Tilted New Yorkers...
 

Question:

If one TFP'er... we'll call her Noodle... would be arriving mid-afternoon on a Thursday at JFK, what would be the cheapest/most efficient way to get to a hotel off 94th Street and Broadway with luggage?
Noodle will unfortunately only be in Manhattan for less than 23 hours and then heading out to some crazy area called Wurtsboro and Mountaindale to meet Noodle's SO's family that he's never met before.
Apparently SO's father is traveling with his family on a dime so all are visiting places he chooses.
Next trip, Noodle's SO has promised that they will do many more fun things.
Please send positive thoughts for Noodle as she has never met any of these people and is quite certain that the Jewish culture is not like the Mennonite culture.
And advice would be spectaular.
Taxi rate is $45 flat plus tip and shuttle is $38 plus tip?

Taxi is $45 flat plus tolls and tip. Toll is going over the Triborough Bridge $5 since that's the part of town you're going to.

You could take the subway it's $5 for the airtrain, and then $2 for A train get off at 96th street station. Total $7 about 1-1.5 hours travel time.

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don't bring any porkchops, bacon, or pork products.
-----Added 29/7/2008 at 09 : 53 : 33-----
you can call a car service and maybe it will be cheaper...and nicer. sometimes there is a long line at the taxi stand.

Tel-Aviv Limo & Car Service in New York City, NYC - Limousine Service New York - Airport Transportation to New Jersey, Connecticut & Pennsylvania

Taxi seems the least troublesome. If you pack light (I'm thinking one bag or less) you could just hop on the A train to Columbus circle, transfer to the 1, 2, or 3 train, get off at 96th St and be two blocks from your destination.

But, the A train is a long train ride. Longer than longcat himself, and after being on a train for so long, you might turn into John Rocker.

taking the subway TO the airport is usually easier than the opposite IMO.

If cost is your concern then you can make the whole trip from the airport to your hotel for $2 per person.

You could take the Q10 bus which runs 24/7 from the airport to the A train (-15 minute ride) or the E/F train (-25 minute ride). From the bus there will be a lot of options but I'd imagine the fastest overall route (and the one I'd take) is:

The Q10 bus to the last stop - Union Turnpike & Kew Gardens
Board the E train toward Manhattan to 42nd Street
Transfer to the Uptown A to 96th Street.

PM me if you have any questions or want more details.

If you ever come to Fredericton it takes fifteen minutes to get from the airport to my place:

-Get off plane. Since there is only one plane at a time your luggage will be right there.
-Get in a car
-Drive ten minutes and you're in town.
-the end.

Consider it for perhaps a future travel destination.