Where on the UWS?
Options:
Airtrain to Jamaica, LIRR to Penn Station, 1/2/3 or A/C up to the UWS. 5 + 12 + 2= 19 dollars. You avoid all traffic this way, and the LIRR is speedy—but not necessarily frequent. Depending on time of day, 1/2/3 and A/C may be crowded.
Airtrain to Jamaica, E train to 42nd street, backtrack uptown on the A/C or 1/2/3 trains. 5 + 2 = 7 dollars. Cheapest option, avoids all traffic, but depending on time of day, E train [as well as A/C 1/2/3] may be crowded.
New York Airport Service Bus from JFK to Port Authority, then A/C 1/2/3 uptown. 12 + 2 = 14 dollars. The bus is comfortable enough, but you might get stuck in traffic. A/C 1/2/3 may be crowded.
Taxi. 45 dollars. Will be comfortable. May get stuck in traffic.
Supershuttle or Airlink, shared vans from airport. Usually around 15 dollars. May be cramped (sitting next to someone you don’t know), but more comfortable than the E train. May get stuck in traffic.
I’d probably do cab if I were really tired (easily the easiest and most comfortable option; getting stuck in traffic wouldn’t matter to me if I could stretch out across a huge seat), or Airtrain to LIRR to a subway (A/C 1/2/3) if I wanted the most reliably quick trip during rush hour.