City guide article

Airport arrivals and transfers

New York is served principally by JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. JFK connects with AirTrain at Jamaica and Howard Beach for onward LIRR or subway travel. Newark uses AirTrain and New Jersey rail connections, while LaGuardia relies on bus, taxi and licensed car-service links. The best choice depends on terminal, luggage, group size, accessibility and final neighborhood.

Overview

Airport construction and pickup arrangements change, especially at JFK, so check the Port Authority airport page and terminal notice before departure. Use official taxi ranks or a ride ordered through a licensed app; ignore unsolicited drivers. Allow extra time for immigration, baggage, road traffic and service changes, and verify late-night connections rather than assuming a daytime route will operate unchanged.

The Port Authority operates the region's three major airports, but each sits in a different transport geography. JFK and LaGuardia are in Queens, while Newark Liberty is in New Jersey. Terminal-specific ground transport, construction phases and pickup zones can therefore determine the transfer as much as the airport name, particularly where a journey combines AirTrain, commuter rail, subway or bus services.

More from Transportation

Subway, buses and public transit

The MTA subway and bus network is usually the fastest way to connect New York neighborhoods. OMNY allows payment with a contactless bank card, supported mobile device or OMNY card. Use the same payment method consistently when a fare benefit or transfer depends on the payment record, and keep each traveller's payment method separate where required.

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Taxis and ride-hailing

Yellow taxis may accept street hails anywhere in New York City and use regulated metered fares for street-hail trips. Green taxis have a more limited street-hail area, while black cars, liveries and app-based for-hire vehicles must be prearranged. TLC-licensed vehicles and drivers carry identifying plates, decals or licence information that passengers can check before entering.

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Top places in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Liberty Island

Statue of Liberty

RecommendedLandmark

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi's copper monument on Liberty Island combines French-American political symbolism, ambitious nineteenth-century engineering and commanding harbor views.

New York Harbor

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

RecommendedMuseum

The National Museum of Immigration occupies Ellis Island's restored Main Building, interpreting federal processing, migration journeys and the people who passed through the station.

Manhattan

Central Park

RecommendedPark

Central Park is Manhattan's 843-acre landscaped civic ground, where Olmsted and Vaux joined meadows, woodland, lakes, formal architecture and separated circulation routes.

Midtown West

Empire State Building

RecommendedObservatory

The Empire State Building combines a landmarked Art Deco tower and restored interior with museum galleries and observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors.

Midtown West

Times Square

RecommendedLandmark

Times Square is the intensely illuminated Midtown junction where Broadway crosses Seventh Avenue, combining pedestrian plazas, theaters, media façades and constant street activity.

Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

RecommendedArt Museum

The Met Fifth Avenue is an encyclopedic art museum whose galleries range from ancient Egypt and the Islamic world to European painting, arms and armor, and American art.

Lower Manhattan

Brooklyn Bridge

RecommendedLandmark

The Brooklyn Bridge joins Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights through granite Gothic towers, steel cables and an elevated pedestrian promenade above the East River.

Brooklyn

Prospect Park

RecommendedPark

Prospect Park is Olmsted and Vaux's major Brooklyn landscape, joining Long Meadow, wooded ravines, a lake, formal entrances and cultural institutions within 585 acres.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Museum

RecommendedArt Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is a major encyclopedic institution beside Prospect Park, known for Egyptian holdings, African and American art, decorative arts and socially engaged exhibitions.

Brooklyn

DUMBO Waterfront

RecommendedHistoric District

DUMBO's waterfront combines converted industrial streets, framed Manhattan Bridge views and Brooklyn Bridge Park's piers along the East River beneath two landmark crossings.

Top hotels in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Upper East Side

The Pierre, a Taj Hotel, New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Pierre is a 1930 Fifth Avenue landmark with polished rooms, park-view suites, Taj service, three dining spaces and a Central Park doorstep.

The Ritz-Carlton, Central Park, New York

Midtown West

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton at 50 Central Park South is a 253-room luxury hotel with park-facing suites, a club lounge, La Prairie Spa and 24-hour room service.

Midtown East

Lotte New York Palace

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

Lotte New York Palace combines the historic Villard Houses with a modern tower, offering Palace rooms, Towers accommodation, large suites, spa and Midtown dining.

Midtown West

The Plaza, a Fairmont Managed Hotel

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Plaza is a landmark Fifth Avenue hotel overlooking Central Park, with ornate rooms and suites, the Palm Court, Guerlain Spa and a public food hall.

Midtown East

InterContinental New York Barclay

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

InterContinental New York Barclay is a restored 1926 Midtown East hotel with residential-style rooms, club accommodation, a gym and dining near Park Avenue.

Midtown East

Hyatt Grand Central New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

Hyatt Grand Central New York is a large Midtown hotel connected to Grand Central Terminal, with modern rooms, suites, a market and direct access to rail and subway lines.

Midtown West

Baccarat Hotel New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

Baccarat Hotel New York is a crystal-themed Midtown property with Parisian rooms, the Grand Salon, Spa de La Mer and a striking indoor pool.

Midtown West

The St. Regis New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The St. Regis New York is a 1904 Fifth Avenue landmark with restored rooms, designer and two-bedroom suites, butler service and three dining venues.

Midtown West

The Peninsula New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Peninsula New York is a 1905 Fifth Avenue hotel with renovated rooms, rooftop dining, an indoor pool, spa and a central address near MoMA.

Midtown West

Mandarin Oriental, New York

Luxury Hotels

Mandarin Oriental occupies upper floors at Columbus Circle, pairing Central Park and skyline views with an indoor pool, spa, lounge and direct mall access.

Top shopping spots in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

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Fifth Avenue

Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Avenue

RecommendedLuxury Dept Store

Bergdorf Goodman is a landmark Fifth Avenue department store for designer fashion, accessories, beauty, jewellery, home collections and personal styling.

Fifth Avenue

Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship

RecommendedLuxury Dept Store

Saks Fifth Avenue’s landmark Midtown flagship brings designer fashion, shoes, accessories, jewellery and beauty services to ten retail floors opposite Rockefeller Center.

59th Street

Bloomingdale’s 59th Street Flagship

RecommendedLuxury Dept Store

Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship is a block-sized New York department store known for fashion, beauty, home collections, designer rooms and the Little Brown Bag.

Central Park S

The Shops at Columbus Circle

RecommendedLuxury Mall

The Shops at Columbus Circle is a multi-level retail and dining complex inside Deutsche Bank Center, overlooking Columbus Circle at Central Park’s southwest corner.

Financial District

Brookfield Place New York

RecommendedWaterfront Mall

Brookfield Place is a Lower Manhattan waterfront complex with more than 40 shops and services, restaurants, public art and Hudson River views beneath a glass atrium.

Lower Manhattan

Westfield World Trade Center at the Oculus

RecommendedMall / Landmark

Westfield World Trade Center places fashion, beauty, technology, gifts and dining across the Oculus and connected Lower Manhattan transit concourses.

Midtown West

The Shops at Hudson Yards

RecommendedLuxury District

The Shops at Hudson Yards is a seven-level West Side retail complex combining luxury labels, contemporary fashion, beauty, services and restaurants beside the Public Square.

Staten Island

Empire Outlets, Staten Island

Waterfront Outlet

Empire Outlets is New York City’s waterfront outlet centre, placing factory stores, restaurants and Manhattan skyline views beside the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

Elmhurst, Queens

Queens Center

Regional Mall

Queens Center is a four-storey enclosed mall in Elmhurst with major fashion, technology, beauty and department-store brands plus a broad dining selection.

Bronx

The Mall at Bay Plaza

Regional Mall

The Mall at Bay Plaza is a three-level enclosed shopping centre in Co-op City, bringing department stores, fashion, beauty, services and dining to the Bronx.

Top restaurants in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Astoria

Mr. Chang Halal Chinese

RecommendedHalal Chinese

Mr. Chang Halal Chinese in Astoria applies a halal menu to Beijing duck, stir-fries, noodles and familiar Chinese-American dishes, with roast duck as its defining specialty.

Murray Hill

Chote Nawab

Indian

Chote Nawab in Curry Hill draws on Lucknow’s Mughlai cooking through dum biryani, kebabs, tandoor dishes, regional curries, Indian breads and sweets.

Astoria

Mum Feteer

Egyptian

Mum Feteer is a Steinway Street specialist in Egyptian layered pastry, offering savory feteer with meat, cheese or seafood and sweet versions with cream, custard and sugar.

Bay Ridge

Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bay Ridge

Hot Chicken

Dave’s Hot Chicken at 418 86th Street serves halal chicken tenders, sliders and bites across seven spice levels, with fries, kale slaw, pickles and shakes.

Bay Ridge

Yemen Café, Bay Ridge

Yemeni

Yemen Café’s Bay Ridge dining room serves halal lamb and chicken haneeth, kabsa, salta, fahsa, soup, fresh bread, dips and Adeni tea.

East Village

Bungalow

RecommendedFine Indian

Chef Vikas Khanna's Bungalow draws on the regional cooking of India's twenty-eight states, presenting family-rooted recipes, hand-ground spices and a richly decorated East Village dining room.

Bay Ridge

Ayat Bay Ridge

RecommendedPalestinian

Ayat's original Bay Ridge restaurant serves Palestinian soul food in generous shared formats, from mansaf and maqluba to musakhan, mezze, taboon bread and charcoal-grilled meats.

Astoria

Ayat Astoria

RecommendedPalestinian

Ayat Astoria brings the group's Palestinian menu to Crescent Street, combining fresh breads and mezze with layered rice dishes, yogurt stews, grills and family-sized platters.

Hell's Kitchen

Hyderabadi Zaiqa

RecommendedHyderabadi

Hyderabadi Zaiqa is a compact Hell's Kitchen restaurant centered on dum biryani, where long-grain rice, goat or chicken and aromatic masala are sealed and cooked together.

Midtown East

Ravagh Persian Grill

RecommendedPersian

Ravagh Persian Grill pairs charcoal-cooked kebabs with saffron rice, grilled tomato, yogurt dishes and classic Iranian stews at its Manhattan restaurants.

City guide article

Airport arrivals and transfers

City guide•Transportation

Overview

Top places in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Liberty Island

Statue of Liberty

RecommendedLandmark

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi's copper monument on Liberty Island combines French-American political symbolism, ambitious nineteenth-century engineering and commanding harbor views.

New York Harbor

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

RecommendedMuseum

The National Museum of Immigration occupies Ellis Island's restored Main Building, interpreting federal processing, migration journeys and the people who passed through the station.

Manhattan

Central Park

RecommendedPark

Central Park is Manhattan's 843-acre landscaped civic ground, where Olmsted and Vaux joined meadows, woodland, lakes, formal architecture and separated circulation routes.

Midtown West

Empire State Building

RecommendedObservatory

The Empire State Building combines a landmarked Art Deco tower and restored interior with museum galleries and observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors.

Midtown West

Times Square

RecommendedLandmark

Times Square is the intensely illuminated Midtown junction where Broadway crosses Seventh Avenue, combining pedestrian plazas, theaters, media façades and constant street activity.

Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

RecommendedArt Museum

The Met Fifth Avenue is an encyclopedic art museum whose galleries range from ancient Egypt and the Islamic world to European painting, arms and armor, and American art.

Lower Manhattan

Brooklyn Bridge

RecommendedLandmark

The Brooklyn Bridge joins Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights through granite Gothic towers, steel cables and an elevated pedestrian promenade above the East River.

Brooklyn

Prospect Park

RecommendedPark

Prospect Park is Olmsted and Vaux's major Brooklyn landscape, joining Long Meadow, wooded ravines, a lake, formal entrances and cultural institutions within 585 acres.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Museum

RecommendedArt Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is a major encyclopedic institution beside Prospect Park, known for Egyptian holdings, African and American art, decorative arts and socially engaged exhibitions.

Brooklyn

DUMBO Waterfront

RecommendedHistoric District

DUMBO's waterfront combines converted industrial streets, framed Manhattan Bridge views and Brooklyn Bridge Park's piers along the East River beneath two landmark crossings.

Top hotels in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Upper East Side

The Pierre, a Taj Hotel, New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Pierre is a 1930 Fifth Avenue landmark with polished rooms, park-view suites, Taj service, three dining spaces and a Central Park doorstep.

Midtown West

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton at 50 Central Park South is a 253-room luxury hotel with park-facing suites, a club lounge, La Prairie Spa and 24-hour room service.

Midtown East

Lotte New York Palace

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

Lotte New York Palace combines the historic Villard Houses with a modern tower, offering Palace rooms, Towers accommodation, large suites, spa and Midtown dining.

Midtown West

The Plaza, a Fairmont Managed Hotel

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Plaza is a landmark Fifth Avenue hotel overlooking Central Park, with ornate rooms and suites, the Palm Court, Guerlain Spa and a public food hall.

Midtown East

InterContinental New York Barclay

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

InterContinental New York Barclay is a restored 1926 Midtown East hotel with residential-style rooms, club accommodation, a gym and dining near Park Avenue.

Midtown East

Hyatt Grand Central New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

Hyatt Grand Central New York is a large Midtown hotel connected to Grand Central Terminal, with modern rooms, suites, a market and direct access to rail and subway lines.

Midtown West

Baccarat Hotel New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

Baccarat Hotel New York is a crystal-themed Midtown property with Parisian rooms, the Grand Salon, Spa de La Mer and a striking indoor pool.

Midtown West

The St. Regis New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The St. Regis New York is a 1904 Fifth Avenue landmark with restored rooms, designer and two-bedroom suites, butler service and three dining venues.

Midtown West

The Peninsula New York

RecommendedLuxury Hotels

The Peninsula New York is a 1905 Fifth Avenue hotel with renovated rooms, rooftop dining, an indoor pool, spa and a central address near MoMA.

Midtown West

Mandarin Oriental, New York

Luxury Hotels

Mandarin Oriental occupies upper floors at Columbus Circle, pairing Central Park and skyline views with an indoor pool, spa, lounge and direct mall access.

Top shopping spots in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Fifth Avenue

Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Avenue

RecommendedLuxury Dept Store

Bergdorf Goodman is a landmark Fifth Avenue department store for designer fashion, accessories, beauty, jewellery, home collections and personal styling.

Fifth Avenue

Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship

RecommendedLuxury Dept Store

Saks Fifth Avenue’s landmark Midtown flagship brings designer fashion, shoes, accessories, jewellery and beauty services to ten retail floors opposite Rockefeller Center.

59th Street

Bloomingdale’s 59th Street Flagship

RecommendedLuxury Dept Store

Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship is a block-sized New York department store known for fashion, beauty, home collections, designer rooms and the Little Brown Bag.

Central Park S

The Shops at Columbus Circle

RecommendedLuxury Mall

The Shops at Columbus Circle is a multi-level retail and dining complex inside Deutsche Bank Center, overlooking Columbus Circle at Central Park’s southwest corner.

Financial District

Brookfield Place New York

RecommendedWaterfront Mall

Brookfield Place is a Lower Manhattan waterfront complex with more than 40 shops and services, restaurants, public art and Hudson River views beneath a glass atrium.

Lower Manhattan

Westfield World Trade Center at the Oculus

RecommendedMall / Landmark

Westfield World Trade Center places fashion, beauty, technology, gifts and dining across the Oculus and connected Lower Manhattan transit concourses.

Midtown West

The Shops at Hudson Yards

RecommendedLuxury District

The Shops at Hudson Yards is a seven-level West Side retail complex combining luxury labels, contemporary fashion, beauty, services and restaurants beside the Public Square.

Staten Island

Empire Outlets, Staten Island

Waterfront Outlet

Empire Outlets is New York City’s waterfront outlet centre, placing factory stores, restaurants and Manhattan skyline views beside the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

Elmhurst, Queens

Queens Center

Regional Mall

Queens Center is a four-storey enclosed mall in Elmhurst with major fashion, technology, beauty and department-store brands plus a broad dining selection.

Bronx

The Mall at Bay Plaza

Regional Mall

The Mall at Bay Plaza is a three-level enclosed shopping centre in Co-op City, bringing department stores, fashion, beauty, services and dining to the Bronx.

Top restaurants in New York

Add practical stops to your New York plan across places, hotels, shopping, and food.

Explore all

Astoria

Mr. Chang Halal Chinese

RecommendedHalal Chinese

Mr. Chang Halal Chinese in Astoria applies a halal menu to Beijing duck, stir-fries, noodles and familiar Chinese-American dishes, with roast duck as its defining specialty.

Murray Hill

Chote Nawab

Indian

Chote Nawab in Curry Hill draws on Lucknow’s Mughlai cooking through dum biryani, kebabs, tandoor dishes, regional curries, Indian breads and sweets.

Astoria

Mum Feteer

Egyptian

Mum Feteer is a Steinway Street specialist in Egyptian layered pastry, offering savory feteer with meat, cheese or seafood and sweet versions with cream, custard and sugar.

Bay Ridge

Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bay Ridge

Hot Chicken

Dave’s Hot Chicken at 418 86th Street serves halal chicken tenders, sliders and bites across seven spice levels, with fries, kale slaw, pickles and shakes.

Bay Ridge

Yemen Café, Bay Ridge

Yemeni

Yemen Café’s Bay Ridge dining room serves halal lamb and chicken haneeth, kabsa, salta, fahsa, soup, fresh bread, dips and Adeni tea.

East Village

Bungalow

RecommendedFine Indian

Chef Vikas Khanna's Bungalow draws on the regional cooking of India's twenty-eight states, presenting family-rooted recipes, hand-ground spices and a richly decorated East Village dining room.

Bay Ridge

Ayat Bay Ridge

RecommendedPalestinian

Ayat's original Bay Ridge restaurant serves Palestinian soul food in generous shared formats, from mansaf and maqluba to musakhan, mezze, taboon bread and charcoal-grilled meats.

Astoria

Ayat Astoria

RecommendedPalestinian

Ayat Astoria brings the group's Palestinian menu to Crescent Street, combining fresh breads and mezze with layered rice dishes, yogurt stews, grills and family-sized platters.

Hell's Kitchen

Hyderabadi Zaiqa

RecommendedHyderabadi

Hyderabadi Zaiqa is a compact Hell's Kitchen restaurant centered on dum biryani, where long-grain rice, goat or chicken and aromatic masala are sealed and cooked together.

Midtown East

Ravagh Persian Grill

RecommendedPersian

Ravagh Persian Grill pairs charcoal-cooked kebabs with saffron rice, grilled tomato, yogurt dishes and classic Iranian stews at its Manhattan restaurants.