What would be the latest time to leave JFK to be able to make an evening show on Friday?

[theatered100]

Hi everyone. I have an upcoming trip to NYC and seeking some advice on transportation from JFK to Times Square.

What would be the latest time to leave JFK to be able to make an evening broadway show on Friday? How is the traffic around that time of the week? Would taking a cab be the fastest option?

I am landing at JFK on Friday evening around 6 pm. Considering I need to drop off my luggage at a hotel in Times Square, I have the feeling that I have too little time to make an 8 pm show that night, but I would like to be knowledgeable in case my plane arrives a little early or things go fast at the airport.

Any advice from frequent travelers or local drivers would be appreciated!

[DRSisLove]

You will definitely not have enough time. It can take 30 minutes or more to deplane and exit JFK's massive terminals. The fastest way to get in would be AirTrain + LIRR, and even that is around an hour if the schedules line up.

[BrodyFosse123]

You’ll never make it. Without delays you land at 6pm. You won’t be off your plane and on the street till 6:30pm-6:45pm. Plus, you have traffic to deal with getting into Manhattan AND hope your check-in at the hotel is instant AND you drop off your things in your room THEN you’re running to get to a theatre for an 8pm curtain.

Unrealistic, bro.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Yeah, there's no way you'd make it, even if things run 100% on time and smoothly. 

[theatered100]

Thanks for your replies. I agree with all of you. JFK is massive and time-consuming. I will get to my hotel and go to sleep as fast as I can so that I will be ready for the next day which is a two-show day!

Thank you, Brody DRSisLove, for informing me of AirTrain + LIRR. Friday night sounds tricky in terms of traffic. I wasn't sure if a cab would work best, so I am glad to know about this option.

Thanks everyone!!

[TheatreRocks]

Take the Airtrain to Jamaica center and get on the E to times square. Fastest way from JFK to the theatre district by far. Landing at six and show at 8 with a hotel check in in between, you should just make it.

edit- save a stop by taking to airtrain to buthpin blvd instead for the E. my mistake

[LesWickedly]

Keep your eye out for some 54 Below shows or other concerts. 

[Miles2Go2]

Yeah. I don’t see how you’d ever make an 8 o’clock show. Since it’s likely you won’t be in as much of a rush, I’d recommend booking a shared van through the SuperShuttle app. It will cost you about $20 - 23 including tip. It might take a little longer to get to your hotel, but you won’t have to struggle with your luggage through public transport and it’s pretty darn affordable. I swear by it.

In regards to late night shows, I like the idea of 54 Below (I’ve never been!). You might also check and see what’s the latest you can get into Sleep No More if you think you like immersive theater. (I’ve decided I don’t like totally immersive theater although I love some interaction with the cast. Loved the current Sweeney Todd at the Barrow Street Theater as well as the last off-Broadway production of The Great Comet. I had mixed feelings about the fully immersive Then She Fell).

I’m curious. What are you seeing on your two show day?

[itsshowtime2]

Your best bet is to take the AirTrain to the subway and take it to Times Square. Go to the MTA website and use their trip planner to get an idea of travel times. Traffic is a nightmare on Friday nights with rush hour - cabs/shuttles could take up to 2 hours depending on traffic. Traffic is especially terrible once you get close to Times Square too. I have gotten out of cabs because I could walk faster (but not with bags).

I would not buy a play ticket in advance. I would suggest having a print out of a discount from Playbill or Theater Mania for a show you want to see that isn't likely to sell out. Then if you have enough time, go straight to the box office after you drop your bags at the hotel.

As someone else suggested, 54 Below is a good option if you don't have time to make an 8pm curtain.

Enjoy your trip!

[Wick3]

Which airline are you flying?

Back in mid-March I already had a flight BOS-JFK set to arrive at JFK terminal 4 at 6pm. I got lucky and was able to get Harry Potter tix that evening set to start at 8pm (cost was only $20/part). Yes, I was nervous. Yes I didn't know if I would make it... but I did! 

First off, my scheduled flight arrival time is 6:05pm but the plane arrived early at around 5:40pm (I flew Delta Airlines and Delta tends to pad their arrival times so if weather is cooperative their flights tend to arrive earlier than the scheduled arrival time.)

Note I didn't have any checked luggage. I went straight to airtrain to their Jamaica stop. Took the next train to Penn Station and took the blue line train one stop uptown and was at the Lyric theatre by 7:20pm.... so with some nice weather and a little bit of luck, it is possible.

[greenifyme2]

It’s such a crap shoot. I was late to a show for the first time ever last week because I was stuck between stations due to a stalled train ahead. Id just hope for the best a buy a ticket when you get there if you make it!

[theatered100]

Wow! Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

Wick3, TheatreRocks, and greenifyme2, I will have checked-in baggage and my flight is international, so my chance will be extremely slim. Definitely no advanced ticket purchase, but if a miracle happens, I will run into one of the box offices with a printed discount code as suggested by itsshowtime2! I will also figure out a preferred transportation option and a few backups based on all the suggestions here. (Wick3, by the way you helped me prepare for shows last year! Nice to talk to you again!)

Thanks Miles2Go2 and LesWickedly, for bringing up alternatives such as 54 Below and Sleep No More! These sound very exciting.

In the evening I am arriving, 54 Below has Darius de Haas: A Leonard Bernstein Thing from 9:30 PM, and Sleep No More has 11:00, 11:15, 11:30, 11:45 PM and 12:00 AM entrance time options. Does anybody know how much time you should allow to be able to fully experience Sleep No More? Their website says "After admission, guests embark upon an individual journey and may stay inside the performance for as long as they wish," but I have no idea when I will be leaving the theater.

Miles2Go2, I haven't decided what exactly I am seeing the next day, but during my trip, I will mainly explore musicals which opened this season as listed below. Any comments would be appreciated!

Have tickets to:

• Harry Potter
• Frozen

Definitely seeing:

• The Band's Visit
• Once on This Island
• The Phantom of the Opera (because it seems like the only show playing Thursday matinee)

Likely to see:

• My Fair Lady
• Mean Girls

Still deciding between:

• Carousel and Spongebob
• Angels in America (It is attractive, but I have recently seen it on screen, so...)

[ArtMan]

Your flight is international so a good portion of time, once you deplane, is spent going through customs/passport control.  Then you have checked baggage which takes up at least a half hour.  (walking to baggage pick up, waiting for the baggage, then again going through passport control).  If this was a regular flight and you had no checked baggage, I would have said go for it.  More than once, I arrived to Times Square via Air Train/subway and was at the box office in a hour.  My luggage in the past was just a gym bag so no need to go to Hotel to check it in. But in this case, you won't make a 8:00 show.  If memory serves me, I recently was looking at the off broadway schedule. There may be a show that starts after 8:00.

[ArtMan]

double post

[BrodyFosse123]

Yeah, the international flight situation just killed this. Even if you didn’t check a bag, just going thru customs on a Friday takes forever. I’ve done it countless times so I’m patient when I fly as customs is a hit-or-miss. Sometimes it’s 15-20 minutes; sometimes it’s almost an hour.

[ArtMan]

Also, if the OP is not a US citizen, it may take even longer to get through customs.  (Although there have been times, when the non US citizen lines went smoother and faster than the US lines. And that was here in the US)

[greenifyme2]

Are you a US citizen? If so, for the future I’d recommend getting Global Entry. Just a scan of your passport at a kiosk and on your way. No waiting in line. Best $100 I’ve ever spent and it’s good for years.

[Miles2Go2]

theatered100 said: "Wow! Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

Wick3,TheatreRocks, andgreenifyme2,I will have checked-in baggage and my flight is international, so my chance will beextremely slim.Definitelynoadvanced ticket purchase, butif a miracle happens, I will run into one of thebox offices with a printed discountcode as suggested by itsshowtime2! I will also figure out a preferredtransportation optionand a fewbackups based on all the suggestions here.(Wick3, by the way you helped me preparefor showslast year! Nice to talk to youagain!)

ThanksMiles2Go2 andLesWickedly, for bringing upalternatives such as 54 Below and Sleep No More! Thesesound very exciting.

In the evening I am arriving,54 Below has Darius de Haas: A Leonard Bernstein Thingfrom 9:30 PM, and Sleep No More has11:00,11:15,11:30,11:45 PM and12:00 AM entrance time options. Does anybodyknow how much time you should allow to be able to fully experience Sleep No More? Their website says "After admission, guests embark upon an individual journey and may stay inside the performance for as long as they wish," but I have no idea when I will be leaving the theater.

Miles2Go2, I haven't decided what exactlyI am seeing the next day,but duringmy trip, I will mainlyexploremusicals which opened this season as listed below. Any comments wouldbe appreciated!

Have tickets to:

• Harry Potter
• Frozen

Definitely seeing:

• The Band's Visit
• Once on This Island
• The Phantom of the Opera (becauseit seems like the only show playingThursday matinee)

Likely to see:

• My Fair Lady
• Mean Girls

Still deciding between:

• Carousel andSpongebob
• Angels in America (It is attractive, butI have recently seen it on screen, so...)

You’ll likely be jet-lagged after arriving on an international flight so you will probably be well advised to skip a show and get a good night’s sleep so you’ll be fresh for your two show day.

I was initially quite hyped for Carousel, but mostly negative comments on here plus mixed critic reviews have disabused me of that notion. So I’d vote for Spongebob. I could never have guessed that I’d say that, but there will likely be other perhaps better revivals of Carousel, but I don’t see there ever being another Broadway revival of Spongebob. I plan to see it in June. It’s reported strong points are the cast (especially Ethan Slater), the direction, and stagecraft. That combo won’t happen again for this show. 

I do plan to see Angels in America, but I haven’t seen the filmed London production. You have to decide if it’s worth it enough to give up two of your slots. 

I’d definitely recommend Hello, Dolly!, My Fair Lady, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton (especially if you’ve never seen it), Waitress, and the off-broadway Sweeney Todd. 

[flinger072]

I'd go to the earliest Sleep No More time available. Better to have more time to explore than less - you can always leave early. the experience basically repeats 3 times, so the more time you have, the more rooms and characters you can explore.

i would think some theatres have a bag check if skipping the hotel check in gives you more time.

[theatered100]

I am an overseas traveler to the US. The line was sometimes pretty smooth at other NY airports in the past, so I was being a bit optimistic, but JFK must be a totally different story. Thanks everyone!

flinger072, thank you for giving details about Sleep No More. Yeah, 11:00 PM seems to be the best option.

Miles2Go2, I did see Hello, Dolly!, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Waitress, and the off-broadway Sweeney Todd. I liked them all and would definitely see them all again if I had more slots!! Ten slots sounds many but is never enough considering how many shows are running on Broadway!

[Miles2Go2]

theatered100 said: "I am an overseas travelerto the US. The line was sometimes pretty smoothatother NY airportsin the past, so I was being a bit optimistic, but JFK must be a totally different story. Thanks everyone!

flinger072, thank you for giving detailsabout Sleep No More. Yeah, 11:00 PM seems to be the best option.

Miles2Go2, I did see Hello, Dolly!, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Waitress, and the off-broadway Sweeney Todd. Iliked them all and would definitely see them all again if I had more slots!!Tenslots sounds many but is neverenough consideringhow manyshows are running onBroadway!"

It’s understandable. No matter how many slots I have, I never get to see all the shows on my list. 

[greenifyme2]

flinger072 said: "I'd go to the earliest Sleep No More time available. Better to have more time to explore than less - you can always leave early. the experience basically repeats 3 times, so the more time you have, the more rooms and characters you can explore.

i would think some theatres have a bag check if skipping the hotel check in gives you more time."

Seconding going to the earliest slot BUT don’t leave early! My first time I made that mistake and missed the finale. Just went back (years later) and finally saw the finale. 

[RippedMan]

Sleep No More is a great option! Leave a little early as it is a bit of a walk and they have a bar/band playing so you can just relax until your time. I’d say 2hours to 90mins is probably enough time? Not to spoil, but they make it to where everyone ends at the same time. It’s totally worth it.

[bunnie3]

A cab Wil be ULTRA ridiculously expensive. Do the Airtrain and lirr. You realistically need at least 3 hours wiggle room.

[uncageg]

The 54 Below suggestion is a good one. Great cabaret space. A bit pricey but nice atmosphere and something different and theatre related. I have been several times and have enjoyed myself. Plus it is a relatively short night. You get a good performance and probably back to your hotel in time to get some good rest for your next day of shows. JMO