# Stopover in NY from 8pm to 6am - doable?



## The Octagon (Jan 4, 2010)

Looking into flying out for a week in Feb to see a mate who works as a scuba diving instructor in the Turks & Caicos Islands (Caribbean).

Cheapest option currently seems to be a flight from Heathrow to JFK that arrives at 2000 EST and departs for the 2nd leg at 0650 EST the following morning. 

This basically gives me about 5-6 hours to kill (depending on what the airport is like, I've never been) in a place I've never been to before.

Is it possible to have a decent night out in this window (assuming cab / train ride from airport to city and back timings) or would I be rushing around like a madman?


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## trashpony (Jan 4, 2010)

Yes deffo. It takes about 45 mins from JFK into Manhattan and presuming your bags will go through then you should get through immigration and be in NYC by 10pm. Assuming you need to be back at the airport for 5am then that's loads of time for partying. Check out the guides on here


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## Mrs Magpie (Jan 4, 2010)

Mad plan. Stay in JFK with a good book.


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## AnnO'Neemus (Jan 4, 2010)

Years ago I went to visit an old flame who was then working in NY.  I was supposed to be spending the weekend based at his place in Manhattan.  I think I arrived at about 5pm, got to his place at about 6pm.  We headed off out at about 8pm or so, met up with his friends, went bar hopping, headed back to his place at about 2 or 3 in the morning via some place, perhaps a kebab joint, to satisfy the munchies... 

Back at his place, he tried to get me involved in a threesome with some Japanese girl and I freaked out, threw my jeans on over my PJs, grabbed my bag and walked out on to the streets at about 5am in the morning... I glanced up and down the street, couldn't see anywhere obviously open, didn't even have time to wonder about finding a cafe to have a coffee till I could sort out an hotel or anything, because just at that moment, a cab drove by, I flagged it down, went to the airport, changed my flight, caught a 7am-ish flight back to London...

So, yeah, I've had a night out in NY, a long-ish session involving bar hopping, but if you headed for one or two specific places, it might be do-able.  It was definitely do-able back in 2000.  But I only had hand luggage for the weekend, didn't check anything in, and it was also before post-9/11 security measures, so I don't know how long it would take you to check-in and clear security on the outbound flight.


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## Yelkcub (Jan 4, 2010)

AnnO'Neemus said:


> Years ago I went to visit an old flame who was then working in NY.  I was supposed to be spending the weekend based at his place in Manhattan.  I think I arrived at about 5pm, got to his place at about 6pm.  We headed off out at about 8pm or so, met up with his friends, went bar hopping, headed back to his place at about 2 or 3 in the morning via some place, perhaps a kebab joint, to satisfy the munchies...
> 
> Back at his place, he tried to get me involved in a threesome with some Japanese girl and I freaked out, threw my jeans on over my PJs, grabbed my bag and walked out on to the streets at about 5am in the morning... I glanced up and down the street, couldn't see anywhere obviously open, didn't even have time to wonder about finding a cafe to have a coffee till I could sort out an hotel or anything, because just at that moment, a cab drove by, I flagged it down, went to the airport, changed my flight, caught a 7am-ish flight back to London...
> 
> So, yeah, I've had a night out in NY, a long-ish session involving bar hopping, but if you headed for one or two specific places, it might be do-able.  It was definitely do-able back in 2000.  But I only had hand luggage for the weekend, didn't check anything in, and it was also before post-9/11 security measures, so I don't know how long it would take you to check-in and clear security on the outbound flight.



What a story though!


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## Dr. Furface (Jan 4, 2010)

It's just about do-able but I think you'd be barmy in a city you don't know and on your own.


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## D (Jan 5, 2010)

It's doable.

What day of the week?

And what's your budget?


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## t0bytoo (Jan 5, 2010)

I'm doing that next week. Well, I get in at 6pm and leave at 10 am the next day so i get more time. 
if it was summer you could happily roam around all night, but in the winter you'd want to spend most of the time indoors. And if you're en route to the caribbean you probably don't want to carry the kind of thick coat you'd need.


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## The Octagon (Jan 5, 2010)

Majority of the flights seem to arrive in NY on Sunday evening, so that's the most likely day of the week.

Sounds like if I did do this, I'd need to be well-prepped on where to head straight from the airport.

Hadn't considered the weather aspect either, thanks.

Budget for the night? Depends on cab fares and what sort of bar / place I went to, but hopefully not more than £100-150 (and preferably less).


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## editor (Jan 5, 2010)

It's just about doable but the potential for catastrophe looms large.


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## trashpony (Jan 5, 2010)

I hadn't thought about the jacket element either and given it's a Sunday evening and without a down parka I'd stay in JFK and sip bourbon if I were you.


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## editor (Jan 5, 2010)

The Octagon said:


> Majority of the flights seem to arrive in NY on Sunday evening, so that's the most likely day of the week.
> 
> Sounds like if I did do this, I'd need to be well-prepped on where to head straight from the airport.
> 
> ...


It's  going to cost you $90 return cab fare from JFK to Manhattan. Journey can take up to an hour and a half, depending on traffic. You'll need to check in at least two hours before your flight (I recommend doing this on-line). 

The fly in the ointment will be the US's no-doubt bonkers, over-zealous response to the recent terrorist incident, so you can expect _almighty_ queues around the airport.


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## TitanSound (Jan 5, 2010)

editor said:


> It's just about doable but the potential for catastrophe looms large.



This.

For the amount of running around vs fun you will be having I would just stay at the airport. Or if you have not booked it yet, why not choose a later 2nd leg flight to avoid disaster?


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## The Octagon (Jan 5, 2010)

Hmmm, seems like the time window is exactly the right size to cause maximum hassle then?

May look into a larger one (or much less of one, and I'll do NY properly later in the later perhaps).

Thanks for the responses.


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## D (Jan 6, 2010)

Well, don't go into Manhattan if you do it.  Go to Brooklyn instead.


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## D (Jan 6, 2010)

Wait a minute, your stopover is 8 PM to 6 AM?

You'll be fine in terms of transport.  The question is really "what's going on with security/immigration?"

You can leave yourself an hour each way for transportation if you're not going into Manhattan.  That still leaves you with 8 hours...It's just a matter of figuring out what's what with immigration/how much time you need/etc.

The other factor is that 6 AM on a Monday the traffic shouldn't be TOO bad, but it's likely to be a reasonably busy time around JFK.  So you might need some extra time at the airport.


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