Your Ultimate NYC Taxi Guide!
Living in NYC in 2017, we’ve never been so spoiled with taxi services. From the traditional yellow cabs to car services used by clicking an app on your smart phone, there are plenty of ways to get a car these days…the only question is, which way to choose?! Below we’ve created a NYC taxi guide, so you know which situation to use which service with. Happy riding!
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If You’re In A Hurry: A Traditional Yellow Cab
Whenever I need to get from point A to point B in a hurry, I usually hail down a yellow taxi. They’re all over the roads, and as long as it’s not rush hour, shift change, or a torrential storm, you can usually find one pretty quickly. (However, if it’s any of the above it probably makes the most sense to use an app service like Uber and just pay the surge pricing.)
Yellow taxis with their lights on on the top are available to be hailed curbside, but if you want to integrate an app service for the traditional yellow cab try Arro. Much like the other services, it allows you to connect your credit card, and you can choose your tip amount, paying right from the phone. Another thing I really love about Arro is that, even if you don’t use it to hail a cab, you can still use it to pay for the ride you’re currently on–meaning if you left the house without any cash or card, it’s no big deal. And it’s totally worth mentioning that whether you ride in a yellow cab using the traditional hailing method or with Arro, there is never any surge pricing, so this often ends up being the most economical choice.
If You’re Looking To Save Money, And Don’t Mind Riding With Strangers
For about double the price you would pay for a single subway ride swipe ($5.44), you can use the hailing app Via to catch a ride share anywhere in Manhattan below 125th Street (as well as parts of Brooklyn and Long Island City), from 6am to midnight during the week, Saturdays 10am to midnight and Sundays 10am to 9pm (8pm and later, and weekend pricing: $5.95 per ride). You add on an extra $2.50 per passenger, but even with this, it still ends up being way cheaper than any alternative if you are going the distance (read: way uptown to way downtown.)
However, you will have to meet the car on a nearby corner, they won’t come directly in front of your building to pick you up. And you could end up riding with up to 4 complete strangers in the car, so you have to factor in their drop-off time, too. But if all this checks out okay in your box, we think this is by far the most affordable way to ride in NYC (other than the good ol’ subway/bus system, of course!)
If You Are Traveling With A Toddler In Need Of A Carseat
If you have a little one and the thought of lugging a carseat with you all over the island gives you hives, Uber is here to save the day! For a $10 surcharge, they provide a forward facing carseat in your ride. You simply request this option when requesting your car (select uberX, and then the carseat option). Just keep in mind that the forward facing seats work for infants who are at least a year old and hit the 22 pound mark. If they are younger, Uber (and yellow taxis) will still let you ride with the baby in your arms within NYC (this probably isn’t publicized anywhere on their websites for obvious reasons, but good to know if you have a baby in Manhattan and think your only option is to take it on the subway).
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While yellow cabs and black cars via the app systems (Uber, Lyft, Juno) are fantastic for getting around NYC, Dial7 is actually one of the most affordable (and luxurious) ways of going to and getting home from one of the 3 major NYC airports (just make sure to agree on the price ahead of time). The rates start as follows for a basic Sedan: JFK $48, LGA $34, and Newark $44. Plus they have a $5 coupon directly on their website you can use when booking to take it even lower.
We’d love to know…what’s your preferred taxi method of getting around NYC? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!
Posted in Glenwood News, manhattan living |
