FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND
New York City consists of 5 boroughs: Manhattan in the middle with other boroughs and New Jersey surrounding it: Bronx above,
Queens and Brooklyn to the East, and Staten Island below.
Most of Manhattan follows the grid street system: avenues run north-south (uptown-downtown) with 1st Ave all the way East, and 12th
Ave all the way West. 5th Ave divides Manhattan into East and West sides so an address on East 47th street is to the East of 5th
Ave. Some unnumbered avenues include Madison, Park, and Lexington on the East side between 3rd and 5th avenues and Avenue of
Americas (6th Ave), Central Park West (8th Ave facing west side of Central Park), and Columbus Avenue (9th Ave north of 59th St)
Broadway runs diagonally across Manhattan. Streets run east-west (cross-town) and are numbered consecutively, increasing as you go
uptown (north) from Houston St. Below 14th St the streets are named so it is best to know the cross-section.
Best way to get around is subway - trains run all day, all night and unless it's really late they run frequently (but do not expect
a regular reliable schedule). One-way trip anywhere within subway and bus system is $2, and it might be worth to get a unlimited
ride day pass ($7) or a week pass ($24) if you plan on using it a lot (valid for bus rides too.) Subways are safe and convenient,
but can get crowded and are quite loud. On weekends some trains don't run or skip stops, so look for information signs on platforms
and listen for announcements when on the train.
Instead of taking a hop on/hop off touristy bus you can take one of NYC buses to explore neighborhoods through the window:
M5 bus will take you from West Village (W Houston St) through Chelsea, Midtown West, Upper West Side through Riverside Park
to Grant's Tomb.
M1 bus starts off in Financial District goes up through East Village, Midtown East, Museum mile (5th Ave by Central Park), and
up to Harlem.
Another alternative is taking a cab: hail one of the official yellow ones on any corner. By law they are required to take you where
you tell them too, so don't take no for an answer! Pay what's on a meter plus some gratuity except when going to airports (mostly
set price.)
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