NEW YORK · PREARRANGED PRIVATE RIDES
Upper West Side Taxi & Car Service
Columbus Circle to 110th Street, Central Park West to Riverside Drive — concert nights at Lincoln Center, brownstone blocks and a surprisingly good route to Newark.
The Upper West Side sits between Central Park and the Hudson from 59th Street up to 110th. Its avenues — Broadway, Amsterdam, Columbus and Central Park West — see plenty of cabs by day, but the side streets between them are quiet, one-way and hard to hail on, especially with bags.
Residents here book us most for airport departures, for Lincoln Center and Beacon Theatre evenings, and for getting across the park to the East Side, which is shorter on the map than it is in a car.
Where we pick up in Upper West Side
Lincoln Square and Columbus Circle — the Time Warner Center (Deutsche Bank Center), Lincoln Center plaza on Columbus Avenue, Juilliard and the Fordham Lincoln Center campus.
The West 70s and 80s — Broadway, Amsterdam and Columbus between 70th and 90th, the Beacon Theatre at 74th and Broadway, Zabar's at 80th, and the brownstone side streets.
Central Park West and Riverside Drive — the pre-war buildings along both edges of the neighbourhood, where a doorman can tell the driver which entrance to use.
Manhattan Valley — 96th to 110th Street between Central Park West and Broadway, the neighbourhood's northern end below Columbia.
Trains, subways and ferries
The 1, 2 and 3 run under Broadway with express stops at 72nd and 96th Streets. The B and C follow Central Park West, and 59th Street–Columbus Circle connects the 1, A, B, C and D. The M79 and M86 Select Buses cross the park to the East Side, and the M104 runs down Broadway to Midtown.
Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall are 10–20 minutes by car for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit; Grand Central is 15–25 minutes across town.
Popular taxi trips from Upper West Side
| From | To | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Center | Midtown hotels | 8–15 min |
| West 80s | Upper East Side | 12–25 min |
| Riverside Drive | Financial District | 20–35 min |
| Columbus Circle | Penn Station / Moynihan | 10–20 min |
| Manhattan Valley | Harlem–125th Metro-North | 8–12 min |
| West 70s | Park Slope, Brooklyn | 30–45 min |
Taxi to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark
| Airport | Distance | Typical time | Usual route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark (EWR) | ~16 mi | 35–60 min | West Side Highway → Lincoln Tunnel → NJ Turnpike |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | ~10 mi | 25–45 min | Park transverse → RFK Bridge → Grand Central Pkwy |
| JFK | ~18 mi | 45–75 min | RFK Bridge or Queens-Midtown Tunnel → Van Wyck |
The Upper West Side is one of the few Manhattan neighbourhoods where Newark is a natural choice. The West Side Highway runs straight down to the Lincoln Tunnel, and in the evening the drive can be quicker than LaGuardia, which needs a trip across the park first.
Traffic, tolls and timing
Crossing Central Park. Cars cross only on the 65th/66th, 79th/81st, 86th/85th and 96th/97th Street transverses. A trip to Lexington Avenue that looks like a mile on the map can take 20 minutes at rush hour.
The Henry Hudson Parkway and West Side Highway are the fast routes north and south; the driver will use them rather than Broadway whenever they flow.
Congestion pricing begins at 60th Street. Trips from Lincoln Center heading south enter the zone almost immediately; trips that stay above 60th do not pay it. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation closes the streets around the Museum of Natural History the evening before Thanksgiving.
Places we drive to
Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the Beacon Theatre, the American Museum of Natural History at 79th and Central Park West, the New-York Historical Society, Riverside Park, Mount Sinai West at 59th and Tenth Avenue, and the schools and synagogues of the West 70s and 80s.
Book a taxi on the Upper West Side
After a performance, give us the venue and the finishing time; we will suggest a pickup a short walk from the main plaza, where cars can actually stop. For early flights from the Upper West Side, ask us to quote Newark as well as JFK before you choose. An Economy Sedan covers most trips here.
Book through the form, by WhatsApp or on (888) 201-0419. For a performance, add the venue and the finishing time. First booking? The first-ride offer applies.
Your questions, answered
How long does it take to cross Central Park by car?
Usually 10–20 minutes on the 79th or 86th Street transverse, more at rush hour. We plan crosstown trips around the transverse that is moving best.
Is Newark a good airport from the Upper West Side?
Often, yes. The West Side Highway leads directly to the Lincoln Tunnel, so Newark can be as quick as LaGuardia at some times of day.
Can you pick up after a Lincoln Center performance?
Yes. Tell us the venue and end time, and we will confirm a pickup point near Columbus Avenue or Amsterdam where the car can stop.
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