It's the world's busiest bus terminal, and the city's least user-friendly transit hub
Last year you might have read our holiday travel hub survival guide and thought, “These dummies forgot the Port Authority!” While we do wake up every day trying to block it from our memory, we omitted it because the place is too damn confusing to cram into a few paragraphs.
Despite being managed by a single government agency, the Port Authority Bus Terminal seems designed to frustrate, confound and anger everyone who passes through it. Your first instinct is to believe that “someone, somewhere is actually in charge of what's happening,” to paraphrase Molly Ivins. In fact, the Bus Terminal was designed not by any one person, but by several committees over decades, and was left to rot for many years.
It is the busiest bus station in the world and by far the least user-friendly transit hub in the city (yes, even less than Penn Station), and the most unpleasant too. At 2 million square feet, it dwarfs Grand Central’s 35,000-square-foot main concourse, with .01 percent of its charm, amenities or class. For now, we’re stuck with this complicated eyesore — and you’ve got to get through it to visit your family or go somewhere the train tracks don’t run.
Fear not! This year, we've devoted our travel guide to helping you understand and navigate the Fifth Circle of Hell, i.e. The Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal. There’s truly not much in the way of food, drinks or shops to lighten your time in the terminal, but we’ll tell you about the little-known apps that will help you actually find your gate, how to find interactive walking directions through its labyrinth and the best places to grab a beer and a free hot dog nearby to escape the hell. And hey there’s at least one cool sculpture thing to look at inside the bus station too.
But why is Port Authority like this?
The original bus terminal was created to unify the city’s numerous bus depots and to mitigate some of the congestion caused by buses. A rather handsome Art Deco-inspired building completed in 1950 on time and on budget, the original terminal only took up one city block. But because of underfunding and opposition from the enemy of public transit, Robert Moses, it was over capacity and falling apart within 15 years.
Extra floors for more car parking were hastily added in the 1960s. Surprisingly, more decades of underfunding and neglect didn’t improve things, so the Port Authority added the north wing in 1981, which increased bus capacity and traveler confusion by 50%.
Now the world’s busiest bus terminal is a Frankenbuilding of deteriorating parts with no sense of unity or order, all operating over capacity. The Port Authority has acknowledged the failure of the bus terminal and has committed to building a $10 billion replacement. But this newest vision of our ideal bus terminal future hasn’t even begun construction and isn’t scheduled for full completion until a wildly optimistic 2032.
Understanding the secrets of the labyrinthian layout
The building straddles 41st Street, which splits the main (street) level into two separate wings: north and south, while levels 2-7 and the Lower Level (LL) are contiguous floors. The Lower Level and levels 2-4 are bus boarding levels, while levels 5-7 are paid car parking. There is also a “Subway” level, which is technically separate from the Lower Level. This adds up to a whopping 2 million square feet of travel misery spread over two city blocks.
Does that sound obscenely complicated? It is! Don’t worry. We’ll go through each area with tips and tricks to help navigate the mess and get you on the right bus.
At the bottom of this post, we have a level-by-level breakdown of how to get to and around each part of the maze; but first let's look at the big-picture stuff.
What to know before you go
There is no casual ambling around the terminal, as getting from one side to the other might involve three sets of broken escalators — a nightmare with luggage. You need to know where you’re going before you step foot inside.
Always buy tickets ahead of time
The terminal is dominated by New Jersey transit commuter buses, but is also home to Greyhound, CoachUSA, Peter Pan, Trailways/Martz, and other smaller bus concerns. There are ticketing windows for all major bus carriers inside the station, but even during regular commuting hours they are often understaffed and have long lines. The days around the holidays will be 10 times worse; so buy your ticket before you go!
How to actually find your gate
The bus gate assignments are generally consistent, especially for the regular commuter buses, but things can get screwy in the chaos of holiday travel. There is no centralized point for gate information inside the station and your ticket probably won’t tell you either, so we exhort you to find out your bus’s gate number early and keep an eye on it, as they can sometimes change last-minute.
Fortunately, the Port Authority has created MyTerminal, an Android and iOS app that has up-to-date gate information for every bus. You can search via your city, route, or carrier and see what gate you need that day. It’s very functional and will save you a lot of headaches.
There are also touch-screen information kiosks dotted throughout the bus terminal with up-to-date gate information. Expect a wait to use these on busy travel days.
The New Jersey Transit app now also lists gate numbers for its buses. Holiday travel could cause last-minute changes that aren’t reflected on your ticket (ask me how I know). Confirm your gate with the MyTerminal app or interactive kiosks as you get closer to your departure time.
There are a couple of information booths inside the terminal staffed by somewhat friendly people, but expect long lines filled with first-time travelers who didn't read this guide.
There is a method to the gate number madness. If your gate number is a three-digit number, the first digit is the level your gate is on. E.g. Gate 210 is on the second level; gate 420 is on the fourth level. The one exception is gates on the Lower Level, which only have two digits, e.g. 75.
There’s no centralized point for this information — we had to figure this out by visiting each gate. Bus assignments can change abruptly, so definitely confirm your gate number first!
How to actually get to your gate
In response to how difficult the terminal is to navigate, the Port Authority created this mobile-friend interactive map. Select your street entrance, type in your gate number and it’ll give you step-by-step walking instructions. They also have level-by-level maps, but they’re not high-resolution or very useful.
Diversions and fun(-ish) stuff
If you have time to kill before your bus, check out the Ralph Kramden statue on Eighth Avenue. This character from The Honeymooners was famously a city bus driver, a fitting monument to the bus terminal it stands guard over.
The Main Level North Wing houses a large kinetic sculpture by George Rhoads called The 42nd Street Ballroom that rolls 24 billiard balls through fun Rube Goldberg-esque devices. Created in 1983, this sculpture fell into disrepair and was restored in 2014. Admire it for being the only thing that runs on a set predictable schedule in the whole terminal.
The Museum of Urban Arts has a small gallery on the second level, with rotating exhibits showcasing city artists and sometimes live painting displays.
Some bars to escape the Bad Place
Our top choice is getting the heck out of the terminal and getting a drink at Rudy's Bar & Grill (627 Ninth Ave.), a short walk from the Ninth Avenue entrance. This Hell’s Kitchen dive bar opens at 8 a.m. every day (noon on Sundays) and has stupidly cheap draft and bottled beer, as low as $3. They’re also famous for their FREE hot dogs.
If you must drink inside the terminal, there is now only one dedicated bar to choose from: McAnn’s (Level 2, over 41st Street). Frequented by construction workers, roughnecks and lonesome commuters, is the last outpost of a former city-wide chain. There’s no happy hour, but draft pints are a relatively cheap $8 and they sell domestic tallboys to go for $3.
Frames Bowling Lounge (Level 2, towards Ninth Avenue) also has a bar, but the atmosphere is a bit like a nightclub with shot specials and steep prices. Lane rentals range from $60-$85 per hour, depending on the time of day and day of the week.
Grabbing food and beers for you trip
The food options in the PABT are limited to pricey chain restaurants like Jamba Juice and Au Bon Pain. You won’t get away with spending less than $20 on lunch at these places.
The Land of Beer (Main Street Level, South Wing) has decent bagel deals that cost around $4 depending on toppings. You can add a coffee to any breakfast sandwich for a buck. They also have an excellent to-go beer deal, two 24-ounce beers for $7, an absolute steal compared to an informal survey of area bodegas. Drinking alcohol on coach buses is almost universally forbidden, so use common sense.
McAnn’s Bar also sells $3 domestic and $4 imported tallboys to go.
Upstairs Wine & Spirits, on the second level next to McAnn’s, is the only liquor store in the terminal and is overpriced with few bottles of wine under $25.
The Groove
Need a last-minute gift? Good luck!
Times are tough for retail in the PABT. The larger Hudson News outlets sell some NY swag. A clothing shop called Art to Ware (Main Level, south wing) specializes in boho-chic and sticker shock. The area around the terminal is a tourist wasteland, with “I ❤️ NY” t-shirt vendors and the like. Maybe your family would like some sub-par bagels from the Brooklyn Deli (Main Level, south wing)?
The 5 key things to remember before you go
The Port Authority has been much aligned for its entire history. What was meant to solve all of NYC’s bus transit woes just funneled them into a chaotic, overcrowded, underfunded pit of despair. But you can survive traveling through it this holiday season. Just keep in mind these key points:
- Buy your ticket beforehand
- Find your gate using the MyTerminal app or the touchscreen information kiosk.
- Figure out your entrance and route using the online interactive terminal map.
- Leave plenty of time to get around the terminal. You will almost certainly get lost!
- Leave time to grab a beer at Rudy’s.
📍And now, a level-by-level breakdown of the bus terminal maze to help you prepare:
You wanted a comprehensive guide to Port Authority, you got it!
The Main (street) Level, North Wing
This liminal area is only useful for getting to the Greyhound and Peter Pan boarding areas in the Lower Level and for the most direct route to level 3 gates. There is a staffed information booth here, as well as a touchscreen information kiosk and a device-charging station.
You’ll find a Hudson News with snacks, but no other retail. The 42nd Street Ballroom kinetic sculpture lives here (see Diversions above).
Plenty of people choose to sit on the floor here as the police don’t seem to bother enforcing the no-sitting rule here.
Subway Level
This sort-of mezzanine opens directly to the underground hallway network that connects to the A, C, E subway train entrances and the Times Square Subway Station. This hallway is generally very busy and, being a gray area between PANYNJ and MTA police jurisdictions, so it’s a little feral.
Inside the north wing are the Peter Pan and Greyhound ticketing areas. Only one Peter Pan window was staffed when we visited. Greyhound had two employees refusing to help confused travelers, instead directing them to the dozen or so self-service ticketing kiosks, some of which were functioning. (Did we mention you should buy your tickets in advance?)
There is also a device-charging station and a touchscreen information kiosk at the north and south ends. There is a Hudson News as well.
Level 2
This level is the main boarding area for the 200-numbered boarding gates. The gates are split into four boarding areas, located throughout the southern wing. The boarding corrals here are not wheelchair accessible. Most of them have a couple of flip-down seats, which are often occupied. We have also seen fights break out over these seats.
There is some food and drink retail available on this level. Frames, a bowling alley, occupies a large chunk of the second level in what could have been an excellent seating area. There are no seats available except inside McAnn’s Bar.
There are men’s and women’s restrooms located in the middle section straddling 41st Street, across from McAnn’s Bar. There is also the terminal’s only non-gendered restroom between them, but you have to key code for it by calling a number: 212-502-2245. There is a water fountain here as well.
There are NJ Transit self-service ticketing kiosks near the closed Hallmark Store along with a touchscreen information kiosk. There is another touchscreen information kiosk at the top of the main set of stairs and escalators from the Main Level.
Level 3
This is the boarding area for the 300-level gates. It is only accessible via the stairs or escalators from the north wing of level 2 and the north wing elevator.
There are men’s and women’s bathrooms and a NJ Transit self-service ticketing kiosk. The only retail is a small Hudson News. A device-charging station is nearby.
Level 4
This level is a long corridor running from Eighth Avenue to Ninth Avenue along the southern edge of the bus terminal. It is accessible via escalators at either end from level 2 or via elevators at either end from levels 1 and 2.
There are men’s and women’s restrooms located at either end along with water fountains. The only retail is a small Hudson News.
Lower Level North
This is the main Greyhound and Peter Pan boarding area, gates 60-85. It is accessible via stairs and escalators from the Subway level, as well as elevators from the North Wing.
There are men’s and women’s restrooms here, along with a water fountain. There is a small Hudson News.
Lower Level South
This area of the Lower Level is split into two sections: a long corridor – home to gates 1-34 — at a disconcerting slant that stretches most of the block under the south wing, and a claustrophobic hallway that is home to gates 51-56.
Gates 1-34 are reserved for the smaller coach companies. There are men’s and women’s restrooms and a water fountain.
The hallway housing gates 51-56 is reserved for more NJ Transit buses and runs almost directly parallel to 40th Street underground.
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