4 Days as a New York City Commuter.
I love my little city of Burlington and all that Vermont has to offer, but for big cities - you just can't beat New York.
I traveled down to NYC last Monday (St. Patrick's Day) for a conference, and stayed through Thursday. While there, I decided that I would stick with mass transit (subway, bus, train) and avoid the less efficient and more expensive cabs.
An unexpected flight change almost ruined that plan from the start. My Continental flight from Burlington to Newark was delayed by 3 hours, and I was able to beg my way onto a US Airways flight to LaGuardia. The problem is that Newark is connected to Manhattan by rail - while LaGuardia is the only one of the three major NYC airports (JFK being the third) that is not connected to Manhattan by rail. For most LaGuardia travelers, this means taking a cab or shared shuttle bus to Manhattan. Since I arrived during late rush hour on Monday - a cab would have been 40 minutes or more - and $30-$40 including tolls and tip. A shuttle bus or van service would be cheaper ($10 + tip), but they only run every 30 minutes or so and can take up to an hour to get to midtown.
Since I was traveling light (just a backpack), I decided to do some "urban hiking" and I walked across northern Queens to the #7 train (subway) in Jackson Heights. It was an easy and enjoyable walk... about 2 miles, followed by an equally easy 20-minute ride to Grand Central Station. All for $2!!! The whole trip took me about an hour... comparable to a cab or shuttle on a Monday morning. Definitely a fun way to start my trip.
For the rest of the week, I hoofed it or took a subway wherever I went. I spent most of my non-conference time in mid-town, but I took a subway to the Greenwich Village area for dinner Tuesday night... and back to Jackson Heights (Queens) for dinner on Wednesday night. Thursday, I walked to Penn Station and took the train to Newark Airport station... and then the monorail to Newark Airport, thus completing my mass transit adventure.
I was back on my bike last Friday to wrap up my week back in Vermont. What a great week of commuting variety... Planes, Trains/Subways, Automobiles (I did take a cab from my house in South Burlington to the airport on Monday morning), Walking, and Biking!
About Me
- Suburban Vermonter
- Married. Two kids. Live and work on the outskirts of Vermont's largest city, Burlington. In April 2006, I started commuting to work by bike. In July 2006, my wife and I made the decision to sell our second car and try life as a one-car family. I now bike to work most days (12 hilly miles round-trip) and leave the car home for my wife and kids. I thought it would be a big sacrifice, but it hasn't been a big deal at all. We're saving a bunch of money, I lost 30 pounds, and I feel great.
2 comments:
For a truly green trip, you could have taken Amtrak's "Vermonter" train from Essex Junction to New York. But that train goes the long way (down the Connecticut River valley and almost to Worcester), so you have to be prepared with lots of work to do onboard.
There is a direct rail line to Burlington via Albany, which within Vermont is owned by the state but maintained only to 30 mph (more close to Burlington and as slow as 15 mph south of Rutland); that's why there isn't a more direct train to Burlington (yet . . . write your state representatives!)
I would love to see a passenger rail option out of Burlington... and more convenient rail schedules! I checked the Essex Junction route, and it runs during the day... meaning that you lose an entire day each way! It is a shame there isn't a "red-eye" option...
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