Tips for quick trip to New york City - Out of country visitor

chip22

Hi,

We will be in Rutherford New Jersey this weekend for a family wedding.  We're trying to decide if we can manage a quick trip to NYC for a few hours on Saturday.  I'd like to take my little guy into the city, just to say he's been there and take some pics of him n Central Park.

Here are some questions:

Is it a bad idea to try to drive from our hotel (Meadowlands Renaissance) to central park? (We're thinking of driving to a parking lot and then walking a few blocks to the park, staying about and hour and then heading out again)?  

Do you have any parking lot recommendations??

Is there a height restriction on vehicles in any of the tunnels (we have a roof box that makes it hard to go in some parking garages (we're talking about 6'2"). How about parking garages near Central Park?

If you think we should try taking public transit instead can you answer the following for me:

if we bus across what do we do with our 16 month old?  Do we need a car seat for him?

We would bring our stroller (uppababy vista).  Are we going to have to walk everywhere? or is it possible to take the subway?

(the car seat and stroller logistics are why we're thinking of driving in...just easier to have all our crap with us)

additional information - we are at the wedding Friday night and need to be in the Seaside heights area between 2 and 4 pm Saturday afternoon.  What time would we need to leave if we drive in?  How about if we public transit it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

spgc1172

I avoid driving in NYC at all costs.  I  personally would drive to Secaucus and take the train into Penn Station (about a 15 min ride), then hop on the subway up to Central Park.  Plenty of people have strollers on the trains and subways.  Not all subway stops have elevators, fyi.  Try using hopstop.com for public transportation options, it can help with timing of everything. 

I'd give yourself some extra time to get down to Seaside though, there may be beach traffic.