10 hours wait at JFK, go to city?

Hello,
I'll be flying from JFK to Milan on Dec,15. Since I am landing at JFK at
8:35am
and leaving for Milan at 6:25pm that gives me 10 hours between flights.
Since I have never been to Manhattan, I'd like to know if 10 hours
(effectively 8 hours
including the wait/customs at the airport?) is enough to check out the city?
I will only be carrying a small backpack so I don't have to worrry about
luggage.
If this is possible, what is the best way to go: subway, bus or taxi?

I am arriving to JFK with a local flight, how long do you think will it take
me to
get out of the airport to the bus/subway/taxi and back to the international
gate
for Milan?

Thanks in advance,
Jan

8:35am and leaving for Milan at 6:25pm that gives me 10 hours between flights.

That's definitely enough time to see some of Manhattan.

If this is possible, what is the best way to go: subway, bus or taxi?

Train, actually. (Yes, we have them in the US.) Take the Airtrain to
the Jamaica station, then take any LIRR train headed to Penn Station.
The Airtrain costs $5 payable by Metrocard (the NYC transit card)
which you can buy when you get off. Get a $10 card so you'll have
another $5 for the return, and it'll give you a $2 bonus which you can
use if you need to take a bus back to Penn Station later. The train
is $6.75 at peak times, $4.75 offpeak, buy a separate ticket from a
machine before you get on the train. The trip is supposed to take 35
minutes from JFK to Penn Station. In practice it'll take more but
probably not more than 45 minutes.

Ignore suggestions to take a cab, unless you want to spend time
sitting in rush hour traffic on the Long Island Expressway. You can
also take the subway which costs less, but it's slower and you'd
probably prefer more time sightseeing and less underground.

Once you get to Penn Station, I'd head for the Empire State Building
which is only a block east on 34th st. (Go outside and look up.) If
the lines aren't too long the trip up to the observation decks is well
worth it. You're also within walking distance of Times Square, Fifth
Avenue, the NY Public Library, Herald Square and Macy's department
store, and many other midtown landmarks.

I would be sure to be back at Penn Station to catch the 3:03 or 3:14
train back to Jamaica to leave plenty of time to check in for your
onward flight.

10 hours between flights...

When I got stuck with an overnight and a following day at JFK I took this
bus downtown in the morning--it is pretty handy between JFK and Grand
Central or Penn Station because you pay your $27 for the round-trip ticket,
and then just get on the bus, and get off downtown (and vice versa)--and it
runs fairly frequently:
http://www.nyairportservice.com/jfk_manhattan.html

In my several hours I did Times Square, Wall Street, and took the ferry
around the Statue of Liberty. I might have done more, except that I was so
bleary from half-sleeping in the upstairs cafeteria in JFK with one leg over
my luggage that I can't remember. There was a luggage check at JFK open
during the day, and you can also check luggage at Penn Station if you don't
want to lug as much as your backpack around.

10 hours between flights...

When I got stuck with an overnight and a following day at JFK I took this
bus downtown in the morning--it is pretty handy between JFK and Grand
Central or Penn Station because you pay your $27 for the round-trip ticket,
and then just get on the bus, and get off downtown (and vice versa)--and it
runs fairly frequently:
http://www.nyairportservice.com/jfk_manhattan.html

In my several hours I did Times Square, Wall Street, and took the ferry
around the Statue of Liberty. I might have done more, except that I was so
bleary from half-sleeping in the upstairs cafeteria in JFK with one leg over
my luggage that I can't remember. There was a luggage check at JFK open
during the day, and you can also check luggage at Penn Station if you don't
want to lug as much as your backpack around.

10 hours between flights...

When I got stuck with an overnight and a following day at JFK I took this
bus downtown in the morning--it is pretty handy between JFK and Grand
Central or Penn Station because you pay your $27 for the round-trip ticket,
and then just get on the bus, and get off downtown (and vice versa)--and it
runs fairly frequently:
http://www.nyairportservice.com/jfk_manhattan.html

In my several hours I did Times Square, Wall Street, and took the ferry
around the Statue of Liberty. I might have done more, except that I was so
bleary from half-sleeping in the upstairs cafeteria in JFK with one leg over
my luggage that I can't remember. There was a luggage check at JFK open
during the day, and you can also check luggage at Penn Station if you don't
want to lug as much as your backpack around.

"Dutch Flyer" wrote in message
. ..
Hello,
I'll be flying from JFK to Milan on Dec,15. Since I am landing at JFK at
8:35am and leaving for Milan at 6:25pm

can you change your flight to JFK to the day before? then you could do a
hotel in NYC that night and do a day and a half in NY.

just an idea!!

"Dutch Flyer" wrote in message
. ..
Hello,
I'll be flying from JFK to Milan on Dec,15. Since I am landing at JFK at
8:35am and leaving for Milan at 6:25pm

can you change your flight to JFK to the day before? then you could do a
hotel in NYC that night and do a day and a half in NY.

just an idea!!