START SPREADING THE NEWS – NEW YORK , NEW YORK – A RIDE ON THE PATH TRAIN

if you  happen  to  be visiting  New  York  City ,  you want to get adventurous  and visit places not that far away.

People  have  told you  to visit  New Jersey ,  right across  the  river.

Shopping  is cheaper  than  New York  City ,  and depending  on  where in New Jersey  you are, it’s  just a day trip.

Here’s  a little  surprise  for you.

The Statue  of  Liberty  is actually  in New Jersey ,  not New York ,  but don’t  tell New Yorkers  that . 

They won’t  believe you.

You don’t  have  a  car, and you don’t  want to  go down  to  Port  Authority  Bus Terminal  to  catch a New Jersey  transit  bus . 

You also don’t want  to  go anywhere  near Penn Station  and take one of  those New Jersey  transit trains.

Penn Station  falls into every stereotype  that you’ve  ever heard about New York  City . 

It’s  big, it’s  dirty ,  it’s  loud, and it’s  as crowded as Hell with people  knocking you down trying to catch the train or subway.

But you want to  go to New Jersey . 

You have to.

This is a 30  Plus  Teams  Tour ,  after all . 

It was too expensive  for  the  four of  you to see a hockey  game  at Madison  Square  Garden ,  so you’re  going to see New Jersey ‘ s team, the New Jersey  Devils ,  play at the Prudential  Center in Newark . 

One problem ,  though.

You have no car and a taxi is very expensive from where your hotel is.

So what do you do ? 

Simple.

You brought a New York  City  Metro  Card to use when taking the subway.

You brought a reloadable  one which you can use on the other subway  line that takes you to New Jersey . 

It runs seven days a week ,  and 24 hours a day.

It’s  called  the  PATH Train.

PATH stands for Port Authority  Trans Hudson . 

In case you didn’t  know ,  it’s  the Hudson  River  that separates  New York  from New Jersey . 

It’s  the train that  a lot of people  from New Jersey  take to their jobs in New York  City . 

The PATH train has two major terminals  in New York  City ,  The World Trade  Center  and 33rd. Street . 

If you’re  going to a game at the Prudential  Center, which you are, you can take the train at either the World  Trade Center  or 33rd Street ,  depending  on  where in the city you are.

Keep in mind though if you take the train at the 33rd Street  tetminal, the last stop is Journal Square in Jersey City ,  which is  a major terminal  in New Jersey . 

You have to get off and wait for  the  train to continues on to the city of Harrison ,  New Jersey  and Newark . 

The PATH  train  is very clean as they allow no eating or drinking  on it, plus it’s  not as noisy as the New York  City  subway . 

It does get crowded, so don’t  be  surprised  if during rush hour, you’re  standing . 

This train is an alternative  to  the  regular subway  if you happen  to  be  going to  or near 23rd, 14th, 9th, or Christopher  Streets  in New York  City . 

Another piece  of  advice when you take  the PATH . 

Act like you’ve  been  on it before and know where you’re  going . 

There are information  booths at every PATH  station ,  and better yet, have your information  before you leave your hotel, hostel or Airbnb . 

Have fun in New Jersey  and enjoy your ride on the PATH  Train . 

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START SPREADING THE NEWS – NEW YORK CITY . SPORTS DIVA 63 SHARES SOME TRAVEL TIPS ON YOUR OWN 30 PLUS TEAMS TOUR NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY .

First of  all ,  Manhattan  is the  city ,  the other  boroughs of  Brooklyn ,  Queens ,  The  Bronx ,  and  Staten  Island  are  known  as  ”  The  Outer  Boroughs  ” .

Explore  more  than  Manhattan  while  you’re  doing  your  own  30  Plus  Teams  Tour .

The  Bronx  has  the  zoo , the  Botanical  Gardens , Arthur  Avenue  and  the  Yankees  baseball  team .

Staten  Island  has  the  ferry ,  which  is  free  and  for  a change  of  pace  in  cuisines ,  try  some  Sri  Lankan  food ,  as  this  borough  has  the  largest Sri  Lankan  population  in  New  York  City .

Brooklyn  is so big that if it were  to break  away  from  New York  City ,  it would  be  the 5 1st state .

It has the Brooklyn  Bridge ,  the  Grand  Army  Plaza ,  the  Brooklyn  Academy  of  Music  and  the  Brooklyn  Nets  basketball  team  and the  Islanders  hockey  team .

Queens  is one  of  the  most  diverse  areas  of  not  only  the  city ,  but the  country  as well .

Visit  Jackson  Heights ,  Louis  Armstrong’s  home ,  the  Museum  of the  Moving  Image ,  the site  of  the  1964 World’s  Fair , and  Flushing ,  which  has  the largest  Asian  populations  in the  city .

Queens  is  also  the  home  of  one  of  the  largest  Greek  populations ,  the  Bohemian  Beer  Garden ,  and New  York’s  other  baseball  team ,  the  Mets .

You  will  see lots  of  pigeons  in  the  city .

As much  as  you want  to ,  please  don’t  feed  them .

Contrary  to  popular  belief ,  the  pigeon  is  NOT  the  state  bird  of  New  York  City .

It just  seems  that  way .

Please  don’t  feed  the  squirrels  either .

They  may  look  all  cute  and  cuddly ,  but  these  are  rodents .

Rats  on  steroids ,  really .

Speaking  of  rats ,  yes ,  I’m  not  going  to  lie, New  York  has  a  lot  of  them  and  they  all  seem  to  be  on the  same  subway  platform  as  you  are .

They’re  on  the  tracks  as  well .

Word  of  advice ,  people .

THEY  ARE  NOT  TOURIST  ATTRACTIONS !

Just  because  you  see them  on  the  train  tracks  or  on  the  platforms ,  MOVE  OUT  THE  WAY !

Don’t  snap  pictures  and  videos  of  them  to  send  back to  the  folks  in Alabama  or Japan   and please  don’t  post  them  on  Facebook ,  Instagram  or  Snap  Chat .

Trust  me ,  people  don’t  want  to  see  that.

BACK  THE  HECK  UP !

These  rats  aren’t  here  for  you  all  to be  amused.

These are   New  York  City  Rats .

They’re  aggressive  and  they’re  all  in  a hurry  to  get  to  the  train  just  like  their  human  New  York  City  cousins .

So  do  us  and  them  a  huge  favor .

Put  down  the  cameras  and  keep  it  moving .

Don’t  block  the  doorways  of  the  subway  cars  with  your  backpacks  and  what  seems  to  be  your  big  suitcases  that  have  everything  but  the  kitchen  sink  in  them .

Trust  me ,  New Yorkers  will  give  you  more  than  dirty  looks  about  this .

Don’t  stop  in  the  middle  of  the  street  to  read  your  street  or  subway  map  either .

RESEARCH  PEOPLE  PLEASE !

Know  where  you’re  going  and  what  train  to  take  to get  to  your  destination  while  you’re  in  your  hotel  room .

Better  yet ,  map  out  that  route  whether  you’re  at  home  in  Lima ,  Ohio  or  Lima ,  Peru .

Follow  the  lead  of New  Yorkers  while  you’re  here .

Have  that  bag  of  Wise  Potato  Chips  on  the  D  train  or  number  4  train  while  heading  to  Yankee  Stadium  for  a  game .

Don’t  be  shocked  that we’re  eating .

New Yorkers  do  eat  and  drink  on  the  trains  and  nobody  is  going  to  tell  them  to  stop  doing  it .

Even  while  we’re  waiting  for  that  number  7 train  to  take  us  to  Citifield  to  see  the  Mets  or to  have some  Malaysian  food in Flushing ,  you’d  better  believe  that  we’re  going  to  bust  out  the  Dunkin  Donuts  bag  and  eat  right  in front  of  you .

Breakfast  at  home ?

You  think  New  York  City  people  have  time  for  that ?  !

NOOOO !

We’re  going  to  chug  down  that  7-Eleven  coffee  and  eat  that  bagel  with  cream  cheese  right  in  front  of  you  while  all  of  us  are  waiting  for  the  E  train  to  the  World  Trade  Center .

You  say that  it seems  like  New Yorkers  dress in  black  all the  time  like  we’re  in  mourning  or  something .

No, we just  like  to  look  hip  and  edgy .

DEAL  WITH  IT .

New  Yorkers  seem  to  be  loud  and  obnoxious ,  and  rude.

That’s  not  true  it’s  a  myth  – .

Wait  a  minute ,  no it’s  not .

It’s  what  makes  New York  City  what  it is .

Deal  with  THAT  too as you  wait  for  the  PATH  train  to  take  you  to  New  Jersey  to  watch  the  Giants  and  Jets  play  football  at  Met  Life  Stadium .

You  aren’t  in  Kansas  anymore .

Inspite  of  what  the  folks  back  in  Nebraska  told  you ,  don’t  be  afraid  to  take  a  New  York  City  subway .

If  you  happen  to  be  in  the  city ,  say  you  and  your  besties  around  11P.M ,  there  will  be  a  train  to  take  you  all  back  to  that  fancy  hotel  in  the  Meatpacking  District .

Just  remember  to  sit  in  the  conductor’s  car  so  that  he or she  can  answer  your  questions .

It seems  to  you  that  New  Yorkers  always  seem  to  be  in  a  hurry .

No, it’s  not  your  imagination .

They  are ,  ALWAYS .

Remember  to  stand  on the  right  side  of  the  escalator  so  that  people  can  pass  on  the  left .

Please  don’t  take  up  the  whole  sidewalk  when  the  four  of  you  are  walking .

You  aren’t  in  a  scene  from  Sex  in  the  city ,  so stop  it .

You  will  get  dirty  looks  and  someone  will  make  some  nasty  comment .

Trust  me ,  this  is  New York ,  it’s  a  given .

That’s  a  pet  peeve  among  New  Yorkers .

You  say  that  New  York  City  is really  expensive .

It is   but there  are  ways  around  that .

Don’t  take  cabs  everywhere .

Walk  or  take  the  subway .

No, seriously ,  take  them ,  even  though  Aunt  Martha  back  in  South  Dakota  told  you  how  scary  they  look .

They  aren’t  and  they  run  24  hours ,  seven  days  a  week .

You  want  to  be in  the  middle  of  the  action  but  you  don’t  want  to  pay those  high  city  prices .

Stay  in  one  of  the  Outer  Boroughs ,  like  Brooklyn  or  Queens .You  can  even  stay  in  New Jersey  to see a hockey  game ,  no matter  if  it’s  the Rangers  at  Madison  Square  Garden  or New Jersey’s  hockey  team ,  the  Devils ,  at  Prudential  Center  in  Newark .

You  can  get there  from  here  on  your  30  Plus  Teams  Tour .

You can  even  use that  New York  City  Metro  Card  to  pay  for  your  ride  on the  PATH  Train .

ENJOY  YOURSELVES !

NO ,  REALLY .

You’ve  never  experienced  anything  like  New  York  City  and  you  probably  never  will  again .

Don’t  be  intimidated  by  anything  about  the  city .

It may  sound  simple ,  but  please  act  like  you’ve  been  there  before .

Embrace  the  craziness  that  is  the  “city  that  never  sleeps . ”

Have  that  coffee  and  danish  while  waiting  for  the  R  or  N  train  to  take  you  to  Brooklyn to  see  some  Nets  basketball .

Act  the  way  you  would  if  you  were  back  in  Ireland  or  Wyoming .

Just  on a  much  grander  scale .