New York Layover Guide

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You have connected through JFK more times than you can count, but a day off in New York still hits different. Getting into Manhattan is the one slow part, so sort the transfer first and the rest of the day runs itself.

Getting in from JFK

• AirTrain plus LIRR (fastest): AirTrain to Jamaica, then the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station. Roughly 35 to 45 minutes, about 14 to 16 dollars. Best when your time is tight.
• AirTrain plus subway (cheapest): AirTrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach, then the E or A train into Manhattan. Roughly 60 to 90 minutes, about 12 dollars.
• Pay with OMNY: tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile, 3 dollars a ride. No MetroCard needed anymore.
• At arrivals, ignore the unlicensed cab touts. Use a yellow cab or rideshare from the official stand.

The must-sees (book ahead)

• Top of the Rock: the skyline view that actually includes the Empire State Building. Timed tickets, so book your slot before you fly.
• 9/11 Memorial: the reflecting pools are free and open to everyone. The museum next to them needs a timed ticket.
• Statue of Liberty: the free Staten Island Ferry passes within a few hundred yards of her, day and night. Want to actually land on Liberty or Ellis Island? take a harbor cruise.
• Central Park: free, and the fastest way to reset after a red-eye.

Hidden gems for your day off

• High Line: a free elevated park built on an old rail line through Chelsea, open daily.
• Staten Island Ferry: free, 25 minutes each way, and the best harbor view in the city for zero dollars.
• NYPL Rose Main Reading Room: the cathedral-like public reading room by Bryant Park, free to look in from 10 to 11am.
• Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn: a 478-acre historic cemetery and arboretum, free to walk, resting place of Leonard Bernstein and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
• Brooklyn Museum: a serious art collection that is free to enter on the first Saturday evening of the month.
• New York Transit Museum: set inside a decommissioned 1936 subway station in Downtown Brooklyn.
• Queens Night Market: Saturday evenings from spring to fall, a world of street food with most plates capped at a few dollars.
• City Island, the Bronx: a tiny nautical village of waterfront seafood shacks that feels nothing like the city.

Captain AL’s tip: the Staten Island Ferry is the Statue of Liberty cruise nobody charges you for. Twenty-five minutes each way, running all night, and the Lower Manhattan skyline on the ride back at golden hour is the best free view in New York.

Eat like a local

• A proper bagel with lox and a schmear, not toasted.
• A folded slice of pizza, eaten standing up.
• Chicken and rice from a halal cart, red and white sauce.
• Pastrami on rye from an old-school deli.

Best time to go

• Spring and fall: mild and the city at its best.
• Summer: hot and humid, but rooftop season is in full swing.
• Winter: cold, but the holidays light the whole place up.

Stay sharp

• Keep phones and cards secure on crowded platforms and around Times Square.
• Late at night, ride the busier subway cars and stick to well-lit stations.

More for your New York layover

• Landing on a red-eye? Here is what actually helps with jet lag on layovers.
• Booking on your staff rate? See the IHG airline staff rate booking secrets.
• Packing for a standby trip? Our non-rev packing list has you covered.

Planning more of your stay? Browse New York tours and tickets on GetYourGuide.

And for this trip, scroll up on this page for the New York car rental and hotel deals put together for airline staff.