{"id":246927,"date":"2026-05-28T21:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/246927\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T21:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:28:11","slug":"is-the-port-authority-bus-terminal-actually-a-hidden-gem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/246927\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Port Authority Bus Terminal actually a hidden gem?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The column first appeared in Looped In NYC, a newsletter to help New Yorkers make sense of the city. Sign up<\/a> to get the email which also features event listings, NYC news to know and a reader photos.<\/p>\n

John Oliver dubbed it \u201cthe single worst place on planet Earth.\u201d Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a \u201chellhole<\/a>.\u201d Even Pat Foye, the former executive director of the Port Authority, conceded that the agency\u2019s Midtown bus terminal was \u201cfunctionally obsolete<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe they were onto something. Or maybe they\u2019re haters?<\/p>\n

My colleague David Brand, who covers housing in New York City and knows a few things about crappy buildings<\/a>, might be the Port Authority Bus Terminal\u2019s number one fan \u2014 and he\u2019s been asking me for over a year now to go with him so he could show it off.<\/p>\n

And what better time to do it than for our newsletter that helps New Yorkers with where to go and what to know each week? David\u2019s hot take achieves both.<\/p>\n

To accompany our tour \u2014 which you can watch here<\/a> \u2014 I made him put some of this in writing. Below is an edited version of our conversation. And note: The Port Authority is a government agency which our newsroom covers. David\u2019s love of the Midtown bus terminal is just his personal passion\/opinion. It is not an ad and does not represent the newsroom\u2019s editorial position.<\/p>\n

Because you\u2019re literate, you had some pre-awareness of the bus terminal\u2019s slander, so let\u2019s jump ahead: What was your reaction the first time you commuted through the place?<\/p>\n

I moved to New Jersey, right near the Lincoln Tunnel, a few years ago, and initially, I worried about the commute.<\/p>\n

But the first time I took the land ferry into the Port, I thought, \u201cWow, this place is a lot cleaner than I expected.\u201d I also noticed some cool art on the walls and inside the pop-up galleries.<\/p>\n

When you first pitched \u201cthe bus terminal is good, actually,\u201d you told me about all the errands you run in there. Give our readers the highlights, what are your spots?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true. I run about half my errands at the kiosks and shops inside..<\/p>\n

I get cash at the Bank of America ATMs. I buy phone chargers and other small electronics at a kiosk near the NJ Transit gates, and I got my Swatch fixed at a jewelry stand nearby. I even bought a book \u2014 \u201c1929\u201d for the history buffs out there \u2014 for my brother-in-law for Christmas at one of the stores.<\/p>\n

I also buy wine at the duty free \u2014 excuse me, liquor store \u2014 on the second floor. (To be clear, you do have to pay taxes here). But the shop does have free wine tastings every Friday night!<\/p>\n

Any memorable finds?<\/p>\n

They had a decent Beaujolais a few months ago.<\/p>\n

Nothing like a decent wine. People complain about the lack of signage inside the terminal. Is that ever a headache for you?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty labyrinthine, and they could make it easier to navigate, but the Port Authority Bus Terminal app is helpful. You can search your bus line and find your gate, even after the gates change at 10 p.m. The staff inside are also happy to answer questions.<\/p>\n

The second-floor women\u2019s bathroom got some good press<\/a> recently, what can you say for the men\u2019s?<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s bathrooms are clean! Workers are in there constantly mopping the floors and keeping the sinks pristine. I always tap the green smiley button on my way out.<\/p>\n

Penn Station is getting a facelift from the feds \u2014 it sounds like they\u2019re going to give it a seal with Trump\u2019s name, plus some gold accents<\/a>. Any inspiration they should take from the bus terminal, in your opinion?<\/p>\n

Give us some practical businesses and some affordable coffee spots, just like at the Port Authority.<\/p>\n