Most convenient airport to Manhattan?

[aural iNK]

Which airport is most convenient to Manhattan via cab/bus/train? I have a choice on which location to depart from but I have no idea what it takes to get there. Thanks for the suggestions!

[MrSpice]

Which airport is most convenient to Manhattan via cab/bus/train? I have a choice on which location to depart from but I have no idea what it takes to get there. Thanks for the suggestions!

Depends on your location and where you're flying.

If you're in Downtown Manhattan or in Midtown West, Newark may be the closest airport. It's connected better than any other by public transportation (PATH Train to Newark Penn Station, then NJ Transit train to the airport and then Airtrain to the terminal). If you're in Uptown Manhattan, La Guardia maybe the best one for you. It's closer georgraphically. However, to use public transportation, you'd have to take subway and then a bus - and that bus is kind of slow (will take you at least an hour to get to the airport by public transportation, I think). JFK is further away, but for some international and west coast flights, it maybe the best options. You can take a subway to Jamaica, Queens (A, E, Z, etc.) and then Airtrain JFK to the terminal.

http://www.panynj.gov/airtrain/
http://www.panynj.gov/airtrainnewark/

[ld876]

When I lived on east 10th & broadway I loved LaGuardia...about a 25 min cab ride, about $30 including tip give or take a few dollars.

Now I live on far w42nd. I hop a cab to Penn Station for $5, then its $14 on the New Jersey Transit train, takes 25-35 mins, plus a 5 min airtrain ride (included with your $14 ticket). I just find it much more convenient and so much cheaper (now I'm working on racking up my continental miles -- they have a whole terminal at Newark...tasty!).

[ryan]

LaGuardia.

[lofter1]

For myself living downtown I say Newark: 20 - 30 minutes.

Similar times for LaGuardia, except duing rush hour when it can easily extend to double that.

JFK is minimum 45 minutes from here during good traffic periods ...

I always try to book flights that avoid rush hour travel to or from the airports -- at certain time of day just getting through the tunnels can double those times.

[TranspoMan]

By cab, the most convenient airport to Manhattan is LaGuardia. Newark is close but can get pricey when traveling from Manhattan by cab because you have to pay tolls and return fare (NYC cabs aren't allowed to pick up passengers in Jersey).

If you prefer taking public transportation, Newark and JFK are probably the easiest because of their AirTrain systems. Newark is especially convenient if you want to travel to the Penn Station area. LaGuardia can be reached by the M60 bus, which connects to the N train in Astoria and the 125th Street stations in Harlem, but this requires some intermediate knowledge of using the NYC Transit system.

Personally, I usually shop around for airfares for all of the airports in the NYC area and let the cheapest price dictate which airport I choose. Whether you travel by cab or mass transit, you always have the flexibility of flying out of one airport and returning to another (e.g., leave from EWR and return to LGA). I've done this before and saved money.

[aural iNK]

Thanks everyone!