Please help! I change flights in JFK Airport and have 7 hrs. Can I go see some places in New York?

#1 - I would have my boarding pass ready to go before I left the secured areas of JFK.

#2 - Many posters have forgotten about the security checkpoints - you may find a wait greater than an hour when you return but your connecting flight leaves late and could be delayed itself.

#3 - Belmont Park, if you're into horse racing, is pretty close to JFK and you may be able to catch a few late afternoon races.

#4 - I would not try to travel to lower Manhattan because you're looking at a 2 hour ride to get there and a 2 hour ride to return - leaving you with only 3 hours (not including the security delay when you return). Brighton Beach is also close to JFK - lots of Russian restaurants and close to the subway.

I'm a risk taker as well but I almost boarded the wrong train when I attempted to see Manhattan during a 60 minute train stop.

- Getting into JFK at 4:15 PM is putting you here at the height of rush hour (rush hours actually), so forget about cabs or cars. Bad Idea.

- If you really want to do this - Take the Air Train at JFK to the Howard Beach station. Switch there for the Manhattan bound A train.

Time wise all I could do is estimate. Let's say you get to the A train at 5:30. The A train is about 18 stops to the Broadway/Nassau St train stop. I estimate this trip will take about 1hr and 30 min. Which puts you in the Financial District at about 7 PM.

STAY in LOWER Manhattan. On Broadway and Nassau go west for a block. You will be at ground zero.

Walk south on Broadway. You will pass Trinity Church (Wall street). In the graveyard there Alexander Hamilton is buried. Continue south on Broadway, you will pass the Bronze Bull. Diagonally across the street is Battery Park. Follow the park path to Castle Clinton (nothing to do with Bill or Hilary) until you are next to the river. Continue South until you can see the Statue of Liberty. You are now at the southern most point of Manhattan (South Ferry). Go back up B'way to return for the A train. BTW good pizza about 1.5 blocks noth of the Bull on the East side of the street. Further up on the same side to B'way is the neatest McDonalds you will ever see (a door man in a Tux, a piano player, and waitress if you desire)

Just remember be back on the A train going to Bklyn/Queens with enough time, allowing for at least 2hrs train time and whatever lead time you need at JFK.

Good luck - I like risk takers

There don't appear to be any direct flights from Cardiff to New York. Continental Airlines fly daily from Bristol to Newark, where you can conveniently hop on a train to Penn station in the heart of Manhatten. However, as the previous responder comments, schedules and fares for that far ahead will not yet have been released.

I agree with the other users...getting into Manhattan will take about 90 minutes at that time of day. You will probably have just enough time to see 1 thing. My pick...Times Square. You don't have to wait in any lines. Lots to see. There is a subway station there. So a litte shopping and buy a hot dog from a stree vendor.

I would research NYC and get VERY specific about where I'm going - in other words go to one place, like Grand Central Terminal. Don't go somewhere where you'll have to wait in line to see the site - like the top of the Empire State Building, it would take way too long waiting in line. You could go to Times Square (42nd street) and hang out for a couple hours. I would not take the subway or bus, I'd hop in a cab - you could easily get lost or stuck otherwise.

Calling it close, stay around Queens.

yeah it is awesome to do that spend 3 hours in Mannhatten