From Rush Hour to Happy Hour, Here's Your Penn Station Survival Guide

Commuting through Penn Station is kind of like golf: It's frustrating, you'll never perfect it, and it's a sure way to spot guys in bad trousers.

But, like golf, the Penn Station commute can feel more manageable with patience, pro tips, and beer.

So, we present to you five keys to having a better Penn Station experience.

1. Getting There

.@ramesjamsay my hack of Penn Station is to use the serene Hilton Passageway from the subway & avoid main concourse mobs. #wethecommuters pic.twitter.com/Kc40Hr22aj

— Will Coley (@willcoley) August 14, 2017

If you take a 1, 2 or 3 train to Penn Station and exit at the southern end of the platform, there's a passageway that'll take you straight to the NJ Transit tracks. WNYC's Nancy Solomon swears that on a good day, she can get from a subway train to an NJ Transit train in 30 seconds.

 2. Getting There on Time

Wouldn't be a trip to NY if it didn't end with me running to Penn Station through mindless people traffic #trainisdelayed

— Alina Selyukh (@alinaselyukh) June 29, 2017

There are two instances where running is reasonable: In an emergency and when you're actually out for a run. Penn Station is not a gym. And taking a train shouldn't constitute an emergency. Give yourself ample time to catch your train without getting your heart rate up.

3. Avoiding the Amtrak Scrum

Ever stood beneath the giant board in the Amtrak waiting area, only to then get stuck behind a massive line once your track number appears? Don't do that again.

Slate blew this secret years ago, so we don't feel bad telling you: Go downstairs from the upstairs waiting area, check your track number on the little screen down there, and waltz onto your train without waiting in any line. The conductors check for tickets on the train, anyway.

4. If You Need to Hydrate

Jim O'Grady, hydrating at Penn Station. (Jen Hsu)

In 2012,  WNYC's Jim O'Grady tipped us off to the water fountain hidden behind a pillar in the Acela waiting area. 

Well, this week our listeners informed us that there are actually several water fountains in the building: At least one in the NJ Transit waiting area and two more in the LIRR waiting area near tracks 17 and 18. 

Don't put your mouth on them.

5. If You Need to Hydrate with Something Else

Sure, 24-ounce cans of beer will always be a fixture of the Penn Station experience, but if you're in the building and you have time to kill between 3 and 6 p.m. on a weekday, there is a happy hour worth checking out. 

The best happy hour deal is at the Penn Station TGI Fridays #wethecommuters pic.twitter.com/lif5OPjUf1

— Rebecca Fishbein (@bfishbfish) August 15, 2017