Travel Across New York City

Getting to New York City and NYU, getting around during the conference, and navigating the NYU campus can be straightforward with a little planning. The sections below cover arrival options, local transportation, campus layout and key buildings, accessibility, safety tips, and quick practical details.

Getting to New York City

Flying into nyc:

Below is information about getting into Manhattan (specifically Penn Station) from the 3 major airports servicing New York City. Please plan your post-flight transit in advance. Our hotels often are walking distance from Penn Station.

  • Via Public Transport:

    • Approx 45 minutes: AirTrain —> LIRR

    • Approx 1 hour: AirTrain —> Subway

    Via Car:

    • Approx 30-45 minutes

  • Via Public Transport:

    • Approx 45 minutes: Bus —> Subway

    Via Car:

    • Approx 20-35 minutes

  • Via Public Transport:

    • Approx 45 minutes: AirTrain —> NJ Transit

    Via Car:

    • Approx 25-35 minutes

Trains and buses into NYC:

  • Amtrak and NJ Transit arrive at Penn Station (34th St). The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) arrives at Penn Station and at Atlantic Terminal (Brooklyn).

  • Regional buses (Greyhound, Megabus, FlixBus) stop at Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St) or curbside locations.

Going from Penn Station or Port Authority Bus Terminal to NYU’s Kimmel Center (Registration) takes about 10-20 minutes, take any one of the A/C/E trains downtown to West 4th-Washington Square. Our hotels are also largely walking distance from these.

Driving into NYC

  • Driving into Manhattan is generally not recommended due to heavy traffic and limited/expensive parking. If you must drive, plan for parking garages near your destination and allow extra travel time.

Getting around NYC during the conference

We highly recommend familiarizing yourself with New York’s extensive public transit system. Google Maps and Apple Maps will both work, however we personally highly recommend CityMapper for the most accurate information. We recommend accounting for rush hour and the delay from being in a large group.

We expect all delegations to be responsible users of public transit and maintain a level of etiquette while doing so. Here is some information about the many options New York has.

    • To access the MTA, you can tap a credit/debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, or purchase an OMNY card ahead of time.

    • Please be aware of transfers and which direction the subway is going (you will likely not be able to go between the downtown and uptown trains).

    • Subway Stations within a 10 minutes walk of NYU Kimmel Center for University Life:

      • West 4th-Washington Square: A/C/E, B/D/F/M

      • 8th St-NYU: R/W

      • Christopher St-Sheridan Sq: 1

      • Astor Place: 6

    • There are so many buses that service the broader Greenwich Village area that can often be more convenient to subways depending on your location. We generally recommend planning ahead for bus transit, and to account for delays.

    • Buses are very convenient, however we generally believe that enough subways service the NYU campus that we often do not find them to be necessary.

    • LIRR and Metro-North if coming from Long Island/Upstate

    • NJ Transit if coming from New Jersey

    • Please book your tickets for these in advance and check the train timings. We urge delegations to get to trains early to get seats together and make sure they arrive on time.

    • Most delegations that use commuter rail usually stay in hotels in the city, we have no requirements regarding this but we believe it to be more convenient than a >1hr commute.

    • Yellow cabs and app-based rides (Uber, Lyft) are useful for door-to-door trips, late-night travel, or when carrying luggage. Expect surge pricing during peak times and major events, which can substantially increase the price of these.

    • Yellow cabs have a standard fare from airports.

    • New York prides itself on walkability, and the NYU campus and the Village as a whole are incredibly walkable. We personally recommend bringing a pair of comfortable shoes and walking as much as you can across the city!

    • Citi Bike (bike share) stations are present all across the city, which you can rent and use to travel. This is unironically the single fastest means of transportation in the city, however always wear a helmet and be safe!

  • The NYC Commuter Ferry isn’t particularly convenient for getting to the NYU campus, however if you’re staying in an outer borough or are particularly far, it can definitely be an option! It’s my personal favorite commute option in the city and it can be a way to see a lot of the city from the East River.

    Please book your tickets in advance.

Getting across nyu

We will be adding more information regarding getting across campus once we release our committee rooms and conference schedule. We believe the NYU Campus Map is borderline unreadable so we encourage delegates to use Google Maps and to plan ahead.

Please note that we will be hosting registration at the address below. All committee rooms will be either here or, at most, within a 10 minute walk of this address:

Kimmel Center for University Life

60 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012, United States