Travel Tips to New York Essentail information

Fact sheet about New York

Planning your trip to New York? These pages will give you the essential information: from visas, embassies, banks and emergency telephone numbers .....

Population

New York City : 7,380,900. Metropolitan New York (including the Tri-State area): 19,938,492.

Area of City—Manhattan is 23 sq mi/59 sq km. The total area of all five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) is 301 sq mi/780 sq km.

County—New York City is not located in one county; the five boroughs serve as counties.

Weather—Hot summers and cold winters; mild springs and pleasant, crisp falls. Clear skies 29% of the time; partly cloudy skies 34%; cloudy skies 37%. Annual rainfall: 40 in; heaviest rain in July and August. Annual snowfall: 29 in.

Average temperatures:

Jan 24-37 Fahrenheit/-4-3 Celsius; Feb 24-38 F/-4-3 C; Mar 30-45 F/-1-7 C; Apr 42-57 F/6-14 C; May 53-68 F/12-20 C; Jun 66-82 F/19-28 C; Jul 66-82 F/19-28 C; Aug 66-80 F/19-27 C; Sep 60-79 F/16-26 C; Oct 49-69 F/9-21 C; Nov 37-51 F/3-11 C; Dec 29-41 F/-2-5 C.

City Holidays—1999: 31 May, Memorial Day; 4 Jul, Independence Day; 6 Sep, Labor Day; 11 Oct, Columbus Day; 11 Nov, Veterans Day; 25 Nov, Thanksgiving; 25 Dec, Christmas.

2000: 1 Jan, New Year’s; 17 Jan, Martin Luther King Day; 21 Feb, Presidents’ Day; 29 May, Memorial Day; 4 Jul, Independence Day; 4 Sep, Labor Day; 9 Oct, Columbus Day; 11 Nov, Veterans Day; 23 Nov, Thanksgiving; 25 Dec, Christmas.

Sales or Use Tax—Sales tax is 8.25%. You will pay an additional 5% tax for your hotel room.

Emergency Numbers—Dial 911 for police and medical emergencies. Dial 212-577-7777 for the Crime Victims Hotline; Victim Services provides assistance to victims of rape and robbery and helps visitors find a way home if their money has been stolen.

Telephone Codes—Manhattan: area code 212; a second area code, 646, is in the process of being introduced. The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island: 718.

Time/Weather—Time: 212-976-6000. Weather: 212-976-1122.

Time Zone—Eastern Standard Time, five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Saving Time is observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October.

Passport/Visa Requirements— Confirm travel document requirements with carrier before departure.

Currency— US Dollar

To and from the airport

John F. Kennedy Airport
Distance to Midtown: 15 MilesTime to Midtown : 50-60 minutes

1-718-244-4444 - Airport Information

Subway link from JFK (Fare $1.50), Take the shuttle bus to the Howard Beach station and then more than an hour's ride into Manhattan. Other options: Gray Line minibus $16; Carey Bus $13; yellow cab $30.

Grayline Air Shuttle
1740 Broadway, NYC 10019
212 315-3006
800 451-0455
www.graylinenewyork.com

New York Airport Shuttle
(718) 706 9658

Super Shuttle
52-15 11th Street Long Island City, Queens 11101
212 - 209 7000
800 - 258 3826
www.supershuttle.com

La Guardia Airport

Distance to Midtown: 8 miles
Time to Midto

1-718-476-5000

20-minute ride on the M60 bus ($1.50) which runs between the airport and 106th Street at Broadway. The route crosses Manhattan at 125th Street in Harlem where you can get off at the Lexington Avenue subway station for the 4, 5 and 6 trains or at Lenox Avenue for the 2 and 3. You can also disembark on Broadway at the 116th Street-Columbia University subway station, where you can take the 1 and 9 trains. Other options: Gray Line $13; Carey Bus $10; yellow cab $25-$35.

Grayline Air Shuttle
1740 Broadway, NYC 10019
212 315-3006
800 451-0455
www.graylinenewyork.com

New York Airport Shuttle
(718) 706 9658

Super Shuttle
52-15 11th Street Long Island City, Queens 11101
212 - 209 7000
800 - 258 3826
www.supershuttle.com

wn: 30 minutes

Newark Airport

Distance to Midtown : 16 miles
Time to Midtown

The New Jersey Transit bus company goes to the Port Authority bus terminal (Eighth Ave between 40th and 42nd Sts)
The fare is $7 and buses leave every 10-15 minutes (information 1-973-762-5100). Olympia Trails (964-6233) leaves from Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, Port Authority and World Trade Center; the fare is $10 and buses leave every 15-20 minutes. Various hotels also offer shuttles. Yellow cab $45.

Grayline Air Shuttle
1740 Broadway, NYC 10019
212 315-3006
800 451-0455
www.graylinenewyork.com

New York Airport Shuttle
(718) 706 9658

Super Shuttle
52-15 11th Street Long Island City, Queens 11101
212 - 209 7000
800 - 258 3826
www.supershuttle.com

: 40-60 minutes

In & around the City

MTA - New York City Transit Authority

(718) 330-1234

Operates the largest fleet of public buses and one of the largest subway system ( carrying 3.6 million passengers every day ) in the world. 24 hours and 7 days a week.
Single Fare : $1.50

Metro passes ( unlimited ):
- One day pass : $4
- Seven days pass : $17
- 30 days pass : $63

Internet Web Site:
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us

New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission

Lost property and complaints- 212 - 302 TAXI
Public Affairs 212 676-1000.
The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission regulates the "yellow" fleet of almost 12, 000 licensed medaillon taxis.

Taxis can be found at many hotels and transportation terminals. Yellow medaillon taxis are the only vehicles authorized to pick up strret hails.

Fare begin at $2, then increases 30 cents for each additional fifth or mile ( or every 90 seconds waiting time ).
Nightly 50 cents surcharge ( 8pm to 6am ).

Exchange offices

American Express Travel Service

65 Broadway between Rector St and Exchange Pl (493-6500)
Subway: N, R, 1 to Rector St. Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm.

AmEx will change money and traveler's checks and offer other services such as poste restante. Phone for the location of other branches.

Chequepoint USA

22 Central Park South between Fifth and Sixth Aves (750-2400)
Subway: N, R to 59th St. 8am-9:30pm. Branch: 1568 Broadway at 47th St (869-6281).

Foreign currency, traveler's checks and bank drafts are available here.

People's Foreign Exchange

19 W 44th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, suite 306 (944-6780)
Subway: B, D, F, Q to 42nd St. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat, Sun 10am-3pm.

Free foreign exchange on banknotes and travelers' checks.

Thomas Cook Currency Services

29 Broadway at Morris St (1-800-287-7362)
Subway: 4, 5 to Bowling Green. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. There are seven branches in JFK Airport, all open 7:30am-10:30pm daily (1-718-656-8444), in addition to those listed below. Branches: 1590 Broadway at 48th St; 511 Madison Ave at 53rd St (all branches 1-800-287-7362).

Complete foreign exchange service is offered.

Car hire

Avis

1-800-331-1212
24 hours. Rates from $50 a day, unlimited mileage; special weekend rates. AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.

Budget Rent-a-Car

807-8700
In the city 6:30am-11pm, at the airports 5am-2am. Rates from $62 a day, unlimited mileage; special weekend rates. AmEx, DC, Disc, JCB, MC, V.

Enterprise

1-800-325-8007
Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 8am-2pm, Sun 9am-9pm. Rates from $35 a day outside Manhattan; around $60 a day on the island; unlimited mileage restricted to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.

Emergencies

Fire

In an emergency, dial 911

Police

In an emergency, dial 911
For the location of the nearest police precinct or for general information about police services, call 374-5000.

Ambulances

In an emergency, dial 911 for an ambulance or call the operator (dial 0)

Emergency Rooms

Cabrini Medical Center

227 E 19th St between Second and Third Aves (995-6120)
Subway: L, N, R, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St-Union Sq.

Mount Sinai Hospital

Madison Ave at 100th St (241-7171)
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 96th St.

Roosevelt Hospital

428 W 59th St at Ninth Ave (523-4000)
Subway: A, C, B, D, 1, 9, to 59th St-Columbus Circle.

St. Luke's Hospital

1111 Amsterdam Ave at 113th St (523-3335)
Subway: 1, 9 to 116th St.

St. Vincent's Hospital

153 W 11th St at Seventh Ave (604-7998)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, 9 to 14th St; L to Sixth Ave.

Visas

U.S. Embassy Visa Information

Internet web site :

U.S. State Department -

Usefull links

Here are some usefull links to other websites dedicated to New York City :

http://www.timeoutny.com/

http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/

http://www.citysearchnyc.com

http://www.clubnyc.com

http://www.nynetwork.com

http://www.sidewalk.com

http://www.villagevoice.com