Thursday, April 19, 2012

The Train Is "The Way To Go" To The Big Apple

    New York City is the place of work for thousands of Bergen County residents.  Residents of Hasbrouck Heights, Wood-Ridge, Carlstadt, East Rutherford, and Moonachie are often faced with the burden of sitting on New Jersey Transit’s buses every morning and evening, going to and from the Big Apple.  I’ve taken the bus to New York to work with the cruise ships.  There have been days where I had to run the length of ten blocks to meet my sign-in time.  Let me share with some valuable advice with you.  Taking the train into New York City is way faster than your computer booting.  The train is way faster than getting the office coffee machine to work.  More importantly, the train is way faster than the Broadway ticket lines at Time Square.  Theater goers, the train is way faster to get you into New York in time for that eight o’clock curtain.  The Bergen County and Pascack Valley train lines are minutes away. 

    The train is the easiest form of transportation to New York City.  Instead of waiting for a bus that might be stuck in traffic, or waiting for a bus that you might have missed, just head down to the Teterboro or Wood-Ridge station.  If you live in East Rutherford, Rutherford is your point of origin.  If you’re driving to the station, make sure you have a commuter’s permit in your window.  Your better option is to drive to Garfield’s Plauderville station on Outwater Lane.  The free lot is located on the east side of the station. 

    New Jersey Transit’s train stations have ticket vending machines.  They all operate 24-7, and accept both cash and all major credit cards.  The adult round-trip cost to New York’s Penn Station from Teterboro, Wood-Ridge, Rutherford, and Plauderville are as follows:

Teterboro/Wood-Ridge: $12.50
Rutherford: $10.50
Plauderville: $13.50

    Children and senior citizens get a good deal when they travel to New York.   *All NJ Transit train fares for children and senior citizens are one-way.  The fares are as follows:

Teterboro/Wood-Ridge: $2.75
Rutherford: $2.25
Plauderville: $3.00

    Traveling to New York City is very easy.  When your train arrives at Secaucus Junction, proceed upstairs to the Northeast Corridor Line.  Hold on to your train ticket.  You will need it to go through the turnstile in the upstairs concourse.  The track assignments for New York bound trains are subject to change, so double check the information board before proceeding to the platform.  There are plenty of digital displays showing what trains are departing on all of the tracks at a given time. In the morning, the waiting time is very short.  You never have to wait more than ten minutes for the next train. 
                       
    Finally, your connecting train arrives.  Step aboard, and your next station stop is New York-Penn Station.  Penn Station is approximately twelve minutes away.  Your train will plunge into the tunnel under the Hudson River.  Upon arrival at Penn Station, there are plenty of signs showing you to the subways, Long Island Railroad trains, Amtrak’s departure area, Madison Square Garden, and all street exits.

    Aside from New York Penn Station, Hoboken is your other option.  Rather than changing trains in Secaucus, stay on board and continue to Hoboken Terminal. Hoboken Terminal is the beginning and ending point of the Pascack, Bergen County, and Main lines.  The fares to Hoboken Terminal are fairly reasonable.  The adult round-trip fares are as follows:

Teterboro/Wood-Ridge: $9.40
Rutherford: $8.00
Plauderville: $10.50

The children and senior citizen’s fares are as follows:

Teterboro/Wood-Ridge: $2.25
Rutherford: $1.75
Plauderville: $2.25

    Upon arrival in Hoboken, the signs for the PATH station are clearly marked.  The one-way fare to 33rd Street-Manhattan is $2.00.  Children at age five and under ride FREE.  If you have an MTA Metro Card, PATH honors them.  The approximate ride time to 33rd Street is twenty minutes.  If shopping is your favorite activity in New York, the Manhattan Mall is located right off the PATH exit.  One block north of the 33rd Street PATH exit is the famous Macy’s department store.     

    NJ Transit provides plenty of deals of all types.  For complete details on all restaurants, hotels, shows, and tourist attractions, visit NJTransit.com and  click on “Deals And Discounts”.
        
    New York City is the Mecca of the tri-state’s commercial universe.  The entertainment, dining, and recreation choices are endless.  It’s where thousands from our area go to work.  It is the melting pot of the working, shopping, sports, and tourism world.  Everyone enjoys going to New York to experience it.  Whether you feel like going to a fine steakhouse, taking a Circle Line Ferry tour, or  going into to catch the Knicks, Rangers, or even a concert at Madison Square Garden, the train is “the way to go”.  Just catch that train from Teterboro, Wood-Ridge, Rutherford, or Plauderville and you are off to the Big Apple in no time.  You can set your watch to them!  New Jersey Transit’s trains are not just “the way to go”, they take you the “core” of it all.

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