Imagine going on a vacation to New York and you aren’t exactly sure if you want to drive or fly there. You have talked to many of your friends who have done both and the majority of them say that flying is the better option. You decide to fly to the LaGuardia Airport. You have heard great things about this airport and you are excited to see what it is all about. After all, it was voted the “greatest airport in the world” at one point, so how can you not feel comfortable flying here? You are ready to head off on your New York City vacation and it all begins at LaGuardia Airport.

What you need to know

LaGuardia Airport can be found on the waterfront of Flushing Bay. It used to be known as the Glenn L. Curtiss Airport but was changed to be named after a former mayor of New York. The LaGuardia Airport is the smallest airport of the three major ones in New York. It is a public airport and is popular because of where it is located, close to Manhattan. The main destinations from the LaGuardia Airport are Canada, places in the US, Bermuda and the Bahamas. The airport controlled about 26 million passengers in 2005 alone, which shows how popular it actually is.

The construction of a landmark

Fiorello LaGuardia, the former mayor of New York, originated the idea of constructing an airport. American Airlines was the first to start a pilot project of flights but this failed after the first few months. Building the airport involved moving landfill from Rikers Island onto a metal reinforcing structure. It cost $23 million to build the airport and it was dedicated on October 15, 1939 as the New York Municipal Airport.

The LaGuardia Airport started off as a small business that just continued to expand over time. It was meant as a place for people to arrive at a destination and leave to go back to their original destination, but it has become so much bigger over time. By 2000, the airport was experiencing overcrowding and delays were beginning to occur. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, though, the demand for air travel slowed right down. It has since picked up and people fly to the La Guardia Airport like never before!

Taxi!

If you are looking to find a way to get around after you have landed, there are several city bus lines that you can catch to get to your next destination and there are also taxi and limousine services. You can travel around in style when you enter New York or you can hail a cab like a true New Yorker. If you would like to have your own vehicle rental while you are in NYC, get a minivan rental, passenger van rental, or economy car rental from Prestige. No matter what you decide, you will be taken care of at LaGuardia.