Living
Driving In New York
If you do decide to drive into Manhattan, there are a few things you should keep in mind if you want your commute to be as smooth as possible.
Rush Hour
Morning rush hour starts promptly at 06:00 and lasts until 11:00. Evening rush hour begins at 15:00 and lasts roughly until 20:00. Many of the major roadways are on a rotating construction schedule, so it is best to check out traffic websites, such as www.traffic.com or www.metrocommute.com, or AM radio stations, such as 880 or 1010 WINS, before heading out. It is not unheard of to wait for more than an hour in standstill traffic during construction at all times of the night but this can easily be avoided by taking alternative routes.
Bridges and Tunnels
Toll charges fluctuate regularly. An easy way to receive a small discount on tolls, not to mention save you some time, is to buy an EZPass. An EZPass attaches to your windshield and automatically deducts funds from a pre-paid account. Visit www.ezpass.com to order one.
The George Washington Bridge is free from New York to New Jersey, connects West 178th Street and Fort Lee, New Jersey, and forms part of Interstate Highway I-95.
The Third Avenue Bridge is free in both directions, connects Third Avenue, East 135th Street, Bruckner Boulevard, and Lincoln Avenue in the Bronx, to East 128th Street, East 129th Street, Lexington Avenue, and the Harlem River Drive in Manhattan.
The Willis Avenue Bridge is free in both directions, connects First Avenue and East 124th Street in Manhattan to Willis Avenue and East 134th Street in the Bronx.
The Triborough Bridge (leads into the Grand Central Parkway) has a toll in both directions. The Triborough is actually an amalgamation of three bridges, a viaduct and 14 miles of approach road. The three bridges meet on Randall’s island where a tollway sorts out the traffic. It runs from the north-western tip of Queens to 125th St in Manhattan, with an off ramp leading into the Bronx. From Queens, you can reach it via the Grand Central Parkway, which will get you from LaGuardia Airport to Manhattan. You can reach the bridge in Manhattan via the FDR Drive and in the Bronx via the Major Deegan Expressway.
The Queensborough Bridge (or 59th Street Bridge) is free in both directions and connects Long Island City Queens, via Queen Boulevard or the Long Island Expressway, with Second Ave and 59th Street.
The Queens Midtown Tunnel has a toll in both directions, and connects the Long Island Expressway (Queens) with Second Ave and 34th St.
The Lincoln Tunnel is free from New York to New Jersey, and connects West 42nd Street south to West 30th Street at Tenth Ave with U.S. Routes 1 and 9, 3 and the New Jersey Turnpike.
The Williamsburgh Bridge is free in both directions, connects Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan, and is accessible from the Brooklyn Queen Expressway, I-278, or Delancey Street in Manhattan.
The Holland Tunnel is free from New York to New Jersey, and connects west Canal Street in Manhattan to eastern New Jersey.
The Manhattan Bridge is free in both directions, and connects Canal Street in lower Manhattan to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Bridge is free in both directions, and connects the Brooklyn Queens Expressway or Tillary St in Brooklyn with Franklin and Pearl St in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel has a toll in both directions, and connects the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Manhattan via the FDR Drive near Wall St.
Petrol Stations
Petrol stations are few and far between on the island of Manhattan. Be sure to fill up before you cross over. Often there are reasonably priced petrol stations right before the bridges. For instance, the
Queensborough (or 59th St) Bridge has about five fuelling spots clustered around it and none have gauged prices. In the other four boroughs stations are more frequent. If you desperately need petrol, head towards East Houston, where you will find a well lit and busy BP station, The Eastside service station on East Houston and 2nd St, and the few taxi service stations in Chelsea along Eleventh Avenue. Expect petrol to be more expensive in the city, but not astronomically.
Parking
There are two ways to park in New York City - either on the street or in a garage.
There are no street parking permits in New York City. When finding parking, look for spots with either a meter or a sign that indicates a non-commercial vehicle may park there during the hours you need. Meters in NYC take quarters, though it is now possible to use a pre-paid parking card in some of the new meters around the city – specifically in Midtown. Parking cards may be purchased at The City Store (Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, North Plaza, Tribeca: open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:30). To order a card by phone, call the City Store on the NYC information helpline, 311, or 212 NEW YORK (639 9675) if outside the city. Be careful, metered parking around the city often has a one or two-hour time limit and police will chalk the ground around your tyres to make sure you have moved.
Some areas of Manhattan are easier to find street parking in than in others. Neighbourhoods to avoid during the day are Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen and anywhere south of Canal Street (Tribeca, Financial, South Street Seaport). Easier places to find parking before 18:00 are the Lower East Side, East Village, Murray Hill and Harlem. Generally, during week day evenings parking is not an impossible task, but on Friday or Saturday nights, the city can get crowded with weekend partiers, otherwise known as the ‘bridge and tunnel’ crowd, driving in (via bridge or tunnel, you see?) for a night out.
If you want a safe and easy place to park your car when heading into Manhattan, head for a parking garage. However renting a parking space in New York is nearly as expensive as renting a studio apartment: even for an hour, tolls can run as high as $40 in Midtown. To help avoid a hefty bill, search www.nycgarages.com before you head out. NYC Garages is a wonderful site that allows drivers to compare both daily and monthly rates of parking garages all over Manhattan, even breaking down the locations by attraction. With over a hundred garages in a single neighbourhood offering a variety of prices, it is definitely worth checking ahead of time to avoid wasting petrol by cruising around for a space.
Driving Licence
As long as you have a valid driving licence from your home country, you do not need to apply for a New York State licence. That is unless you plan on becoming a state resident.
If you become a resident of NYS, you must exchange your foreign driving licence for an NYS licence within 30 days. In order to obtain an NYS driving licence, you must pass a written test, complete a five-hour driving course and pass a road test. All of this can be done at your local Department of Motor Vehicles (www.nydmv.state.ny.us). You will also need a Social Security Card, or, if you are not eligible for an SSC, you must provide the form SSA-L676 from the United States Social Security Administration that states you are not eligible along with your US Citizenship and Immigration Services documents. After you have passed your road test, you will be asked to hand in your foreign licence to the examiner. Your local Department of Motor Vehicle will hold your licence and destroy it after 60 days. If you want to use your licence upon returning to your country, simply ask the road test examiner not to destroy it and you may return anytime to retrieve it from the DMV.
Rush Hour
Morning rush hour starts promptly at 06:00 and lasts until 11:00. Evening rush hour begins at 15:00 and lasts roughly until 20:00. Many of the major roadways are on a rotating construction schedule, so it is best to check out traffic websites, such as www.traffic.com or www.metrocommute.com, or AM radio stations, such as 880 or 1010 WINS, before heading out. It is not unheard of to wait for more than an hour in standstill traffic during construction at all times of the night but this can easily be avoided by taking alternative routes.
Bridges and Tunnels
Toll charges fluctuate regularly. An easy way to receive a small discount on tolls, not to mention save you some time, is to buy an EZPass. An EZPass attaches to your windshield and automatically deducts funds from a pre-paid account. Visit www.ezpass.com to order one.
The George Washington Bridge is free from New York to New Jersey, connects West 178th Street and Fort Lee, New Jersey, and forms part of Interstate Highway I-95.
The Third Avenue Bridge is free in both directions, connects Third Avenue, East 135th Street, Bruckner Boulevard, and Lincoln Avenue in the Bronx, to East 128th Street, East 129th Street, Lexington Avenue, and the Harlem River Drive in Manhattan.
The Willis Avenue Bridge is free in both directions, connects First Avenue and East 124th Street in Manhattan to Willis Avenue and East 134th Street in the Bronx.
The Triborough Bridge (leads into the Grand Central Parkway) has a toll in both directions. The Triborough is actually an amalgamation of three bridges, a viaduct and 14 miles of approach road. The three bridges meet on Randall’s island where a tollway sorts out the traffic. It runs from the north-western tip of Queens to 125th St in Manhattan, with an off ramp leading into the Bronx. From Queens, you can reach it via the Grand Central Parkway, which will get you from LaGuardia Airport to Manhattan. You can reach the bridge in Manhattan via the FDR Drive and in the Bronx via the Major Deegan Expressway.
The Queensborough Bridge (or 59th Street Bridge) is free in both directions and connects Long Island City Queens, via Queen Boulevard or the Long Island Expressway, with Second Ave and 59th Street.
The Queens Midtown Tunnel has a toll in both directions, and connects the Long Island Expressway (Queens) with Second Ave and 34th St.
The Lincoln Tunnel is free from New York to New Jersey, and connects West 42nd Street south to West 30th Street at Tenth Ave with U.S. Routes 1 and 9, 3 and the New Jersey Turnpike.
The Williamsburgh Bridge is free in both directions, connects Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan, and is accessible from the Brooklyn Queen Expressway, I-278, or Delancey Street in Manhattan.
The Holland Tunnel is free from New York to New Jersey, and connects west Canal Street in Manhattan to eastern New Jersey.
The Manhattan Bridge is free in both directions, and connects Canal Street in lower Manhattan to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Bridge is free in both directions, and connects the Brooklyn Queens Expressway or Tillary St in Brooklyn with Franklin and Pearl St in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel has a toll in both directions, and connects the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Manhattan via the FDR Drive near Wall St.
Petrol Stations
Petrol stations are few and far between on the island of Manhattan. Be sure to fill up before you cross over. Often there are reasonably priced petrol stations right before the bridges. For instance, the
Queensborough (or 59th St) Bridge has about five fuelling spots clustered around it and none have gauged prices. In the other four boroughs stations are more frequent. If you desperately need petrol, head towards East Houston, where you will find a well lit and busy BP station, The Eastside service station on East Houston and 2nd St, and the few taxi service stations in Chelsea along Eleventh Avenue. Expect petrol to be more expensive in the city, but not astronomically.
Parking
There are two ways to park in New York City - either on the street or in a garage.
There are no street parking permits in New York City. When finding parking, look for spots with either a meter or a sign that indicates a non-commercial vehicle may park there during the hours you need. Meters in NYC take quarters, though it is now possible to use a pre-paid parking card in some of the new meters around the city – specifically in Midtown. Parking cards may be purchased at The City Store (Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, North Plaza, Tribeca: open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:30). To order a card by phone, call the City Store on the NYC information helpline, 311, or 212 NEW YORK (639 9675) if outside the city. Be careful, metered parking around the city often has a one or two-hour time limit and police will chalk the ground around your tyres to make sure you have moved.
Some areas of Manhattan are easier to find street parking in than in others. Neighbourhoods to avoid during the day are Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen and anywhere south of Canal Street (Tribeca, Financial, South Street Seaport). Easier places to find parking before 18:00 are the Lower East Side, East Village, Murray Hill and Harlem. Generally, during week day evenings parking is not an impossible task, but on Friday or Saturday nights, the city can get crowded with weekend partiers, otherwise known as the ‘bridge and tunnel’ crowd, driving in (via bridge or tunnel, you see?) for a night out.
If you want a safe and easy place to park your car when heading into Manhattan, head for a parking garage. However renting a parking space in New York is nearly as expensive as renting a studio apartment: even for an hour, tolls can run as high as $40 in Midtown. To help avoid a hefty bill, search www.nycgarages.com before you head out. NYC Garages is a wonderful site that allows drivers to compare both daily and monthly rates of parking garages all over Manhattan, even breaking down the locations by attraction. With over a hundred garages in a single neighbourhood offering a variety of prices, it is definitely worth checking ahead of time to avoid wasting petrol by cruising around for a space.
Driving Licence
As long as you have a valid driving licence from your home country, you do not need to apply for a New York State licence. That is unless you plan on becoming a state resident.
If you become a resident of NYS, you must exchange your foreign driving licence for an NYS licence within 30 days. In order to obtain an NYS driving licence, you must pass a written test, complete a five-hour driving course and pass a road test. All of this can be done at your local Department of Motor Vehicles (www.nydmv.state.ny.us). You will also need a Social Security Card, or, if you are not eligible for an SSC, you must provide the form SSA-L676 from the United States Social Security Administration that states you are not eligible along with your US Citizenship and Immigration Services documents. After you have passed your road test, you will be asked to hand in your foreign licence to the examiner. Your local Department of Motor Vehicle will hold your licence and destroy it after 60 days. If you want to use your licence upon returning to your country, simply ask the road test examiner not to destroy it and you may return anytime to retrieve it from the DMV.
