New York, New York

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 16:14

Hey all,

I've returned from my stint Stateside (regrettably), and have brought back plenty of photographs of the city and its roads.

My comments:

1. New York traffic is a whole new level. London is not a patch on the traffic in Midtown Manhattan.

2. Is there ever a free-flowing moment on the Van Wyck Expwy (I-678)? It seems to be perma-jammed south of I-495.

3. EZPass doesn't always seem to work... our bus got a dud as we left the Queens-Midtown Tunnel (the security checkpoint at the entrance to the tunnel was rather odd, but you can't photograph a checkpoint).

4. Why do NY drivers like to use the shoulder to bypass congestion and then nip across merge noses? It's absolutely mad, yet amazing at the same time.

5. I had no idea most of the Grid in Midtown was six lanes wide. We stuck to the crosswalks whilst on foot...!

6. Taxi drivers are just incredible. I had a good chat with one of them about driving standards and how in England we have to follow strict driving tests to drive a cab, etc. He said that wasn't very American - it was his third day as a cabbie!

7. The skyline at night is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and the people are the friendliest I've ever met outside of SABRE.

8. Underground car parks and those "stack" things were rife. Those are just incredible.

Anyway, I'm off to process these photos now.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 16:33

Bryn666 wrote:8. Underground car parks and those "stack" things were rife. Those are just incredible.

Parking for "just $10/hour"!!!

http://pberry.fotopic.net/p10165725.html

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 16:54

I saw some as 'cheap' as $13.75 for 35 minutes...

It's cheaper to deal with cabs and their tips, I suspect...

EDIT: looking at those pics, Paul, you're not one of the "little brown bag" crowd are you? The number of girls from our college group who I had to give directions to Bloomingdale's for... "follow 57th to Lexington, turn left, and it's on the right at 59th"...

I was possibly the only one other than those who'd been before who knew where a lot of things were

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 17:31

Bryn666 wrote:I saw some as 'cheap' as $13.75 for 35 minutes...

It's cheaper to deal with cabs and their tips, I suspect...

EDIT: looking at those pics, Paul, you're not one of the "little brown bag" crowd are you? The number of girls from our college group who I had to give directions to Bloomingdale's for... "follow 57th to Lexington, turn left, and it's on the right at 59th"...

I was possibly the only one other than those who'd been before who knew where a lot of things were

Bloomie's? Never heard of it!

http://pberry.fotopic.net/p10165718.html

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 17:58

Ah, well I managed to avoid being dragged shopping, which is perhaps a good thing as it drives me insane, even in a giant department store...!

I was more amazed by 6 lane wide streets and such...

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 02:07

For those of us who have lots of patience;

172 photographs of New York (awaiting sorting out onto an actual webpage) are available here:

http://www.lmars.co.uk/sabre/newyork

luchar · Post by **luchar** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 08:44

In some states, driving on the hard shoulder is allowed in case of congestion: the hard shoulder thus becomes a lane.
For example, in Massachussets, on Highway 3, heading south from Boston to Cape Cod, is dual carriageway grade separated freeway which is often congested. There are signs telling you you can drive on the hard shoulder in case of congestion.

>Bryn66: did you take I-78 out of NYC through the Holland Tunnel? There is a quite amazing bridge on that section over the Newark bay, just before hitting the NJ Turnpike mainline (I-95)? There is also the beautiful Washington Memorial Bridge, the Verazzano, and the pretty impressive New Jersey side entrance of the Lincoln tunnel: the elevated hwy does a 360° spiral to get down to the tunnel (NJ-495).

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 18:16

Sadly I was restricted to Manhattan Island only, owing to the fact I was on an official trip with my college.

Next time I go back I'll be doing a lot of roadgeeking I suspect

luchar · Post by **luchar** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 18:40

Yeah, hwys around NYC are quite amazing... and a true feast of engineering!!!

Gav · Post by **Gav** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 21:58

Yep and the freeway on the east side of Manhattan is built on ballast that was removed from London during the war.....

Wonder if since it is built on brisitsh soil you could argue that you should drive on the left on these sections....

Gavin

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 22:23

I heard it was Bristol, Gav, but yeah, I agree with you.

I've now compiled the best into this webpage:

http://www.lmars.co.uk/sabre/newyork/newyork.html

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 19:03

You found this too! City Hall Park.

M4Simon · Post by **M4Simon** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 19:49

A good source of new Avatars in that picture.

Simon

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 19:49

You can imagine everyone's faces in my law department can't you... "Oi, Bryn! There's a load of signs in that park!"

I hadn't even noticed it until we were next to it, I was too busy trying to get a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge...

DavidBrown · Post by **DavidBrown** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 19:52

I bet you're glad that you got back from New York before the snow hit!

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 19:53

Sort of. Although being stuck in NYC had some serious attraction

M4Simon · Post by **M4Simon** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 20:35

Excellent pictures.

Cheers,

Simon

Roadgeek · Post by **Roadgeek** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 14:54

Welcome to america.

New York, New York

New York, New York

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