Driving into the city at night...

So I%26#39;m picking up my friend at JFK tonight for his first ever visit to the US, and, even with the crappy weather, I%26#39;d love to give him a good ';first sight of NYC'; experience. His hotel is down on Bowery %26amp; Broome, so these are the options I%26#39;m thinking of:

1. Van Wyck to LIE, Midown Tunnel and down 2nd

2. Belt to Manhattan Bridge

3. Belt to Brooklyn Bridge

4. Van Wyck to LIE to BQE to Williamsburg Bridge

Advice? Opinions? Traffic on any of those around 8pm? :-) Thanks all...

Driving into the city at night...

Are you pressed for time? If not, I like the #4 idea of the Van Wyck to the LIE to the BQE and cross the Kosciusko Bridge for a fantastic view of the skyline on your right, then the Williamsburg Bridge in. (So that

Driving into the city at night...

Agree with QB if it%26#39;s not pouring with rain.

It%26#39;s not the Pioneer Hotel, is it? That%26#39;s one of the worst I ever saw, anywhere! (10 years ago.)

I would go Belt to Manhattan Bridge, so your friend can see the Brooklyn Bruidge and Statue of Liberty to the left, Williamsburg to the right, and midtown skyscrapers center-right.

And it can take you right up The Bowery.

But you could instead opt to take the FDR downtown from there, see the Financial District, get off for Battery Park, make the U turn left on State Street by the Ferry terminals, and go right back up. An extra 10 - 15 minutes.

I happen to like the Belt Parkway to the BQE, it definitely takes longer but I like the route.

I%26#39;d pass the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge enroute to the Williamsburg Bridge.

Option 1 would be my last choice.

Crossing the Williamsburg Bridge is nice.

Just be aware that the BQE is a horrible road with ruff and irregular road surfaces and crazy traffic. I haven%26#39;t been on it for several months but there was a lot of construction around the Brooklyn bridge last time.

mrst40 - The BQE has been ';under construction'; since the day it was built. ;o)

oh don%26#39;t worry, mrst, I am well aware of the BQE%26#39;s permanent construction status. Just gotta check what spots are causing trouble currently... maybe QB can verify, but I remember most of the work right now is going on up around jackson heights, so I should be okay heading south from the LIE.

MoreFF - I would, but coming north on the BQE to the WillyB, I%26#39;d be stuck getting off and navigating my way around to the bridge entrance... and seeing as how I never drive in Brooklyn really, I don%26#39;t want to risk being the idiot who picks up his friends and gets lost taking them around in his own city :-)

I actually was just thinking... driving inbound, the driver%26#39;s side gets all the best views going by the Belt... so maybe that%26#39;s another point for the LIE/BQE.

Which has a better view though coming inbound? WillyB or Manhattan?

Well, I went by #2 (belt-bqe-manhattan)... and I have to say, I won%26#39;t opt for it again. At night, the belt parkway is horribly boring (especially in winter, when you don%26#39;t even get a glimpse of lights at coney island). The Verazzano is impressive, but for my friends it was just ho-hum... not ';new york'; identified enough. During the day though, I think it%26#39;s much better... I imagine visitors being surprised by how ';maritime'; the city looks that way.

The Gowanus through brooklyn is the worst though -- horrible road conditions, and no view other than of the backsides of warehouses, and the Costco. No view of the SOL.

No view of the Manhattan skyline, really, until you%26#39;re under the Promenade... that IS impressive, but it%26#39;s just a very long way around to go for that few minutes and a ride over one of the iconic bridges.

Next time I%26#39;ll try QB%26#39;s suggestion, or just do the Midtown Tunnel for that huge end-to-end manhattan sweep you get just before the entrance.

[shakes head slowly...] dave, dave, dave...to quote the famous Hans and Franz, ';Listen to me know, believe me later.';

What made you pick the Belt of all the choices?