How to get there, what to eat, and where to stay near the airport
If you haven't had the pleasure already, there will most certainly come a day that will call for a visit to John F. Kennedy International Airport. With over 30 miles of taxiway and runway, and covering nearly 5,000 acres, JFK is one of the largest—and busiest—airports in the country. In 2016, just shy of 59 million passengers passed through its gates.
Despite high-profile projects that may help to recast the airport's image anew in the coming years—ahem, TWA Terminal Hotel—this is still JFK, which is uninspiring on the best of days. But much like the loathed Penn Station, it serves a crucial purpose—and with a $10 billion overhaul planned for the airport's future, things are starting to look up for this swamp-side aerodrome.
But all experiences are not created equal when it comes to visiting JFK. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a newbie, this guide—covering how to get there, where to eat within the station, and survival tips—will help you navigate the airport with minimal stress.
How to get there
Getting to JFK is a schlep if you live anywhere except for the edge of Queens. But luckily for us, New York City has one of the most robust public transportation systems in the country, and that can be put to good use getting to the airport.
The AirTrain delivers travelers to the airport's doormat, but navigating to the shuttle can be a little bit tricky. At Jamaica Station, the AirTran connects with the subway (E, J, and Z), buses, and LIRR (from Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, and Nostrand Avenue). Travelers can transfer to and from the A train at Howard Beach. You can pay the $5.00 AirTrain fee with your MetroCard, but here's a pro tip: make sure you load it up beforehand so you don't get stuck with the tourists who need to buy cards as soon as they step off the plane.
Cabs, Uber, and any other non-public transit are the most convenient—read: expensive—way to get to JFK in terms of personal comfort, but remember, traffic can be brutal, and a real schedule killer. Traveling between Manhattan and JFK, or vice versa, in a cab runs a flat rate of $52, plus various fees. Cabs run metered fares between JFK and the remaining four boroughs.
For a full list of public transportation transfers to JFK, head this way.
Where to stay
Travelers needing to stay close to JFK better brace for the dreaded airport hotel, because they're plentiful here—see: Sheraton, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton—and even there, rooms go for north of $100 a night.
Travelers with a prolonged layover in New York may want to see what the city is all about, and while what Jamaica has to offer is most certainly the stuff of New York, it isn't the showy Big Apple experience some travelers might be seeking. There's a fix for that: Hop on the AirTrain and subway to one of the following hotels, in the thick of it all and conveniently close to a subway connection.
If you're taking the E, try citizenM New York Times Square hotel in Midtown: The 50th Street subway station is half a block from this hotel, where guests will find small accomodations with big perks, including a bustling lobby bar, rooftop lounge, and mezzanine library. The high-tech hotel—citizenM stands for citizen mobility—only takes reservations online, offers free use of Apple laptops in the library, and comes with complimentary Wi-Fi.
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Annie Schlechter If you're taking the J or Z, try The Ludlow on the Lower East Side: Get off the subway at Essex Street and walk the short four blocks to this buzzy hotel. The Ludlow wins points with the hip crowd for its guest rooms with on-trend interiors (think pendant lighting, sheepskin throws, and, in the penthouse, a record player) and quick access to foodie darling Dirty French, off the building's lobby.
If you're taking the A, try The Roxy Hotel in Tribeca: The hotel formerly known as the Tribeca Grand is just a block from the Canal Street stop and has recently undergone a renovation that blends midcentury modern style with contemporary amenities, including pre-loaded iPads and free Wi-Fi. Two cool public spaces within the hotel worth checking out: The Django, an underground jazz club, and The Roxy Hotel Cinema, which screens movies curated by Submarine Films.
What to eat
New York's travel hubs aren't known for their stellar dining options, but JFK has some of the better places to nosh when it comes to eating on the go. Here are a few of the best dining finds, from our friends at Eater NY:
Shake Shack (Terminal 4): This one's always high on the list, meaning lines can be long—but in JFK's Terminal 4 there are not one, but two outlets of Danny Meyer's beloved burger chain. Bonus point for the Shack's strong breakfast options, including spins on the egg and cheese sandwich and coffee that isn't dirt water. (Meyer is also behind Blue Smoke, another strong option in Terminal 4.)
La Brea Bakery (Terminal 4): Chef Nancy Silverton's popular LA-based eatery offers lots of grab-and-go options—think elevated sandwiches like hanger steak with tarragon and aioli, and salads, too—but for those in less of a rush, here's a hot tip: if you ask, you can have grab-and-go items made fresh, and customize them too.
Piquillo (Terminal 5): Despite being, reportedly, the first-ever Spanish tapas restaurant in an airport, there was no learning curve at Alex Raij's Piquillo. This is a great place to stop for a glass of wine and a snack before boarding. Travelers with more time would be hard-pressed to skip the Paella or Spanish-style sandwiches.
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Max Touhey The backstory
John F. Kennedy International Airport was built in 1948—but not under that name, of course—as a response to the swelling crowds at nearby LaGuardia Airport. (Nowadays, it far surpasses LaGuardia in volume of travelers, but that's beside the point.)
The airport was slated to cover a modest 1,000 acres on Jamaica Bay marshland that was then the territory of the Idlewild Golf Course, but throughout its construction the project ballooned to five times that size.
When it opened in 1948, the hub was officially called the New York International Airport, but was colloquially referred to as Idlewild. (Fun fact: The Times says the name is "believed to have been inspired by the fact that the site at that time was wild and that the hotel and park constituted a recreational facility for the idle rich.")
The facility was promptly renamed after President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963. Less than two weeks after Kennedy's death, Mayor Robert Wagner announced that he would submit a bill to the City Council to rename the airport. The following week, that bill was approved and the John F. Kennedy International Airport was officially renamed in a Christmas Eve ceremony.
The year prior to the airport's rededication, Eero Saarinen's TWA Flight Center opened in all of its jet-age splendor, marking a shift in the history of air travel. The terminal's heyday coincided with the golden age of flying, in which travelers were restricted neither by economic class nor security concerns. Ironically, it was shuttered in 2001 when its glorious architecture was deemed no longer suitable for modern-day air travel.
These days, the terminal has returned to the spotlight as it undergoes a transformation into the TWA Flight Center Hotel. The project is expected to wrap up in late 2018.
Survival tips
- When it comes to taking public transportation to and from JFK, opt for the LIRR for efficiency. It's quicker—a lot quicker—than the subway, but also comes at the cost of $10.25 during peak hours versus just $2.75 for the subway.
- Terminal 4 has a second security checkpoint on the lower level that's often used for incoming international passengers, but is also available to those departing. It's often much less crowded than the other security checkpoint but beware, its hours are spotty.
- Surpass the line for a cab right out front of the arrivals area by going to a second, less-used taxi stand. To get there, walk all the way to the right of the arrivals bank and just around the corner as if you're going to get on the bus.
- Hack the walk to the far-out B gates of Terminal 4 by turning right instead of left at the first entrance to the gates, as if you were going to take the shuttle to Terminal 2. There you'll find a bus that skips from gate B18 to B54 in less than half the time it would take to walk (even with the moving sidewalks.)
- Forgot to bring a gift for the friend you're visiting? Don't sleep on the Metropolitan Museum of Art store in Terminal 4.
- If you're flying with Delta, download their app. Passengers flying with checked baggage will get an alert once their luggage is scanned and dropped on the carousel at arrival. Instead of waiting at the carousel (boring), mill about the terminal while you wait (less boring.)
- The Terminal 4 Shake Shack by gate B37 is always less crowded. Rumor also has it that they'll sell full bottles of wine, should you ask.
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