Getting Around New York City

 Getting Around the City 

SUBWAY: Despite a reputation for being dirty, the subway, which operates 24 hours per day, is the fastest and best way to travel around the city. Fares are $2.25 (unless you use Single Ride MetroCard, which is $2.50), regardless of distance traveled.Just remember to use common sense when traveling late at night alone. Try to use heavily-traveled stations, remain visible to other people, and don't display items of value publicly. While violent crime is rare, petty crime - especially theft of iPhones and other expensive electronics - is very frequent, so be aware when using your phone on the train.

PEDESTRIANS: For shorter distances, there is no better way of getting around New York than hitting the sidewalk. If you use the subway or buses, you will almost certainly need to walk to and from stations or stops. In all areas of New York a traveler is likely to visit, all streets have wide, smoothly-paved sidewalks. For long distances, walking is also fine and a great way to see the city. If you do not wish to jaywalk, be considerate of New Yorkers by not blocking them from jaywalking while you are waiting for your signal. Also, it is considered extremely poor etiquette, if you are walking with a group, to block the sidewalk without providing space for others to pass or overtake you.

BUS: Even in Manhattan, with its dense subway network, buses can often be the best way of making a cross-town (i.e. east-west) journey, for example, crossing Central Park to go from the Metropolitan Museum to the Museum of Natural History. And outside peak hours, a ride by bus from the tip of Manhattan at Battery Park to Midtown is a good and cheap way of taking in the sights.

TAXI: Yellow Cabs cruise in most of Manhattan and are available at dispatcher lines at airports. Real NYC taxis are yellow, have a metal seal on the hood ("medallion"), a light with a taxi number on the roof, a meter for billing, stickers on the windshield for various licenses, special taxi license plates, and a divider inside the car. The fares are $2.50 plus a $0.50 state tax to start, plus $0.40 for each 1/5 mile traveled. There is a night surcharge from 8PM to 6AM of $0.50 and a rush hour surcharge of $1 from 4PM-8PM M-F. In addition, as in the rest of the United States, tipping your taxi driver is expected in New York. Be wary of unlicensed cars (known derisively as "gypsy cabs") cruising for passengers, especially near the airports; they may be unsafe and they may inflate the rate. 

Please visit WikiTravel for detailed information about:

• Basic information and routes for the Subway
• Basic information and routes for Buses  
• Different types of MetroCards 
• More Insights on NY Taxis 
• More about Walking in New York (the preferred method of transportation by New Yorkers)

Things to Do While in New York 

Listed Activities Mapped

As a means to facilitate your experience in New York City (which we know can be overwhemingly big and intimidating sometimes), all the activities, places, and sites listed above are marked in the map below. By clicking on each icon you can identify the place marked and see its ratings, get the exact address, website, and telephone number. We hope this helps, and if you do have any questions about the city, please e-mail us at envision@arabdevelopment.com at any time. 

View Envision Arabia Summit New York City in a larger map