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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
The Hotel Penn is now sold out for at least part of the conference. Click here for information on alternate places to stay.
Getting to New York City is possible from nearly everywhere on Earth. There are four airports you can arrive at as well as train and bus terminals. You can even drive in 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.
Here are the details. (Remember to keep checking here as we expect to get some special offers posted to make things even easier.) See also the TravelDeals section of the Fifth HOPE wiki to share travel deals and tips with your fellow convention-goers.
By Air:
Special Offer on Continental Airlines: Continental Airlines is offering Fifth HOPE attendees a discount of 10% on some of its fares to Newark Airport. This is valid on A, D, F, J, C, Y, H, and K-class fares, whatever that means. There are also certain other special "zone fares" available. This is valid for round-trip travel between July 4th and 20th, from anywhere Continental flies, though the discount is only 3% from Continental's other hubs at Houston and Cleveland. To find out exactly how much the fares are or to take advantage of this offer, call the Continental MeetingWorks reservations line at . Give agreement code VTBEVX and Z Code ZGTU. Travel agents may also be able to get these fare discounts for you.
There are three main airports serving the metropolitan area, two in the New York City borough of Queens, and one in New Jersey. There is also a small airport located on Long Island, an hour away by train. In general, you should probably fly to whichever airport you can get the cheapest flight (ask a travel agent or search online).
John F. Kennedy airport (JFK) is a huge international airport in Queens, where you will likely end up if flying from overseas. Discount carrier JetBlue and some other domestic airlines also fly here. Once at JFK, the new "AirTrain" service will, for $5, bring you from the airport to Jamaica station, where you can either take the E subway train for $2 or the Long Island Railroad for $4.75 ($6.75 during rush hour). Both take you to Penn Station, just across the street from the hotel. If you prefer to take a cab, there's a flat fee of $45, plus tip and tolls, from JFK airport to anywhere in Manhattan.
LAGuardia airport (LGA), also in Queens, serves domestic and some Canadian destinations. It is geographically the closest airport to Manhattan, and therefore sometimes the most expensive to fly to. From LGA, private shuttle buses to the hotel cost about $10. You can also take the M60 bus to the N or W train, which will bring you to Herald Square, which is one block east of the hotel. Ask the bus driver if you need help. The total cost is $2, but you must buy a MetroCard before boarding the bus. You can also get a cab if you prefer.
Newark airport (EWR), in New Jersey, serves a number of domestic and international destinations. There is frequent "AirTrain" service between Newark terminal and Penn Station, taking under an hour to deliver you from your flight to the Hotel Pennsylvania. This may be the most convenient airport to fly into as far as transportation is concerned. The AirTrain/NJ Transit connection costs $10.50 and service is frequent. (Be careful not to get on an Amtrak train as it will cost you a whopping $22 without saving very much time.) Don't bother with cabs as they not only take longer, but you will have to pay the tunnel/bridge toll on top of the cab fare.
Islip's Macarthur Airport (ISP) is located on Long Island. The main advantage of flying to Islip is sometimes (though not always) lower airfares; Southwest Airlines flies there, and that tends to hold fares down. You can take a shuttle or cab from Macarthur Airport to the Ronkonkoma train station for $5 and take the LIRR train to Penn Station, which costs $8.25 ($12.25 peak) and takes just over an hour. Trains generally run once an hour.
By Train:
, Metro-North Railroad, and the LIRR offer short-range transportation options to New York City from around the metropolitan area. Amtrak offers short and long-range train transportation, although the cost of train travel is often more expensive than air travel. If you do take Amtrak, you may wish to avoid travelling on a Friday or Sunday, as fares are about 20% higher. Except for the Metro-North, all of these rail lines arrive at Penn Station, which is right across the street from the Hotel Pennsylvania and The Fifth HOPE - very convenient. (Metro-North arrives at Grand Central which means you must take the S shuttle to Times Square and transfer to a downtown 1/2/3 subway one stop to Penn Station. Or you could easily walk.) The 33rd Street PATH station is also close, literally on the opposite side of the block as the main Hotel Penn entrance. PATH trains provide a quick hop from several points in NJ, most notably the Hoboken station, a major train hub.
By Bus:
Greyhound and a number of other intercity bus companies serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal, located on 8th Avenue at 42nd Street. Please be aware that this transportation hub is notorious for petty theft and telecommunications fraud, so hold onto your wallet and avoid using payphones! Probably the best way to get from PABT to the conference is on foot (walk one block east to 7th avenue, and then 9 blocks south to the hotel, a distance of about 1/2 mile), but you can also take the A/C/E or 1/2/3 subway one stop downtown, or get a cab.
A number of bus companies have recently started operating in Chinatown, offering incredibly cheap service within the Northeast. As of this writing, service between New York and Boston is only $10 each way, between New York and Washington DC it's $20 each way, $35 round trip. Since no one can figure out how they're making any money doing this, fares may rise. A number of these bus companies have online schedule and booking information at IvyMedia. You'll have to take the subway from wherever the bus drops you off to the hotel. You could take a cab, but it might cost more than the bus itself!
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 use NJ 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. From New Jersey, the Lincoln Tunnel will get you onto the west side in the 30's. Simply make your way to 34th Street and turn right on 7th Avenue. The hotel is on the left side between 33rd and 32nd. The guy greeting you in front of the hotel will be able to tell you how to unload and will even park your car for the weekend if you're sure you want to pay what they charge. Those arriving from other directions simply need to get to 34th Street via the FDR Drive or the Midtown Tunnel.
Subways and City Buses:
Take the 1, 2, 3, or 9 train to 34th & 7th Avenue, right across the street from the Hotel Pennsylvania. Or take the A, C, or E to 34th & 8th, or the B, D, F, N, Q, R, V, or W to 34th & 6th (Herald Square), both of which are just one crosstown block away. The MTA's website has maps and other good information. You can also get free printed subway maps by asking in any station.
The M4, M5, M6, M7, M10, M20, M34, 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.
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