New York Overview

Fast Facts

Main Languages: English

When to Go: With a humid continental/subtropical climate that is heavily influenced by two continental air masses: a warm, humid one from the southwest & a cold, dry one from the northwest. With an average of 234 days sunshine annually, its summer temperatures range from 17 to 29°C with a record high of 41°C; winters are long and cold, where temperatures range from −12°C to 15°C, have dropped to a record low of −15°C. Spring and autumn are unpredictable, and the climate could be anything from nippy to muggy to very pleasant. These however are probably the best times to visit, when the greenery and flowers blossom or fall, and vast open spaces and parks of the city truly come into their own. But one should not easily discount the summer and the winter, where while the weather can be stifling or frigid, there are plenty of opportunities to have a good time, with outdoor activities and events in the summer, and cosy-chic coffee shops and snow-fights in the winter.

Local Transport: New York City prides itself on its ability to function well, with a circulatory system that could said to be both multifarious and densely spread across its five boroughs: The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. With the highest mass transit use in the world, the most populous city in the United States (which has over 8.3 million New Yorkers) somehow manages to be among the most energy efficient cities in the country as well. What could give you a better idea of its almost eco-friendly status, is the fact its greenhouse emissions are less than 1/3 the national average, that while the city emits one percent of the nation's total greenhouse gas emissions, it comprises 2.7% of the nation's population. It saves half of all the oil saved by transit nationwide. An average New Yorker consumes less than a quarter the electricity consumed by an average resident of Dallas. It also has the largest clean air diesel-hybrid and compressed natural gas bus fleet in the country, and some of the first hybrid taxis. Manahattan is laid out in grid, and maps are easily

As most of Manhattan is laid out in a grid that’s aligned northeast to southwest (though by the Manhattan North convention, it is assumed to be exactly north to south), it is relatively easy to find your way around the place. Just remember streets run east and west and avenues run north and south, and that 20 blocks make a mile along the latter. Road/bus and metro maps are easily available, and particularly useful for navigating most of the city, across all the boroughs. In Manhattan, the terms “uptown” is north, in the direction of the Bronx, “downtown” is south in the direction of the Battery. The term “the city” may refer either to New York City as a whole, or to Manhattan alone, and The Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens are sometimes referred to as “the outer boroughs.”

Foot
Simply the best way to travel short distances, you will almost always move faster than buses or taxis, whether cross-town (east-west or vice versa) or with the flow (north-south or vice versa). It is also one of the best ways to truly enjoy the city, seeing it in all its glory without a roof over your head, and the opportunity to mingle with locals and check out the street scene of shop-fronts and hotdog vendors and everything in between. However, a few words of warning: New Yorkers know their roads well; even jaywalk (almost expertly) regularly. Be advised not to try it, even if following someone else, unless you adjudge yourself a good split-second decision maker or maybe the Chosen One. Always look both left and right when crossing the road, and follow the walk signs. Taxis (especially bad), cars, buses, bicycles (quite often going the wrong way), all plummet headlong in a typical New York frenzy, and can easily trample you. Etiquette however demands you let New Yorkers be on their way, not blocking them from either their purposeful walks or jaywalks.

Metro
Considered by some to be ugly, old, and dirty, New Yorkers are proud of their New York City Subway, a reliable 24 hour system that has in recent years even lost its reputation of being crime-ridden (just keep your wits about you when travelling at odd hours, and try to use the major stations in the middle of the night). Every line is identified by either a letter or a number, and stick to using these to navigating your way in conjunction with the freely available maps (online and at staffed token booths) instead of relying on the colours, which are admittedly confusing outside of mid-town. Token booth attendants are also almost helpful in advising you which line to take. The MetroCard – available online, at vending machines at all stations, token-booths, and at many shops in the city (look for the sign outside) – are the only way to enter the subway system, and can also be used for buses. Subway charges are a flat fare of $2.25, regardless of the distance travelled, and there are also several types of metro-cards that you can buy, such as Single Ride, Pay-Per-Ride, One-Day Funpass, Seven-Day Unlimited Ride, 14-Day Unlimited Ride, and some more specialized versions. Refer to the MTA website for more information.

Bus
While exact change can also be used for bus transit, it is recommended to get a MetroCard for quick and easy access. Bus lines are identified by letters followed by numbers, where letters indicates the borough in which the line mostly operates (M=Manhattan; Bx=Bronx; B=Brooklyn; Q=Queens; S=Staten Island). Bus maps for each borough can be found at the MTA website. Buses are particularly useful for making your way across Manhattan, even on a cross-town journey.

Taxi
The NYC Taxis are yellow, and have a metallic "medallion" on the roof, with the taxi number. When lit, the taxi number signifies the cab is on duty, and when the off-duty is lit, the cab is not available for hire. The meter starts at $2.50, and then runs at $.40 for each 1/5 mile afterwards. There is a night surcharge of $0.50 (8PM to 6AM) and a rush hour surcharge of $1 (4PM-8PM M-F). There is a state surcharge (tax) of $0.50. A tip of 10-20% is expected and passengers must pay all tolls. They also accept credit cards instead of cash, but to avoid hassles, do make sure that their card reading machine is working before getting on. Livery or Black Cars are also available in New York, and are cabs that may only be called for on phone, and cannot be hailed down, though in upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs, they can be, and it is accepted practice, if illegal for the driver. Negotiate a fare before you get inside, and a tip of 10-20% is still expected. All licensed taxis and sedan limousines are authorized to take 3 passengers in the backseat and 1 in the front seat for a total of 4, but the newer minivans and SUV yellow cabs can seat more than 4 passengers.

Car
It is strictly not advised for tourists to drive a car around New York City, as the traffic, especially taxis can be extremely rash and very unforgiving of hesitancy or for being an outsider. Parking is also a headache, with impossible parking meters, tow away zones, and exorbitant private parking. The gas stations are also few and far between.

Ferry
An interesting way of travelling to various parts of town, the most famous ferry link is Staten Island Ferry, which runs from Battery Park to Staten Island. This free ferry only carries passengers and bicycles, and runs every 15 minutes during rush hours. This is also a great way to see the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbour, especially if you are seated on the starboard (right facing forward) side of the ferry from Manhattan, or the port side from Staten Island. Other ferries are operated by the New York Waterway and are not free, and the New York Water Taxi runs ferries between points within Manhattan, with some connections to Brooklyn and New Jersey.

Phone Code: +1 212 (Manhattan)/718/917/347/646 (for the rest of New York City – number overlays). An overlay means when a phone code runs of available numbers, new numbers in the area from that point on are assigned a new code.

Currency: US Dollar (USD) 1 USD is approximately 48 Indian Rupees (INR)

Time Zone: GMT -5 hours. IST-10:30 hours. Summer Daylight Savings Time GMT -4 hours

Voltage: 110V

Location: Extreme south-west of New York State, which is in north-west United States, on the East Coast

Altitude: 10 metres above sea level