A Day in New York City – What we see & How we get there

What we see
Rockefeller Center
30 Rockefeller Center
Between 49th & 50th Streets and 5th & 6th Avenues

American Girl

609 5th Avenue

Near 49th Street

Lego

620 5th Avenue
(it’s in the Rockefeller Center plaza right in front of the ice skating rink entrance)

Toys R Us

1514 Broadway

Off of 7th and just off of 44th Street

FAO Schwartz
767 5th Avenue
on the corner of 5th Avenue & 58th Street

Central Park
begins at 59th Street and goes up to 110th Street
The park is between 8th & 5th Avenues

If you happen to be in NYC on a Saturday, 6th Avenue is closed off to traffic. The street is filled with vendors selling clothing, food, and other items. It’s a nice wide place to walk down the street with a stroller.

Until last year we used to drive into Hoboken and take the PATH into the city. It was an easy way to get into the city without having to drive down the city streets. However, once we had kids that way became a little tougher. The parking garages are about a quarter mile from the train station and it’s difficult to find an elevator (in the subway & train stations). The elevators are small for a double stroller and don’t smell very good… let’s just say they smell like dirty diapers. I’m pretty well versed in getting around NYC via subway but it is not as easy when you have children with you who are tired, hungry, or excited. It can be a little difficult to try and juggle children when you are trying to pay for the subway with a Metrocard so you can get through the turnstiles they use for access control, thankfully it worked the first time. The poor guy beside me wasn’t having the best luck.

Last fall we discovered a new way of getting into the city that is easier for us. We drive into the Port Authority parking garage. It puts us right in Times Square which is right where we want to be. I don’t need to do any driving in the city. Driving into the city is easier for us because it takes us to the center of where we want to be and we don’t have to wait for a subway or train to depend on leaving. We parked our minivan for $35 on a Saturday from 12 noon until 6pm.

Here’s how we get there:

Driving directions to NYC from the Lehigh Valley
78 E to I-95 N (NJ Turnpike)
Follow signs for the Lincoln Tunnel
At the end of the tunnel follow the sign for exit 9A (but stay in the R lane)
Go under the overpass
Turn R into the parking garage (this is a photo of the sign you’ll see)

Once you are headed up the ramp, stay in the L hand lane for CARS (R is for buses)
Grab your ticket and pull straight ahead to park
The elevators to the ground floor are straight ahead

When you leave, pay for your ticket at the machine right outside of the elevator by the door that leads to the parking garage. Drive to the exit and after you stick your ticket in the machine to pay, follow the signs for the Lincoln Tunnel. The exit ramp will take you through 2 stop signs and right into the entrance for the tunnel.