My crazy wife...

[Pogues]

is going to NYC in two weekends to hang out with a friend. She'll be driving into the city to a hotel on Saturday to a hotel on Manhattan Island in the Little Italy/Chinatown area. She plans on seeing some sights and other touristy stuff, and I talked her down off the cliff's edge on her idea to drive from site to site and use the subway system. An experienced city driver she is not.

Her friend is flying out of LaGuardia on Monday morning. My wife is unsure if she has to be there at 6:30 or the plane leaves at 6:30. Assume both for the question I have for you experienced New Yorkers.

Her friend has asked my wife to drive her to the airport, from where my wife will depart and head home to the Baltimore area. So here's my question...how freaking insane is my wife on a scale of 1-10, and if appropriate, what is the best way for her friend to get from the hotel to the airport on Monday morning?

Thank you NYRJers.

[Judge Jude]

a little confused here:
- first I thought her friend must live in NYC
- where is your wife driving from on Saturday? Is she renting a car? why?
- wait, is this Bel Air Md and not Bel Air Calif? so she is driving up?
- she wants to drive from lower Manhattan to Queens, and then drive to Maryland? on a Monday morning?

pending clarification, your wife's friend should ask the hotel (she is staying there, too?) for options to get to LaGuardia. It makes little sense for your wife to drive her there.
also, your wife should find out how much per night it will cost her to park her car in that part of Manhattan. the hotel can help there as well.
and figure out whether taking the train to Manhattan and then cabbing/subwaying to the hotel site works better.

even on a Saturday, not sure someone not that experienced with city driving should be taking on the Little Italy area. but the NYC denizens can top me on some of these details.

[Erik]

what is the best way for her friend to get from the hotel to the airport on Monday morning?

The 7 train.

(Yes, the one whose passengers John Rocker disparaged.)

[Pogues]

Her friend in flying in from Chicago, and flying back on Monday morning (apparently flight leaves at 6:30, so needs to be at airport around 4:30 to 5:00 AM)

My wife is driving up Saturday morning from Bel Air MD. On Monday morning her friend wants her to drive her from Little Italy area to the airport and drop her off. My wife then needs to head home to Baltimore, MD area (yes Bel Air...you think *I* can afford to live in Bel Air, CA??)

[revo]

LaGuardia is east of Manhattan, meaning she will be getting further away from the way home to Baltimore. Plus, there's so much construction going on at LAG, it's a freaking nightmare.

Now if the flight is at 6:30am, she'd be driving around 5:00am, so traffic won't be much of an issue. If she's driving at 6:30am, she'd better make sure she doesn't get lost and get stuck in what's about to become rush hour traffic.

Her friend can always take an airport shuttle from the hotel or just take a taxi.

[revo]

The 7 train.

(Yes, the one whose passengers John Rocker disparaged.)

Are you trying to get his wife whacked? The 7 train does not go directly to Laguardia, sorry.

[Judge Jude]

Is her friend thinking that she can't get a cab so early? that's odd, because the only city (ok, Vegas too, I suppose) that sleeps as little as NYC is.... Chicago.
and yeah, if it's a decent hotel, they probably have a shuttle anyway.

as for your wife, I suppose if she's coming from MD and just arriving at the hotel and parking, it might be doable especially depending exactly where the hotel is. And if she can wait til like 10 am Monday to leave, she should escape ok too.

[Pogues]

Her friend believes the ride to the hotel will be much cheaper with my wife than with a taxi...well duh. I would guess this hotel, which is more of a hostel type of deal, does not have a shuttle, so that's probably out.

[swampdragon]

Here is parking tip - http://www.iconparkingsystems.com/
there are sometimes deals to be had.

yes - driving to LGA early then baltimore later is nuts but if that what she wants to do then go ahead. Still tell her to double check the cab idea once she gets there. Even her hotel might have suggestions or ideas how to get there

Park once and leave the car as long as possible - take subways or even busses to get around. Busses are slower but you do get to see things on the ride - walking is still the best way and cheapest to get around.

Where are they going? or should we suggest away?

[johnnya24]

Where are they going? or should we suggest away?

I'll go first ... Statue of Liberty

... you might want to get a pen and write that down in case you forget.

No need to thank me.

[Judge Jude]

Her friend believes the ride to the hotel will be much cheaper with my wife than with a taxi...well duh. I would guess this hotel, which is more of a hostel type of deal, does not have a shuttle, so that's probably out.

you mean the ride to the airport?

[Pogues]

Here is parking tip - http://www.iconparkingsystems.com/
there are sometimes deals to be had.

yes - driving to LGA early then baltimore later is nuts but if that what she wants to do then go ahead. Still tell her to double check the cab idea once she gets there. Even her hotel might have suggestions or ideas how to get there

Park once and leave the car as long as possible - take subways or even busses to get around. Busses are slower but you do get to see things on the ride - walking is still the best way and cheapest to get around.

Where are they going? or should we suggest away?

I've convinced her that driving around New York while there is a BAD idea, so they will probably be doing subways the whole time. Or walking.

They are coming up with things they want to do, but if you have any ideas two ladies on the run might want to do, they would probably be interested in hearing ideas. I know a ride on a ferry, probably Staten Island and a trip to Ground Zero. And my wife wants to go to Central Park...though I don't really know why. Is there anything interesting IN Central Park to make it seem like she's not just running in and waving hi?

[Pogues]

you mean the ride to the airport?

Yeah...that.

[swampdragon]

I cant really explain the importance of central park but it might be the most important space in the city - the green respite form the paved areas is incredible, Walking around above 57th street gets you just a good feel of NYC - you can loop in and out of the park and just be there - and broadway in that area is interesting too.
Soho is still great exploring area.
I will post more - Revo, Umjewboy and B-FLy will have some ideas too

[revo]

I've convinced her that driving around New York while there is a BAD idea, so they will probably be doing subways the whole time. Or walking.

They are coming up with things they want to do, but if you have any ideas two ladies on the run might want to do, they would probably be interested in hearing ideas. I know a ride on a ferry, probably Staten Island and a trip to Ground Zero. And my wife wants to go to Central Park...though I don't really know why. Is there anything interesting IN Central Park to make it seem like she's not just running in and waving hi?

Driving to different spots is an amazingly bad idea, unless your wife wants to pay $20 per 30 minutes. At every parking lot.

Going to SI on the ferry is another bad idea. If they want to ride a ferry, they can take the ferry to Liberty Island and see the Statue.

In Central Park, they can see the zoo or the Tavern on the Green.