Trip Advice Please

You can buy subway and airtrain fare on a credit card/debit card. There should be a kiosk on your way into the station.

I recommend you go to the Sutphin Blvd station and catch an E train rather than the Howard Beach station (the A takes longer into midtown).

You really shouldn't need much cash (just about every business takes credit/debit cards).

I would walk over to Ninth Avenue (anywhere between 42nd and 57th st.). There is every imaginable type of cuisine for a pre-show lunch. Many are quite reasonably priced compared to what you will find on in the 8th/Bway/7th area.

Also, you should be fine using AirTrain and the subway getting into Manhattan, but I'd probably recommend taking a cab on the way back just because of time. With a 2pm show you'll be out probably close to 5 (depends on what you're seeing, but...) and it is a weekend, meaning the trains are not running as frequently, so you would be pushing it to get checked in and through security again. All cabs take plastic as well as cash now.

---