How did I get here?

What is the best way to get to JFK?

We could devote a whole epic on how to get to the other airports, but let's face it; Newark and LaGuardia are steps away by comparison. (You can get to Newark via train from Penn Station, for example, and those of us in upper Manhattan know the blessing that is the M60 bus.) JFK, even in the era of the AirTrain, still seems elusive.

Here are some options:

-The New York Airport Service runs reasonably priced buses to all area airports from midtown (Grand Central, Port Authority, a number of midtown hotels). We've tested this method, and, unless getting to midtown is difficult, this is a pretty painless way to go.

-The ubiquitous AirTrain. We don't know about you, but Ask Gothamist can't figure this one out. The MTA does list some sample routes and approximate costs, but you still have to get yourself to Queens. We hear rumors that taking the LIRR to Jamaica, then catching the AirTrain is the fastest way to go, but it costs a little extra.

-Take the A train to Howard Beach, but only if you don't live in upper Manhattan. We haven't yet tested this, but we're willing to bet it takes about 2 hours to get from one end of the A to the other.

-The Q10, Q3, and B15 buses all go to JFK.

The Port Authority's official JFK page lists a number of options, if you don't want to fork over the $45 plus tolls for the taxi.

More info on AirTrain. Gothamist Forum users agree that JFK is the most difficult airport to get to.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Erin O'Brien in Miscellaneous on May 24, 2004 3:30 PM

Comments [rss]

htb

I haven't taken the Supershuttle from any NYC-area airports (since they only go to Manhattan), but in San Francisco Supershuttle was the way to go (until they extended BART.)

Cheng

A train to Penn Station, and then the LIRR to Jamaica. That's probably the best way to do it, and may be faster than car service, especially during rush hour.

Erin

See, I live near the very last Manhattan stop on the A, so the prospect of riding the A all the way to JFK is... well, not a happy one. I'm all about finding short cuts.

Cheng

Here's my AirTrain posting from earlier this month:

http://www.cjc.org/blog/index.php?p=128876

Basically, the AirTrain is the best way, and it takes a bit more than a hour, if you're coming from western Manhattan. The Jamaica terminal is a bit of hassle for the subway-AirTrain transfer; the JFK stop on the A is much easier. The LIRR Jamaica/AirTrain transfer should be relatively easy, especially later this year when they get the escalators up and running.

You will likely wind up using the AirTrain in some form anyway, because it's the inter-terminal tram for JFK.