Traveling with senior citizens

Planning trip with in-laws. Any tips? Would the grayline ';hop on hop off'; buses be a better option than subways (lots of stairs are a problem). They are fairly healthy, just knee problems. Main things they want to see are SOL/ Ellis island, WT site, St. Patricks, Central Park, Intrepid, Grand central, Broadway show. Any thoughts on museums, circle line tour, wall street area, wax museum? What show do you recommend...they like musicals? There are 6 of us and we are trying to do this without breaking the bank. Thanks for any info!

Traveling with senior citizens

Subways are tough because of all the stairs. Some stations have elevators, but they are frequently out of service and often at deserted ends of the station, plus they%26#39;re not the cleanest (if you know what I mean). However, our city buses are all equipped with ';kneeling'; steps that make them very easy to use. The bus map can be a little confusing, but basically they run uptown and downtown along most avenues (except for Park Ave.), and connect with buses that go across major crosstown streets, including 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 49th/50th, 57th, 72nd, 79th, 86th, 96th, and more.

I%26#39;d break up the schedules so you%26#39;ll make time to sit and relax between. And try to get your theater tickets in advance. It%26#39;s not that easy to get six tickets together, sometimes it%26#39;s easier to break up into two groups, or even three pairs.

Traveling with senior citizens

Sorry Bettina, but the subway elevators have improved since your last inspection, esp the ones I%26#39;ve used lately, since I take my bicycle on the subway frequently.

Examples of good elevators: Penn Station, 66th St. on the 1 at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Bridge on the 4,5,6,J,M, and many others in Manhattan, Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street and many other Brooklyn stations (except Clark Street and Borough Hall) and Roosevelt Av/Jackson Heights in Queens.

My big complaint about them is that they are very slow, very hot (sometimes with no ventilation), and a little small (max capacity: 1 bike, 1 stroller and four people.) So, the summer is not a great time to use them.

I guess that 86th Street #6 station art mosaic has scarred you for life!

LOL! Nah, not scarred for life, for sure! I went to show someone the elevator at 14th St. (the one near the Food Deplorium), and it was broken AND reeked of urine. That was two weeks ago. And both escalators were broken as well. I had a friend who used a wheelchair, and while both stations he needed for his daily commute had elevators, at least twice a month he had to find station personnel to physically lift him and the chair up the stairs.

I forgot to mention, Union Square doesn%26#39;t count.

;o)

Even though it ';doesn%26#39;t count'; (very funny!), I was there last night and found the elevator working (but still reeking!) and both escalators still broken.

I don%26#39;t know where you%26#39;re staying, but you should be aware that some subway lines aren%26#39;t as far underground as others, so even if the elevators and escalators are out of service and/or smell of urine, some lines have fewer steps than others. In particular, I am thinking of the #6 line on the East Side, which is a local and makes all stops from upper Manhattan down to the Brooklyn Bridge. In contrast, at some stations (though not all), the #4 and #5, the East Side Express trains, are another level down, meaning another level of steps.

I don%26#39;t know if anyone has compiled comprehensive info of this nature on all subway lines and stations, but it I imagine it would be helpful to people like your in-laws.

The subway station at Lexington/53rd (I think the E line) has stairs that look like Mt. Everest! I%26#39;ve never climbed stairs that high in my life.

Yes, I believe that is the E line, which is way down beneath the surface. Actually, in my experience that station is the one station where the escalator usually IS working, so that%26#39;s sad you had to climb the stairs.

Hi

I recommend

sorry , I clik to fast...computers are very fast to me

wE are a seniro group going to the city as well and we are definteely going to Moma , Top of The rock the new Observation deck at the Rockefeller Center. I believe that could work beautifully with your ideas

We will go by bus because is easier , and also we have the same staris concers. WE used the bus in the past and worked really well , you know?, they basically go north or south , east or west so that leaves you time to enjoy the views

the same pass works for subway and bus

Don;t go th the Empire State , you will stand up waiting for a long time , same with the estatue