NYP at two AM

[eagle628]

So I'll be taking the northbound overnight Regional (66, I think it is?) from New York to Boston later this month, and I was wondering how safe Penn Station is in the middle of the night--how many people are there, how much security, whether I should feel safe sleeping in the waiting area, etc. If anyone has experience at Penn Station in the wee hours of the morning, I'd be grateful for advice/warnings/what have you.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I think Simon & Garfunkle's first album basically about this, only an hour later. :blink: Another difference is that it only has twelve tracks... hboy:

Sorry, us old timers love to reminisce. :help:

Hopefully someone who is younger than dirt can give you a better answer. h34r:

 

[Acela150]

Not sure about the waiting areas but once your on the platform you'll be fine. Just make sure you have your ticket out as they will most likely check your ticket to get on the platform. I'm sure there's a beggar or two at that hour but most of the homeless are sleeping I would guess.

As a suggestion for this train Get a BC seat. It's the 2x1 seating and has curtains to block out light when the sunrises if that should bother you. Coach doesn't. Keep in mind that at KIN and PVD commuters crowd the train as they head to BOS on 66.

 

[NY Penn]

It should be very safe.

Remember, New York is the city that never sleeps!

 

[AlanB]

So I'll be taking the northbound overnight Regional (66, I think it is?) from New York to Boston later this month, and I was wondering how safe Penn Station is in the middle of the night--how many people are there, how much security, whether I should feel safe sleeping in the waiting area, etc. If anyone has experience at Penn Station in the wee hours of the morning, I'd be grateful for advice/warnings/what have you.

Well I wouldn't suggest falling asleep in the waiting area with your iPhone sitting next to you for example. But otherwise, as long as your valuables aren't visible and easy to get to, you should be ok. They do screen people prior to entering the seating area for a valid ticket, so you can't just walk into the area on your own to go shopping. You must be ticketed on a train to get into the area.

Otherwise you should have no problems in NYP. There is plenty of lighting, police, and other travelers coming and going.

Walk more than a couple of blocks away from Penn and in the wrong direction and I can't guarantee your safety after midnight.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Alan pretty much nailed it but Id suggest not arriving too early to NYP, there are lots more comfortable places to hang out while waiting, there might even be a Bar or two around NYP!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Donctor]

I think Simon & Garfunkle's first album basically about this, only an hour later. :blink: Another difference is that it only has twelve tracks... hboy:

Sorry, us old timers love to reminisce. :help:

Hopefully someone who is younger than dirt can give you a better answer. h34r:

I'm younger than dirt, and my instinct was to give the same answer you did.

 

[Heading North]

I've been there waiting for 67 in the wee hours about a dozen times, and the scariest thing that's ever happened was the time I nodded off briefly and was woken up by a guy I went to college with years ago (also waiting for a train). I wouldn't worry about it. If you have plans that keep you out on the town until 1 or 2 am, it's nicer than waiting in the station itself, but here's the routine I typically follow.

If I'm in the station early enough, I'll stop by Tracks, a bar/restaurant on the LIRR level outside the 7th Avenue Subway (123 trains) entrance. It closes at midnight or 1, I forget, but it's a good place to kill time. Some of the smaller delis, etc. in the station will also be open quite late, possibly even until train time, but these are all take out.

I then walk over to the waiting room and show my ticket. There's usually a couple dozen people at least, some waiting for NJT trains, some with bad connections (traveling south from the Maple Leaf, for example). Before the last NJT trains leave, around 1:30, Amtrak Police do a ticket sweep and escort out anyone without a valid ticket. I typically fight to stay awake, but it's hard to sleep (lots of prerecorded announcements) and I wouldn't recommend it.

I check the monitors to see when the trains arrive and grab the track number so I won't have to wait for an announcement later on. (It's briefly posted when the train comes in, then disappears.) I'll typically wait inside until about 30 minutes before train time, then walk over to the gate and hang out there. Boarding is typically 20 minutes before departure even though the train may be sitting in NYP a while.

There will be other people around--cleaning staff, and on a weekend, drunk suburban college kids--but the waiting room feels safest, especially after the sweep.

I've also done late nights at WAS and LAX (waiting for the 1:30 am bus to Bakersfield) and NYP felt the most secure because the waiting room is always staffed, police were frequently seen, and there were definitely other travelers; LAX felt a little uncomfortable. (Then again, I was a longtime NYC resident...)

 

[TCRT]

I did this a few months ago, taking an unsupported connection to BOS from the Cardinal, and I agree with the above posters that NYP at 2AM feels quite safe. The waiting area is staffed by at least one person and the Amtrak level in general is well-lit and well populated enough not to feel seriously lonely. Perhaps one might encounter a homeless person using the restroom, but that's really about it (and it's not like that doesn't happen during normal hours at NYP anyway). The waiting area during my experience was actually quite full, and boarding was also rather calm, for NYP.

 

[Shanghai]

I have waited in the Amtrak/NJT waiting area on two occasions when the Cardinal

was late and I missed my train to NJ. The police occasionally walk into the

area asking to see your ticket. On one occasion, I waited from 1am until 6am

and felt safe. I didn't sleep and stayed somewhat alert.

 

[eagle628]

Thanks everyone for the advice; it went pretty much exactly as y'alls said. There was a brief altercation between an Amtrak police officer and someone (clearly OBS staff are not the only ones in need of competance training), but other than that, no excitement. All in all,it was a lot less uncomfortable than I expected.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Glad everything work out.

Next time grab a New Jersy Transit to Newark NJ and board you train to Boston at Newark. Be sure to travel Business Class and you get a extra hour of sleep.

This of course is depend on the time you arrive at the station.

 

[Acela150]

Glad everything work out.

Next time grab a New Jersy Transit to Newark NJ and board you train to Boston at Newark. Be sure to travel Business Class and you get a extra hour of sleep.

This of course is depend on the time you arrive at the station.

Newark is a bit of a rough city if you ask me.. When I rolled through on 66 last year I got an extreme unsettling feeling. MET is better. While not a populated station it's most likely a safer station. But at least at NWK there should be some kind of Rent A Cop around.

 

[sttsxm]

they really roll up the sidewalks at NWK in the middle of the night...no ticket agents....only 1 quick track machine...no red caps...no food or restrooms available.....only NJTransit cops and a couple NWK cops, plus lots of 'unsavories'

lots of homeless people on the platform...though one guy was kind of less scary...he actually wound up helping me with my bag....i gave him a couple bucks for coffee and a donut...

last time i was at NYP at o-dark-thirty they had even closed down the restrooms.....

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Few bums around, but nothing to worry about. Seen few Amtrak police officers there.

Remember, LIRR, other tenant at NYP, run 24/7.