The New Yorker Hotel
Street address: 481 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001, USA
Coordinates: Latitude: 40.7526686 North, Longitude: 73.9935648 West
How to get there
Getting to New York City is possible from nearly everywhere on Earth. There are five airports you can arrive at as well as train and bus terminals. You can even drive if you’re so inclined. This is all assuming that you’re not already in the city, in which case getting to the hotel is as easy as it could possibly be. More on that below.
By Air:
There are three main airports serving the metropolitan area, two in the New York City borough of Queens (JFK & LGA), and one in New Jersey (EWR). There is also a small airport located on Long Island (ISP, an hour away by train), as well as a tiny one in Westchester (HPN, just over an hour away by bus and train). In general, you should probably use whichever airport you can get the cheapest flight to.
John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) is a huge international airport in the borough of Queens, where many overseas and domestic flights arrive. Once at JFK, the AirTrain service will bring you from the airport to the Jamaica train station. (Do NOT take the AirTrain that goes to the Howard Beach Station unless you enjoy super-long subway rides.) Tickets for the AirTrain are $8.75 each. You can pay with a contactless credit card. If you’re traveling with multiple people, each additional rider costs $4.50. From Jamaica, you can either take the E subway train (fare is $3.00) or the Long Island Railroad commuter line. If you choose the latter (which is generally much faster), be sure to buy a ticket from a person or a machine, as the cost almost doubles if you buy it on the train. (The LIRR costs $5.25 during off-peak hours or $7.25 during peak hours.) Both the subway and LIRR take you directly to Penn Station, just across the street from the hotel. If you prefer, a cab can take you from JFK Airport to anywhere in Manhattan.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA), also in Queens, is where many domestic and Canadian flights arrive. It is geographically the closest airport to Manhattan. From LGA, private taxis can take you to the hotel. You can also take the M60 Select bus to the N or Q train, which will bring you to Herald Square, one block east of the hotel. You can pay with a contactless credit card. The cost is $3.00 per ride. (You will get a free transfer to the subway if you pay with the same contactless credit card.)
Newark Airport (EWR) in New Jersey serves a large number of domestic and international destinations. There is frequent AirTrain/New Jersey Transit commuter service between each terminal and Penn Station, taking under an hour to deliver you from your flight to the New Yorker Hotel. This may be the most convenient airport to fly into as far as transportation is concerned, and service is frequent. (Tickets are $17.25 and cover the entire trip, including the AirTrain.) When transferring from the AirTrain, be sure to get on a Manhattan-bound New Jersey Transit train and NOT an Amtrak train, as that will cost significantly more for a very short trip. We don’t recommend cabs from Newark, as they not only take longer, but you will have to pay the tunnel/bridge toll on top of the cab fare.
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) is located in Islip, New York, around 50 miles east of Manhattan. The main advantage of flying here is sometimes (though not always) lower airfares. You can take a cab from MacArthur Airport to the Ronkonkoma train station and catch the Long Island Railroad directly to Penn Station. The trip takes just over an hour. Trains generally run once an hour.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) is yet another air option around 33 miles north of Manhattan. Six commercial airlines currently land here from various parts of the country. To get to the hotel from here, you need to take a bus (Route 12) or cab to the White Plains train station. From there, catch a MetroNorth commuter train to Manhattan. This will bring you to Grand Central Station. It’s a beautiful building that opened in 1871 and you should really take a few minutes to admire its grandiosity. However, it is not Penn Station, which is where you need to go. In order to do that, either walk to the street and have a good old-fashioned New York City taxi experience or use the subway, which involves taking the S (shuttle) to Times Square (one stop) and the 1, 2, or 3 downtown to Penn Station (one stop). The hotel is a block to the west on Eighth Avenue.
By Train:
The Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and MetroNorth offer short-range transportation options to New York City from around the metropolitan area. Amtrak offers short and long-range train transportation. Except for MetroNorth, all of these rail lines arrive at Penn Station, which is right across the street from the New Yorker Hotel and HOPE 26. MetroNorth arrives at Grand Central Station, which means you must take the subway (S one stop to Times Square and then a downtown 1, 2, or 3 one stop to Penn Station). Or you could easily walk.
The 33rd Street PATH station is also close, literally two (long) blocks from the New Yorker Hotel entrance. PATH trains provide a quick hop from several points in New Jersey, most notably the Hoboken station, a major train hub.
By Bus:
Greyhound, Megabus, Peter Pan, FlixBus, Trailways, and a number of other intercity bus companies serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal, located on Eighth Avenue at 42nd Street. Probably the best way to get from Port Authority to the conference is on foot (walk south on Eighth Avenue for six short blocks south to the New Yorker Hotel, a distance of about a third of a mile), but you can also take the subway downtown one stop: the A, C, or E will all work from Port Authority (Times Square subway station). Or get a cab.
Other companies offer service between the Chinatowns of New York and other cities throughout the region. Comprehensive information about the various carriers’ routes can be hard to come by, but GotoBus and ILIKEBUS are attempts to aggregate information. New companies are always starting up, so try searching the web to find even more options.
By Car:
We recommend not driving in Manhattan unless you really know what you’re doing. If a car is your only source of travel, it might be a good idea to park in an outer borough and take the subway into Manhattan or use one of the Park-and-Ride lots in New Jersey and take New Jersey Transit or PATH to get into town. If you insist on driving into Manhattan, you may be able to find free parking in some residential areas. Parking garages tend to be cheaper downtown.
For those of you bringing in equipment, getting to the hotel is pretty straightforward. Please make arrangements in advance, since we will hopefully know about loading docks and elevators to use. Be sure to prepare a specific schedule for loading in your gear.
From New Jersey, the Lincoln Tunnel will get you onto the west side in the 30’s. Simply make your way to 30th Street and turn left on Eighth Avenue. (This approach also works for those coming from the north on the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway.) The hotel is on the left side between 34th and 35th Streets.
From points east, the Midtown Tunnel will put you onto 34th Street, as will the corresponding exit on the FDR Drive.
Subways and City Buses:
Take the A, C, or E train to 34th Street – Penn Station (Eighth Avenue) right across the street from the New Yorker Hotel. You can also take the 1, 2, or 3 train to 34th Street – Penn Station (Seventh Avenue) and walk one block west. And if you feel like a two-block walk, you can take the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, or W train to Herald Square and walk west on 34th Street. The MTA’s website has maps and other good information. You can also get free printed subway maps by asking in any station.
The base fare of a subway ride is $3.00. You can pay with a contactless credit card on busses and at subway stations. You can also get various discounts based on what sort of pass you put onto an OMNY Card. The OMNY system is designed so you don’t have to spend more than $35 in a week before rides become free. So if you pay the full $3 fare for 12 rides, everything past that point will cost nothing for the rest of the week (the week begins whenever your first tap was made on an OMNY card, smartphone, or credit card). Be sure to use the same payment method in order to have your rides add up.
The M4, M5, M7, M20, M34/M34A SBS, and Q32 buses all stop within a block or two of the hotel, but we don’t recommend taking them unless you’re already familiar with the city’s bus system.
Ports of Call:
Whether arriving on a transatlantic ocean liner or as a stowaway in a shipping container, the greater New York metropolitan area has you covered. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates major international landings and there are a number of privately operated piers and shipyards in Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Staten Island.
Ferries:
Commuters are increasingly using ferries to get from the outer boroughs and New Jersey to and from Manhattan landings. Ferry terminals on the Hudson River at 39th Street, and the East River at 34th Street, are an easy walk, taxi or subway ride from HOPE.
Biking:
Manhattan has a growing number of bike paths and bike-accessible routes. This might be a good way to get around town and to the New Yorker Hotel, but it is more challenging for highway distances. The city is full of Citi Bike stations, which cost $4.99 for a single ride or $25/day.
Shipping items:
The Hotel can receive and hold items for registered guests in their baggage check area. They can be sent by regular shipping methods like postal mail and FedEx. Check with the hotel for details and limits. Be cautious in shipping biological samples and live organisms.
Telepresence:
Robots and other telepresence devices must have their own ticket to attend HOPE. Standard 110V outlets will be available throughout the event space for charging. Telepresence robots should not be left unattended at HOPE. But, seriously, HOPE 26 can be attended virtually, with a virtual ticket, and everyone with an in-person ticket to HOPE also gets access to the same features as virtual attendees.