New York, NY, USA in Aug, Sep, Oct

OMNY contactless payment is the fastest way to ride the NYC subway and buses — simply tap your Visa/Mastercard/Amex or Apple/Google Pay at any turnstile or bus reader. No separate card needed. Alternatively, buy a MetroCard at any station vending machine (add $2 card fee; load $33 for 4 people × ~$23 worth of single taps over 5 days). One subway/bus fare = $2.90 anywhere in the 5 boroughs. With OMNY you also automatically get a daily cap of $34 and weekly cap of $34 once you hit 12 taps on the same card — useful if you're transit-heavy.

**Citymapper** is the gold-standard navigation app for NYC — far more reliable than Google Maps for real-time subway alerts, planned service changes, and multi-modal trip chaining. Download it before you fly. Uber and Lyft both operate fully in NYC; expect surge pricing around Times Square, Madison Square Garden events, and peak hours (4–7 pm). Use the apps' price-comparison feature — they're roughly equivalent in cost. Yellow or green taxis can be hailed on the street and are metered; tip 18–20%.

Tipping norm: 18–20% at sit-down restaurants is standard and expected; it is not optional in NYC culture. Many card readers now default to 20–25% prompts — pressing 'custom' to enter 18% is perfectly fine. At food halls and counter-service spots (Brookfield Place, Time Out Market), tip $1–2 per person if there's a tip jar but it's not required. Taxi/Uber tips: 15–20%.

Scam / safety heads-up: At JFK and LGA, only use the official yellow taxi queue outside arrivals (flat fare $70 from JFK to Manhattan, tolls extra) or the pre-booked Uber/Lyft pickup zones. Ignore anyone inside the terminal offering 'taxi' or 'car service' — these are unlicensed and will overcharge significantly. On the subway, keep bags in front of you on crowded platforms and during rush hour.

Rush-hour windows: Subway platforms get extremely crowded 7:30–9:30 am and 4:30–7:00 pm on weekdays, especially on the 4/5/6 (Lexington Ave) and A/C/E lines through Midtown. If you need to ride during these windows, let one or two trains pass to board with room for your group of 4. Weekends are generally manageable even during midday peaks.

Late-night transit: The NYC subway runs 24/7 — it never closes, which is unique among major metro systems. After midnight, frequency drops to every 15–30 min on most lines; use Citymapper to check live departures. Night buses also run all routes. For safety after midnight, stick to well-lit platforms and ride in cars with other passengers. Uber/Lyft are always a solid fallback late at night, especially for the group.