La Guardia Airport is an international terminal located in New York, USA. It is the smallest of the three largest airports in the city. Having a fairly limited space (there are only two runways), it can accommodate quite a lot of people. In December 2017, it served about 2.5 million passengers.
About airport
The terminal was opened in 1939 and is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which has been an operator since 1947 under a lease agreement. The 2004 agreement ensured the operation of the terminal until 2050.
New York's La Guardia Airport is located in East Elmhurst, Queens, 13 km from Manhattan.
It has 4 terminals: terminal A (marine air terminal), terminal B (central terminal) and terminals C and D. The central terminal has four wings, designated by letters from A to D.
About a dozen airlines operate in La Guardia, the most important carriers being Delta and American Airlines.
A map of La Guardia Airport is pictured below. With her, finding the right terminal is not difficult.
La Guardia Airport: how to get there by public transport
La Guardia is the only of the three largest airports in New York, where there is no railway connection. The only public transport available is the bus.
Although some tourists arriving in New York for the first time may be somewhat confused, the MTA public transportation system is one of the best in the world, offering a network of buses and taxis to attract tourists and residents.
La Guardia Airport is served by the M60 and Q70 bus routes, both of which are Select Bus Service lines (you must pay the fare before boarding). The M60 starts on Broadway and 106th Street in Manhattan, linking with several subway lines and a suburban railway. Launched in 2016, the Q70 starts its route at Woodside and offers connections to trains E, F, M, R and 7, as well as the Long Island Railroad. This is one of the easiest ways to get to and from La Guardia cheaply. The fare for the bus and metro from May 2018 is 184 rubles ($ 2.75) per trip.
There are 3 other Queens bus lines that serve the airport: Q72 passes through Elmhurst and Rego Park, and Q48 passes through Corona and Flushing. Both go to service terminals B, C, and D. Q47 passes through Glendale and Jackson Heights, but only serves terminal A.
How to get by private transport
You can also take a yellow taxi or use sharing apps like Uber, Juno or Lyft. To get a taxi from the airport, you should exit the terminal and find a taxi sign, where you can stand in line for boarding. Lyft, Uber, and Juno apps also connect passengers to drivers within a few minutes, so you can call a taxi while getting your luggage. Private cars and taxis are likely to cost more than sharing apps.
In addition, several companies offer private transfers to / from Manhattan. Go Airlink NYC offers joint transfers from La Guardia Airport 24 hours a day, while NYC Airporter is the official bus service for the three New York airports. This company provides services from Penn Station, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Grand Central Terminal and Newark Airport.
If passengers need to park their car in La Guardia, there are also several options. Short-term parking is available if you need to meet someone or spend at the airport, and long-term parking is available if you need to leave your car for a night or longer.
Where to stay
La Guardia is also the only one of the three airports in the city where there are no hotels. There are several hotels located on the other side of the Grand Central Parkway, but they are not the most convenient for those who want to visit the rest of the city.
It’s best to stop somewhere along one of the metro lines that connect to the M60 or Q70 bus routes. There are many hotels around Queensboro Plaza, including the Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Nevsa Hotel and Giorgio Hotel, prices below 6,700 rubles ($ 100) per night. There are also boutique hotels in the area, such as the Boro Hotel, which has an industrial atmosphere and rooms cost from 10,000 rubles ($ 150) per night.
Hotels in downtown Manhattan will be conveniently accessible from La Guardia Airport on the 7th train and Q70 bus. The CitizenM New York Times is recommended here as an inexpensive option (room prices start at 10,000 rubles ($ 150) per night) and Knickerbocker, located next to Times Square. Metro stops are usually near more expensive and luxurious hotels.
Where to eat
In recent years, the number of establishments at the airport has increased, but they are still few. For example, in Marine Air Terminal there are only two cafes. Here are some of the best restaurants in the airport:
- Biergarten. This is a bar with an extensive assortment of beers selected by Brooklyn Brewery brewer Garrett Oliver. It also serves German sandwiches and snacks. This is perhaps the best place to stay, judging by the reviews at La Guardia Airport, and the food is surprisingly very good. Location: Terminal C, Food Court Security Post.
- Bisoux. As part of the Delta star culinary project at Terminal D, a few years ago, Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson opened this Provencal bistro. Croque-Monsieur and Croque-Madame are among the gourmet menus that can be ordered here. Location: Terminal D, security post, gate D10.
- Cotto. This trattoria was opened in conjunction with the famous chef Michael White. It serves snacks, panini, pasta and pizza. The menu also has coffee and toast. Location: Terminal C, gate C30.
Secrets of La Guardia
The Art Deco Maritime Terminal is so named because it is located right on the water quite far from the other three terminals, and once served seaplanes.
Exterior and interior were presented as a reflection of New York in 1980. The rotunda is decorated with a ceiling window, the fantastic painting “Flight of James Brooks”, created as part of the “Management of Progress” program and a large bust of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.
At the airport, there have been numerous incidents involving flights approaching and departing from La Guardia. In 1957, a plane crashed on the nearby island of Rickers during takeoff. In 2009, US Airways flight 1549 headed for Charlotte became famous. He lost both engines as a result of a collision with birds and was forced to land on the Hudson River. This flight is known as The Miracle on the Hudson and is immortalized by Tom Hanks as Sally in the film of the same name.
In another film, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Kevin flies to La Guardia, but the view from the windows of the airport, which is presented in one of the frames of the film, does not exist in real life.