From NJ to the Met: Best way to go?

Hello,

I posted this on Sunday on the NYC forum and haven%26#39;t received a response.

I am trying to plan a trip to the Metropolitan Opera with a friend, who lives in New Jersey (Elizabeth/Newark area). I will be driving up from Virginia and staying at his house/picking him up.

What is the best way to get into the city from New Jersey?

How far is the drive? How long would it take to get there on a Saturday night (8 pm)?

Is parking easy? Should we just take a cab both ways? Or hire a car?

Should we book a hotel room for the night (it will be an Saturday night, 8 pm opera that usually runs 3-4 hours w/intermissions).

Any guidance/suggestions/alternatives are appreciated.

I grew up on Long Island and have been to the city before (driving in and taking the train to Penn Station, but never taken the subway) so I have a general idea of what I%26#39;m getting myself into.

Thanks!

From NJ to the Met: Best way to go?

For two people on a Saturday, it doesn%26#39;t cost that much more to drive into Manhattan and park then it is to take public transportation.

Use www.iconparking.com to find parking. Print out the reservation

and bring it with you to get that rate.

How are you about driving at night?

Traffic coming back should be light.

I would leave about 4pm and park and have a leisurely dinner near Lincoln Center.

You won%26#39;t be able to find a cab that will take you to NJ except for Newark Airport from Manhattan.

The other choice you have is to arrange with a car service.

From NJ to the Met: Best way to go?

Excellent info. Thanks so much. I don%26#39;t mind driving at night, so it won%26#39;t be an issue.

Be sure to listen to traffic reports about the Turnpike.

Two Saturdays ago an accident caused a long delay southbound.

Never know, so leaving early is always the better option.

The area around Lincoln Center is lovely. And walking a few blocks south is the big Time Warner Center with the

http://www.shopsatcolumbuscircle.com/

to help kill some time. :-)

Good tip. Thanks.

I would suggest going in early in the day and making a day of it. If you try to drive in through the Lincoln Tunnel at 4 pm on a Saturday night, you%26#39;re liable to hit a lot of tunnel traffic. Listen to 880 AM or 1010 AM for trafffic reports. You may want to take the Holland Tunnel instead of the Lincoln Tunnel.

Great idea to go early to New York and have more time there and less stress about traffic delays.

If you%26#39;d prefer not to drive, there is train service from Elizabeth and Newark and many other towns, using New Jersey Transit, but check the schedules since the trains may not run late enough for your evening return. Another alternative is to dirve to Harrison and take the PATH train from there to 33rd Street. It will be a long but interesting walk to the Opera. The PATH runs all night.

You can park your car at the Met - it is really easy and convenient after the opera. There are lots of places to eat - try Cafe Fiorello - http://www.cafefiorello.com/ a very nice place to eat and not too far of a walk.

With the Lincoln tunnel you need to leave a lot of time as it it quite unpredictable. Also you need nerves ot steel to just drive through the crush of cars and buses - not a great introduction to New York and if you are like me you%26#39;ll end up with your teeth hurting by the time you sit down for the opera!

As an alternative you could get the ferry from Weehawken (lots of parking) and they have buses that drive around town and drop you and pick you up - http://www.nywaterway.com/

Enjoy your opera!!