Where to catch a cab

Problem spot:
The Lower East Side on a Friday night
The mistake most people make, according to 11-year-veteran driver Ricky, is stumbling into the street and tossing their arm in the air. “Stand on the north side of Delancey,” he says. “Catch an empty cab coming back from Williamsburg.” Another tip: Trek to Allen Street, where traffic moves at a steady pace.

Problem spot:
Fifth Avenue during rush hour
If you haven’t got a driver waiting for you outside Bergdorf’s, head a block uptown, near Central Park. “Fifth Avenue is the busiest street in town,” says Ricky. “We like to cruise midtown, and mostly stay below 65th Street.”

Problem spot:
The Meatpacking District on a Saturday night
Luke Oil (63 Eighth Ave at 13th St, 212-645-9578), according to one cabbie with 20 years in the seat, is where you can find an empty taxi no matter how crazy the scene gets.

Problem spot:
The Flatiron District
Where midtown and downtown meet, Fifth Avenue and Broadway converge to create a major traffic nightmare. Heading downtown will just drop you into the mess of Union Square, so cabbies suggested going north. “Cabs are more likely to be [traveling] between Fifth Avenue and Broadway,” one driver says, so catch them going crosstown above Madison Square Park while they’re trying to avoid the same traffic you are.

Problem spot:
The Upper West Side on a Friday night
People jet downtown for dinner, says driver Muhammad Yasm, who’s been on the road since 1989, so forget going south on Broadway. Head to West End Avenue, says Yasm. “And the lights are synced,” he says. “I once went from 106th Street to 79th Street on one green light.” Plus, there’s a gas station tucked away on the glitzy corner of West End and 96th.

Problem spot:
The gray area on a weeknight
The maps in the backseats of taxis don’t even offer a name for the neighborhood from East 23rd Street to 34th Street between Madison and Lexington Avenues, so why would drivers ever think to cruise the ’hood? For the food—join them at Curry in a Hurry (119 Lexington Ave at 28th St, 212-683-0900), a favorite for a quick snack.

Problem spot:
The Upper East Side during morning rush hour
Says Inda, a cabbie with two years on the road: Get yourself to York Avenue. Lots of cabs fuel up at the Shell station on East 96th Street and First Avenue and head south looking for fares.

Problem spot:
West Chelsea on a Saturday afternoon
Even if the plan is to just go gallery-hopping, make sure to wear your walking shoes. “No driver goes to Chelsea to find fares,” says Bashir, who’s been behind the wheel for ten years. “Your best bet is get a cab that just dropped someone off.” The best place to do that is only a scary walk across the West Side Highway away. “Stand in front of Chelsea Piers,” Bashir advises, since it’s a steady drop-off location.

Problem spot:
Alphabet City in the morning
“Never catch a cab off an avenue over here,” says one driver, taking a break at cabbie canteen Punjabi (114 E Houston St at Ave A, 212-533-9048). “Walk down to Houston or up to 14th Street, where you’ll catch cars coming off of the FDR.” And what about Punjabi, where cabs are always lined up? “This is the best spot, because drivers always stop here to use the restroom!”