How many acronyms can I use in a post?  Don’t tempt me.  But I digress.  This link comes to Johnny Transit by one of his few but faithful readers.  This new book on the GWB by Rutgers professor Michael Aaron Rockland looks like a great read on the bridge, its history, and its cultural place among the other civil engineering icons of NYC.  Also authored a great book entitled Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike.  A Johnny Transit must-read.

So you must drive in to the belly of the beast. While often a pain to get there, if you get the timing right, it’s not so bad. But once you’ve crossed that bridge/tunnel and arrived in Manhattan you need to find parking, right? And how do you know if that lot you just found isn’t the most expensive place in the neighborhood? Try BestParking.com.  Also for Boston, DC, and Philly.  Nice. And remember, L’il Kinney sez: don’t get ripped off.

The other recommendation I often make if you want to end up in lower Manhattan, the village, SOHO, or Brooklyn, is to take the Pulaski Skyway (US 1) to the Holland Tunnel rather than I-78/NJTP Newark Bay Extension.

Not only is it free, it often has less traffic, no trucks allowed, and quicker merging at the tunnel.  The Pulaski is also a cool 1930s era highway project and there are some cool views of the skyline from the road.  But those are best for the passenger, since there are only two very narrow lanes on the elevated highway, and exits/entrances from the road are in the middle.

There are 2 routes i take to the city.  If i want to park at Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) in midtown, I take the NJTP eastern spur to exit 16E, then 495 to the tunnel.  When approaching the tunnel, it is best to be in the middle tube, right lane.  That puts you in the best spot when you get out of the tunnel.  Once in Manhattan, you need to merge right pretty fast to turn east on 40th street and get in to the parking deck, but if you are too far right you can get stuck on dyer ave south, which is no good.

An alternate suggestion I often give to the question of where to park when going to the city is to take the PATH from Hoboken.  Another Google map shows directions and locations.  You can park at the station or on the street.  Street parking requires feeding a meter and the lots charge, but it is super easy and cheaper than the city.   These directions show how to get there via the Pulaski Skyway. View Map

I’m often asked where to park when going to the city.  I used to work in Harmon Meadow, where they have a mall with a free parking deck that is monitored by security. 

View Larger Map

The bus from Harmon Meadow to NYC (NJTransit 320) takes about 10-15 minutes, is only a $8.25 round trip, and runs pretty late into the evening.  I’ve made a map in google maps to illustrate where to get it.

New York Area roads is a cool comprehensive site about all the major arteries in the NYC metro area, their route numbers, history, rest stops, mile marks, and exits.  Also links to Boston, Philly and others.  A major time suck.