National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Visitors' Information

Reaching Manhattan

Airports

LaGuardia (LGA), Kennedy (JFK), and Newark-Liberty (EWR) airports serve the New York metropolitan area. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey website has detailed pages for each airport which include sections on ground transportation options between the airports and Manhattan.

LaGuardia MTA Bus:
The only mass transit option between Manhattan and LaGuardia is the M60 route (PDF) of the NYC Transit bus system. It travels back and forth between the airport terminals and the Morningside Heights neighborhood, including stops close to GISS along Broadway at 116th St. and 110th St. The M60 makes stops in Astoria, Queens, and in Harlem along the way and takes 45 to 80 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. Cost is $2.25 and must be paid using a MetroCard or in exact change (nickels, dimes and quarters; no dollar bills).

JFK AirTrain and Subway:
At JFK, the new AirTrain monorail circulates around the various terminals and then leads off to the Howard Beach stop of the subway A train, to the Sutphin Blvd. stop of the subway E train, and to the Long-Island Rail Road's Jamaica station. The AirTrain costs $5, and then you have to pay the subway ($2.25) or train fare (up to $10) to get to Manhattan. Depending on whether you connect with the A or the E, the AirTrain plus subway combo takes 50-80 minutes to get from the airport to Midtown Manhattan. The A is more convenient in traveling straight to GISS from the airport, as it will take you to Columbus Circle, but it is much slower than the E.

Newark-Liberty AirTrain:
Newark also has an AirTrain service which circulates around the terminals and connects with the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station. From the airport train station, you can take a New Jersey Transit or Amtrak train to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. The AirTrain is free. NJT fare from the airport station into Manhattan is $15, which is much less than Amtrak charges.

Airport Shuttles, Van Service, and Taxis:
Private bus options include the Airport Service Express buses, which connect JFK and LaGuardia to several Midtown locations in Manhattan, including Grand Central Station (125 Park Ave. at 42nd St.), Penn Station (Seventh Ave. at 34th St.), and the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Eighth Ave. at 42nd St.). Similarly, the Olympia Airport Express connects Newark-Liberty Airport to those three Manhattan locations. One-way bus fare for LaGuardia is about $12, JFK $15, and Newark $15.

Numerous other shuttle and van services may be reserved for travel between the airports and points in Manhattan. See the LGA, JFK, and EWR ground transportation webpages for more info.

City taxi cabs operate between Manhattan and JFK or LaGuardia. However, NYC taxis may only deliver you to Newark, and only Newark cabs can bring you into Manhattan from the airport. When cabbing in from one of the airports, be sure to get a cab from the taxi stand outside the baggage claim area so that you will be charged the city-specified rate. The gypsy cab drivers who may be hanging about the baggage claim areas are likely to try to charge you a fare 25%-100% more than a regular cabbie. Cab fare bewteen Manhattan and LaGuardia is around $25-$30, and there is a flat fare of $45 to/from JFK. The fare to/from Newark is around $60, plus a $5 surcharge if you are coming from the airport or $15 if you are heading to the airport. Add to this about $5 for bridge/tunnel tolls plus a tip. Thus, you can see that cab fare can be quite expensive, particularly to EWR. Using one of the alternative mass transit or airport bus services may be less convenient but is significantly cheaper.

Railroad

New York City is located on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Trains stop at New York Penn Station in Midtown at Seventh Ave. and 32nd St. Travellers to and from Boston, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., may find that Amtrak is more convenient and/or less expensive than air travel.

Commuter rail service is provided by the Metro-North Railroad, the Long Island Rail Road, and New Jersey Transit. Metro-North connects the city to communities further up the Hudson River and in Connecticut, and terminates at Grand Central Station, at Park Ave. and 42nd St. in midtown Manhattan. Serving towns out on Long Island, the LIRR stops at Penn Station. NJT connects to various town in New Jersey and also operates out of Penn Station.