[Ziggly]

Hi everyone,

I am moving my family to Park Slope (near the Union street train station on 4th ave) in a month and was wondering what the best way to get from JFK to PS would be. I will have myself, wife and 15 month old toddler. We will have 4 large suitcases, 4 carry ons and a car seat. We will be arriving at 8am. I figure my options are...

1. Airtrain to Howard beach station and take the A train in, transfer to the F take that to 9th street/4th ave station and transfer to the R to get to Union street

2. Take Airtrain to Jamaica station, take the Long Island Railroad to Flatbush then take the R to Union street. Does anyone have experience taking a lot of luggage on the LIRR?

3. Car service or cab it. I am on a tight budget and was concerned about getting a cab during what I anticipate to be rush hour AM traffic.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[dw438]

Subway - you'll have to go up and down too many stairs. Elevators and/or escalators nonexistent.
Air Train to LIRR Jamaica to R train? Good luck with the LIRR. No room for luggage, especially in their new cars, whose luggage racks can barely hold a briefcase. And it's rush hour.
Plus you'll have to deal with a lot of stairs at LIRR Flatbush heading to the R train.
FYI cabs at JFK are plentiful.
And your cabdriver should take the "back" way into PS ...
Belt Pkwy West to Conduit Blvd. North .... to Atlantic Ave West ....
which will get you to the Slope in no time.
Some idiot drivers will circumnavigate Brooklyn, or take the Van Wyck to the LIE to the BQE, because all they know is the way to Manhattan.

[armchair_warrior]

take a cab, take the belt west and than once on gowanus take the prospect express way first exit 10th ave .

once you get to the first exit 10th ave on the express way. you go back into the highway towards gowanus on 11th ave and exit 4th ave exit and bam youre home .
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[8thandPrez]

i agree with dw, tell the driver to take Belt Pkwy to Conduit to Atlantic to Eastern Parkway. Any competent cab driver will know the way and it will save you a TON of time and $$ vs taking the Belt Pkwy all the way around the perimeter of Bklyn. It should cost you about $35.

[armchair_warrior]

[digital_buffalo]

8th and Prez is right. Which is why when you're in a car service car, that's the way they take - Shooting up Eastern to Atlantic to JFK (or the reverse). When metered cabs take the other way, it's between $10 and $15 more expensive.
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[stacey]

[Carnivore]

[friendlypitbull]

[dw438]

Out of Manhattan to JFK. Involves Woodhaven Blvd.
But if I tell you I'd have to kill you .....

[armchair_warrior]

[findcate]

isn't it a flat rate from jfk for car service? so rush hour shouldn't be a factor in the fare.

If I got off a flight with baby & 4 suitcases, i definitely think it'd be worth the extra dough to just not have to schlepp stuff around on trains. esp in rush hour.

[8thandPrez]

flat rate only applies to manhattan: $45. for all other destinations, you're on the meter, but it always comes in around $35.

[Guest]

the cheapest and most direct route (........recommended only if you aren't carrying much, thus unlikely that you will select this method......) is to take the B-15 bus to New Lots (the last stop on the 3 train), then take the 3 train to whatever stop in PS you like (e.g. Grand Army Plaza, Eastern Pkwy or Bergen St).

[Guest]

the cheapest and most direct route (........recommended only if you aren't carrying much, thus unlikely that you will select this method......) is to take the B-15 bus to New Lots (the last stop on the 3 train), then take the 3 train to whatever stop in PS you like (e.g. Grand Army Plaza, Eastern Pkwy or Bergen St).

[Guest]

the cheapest and most direct route (........recommended only if you aren't carrying much, thus unlikely that you will select this method......) is to take the B-15 bus to New Lots (the last stop on the 3 train), then take the 3 train to whatever stop in PS you like (e.g. Grand Army Plaza, Eastern Pkwy or Bergen St).

[Idlewild]

As a former car service driver I must concur with the folks who advocate taking the Belt west top Conduit and following that into Atlantic Avenue. However you might want to make a left turn on S.Portland/6th Avenue since you can't do so on 4th avenue and taking 5th avenue will only get you red lights. Best into JFK is the same way, However, if Atlantic is jammed past Pennsylvania avenue then make a right on Pennsylvania or any block afterwards , go down four blocks to Belmont and make a left and follow Belmont into S. Conduit. Very little lights and very little traffic. Just make sure to look both ways at the stop signs,

[B71]

listen to the former car service driver. and never EVER take a metered cab on the Belt during AM rush hour. with tip it can cost north of $50 to get to the slope.

[Kutter]

The best bet may be to call one of the larger car service companies, like Eastern, on arrival at the airport. Often they have a car at or near the airport from a prior drop-off that can take you. Tell the dispatcher the number of bags and people and get a quote. That way you may be able to avoid a cab line and you don't have to worry about a cab driver taking you on the scenic route through Bay Ridge.

[Drano]

Did the Belt for a few years before "discovering" the Atlantic/Conduit route. The belt isn't worth the risk - if everything goes great, you maybe save 5-7 minutes, but 60% of the time there's a substantial jamup somewhere.

[sweet tea]

it's a good idea to bring a map of your route with you to show the driver. i would use google maps plus the very authoritative suggestions from the former driver here.

and never, ever let them take you via the bqe. it's a great way to get a view of lots of landmarks that are not on your way. (like laguardia and shea and the manhattan skyline....)

[Nishi621]

Call a local Park Slope car service in advance and have them pick you up at the airport-they have a set price for trips to Park Slope from the airport and they will know how to get here-you won't need any maps.

[Guest]

Just make sure those car service vehicles are TLC licensed and insured. Look for the diamond in the windshield.

[Idlewild]

[nomorecali]

I just did this with my two daughter (3 yrs and 14 months), my 65-year-old mother, my wife, and myself -- plus about 8 bags... California to JFK. Brutal.

Anyway, I called a car service (Legends) ahead of time, while I was still in Cali. We had to get a minivan, and the car seats, so it cost us about $70. But, we got picked up at baggage claim, the driver took our bags and it was smooth sailing.

I say suck up the costs, call ahead, and lessen your stress. They take credit cards.

[jayce]

[Idlewild]

I would find out if the B-15 runs at or near the time of morning you're heading to JFK. I'd give myself two hours min.

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/bus/schedule/bkln/b015cur.pd

[Guest]

[Boygabriel]

Airtrain is sweet. it takes me 40 minutes (slightly longer than a cab ride w/o any traffic), only costs $5 (plus subway fare), and i don't get car sick from being with psycho cabbies.

though I live on the C train, so to Park Slope it's a bit more inconvenient.

still, I am an ardent support of Airtrain.
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[Guest]

OP - hope this hasn't scared you off! Welcome to Park Slope and New York

[jaha127]

[dw438]

the LIRR's schedule on their web site.
you'll have to get up mighty early to be at the airport apx. 7a
best bet: there's a train leaving 608am, arrives jamaica 629a
gives u plenty of time to go upstairs to the airtrain and thence south to JFK.
you'll be at yr terminal sometime before 715a.

[Idlewild]

I'd say it depends what airline you're taking. I'm a Jetblue guy myself and I always arrive two hours before the flight only because their terminal is packed. Do you have confirmed seats? Are you flying domestic or international?

[Idlewild]

And how come I can't get to the main page?

[jaha127]

thanks!! I'll check out the website. I am flying on American to Miami with confirmed seats, w/ only a carryon... so if I follow dw438 instructions I should be straight!!

I never flown Jet Blue... I swear they lie about there sale rates... everytime I look for a flight its like 100+ more than they advertisied.


Idlewild, what main page??

[Idlewild]

The main forum page. It says "account not paid" or something like that. If you're taking an AA flight to Miami I'd get there as close to 7 am, if not before as possible. AA flights going all points south is unbelievably swamped the last time I took them.