This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hi, I am 46-year old man with MS from Helsinki (Finland, Scandinavia) and I am planning to make trip with my wife (not MS) to New York City next may.
I can still walk about 1-300 meters, but I prefer wheelchair on a longer distances.
We could rent an appartment which is located in Harlem 125. street Manhattan.
I'd appreciate any information, hints or links somebody could give me about using subway or buses etc.?
This is my second trip to NYC, but the first was a long time ago and I was 20 and didn't have a clue of been disabled one day. So I don't know anything about these things about NYC.
Any links, please?

Kyosti

My suggestion would be for you to contact the New York City chapter of the National MS Society.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/NYN/home/

They are a very active chapter and should be able to help you out with your vacation plans.

Best wishes!

Niko

_________________
"Avoid making irrevocable decisions when tired or hungry." -- Robert Heinlein

125th St? That sounds a little high-- I personally prefer more of a mid-town location for sight seeing in NY. Subways might be something of a challenge, but I think that most buses have lifts for wheelchair access. Taxicabs are also great and New Yorkers take them everywhere, although the back seat can be a bit cramped (esp. compared to London cabs, which I just love). The streets of course are nice and wide and there are wheelchair ramps pretty much everywhere -- I would imagine it's all much more accommodating than older European cities. Museums (MOMA, the Met, the Whitney) should be no problem at all nor should cultural event venues such as Lincoln Center. Central Park has undergone such a renaissance since the 70's and even 80's and should be very nice in the spring. All in all-- a great vacation location-- I think you'll have a fantastic time!

I was born, bred, and currently reside in NYC.

Traveling the subway system with a wheelchair is difficult, but not impossible. It's important that you plan your ride because not all stations have an elevator. The Lexington avenue line (east side) station at 125th St. does have an elevator (I'm not sure about the west side), and most major stations (like Grand Central, Times Square) have elevators.

Definitely avoid rush hour (7am - 10am, 4:30pm - 7pm) on weeekdays.

All City buses accomodate passengers with wheel chairs, but rush hour difficulties still apply.

The following link provides all the info you'll need about trains/buses.
http://www.mta.info/

Cabs are an option, but can be pricey when you are unfamiliar with the city.

I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, let me know.

PS If you're going to the Village, do not purchase marijuana in Washington Square Park - it's very low quality, if it's marijuana at all.

Thank you so much for the answers! (that I thought would never come!)
I haven't been too active about reading this site, yet...
Our plans have changed so, that now we have money enough to rent a hotel-room in 43rd street.
(Carter hotel 250 West 43rd Street New York New York 10036)
Price 120 USD/day for two weeks time, what is your opinion about that price?
How about tickets to buses, what kind of a card is best available for a one week or two weeks?
Is Village Voice still the best magazine to check out what is happening in the area?
If not, what would it be? We are interested in musicals, jazz-clubs, computers and arts.
Any more recommendations? (was this a right word?)
Sorry my poor english...

Chris (Kyosti)[/quote]

$120/day is a good price for that area.

The Village Voice still has a wealth of information (and it's still free), but I suggest looking on the Internet first, so you can plan activities before you get here.

Try this site http://newyork.citysearch.com/

I found out, that the price was REALLY good in that area, so now I know we have to put more money to our vacation-budget to find a decent one. I did some research and found out that Carter-hotel was not a good choice. It was quite rotten...
I found out few sites in the internet http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review ... c02w:10023 where you can read some reviews about the hotels and see photos that were taken by the visitors and not for commercial purposes.
So now I know, that we are little bit in a hurry to book a good hotel for 10 days and now we are not expecting to get it that cheap.
Perhaps 170 USD/day would be a right for our budget?
So what we are searching, is a room in a good location and with a private bath from a hotel with lifts.
So one question: where to go to buy tickets for buses and metro?
What kind of choices can we consider for example 10 days?

Kyosti