Closest train to NYC from Lehigh Valley (York, Liberty: transfer, purchase)

[DarkWolf]

The train change in Newark requires all of 5 mins on the same platform....The RVL drops you off and a NEC train pulls up behind. Its not like you have to leave the station , which is home to NJT and Amtrak Police dept...the station is heavily used...like NY...but unlike NY Penn its cleaner and safer...

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

But most towns restrict those spaces for town residents only or charge alot....Summit has a big garage and a bigger nicer Downtown.

Maplewood charges $3 if you park btw 6-9am. After 9am or on weekends, it's free to non-residents. But as mentioned earlier there's no parking after 2am, so if you go overnight you should use another station or park in another business's lot.

We're going into NYC this Sunday and have decided to use Journal Square. Partly this is because we're stopping at EWR on the way, so it doesn't make sense to turn around and go back out to Maplewood. There's a Central Parking facility very close to the Journal Square station, and it turns out you can print web coupons for a decent discount on 12-hour or 24-hour parking, so with that plus the cheap PATH tickets it's a good value.

[DarkWolf]

If your coming from EWR , I would just use the Harrison Garage...which is 1.5 miles from EWR and without the JC headache...and same price..

[alexiskai]

If you get on at Harrison, you have to change trains in order to end up at 33rd St (we're going to the theater district). And the JS garage is cheaper with the coupon. Anyway, we'll go try JS and report back.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

Maplewood charges $3 if you park btw 6-9am. After 9am or on weekends, it's free to non-residents. But as mentioned earlier there's no parking after 2am, so if you go overnight you should use another station or park in another business's lot.

We're going into NYC this Sunday and have decided to use Journal Square. Partly this is because we're stopping at EWR on the way, so it doesn't make sense to turn around and go back out to Maplewood. There's a Central Parking facility very close to the Journal Square station, and it turns out you can print web coupons for a decent discount on 12-hour or 24-hour parking, so with that plus the cheap PATH tickets it's a good value.

Okay, back to Maplewood! According to the NJ transit site there are four lots:New Jersey Transit Do all of them have non-resident parking?

Just asking in case we are running short on time and to have an address to put in the GPS.

[alexiskai]

According to the site you linked, it's lots 1 and 4 only. However, if you look closely at the map, you'll see that lots 2 and 3 are really just parking on the street. I should reiterate that the town enforces permits/fees from 6am-9am weekdays only. All other times are open, although on-street parking may have time limits.

I only go on weekends, so I have no idea what the situation is like on weekdays. They may fill up. Here's a document showing all parking lots in the town.

Personally, I'd advise making sure to leave extra time whenever you're trying a new routine.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

According to the site you linked, it's lots 1 and 4 only. However, if you look closely at the map, you'll see that lots 2 and 3 are really just parking on the street. I should reiterate that the town enforces permits/fees from 6am-9am weekdays only. All other times are open, although on-street parking may have time limits.

I only go on weekends, so I have no idea what the situation is like on weekdays. They may fill up. Here's a document showing all parking lots in the town.

Personally, I'd advise making sure to leave extra time whenever you're trying a new routine.

Easier said then done. I've built in plenty of time, but we'll see if the six teens/twenty somethings can drag themselves out of bed before 9 am!

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Easier said then done. I've built in plenty of time, but we'll see if the six teens/twenty somethings can drag themselves out of bed before 9 am!

IMHO the stress of trying to meet a NJTrain (usually no more than 10-14 per day) with six teenagers is not worth it. There are 154 PATH trains a day, and service is 24 hours. Price is $2 each way (cheaper than NYC subway) so you won't end up sitting on a train track for 30 minutes with a bored group of kids.

Parking in Harrison is the cheapest, but the only train there is PATH trains (20 minutes & 8.5 miles to WTC).
Options:
(1) Drive across the Pulaski Skyway (3.5 miles of bridges opened 80 years ago) you can get to Journal Square where you can take a PATH train straight to midtown or the WTC.
(2) Change PATH trains in Journal Square to go to 33rd street. Train ride is now closer to 40 minutes.
(3) It's also 12 minutes by subway (3.3 miles, $2.25) each way from WTC to 42nd street (subway E is fastest).
(4) Park at Newark Penn Station and take train directly to NYC Penn Station (they are both called Penn Station). Train is $5 each way.

Harrison is a great big construction area. Map of Harrison Parking areas.

To get to Harrison you can (1) either take the same exit from I78 as the Newark Airport (no tolls, but lots of lights) or (2)Take the Garden State Parkway from I78 to I80 and approach from the north (a lot fewer lights).

To get there from I78 follow map (Red Bull Arena is right next to Harrison PATH station).
I78 East (direction NYC) to exit 57 (Route 21 North). Merge onto Route 21 North and drive for approximately 2 miles into Newark. Take a right onto Market Street and drive up to Jackson St. Take a left on Jackson Street and cross over the Passaic River. The stadium is located on your right side, train station on left.


Taking six 20 year olds into Manhattan to walk around all day will always run a risk that one is too weak, too hungover, or just whiny enough to want to leave early. As this sometimes spoils that day for the rest of the group it's a good idea to leave some pillows in the car. Negotiating your way back out of the city on a PATH train is easy enough for most people, they can wait in the vehicle and lay down.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

If you get on at Harrison, you have to change trains in order to end up at 33rd St (we're going to the theater district). And the JS garage is cheaper with the coupon. Anyway, we'll go try JS and report back.

LOL , they change is across the Platform...everything is made simple in this state...

[alexiskai]

I don't have any trouble changing trains or flights or doing any other complex travel logistics, but the ability to zone out on the train and not worry about ending up on the way to Lower Manhattan instead of Midtown has some value to me. Maybe toobusytoday can go via Harrison and I'll go via JS and we'll compare results next week.