Reggie's Rules for Navigating One's Way Around Manhattan Like a New Yorker, Part III

Following on my last essay in this series, in which I discussed Reggie's Rules for Taking Taxis In and Around New York, today's post focuses on a more comfortable and luxurious type of aboveground transportation available to savvy New Yorkers and visitors "in the know," namely livery cars.

This is the type of Lincoln Town Car that was available
for hire when I first moved to Manhattan, in 1980.
One of the most popular colors then was metallic blue

There are times when it is neither possible nor advisable to take a taxi in New York.  For instance, it is virtually impossible to get a taxi between 4 pm and 5 pm, during the evening's pre-rush hour shift change.  There are also times when one would prefer to ride around town without a meter ticking away, or when one desires more personalized service than a taxi can provide.  Fortunately, New York has many livery car services stocked with late model luxury cars available for hire with just a simple phone call, and which are a more pleasant—albeit more expensive—alternative to taxis.

Herewith are Reggie's Rules For Taking Livery Cars In and Around New York:

1.  When you are standing waiting to hail a taxi and none are to be found, don't be afraid to take a roaming livery car if one pulls over and offers you a ride

Livery drivers in New York earn extra money between assignments by giving rides to pedestrians who haven't hired them through a dispatcher.  They are not looking to abscond with you or rob you—they are looking for a fare.  The driver will usually cut you a deal, too, since these are off-the-books cash transactions.

This is the standard Lincoln Town Car available for hire today
in New York City.  Almost all of them are limousine black

2.  Always negotiate the fare before getting into a roaming town car

You don't have much bargaining power once you are sitting in the back seat.

3.  Hire a car and driver to pick you up after attending the theater

It is almost always impossible to find a taxi after the shows let out in the theater district or in front of the Metropolitan Opera.  Call ahead of time and find our when the performance ends and arrange to have a car and driver waiting outside to whisk you away to your destination.  It's a lot better than battling the hordes for a taxi.

One needn't be confined to American cars when engaging a
car and driver in New York.  European luxury cars are available too

4.  When attending events during the evening in out of the way places or where you can't be assured of finding a taxi, consider hiring a car and driver

If we are attending a black-tie party in some remote place, like the Chelsea Piers, or attending a performance in another borough, such as at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, I will hire a car and driver to take us there and pick us up at the end of the evening.  It is a most pleasant way to travel, particularly when dressed formally, and one is assured of having one's transportation ready and waiting for one when one wants it.

There are times when one prefers a larger, roomier
livery car, such as the Cadillac Escalade or a
Lincoln Navigator, or a Chevrolet Suburban.
All are available for hire in New York

5.  Hire a car and driver when going to and from the airport

This is a luxury well worth indulging in if you can at all afford to do so, and is a far more pleasant means of transportation than a taxi when leaving and re-entering the city on a trip or vacation.  Engaging a car and driver ahead of time alleviates any concerns about finding a taxi, and livery cars charge flat rates for airport drop-offs and pickups, so you know what the fare is going to be ahead of time.  Finally, livery cars provide door-to-door service, so one needn't struggle with one's luggage as one does when taking other forms of transportation.

And so there you have it: Reggie's Rules for Taking Livery Cars In and Around New York.  Although Reggie acknowledges that engaging a car and driver requires extra forethought and planning, and having sufficient room on one's credit cards to pay for such premium services, he believes that doing so is well worth the extra effort and cost when compared with other forms of transportation in the city, at least under the circumstances he has outlined in this essay.

But there are other, less expensive and—at times—more efficient means of getting around town in New York than either taxis or livery cars, which is the subject of the next installment in this series.

Next:  Reggie's Rules For Taking Buses and Subways In and Around New York

Photographs from Google Images