With not one but three major airports, thousands of buses, hundreds of miles of subway lines, two major railroad depots, more than 13,000 taxicabs, plus ferries, pedicabs, horse-drawn carriages, cruise ships, and more, New York City is undoubtedly one of the best transportation cities in the world, and all that transportation can provide for a number of great sightseeing opportunities. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority—or MTA—operates the extensive New York City Transit subway. With 656 miles of track, it’s the largest rapid transit system in the world, and it can take you nearly anywhere you might want to go within New York City and each trip costs only $2 per person. If you want to get somewhere that the subway doesn’t go, New York City Transit’s 5,800 (roughly) buses can likely take you there. The MetroCard fare card is valid on both buses and the subway. For anywhere not covered by the MTA, there’s the city’s famed medallion fleet of yellow taxis. Just remember that taxi fares are presently $2.50 upon entry, plus charges for distance traveled, waiting time, surcharges at night and during peak, and tolls.
Only one of New York City’s five boroughs, the Bronx, is actually part of the “mainland” of the U.S. The other four are on islands, which means that water transportation has been essential in getting around the city since its origins. The grandest of these ferries is the Staten Island Ferry (718-727-2508), which connects Whitehall Terminal (1 Whitehall St. at South St.), near Battery Park in lower Manhattan, to the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island. The classic orange double- and triple-decker ferries run 24 hours year-round, and there’s never a fare. Where else can you get a free harbor cruise past the Statue of Liberty, with a gorgeous view of lower Manhattan?Several other ferry services ply the waters of the Hudson River and New York Harbor. NY Waterway Sightseeing Cruises (Pier 78, W. 38th St. & 12th Ave. and Pier A, Battery Park @ West St., 800-533-3779) runs harbor sightseeing cruises, and operates several routes from New Jersey to Manhattan. New York Water Taxi (212-742-1969) runs lines connecting Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan, with several stops along the Manhattan waterfront, plus hop-on, hop-off service.
Want to find a unique way to get around and see the city? Try a helicopter tour from Liberty Helicopter Tours (Downtown Manhattan Heliport, Pier 6 & the East River, 212-967-6464) or Helicopter Flight Services Tours (Weekdays: Downtown Heliport, Pier 6 & the East River; Sundays: VIP Heliport, W. 30th St. & 12th Ave., 212-355-0801). You can also reach greater heights on The Tram (60th St. and Second Ave.), a unique aerial link between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island that provides beautiful views of the skyline and the East River. The MetroCard is valid for the $2 one-way fare.
Around Midtown, there are pedi-cabs (a bicycle rickshaw) to supplement the taxi fleet. For the active-minded, try a tour by bicycle. You can tour the Hudson River Greenway and the Brooklyn Bridge with Bike and Roll NYC (Pier 84, Hudson River Park, W. 44th St. & the Hudson River, 866-736-8224, 212-260-0400), or explore Central Park with Central Park Bike Tours (SBR Multisports Shop, 203 W. 58th St. at 7th Ave., 212-541-8759).
Be sure to take a quaint horse-drawn carriage ride (212-736-0680) through the park. You can find carriages lined up along Central Park West and 59th Street by Fifth Avenue, across the street from the Plaza Hotel, ready to show you the beautiful landscapes of the park without you having to do any of the walking! Want to try “hoofing it” yourself? Get the most out of your daily run by also taking in the sights with NYC Run: Guided Running Tours (800-979-3370). Above all, Manhattan is very “walkable,” and you can supplement plain-old walking with a narrated tour from CityShow GPS Tour Guide (646-414-1100). CityShow rents global-positioning-system devices with location-specific audio information while a digital map shows where you are and provides info on what’s nearby.
