How to drive in New York City (without losing your mind)

Okay, you’re heading to the city. And you’re thinking of driving?? All your friends think you’re nuts. Why would you drive willingly into a crazy place like New York when it’s one of the few American cities with perfectly good public transport?

I used to only take the train in, but now that I work in the city often, I drive more. I find it gives me more freedom to explore and gets me home faster when I’m working late at night. Plus, if I have a car full of people, it saves us all cash.

Good reasons to take a car

Mobility: New York is not the best city on the planet for people who have trouble walking and having a car gives you the freedom to drop people off before you go park.

Freedom: If you’re getting out super late, it may be faster to drive out than waiting for the subway and then train. It also allows you to explore a bit further afield- if you want to go from Manhattan to Williamsburg to Flushing (for the real Chinatown, obvs) it’s going to be easier to hop around with a car.

Downsides

Stress: Okay, New Yorkers are (justifiably) known for being high strung. There will be lots of honking, people weaving in and out of traffic, people right on your tail, oblivious pedestrians, and slightly confusing on and off ramps, though once you get into the city streets are very logical. If you’re an anxious person, it may not be worth the added stress. However, if you can take a deep breath and go slow at intersections you’ll be ok. A honk is not going to damage your car but getting t-boned at an intersection will.

Cost: Both tolls and parking are not cheap. If you’re bringing a car-full of people down, you may save money from train fare. If you listen to my tips, you’re not going to lose an arm and a leg to parking but you still need to be wary of costs. It might make sense to find a cheap garage, leave your car, and take the subway to other spots.

Timing: Any time you want to go into the city, you need to give yourself lots of extra time to get around, in a car or otherwise. If there’s anywhere you need to go around morning rush hour, save yourself the madness and take the train in. Or take your car to city limits and hop on a train there. Traffic is no joke- I had a French proficiency exam at 10 am and left at 6am (should be an hour drive) and it was going to take 4 hours by car to get in because of accidents. We ended up parking and taking the train. Google maps or Waze will help you stay updated.

Before you go:

Download an NYC parking app like Spothero:
This step is key. If you take exactly one thing to heart from this article, get yourself a parking app. This app will show you the cheapest parking in your area for the time you put in and then give you a discount as well! Last time I had a convention to go to, parking nearby was $50 for the day (damn you, “event pricing”.) Using Spothero, I found another garage a few blocks down for $15 for 12 hours! Hell yeah.

Designate a Navigator:
As Maverick needed Goose, you should have a co-pilot if possible your first time navigating in New York. They can let you focus on traffic instead of not getting lost. And be patient. If you miss a turn, you can just go around again. Because you gave yourself plenty of extra time, you’re not going to stress right?

Know where you’re going (at least at first):
“Where is it?” “Somewhere in Manhattan.”
Look, pal, Manhattan is a big place. Take a look at the map and familiarize yourself with where on the island you’re headed. Is it far south? Along the right side or left? Midtown? Bonus if you take a look at the New York neighborhoods and familiarize yourself with such magical places as TriBeCa and St. Mark’s Place.

If you take these basic precautions, practice your Zen breathing, and take a buddy, you’re going to have a fine, safe, and hopefully, inexpensive time driving in the city. The more you do it, the easier and less intimidating it becomes!

Oh, and avoid driving anywhere near Times Square! You’ll thank me later.