Travel

Arriving

You will probably arrive into LaGuardia Airport (LGA) or John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK). Both are in Queens. In either case,

you can get to Mahattan, Brooklyn or Staten Island quite easily on public transportation. If you choose to go by taxi/shuttle/car service,

only pick them up from the official airport taxi stand.

Public Transportation from LaGuardia:

The M60 bus departs frequently from all terminals and brings you to upper Manhattan

Public Transportation from JFK:

Take the Airtrain for $5 to connect to the A, E, J, or Z train

Getting Around

Unless you plan to take taxis everywhere (not recommended), you should plan on getting a Metro Card at any Subway station vending machine.

I recommend getting either a 7-day unlimited pass or buying over $20 of individual rides. This eliminates the annoyance of paying every time you go into the Subway.

There are a few essential items necessary for travel in New York:

Good walking shoes
A map (I recommend New Yorker's MiniMap because it fits easily in a pocket and has subway, bus, and street directions)
Your mobile phone to keep in contact
A METRO card