Poughkeepsie and they have an indoor parking garage that will probably cost you about 30$ for a week. I think it's 3.75$ a day but free on the weekends. This will shorten your trip by 85 miles though. But what you could do is
park in Poughkeepsie, take the Amtrak from there, then ride to NYC and take the MetroNorth back to Poughkeepsie -it's about 1:45 from NYC to Poughkeepsie.
I had to park a car in the City last week and scouted out some garages in my neighborhood -E Village. The ones I checked with wouldn't give me a deal for just a week, it had to be a month or more to get a lower rate. So you would have to pay a day rate of between $26-$36 depending on the day. So that'll cost you around 200$ for the week.
Tue, 07/29/2003 - 12:54pm
#5
NY-area parking
"I agree, it's much easier to drive to an Amtrak station out of the city. Iselin, NJ (Amtrak's ""Metropark"") has plenty of long-term parking available and is just off the Garden State Parkway, far more convenient than Penn. Alternately, if you are coming from the South, Princeton would probably offer convenient parking as well, and far less urban congestion!"
Tue, 07/29/2003 - 2:58pm
#6
11th Ave near Toga Bike Shop
There used to be a huge outdoor parking lot on 11th just south of Toga (~60th or 61st St) - don't know if it's still there.
Another idea might be the Staten Island outdoor lot by the ferry terminal - unattended and questionable security-wise but if you're driving your beater car, well, who knows - just a short, free boat ride from Manhattan.
Wed, 07/30/2003 - 7:42am
#7
My Suggestion
"The Adirondack stops in Poughkeepsie 9:30 AM and arrives in Montreal 6:30 PM. Bicycles are allowed on this train, which is not true of all Amtrak trains -- most don't allow bicycles, so keep this in mind. Not only is parking cheaper there, but you would cut out a good deal of what we call ""junk miles"" -- the suburban streets around the NYC.
Another option is to explore the connecting train from the south to the Adirondack. I am pretty sure, but not certain that the train originating in Washington, DC that connects to the Adirondack in New York City allows bicycles. If so, you can board this connecting train at any Amtrak station between Washington, DC and New York City."
Thu, 07/31/2003 - 1:14pm
#8
"Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions, ideas, and information. We must drive up, rather than fly, because we're delivering our daughter's stuff to her apt. in Washington Sq. Village, so we have to take our van, anyway. After a lot of research, I've learned that, apparently, bicycles are not allowed on Amtraks south of NYC's Penn Station, including Newark as well as D.C., which goes through Vermont to get to Montreal. Anyone wanting to do this could still park in Newark and take the subway w/bike to NY Penn, but bikes aren't allowed on the subway between 6:30 and 9:30 A.M., and you have to have your bike at Penn Station by 7:00 A.M. (train leaves at 8:00 A.M.) if you're taking it to Montreal. This would entail traveling the subways from N.J. VERY early (assuming one could figure out how to do that - we don't have subways or trains or anything here). Are the subways open at, say, 5 A.M.?
We might just drive to NY, drive back home (1800 miles), then fly w/bikes either to NY, where we'll take Amtrak, or just fly straight to Montreal. But this whole idea of a bike trip got started because we have to drive to NYC and back, anyway. In any case, thanks so much for the responses; I now know a lot about parking in and around NYC.
By the way, I ""heart"" NY!
Dee"
