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Published AUGUST 27, 2002
Stuck at the Airport: New York City (LaGuardia)
LGA: Landing pad for the Big Apple
By Harriet Baskas
In 1929, the site of the Gala Amusement Park in Queens, New York, was transformed into a private airport. The airport was subsequently renamed North Beach Airport, New York Municipal Airport–LaGuardia Field, and finally, in 1947, LaGuardia Airport (airport code: LGA), in honor of popular Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia.
Get oriented LaGuardia has a Central Terminal Building (CTB) with four concourses (A, B, C, and D) that serves America West, American, Continental, Midwest Express, United, and several other carriers. US Airways and US Airways shuttle flights operate out of a terminal to the east of the CTB, while Delta and Northwest operate out of the Delta Terminal just a bit further east. West of the Central Terminal Building is the Marine Air Terminal and the Delta Shuttle flights. The Marine Air Terminal was the original airport terminal building and was located near the bay so it could serve the "flying boats" that dominated international air travel in the 1930s and 1940s.
You can walk between most terminals in less than 10 minutes, but it's much easier to take the shuttle bus that comes by approximately every 10 minutes. Don't try walking to the Delta Shuttle terminal, however, as it's about 1.2 miles from the Central Terminal Building.
To get your bearings, ask for an airport map from one of the friendly "Apple Aides" who staff the information booths on the Departures level of the Central Terminal Building, or flag down a customer service representative (called "Red Coats") and ask to be pointed in the right direction. You can also consult the airport Web site's terminal map. Take care of yourself
Eat: For the widest range of choices, head for the food court in the Central Terminal Building. Choices at the LaGuardia Marketplace (a three-story atrium between Concourses B and C that has views of the airfield) include Brooklyn National Deli, Asian Chao, Coffee Beanery, Figs (a sit-down restaurant), and the decadent Godiva Chocolatier.
A smaller food court near Concourse D offers branches of Au Bon Pain, Sbarro, and Wendy's.
The expanded Au Bon Pain, serving bakery items as well as hearty soups and sandwiches outside Concourse A, has carts in Concourses A, B, and C; while Hangars, just outside Concourses A and D, offers burgers, sandwiches, salads, and full bar service.
In the US Airways Terminal, you can get table service at Anton's or browse the food court nearby, which features Sbarro's, Wok & Roll, and Carvel ice cream.
Relax and refresh: To escape the hustle and bustle, head for the center section of the Central Terminal Building, where you'll find comfortable seating areas and a nice view of the airfield. The area between the US Airways Terminal and the Central Terminal Building has pleasant landscaping and several benches. For an even nicer spot, take the airport shuttle bus over to the Marine Air Terminal, which also has a small landscaped area with benches.
You can also relax with a movie: InMotion Pictures has a kiosk in the Central Terminal Building (pre-security) where you can rent a DVD player and a movie. Watch it here or return it from the road.
Don't be shy about freshening up in the bathrooms. The folks at LaGuardia did serious research and learned that passengers rated clean bathrooms near the top of the list of desired airport amenities. As a result, the high-use restrooms in the Central Terminal Building and in the Marine Air Terminal have been upgraded and now feature better ventilation, live plants, and uniformed attendants on duty during peak travel times.
Got a toothache? LGA has a dental office on-site. You'll find it in the Central Terminal Building, upstairs behind the American Airlines ticket counter.
For more serious relaxation or exercise, several nearby hotels, including the Wyndham Garden Hotel, Crowne Plaza, and the LaGuardia Airport Marriott, offer day rates that include access to health clubs, pool, and exercise rooms. Use the hotel phones in Baggage Claim to ask for current rates and specific facilities.
LaGuardia Airport is a generally a non-smoking facility, but paying customers can light up in the bar at Figs and at Hangars.
Take care of business Airline club members will find lounges for United, American, and Continental in the Central Terminal Building. Lounges for Delta and US Airways are in their respective terminal buildings.
You'll find a branch of Laptop Lane (which rents fully-equipped offices by the minute) on the lower level of the Central Terminal Building. You'll also find internet kiosks at the top of the B and C Concourses in the Central Terminal Building and on many concourses. There's a Federal Express drop box in Concourse C, and self-service business centers offering fax service, currency exchange, and automatic teller machines in each terminal.
Explore the airport
Shop: "Street pricing" is in effect at LaGuardia, meaning that shops can't charge more for that last-minute gift at the airport than you'd pay in town. At LaGuardia Marketplace in the Central Terminal Building, you'll find travel accessories at Travel 2000, vitamins and health products at the GNC, New York city merchandise at Discover New York, and all sorts of gadgets at Brookstone. Pick up a New York Mets cap at Lids, a Broadway musical soundtrack at Music Express, or a novel at Barbara's Books. Near Concourse D you'll find The Metropolitan Museum of Art store, a branch of Sunglass Hut, and GrandStand Sports.
The US Airways Terminal offers more CDs at Altitunes, more books at Benjamin Books, more travel gear at Bon Voyage, and a branch of Brooks Brothers offering mostly menswear.
Sightsee: If you have time, take the free 10-minute shuttle bus ride to the Marine Air Terminal and view the James Brooks mural Flight. Completed in 1942, this is the largest mural created under the auspices of the federally funded Works Progress Administration art program. The building's rotunda houses a model of the Flying Boat, the Boeing 314 that Pan American World Airways operated from March 1940 through June 1945. On the wall is an exhibit detailing that airplane's layout, including the areas where pampered travelers once dined and napped.
Good views of the airfield can be had from the food and retail court located between Concourses B and C and at the end of each concourse area in the Central Terminal Building. There's also an area near the escalators to the parking garage that has some seating and offers a good view of the runways.
Play around: LaGuardia has no kid-specific play areas, but you might take the kids over to the Central Terminal Building for good views of planes taking off and landing, or hop on the shuttle bus to the Marine Air Terminal to see the mural.
Transportation A taxi ride to Manhattan costs about $26 (plus tolls) and can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic. Alternatives to taxis include the New York Airport Service Express Bus for $12, or shared door-to-door minivans for about $15. For $1.50 you can have a real New York experience: The M60 Bus (New York City Transit Authority) goes to 125th Street, where you can connect with any number of subway trains.
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