2017 SABR Convention: SABR 47 in NYC

June 28-July 2, 2017
Grand Hyatt New York
109 E. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 883-1234

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SABR 47: Transportation Tips

SABR 47 will be held June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 47 convention in the Big Apple.

Registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 47 registration rates. Or click here to register for SABR 47! Registration is $269 for SABR members or $344 for non-members, and includes access to all panel discussions, research presentations, and committee meetings at the Grand Hyatt New York. Single-day registration is also available ($149 for Thursday, June 29; $99 for Friday, June 30; or $149 for Saturday, July 1.)
Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Grand Hyatt New York of $199/night (plus tax) is now sold out! If you would like to be added to a first-come, first-serve waiting list in case more hotel rooms become available in the future, please contact Deb Jayne immediately at djayne@sabr.org.

Members of the host Casey Stengel Chapter have compiled a list of transportation tips to help visitors and convention attendees enjoy their stay in New York City. If you have any questions during your stay, please don’t hesitate to ask a friendly SABR 47 volunteer for assistance.

For more information on New York City’s award-winning restaurants, upcoming events, and other attractions, visit nycgo.com.

Directions to the hotel

The Grand Hyatt (109 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10017) is in a grand and central location: Midtown Manhattan! One of the city’s most historic and luxurious hotels is conveniently located just steps from Grand Central Terminal, accessible to all forms of transportation, and within walking distance of many major attractions, including Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the New York Public Library.

Click here for an interactive map and directions to the hotel.

Nearby airports

Three major airports that service New York City are JFK International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Please consider visiting the Port Authority Welcome Center located in the arrivals area of each terminal for any info not covered here or online.

For apps and maps to download, valuable tips for travelers, and the time plus cost for each mode of transit: taxi, van, car services, AirTrain, or the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) public transportation via bus/rail/subway, information and tips can be found at a link below:

JFK International Airport (JFK)
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

Suggested public transit options:

From LGA: Take the MTA LaGuardia Link Select Bus Shuttle (Q70+) and get off at the Roosevelt Ave/74th St. station. From the adjacent 74th St./Broadway Station, take the #7 train bound for 34th St./Hudson Yards. Get off at 42nd St./Grand Central station and walk to the adjacent Grand Hyatt hotel. Total fare: $5.50. Trip time: appx. 45-50 minutes.
From JFK: Take the JFK Airtrain to Jamaica station. Transfer to the E train bound for World Trade Center. Get off at Court Sq/23rd St. station. Follow the signs to Court Sq station 7. Transfer to the #7 train bound for 34th St./Hudson Yards. Get off at 42nd St./Grand Central station and walk to the adjacent Grand Hyatt hotel. Total fare: $7.75. Trip time: appx. 1 hour, 5 minutes.
From EWR: From Newark Airport Railroad Station, take a NJ Transit train to New York Penn Station. Transfer to #2 train bound for 241st St./Wakefield station. Get off at 42nd St./Times Square station and transfer to #7 train bound for Main St./Flushing. Get off at 42nd St./Grand Central station and walk to the adjacent Grand Hyatt hotel. Total fare: $13. Trip time: appx. 1 hour. Alternate option: Take the Newark Airport Express bus straight to Grand Central station. Total fare: $17. Trip time: appx. 1 hour.
From Penn Station: If your trip takes you to Penn Station, an alternative way to get to the Grand Hyatt is by taking the first #1, #2, or #3 train uptown and get off at the next stop, the 42nd St./Times Square station. Then transfer to the S shuttle (42nd Street Shuttle) that goes back and forth between Times Square and Grand Central.

The three smaller airports within the NY-NJ Port Authority (Stewart International, Teterboro, and Atlantic City International) can be accessed at panynj.gov/airports and Westchester County has an airport (White Plains Airport) about 27 miles from NYC.

The MTA provides regular and select bus service (SBS) to the subway and to Manhattan buses from LaGuardia for the cost of a MetroCard ($2.75) with a free transfer to the subway or to a bus. A transit map is available by clicking here (PDF) if you land at LaGuardia.

Shared-ride and other options

Taxis: Taxis are readily available on the street at the airport and throughout the city. Tip: If a cab is for hire, the light on the roof(top) will be on.

Shared-ride services: Most shared-ride services are available at LaGuardia (only 8 miles from Midtown, whereas JFK is 15 miles away.) Visit laguardiaairport.com for more information. For-hire vehicles (Uber, Lyft, Via, Gett) are available through their own mobile apps. Uber has discounts for first-timers at uber.com/promo. You can also call (800) AIR-RIDE for information on authorized transportation services.

Select Bus Service: MTA also operates the Select Bus Service, which stops only on select locations, not every stop. To board the bus, first purchase a ticket in the machine at the bus stop. You do not need to show the ticket to the driver (just board the bus), but hold onto the ticket until after the ride. On local buses, the fare is paid on the bus by inserting a Metro card into the machine next to the driver.

Subway/bus transfers: A transfer can be made between subways and buses, and some bus to bus. The transfer is automatically added to your Metro card and must be used within two hours. After two hours, a new fare is charged.

Regional rail/bus: Many rail services, including Amtrak and New Jersey Transit are available for SABR 47 attendees from nearby states. Regional bus services like Peter Pan and Greyhound use the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue and West 42nd Street, just across town from the Hyatt on East 42nd Street, about five blocks apart.

For folks taking the Megabus or BoltBus BoltBus, the terminal point is near 34th Street and 11th Avenue, close to the #7 train at 34th St & 11th Avenue. The #7 train will take you to Grand Central, 3 stops later. Most of the “Chinatown Buses” will leave you near Canal Street where the #6 local train going Uptown will take you to Grand Central as well.

Other options: The NY-NJ Port Authority does offer an authorized, express ride to Midtown called the NYC Airporter ($34 roundtrip from JFK, $28 roundtrip from LaGuardia) along with some freebies (walking tour, bike rental) and online discounts. Estimate 90 minutes from JFK to the hotel and 60 minutes from LGA to the hotel.

Parking at or near the hotel

The Grand Hyatt New York offers valet parking on-site or garage self parking for hotel guests:

On-site Valet Parking: $60 for up to six hours, $70 overnight (no in/out privileges)
Self-Parking: Not available

Visit TripAdvisor.com for more information on discount public lots and garages near the Grand Hyatt.

Subway directions to Citi Field

From the Grand Central Terminal adjacent to the Grand Hyatt hotel, take the #7 train bound for “Main St.-Flushing.” Get off at the Mets-Willets Point Station and walk to Citi Field. One-way fare* is $2.75 and the trip takes about 25-35 minutes. To return to the hotel from the Mets-Willets Point Station, take the #7 train bound for “34th St.-Hudson Yards.” Get off at the 42nd St./Grand Central Station and walk back to the hotel.

*Reminder: A SABR 47 Mets game ticket includes roundtrip subway transportation to Citi Field.

For anyone just going to the Mets game on Friday, June 30 and not attending the SABR 47 ballpark session at Citi Field, there will be a group leaving the hotel together in the late afternoon and taking the subway to the ballpark. More details will be posted on the bulletin board near the SABR registration area at the Grand Hyatt during the convention.

Getting around NYC

Manhattan is ideal for walking north of Houston Street — pronounced “house-ton” after an old New York family named Houseton, although the “e” in their surname was dropped by the time the street signs were done. North of Houston is 1st St., 2nd St., and so on, taking about a minute to cover for these “street” blocks. South of Houston (SoHo) is more difficult as there is no number grid to follow, just names of streets; a map will help.

Fifth Avenue is the east-west divide so that 109 East 42nd St, the address of the Grand Hyatt, is east of Fifth Avenue between Park and Lexington Avenues. See how to estimate the cross streets at ny.com/locator.

MetroCard: Visitors will find the MTA/MetroCard website to be very helpful for deciding itineraries and whether you want an Unlimited 7-Day MetroCard ($32). For each listing of “the most exciting sights” in New York City’s five boroughs, mta.info/metrocard/tourism/sightseeing.htm provides the address, a brief description, and direct link to the libraries, museums, galleries, cultural centers, theaters, performing arts centers, parks and nature centers as well as sports stadiums, beaches, pools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and areas of business and government.

MetroCard promotions, special events, and the NYC Citywide Events Calendar can be explored by clicking here; if you are using transit on a weekend, the MTA’s Weekender site is a must! It shows all the transit lines that change on weekends and the alternatives for you. Buses are almost never re-routed; you can download the bus maps for any borough as well as subway maps at mta.info/nyct to expedite your plans.

Vending machines for MetroCard purchases (each new card adds $1 to the normal $2.75 price so buy only one card, then refill it if you need to reuse it later). Important MetroCard Q&A is at mta.info/metrocard, including a chart to help you decide which MetroCard best suits your needs.

Boats and ferries: Visit NYC.gov for information on boats and ferries, including the free Staten Island Ferry. It presents excellent views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, skyscrapers, and giant cargo ships during the 25-minute ride but it makes no stops until the St. George terminal on Staten Island when all passengers must disembark. A stroll along the waterfront promenade while in Staten Island, going by the Esplanade and Postcards September 11th Memorial near Richmond County Stadium, home of the Staten Island Yankees, is a treat before returning to Manhattan.

Governors Island, which was once a Confederate prison, is now one of the dozen National Parks in New York City. Private ferries and water taxis (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/ferintro.shtml) go between Manhattan and the outer boroughs, including the baseball ferries, and some also go to New Jersey.

Taxis/shared-rides: Taxi cabs are yellow with a meter for billing and a divider inside the car. If this is your first time in New York, Uber offers a discount promo.

Bicycle: Getting around NYC by bicycle is a popular choice for many people. The CitiBike program offers a Day Pass ($12) and a 3-Day Pass ($24) with lots of stations and docks.

For more information on SABR 47, visit SABR.org/convention.