The Eleventh HOPE will be held from July 22-24, 2016 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Pick up your registration badge in the Penn Plaza Pavillion, which is directly to the left after walking into Hotel Pennsylvania from Seventh Ave.
The Eleventh HOPE events will be on the 1st and 2nd floor (registration, hackerspaces, vendors, art, music, and more!), 6th floor (some workshops and classes) and 18th floor (speakers, movies, and the 2600 Store).
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.
By Air:
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), as well as a tiny one in Westchester (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 $5.00 each, plus $1.00 if you get a new Metrocard, payable at Jamaica. If you're traveling with multiple people, consider the JFK AirTrain Ten Trip Metrocard for $25, which offers a substantial discount and is good for six months.) From Jamaica, you can either take the E subway train 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. (If you find yourself traveling to or from JFK in this method on either Saturday or Sunday, be sure to buy the CityTicket, which brings the fare down to $4.25.) 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 shuttle buses 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 must buy a MetroCard and use it to get your bus ticket before boarding. (You will get a free transfer to the subway.) Metrocards can be found at machines in the terminal and at Hudson News kiosks in the airport. You can, of course, get a cab if you prefer.
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 Hotel Pennsylvania. This may be the most convenient airport to fly into as far as transportation is concerned, and service is frequent. (Tickets are $13.00 and cover the entire trip.) 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 $5 cab from MacArthur Airport to the Ronkonkoma train station (or the S57 bus, which doesn't run on Sundays) and catch the Long Island Railroad directly to Penn Station. The trip takes just over an hour. You may be able to save a few dollars by buying a MacArthur Airport package ticket at mta.info. 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 oldÂfashioned 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).
By Train:
The Long Island Railroad, [New Jersey Transit] (http://www.njtransit.com/), 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 Hotel Pennsylvania and The Eleventh HOPE. 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 around the block from the main Hotel Pennslvania 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, BoltBus, 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 one block east to Seventh Avenue, and then nine blocks south to the hotel, a distance of about a half mile), but you can also take the subway downtown one stop: the A, C, E, N, Q, R, 1, 2, or 3 will all work from Port Authority (Times Square subway station). Or get a cab.
Recent years have seen a large number of new bus companies offering extremely low-priced travel within the Northeastern United States. BoltBus and Megabus are particularly good options, as both companies drop you off within a few blocks of the Hotel Pennsylvania. Each of these companies raises their prices as more people buy tickets, so you can save money by buying tickets in advance.
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.com] (https://www.ilikebus.com/) 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 also have loading docks and elevators on 32nd and 33rd Streets. 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 30s. Make your way to 36th Street and turn right onto Seventh Avenue. (If you're coming from the north, take the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway to 36th Street.) NOTE: Do NOT try any of this on 34th Street as right turns onto Seventh Avenue are no longer allowed and you'll likely get ticketed. The hotel is on the left side between 33rd and 32nd Streets.
From points east, the Midtown Tunnel will put you onto 34th Street, as will the corresponding exit on the FDR Drive. However, do not try to make a left onto Seventh Avenue as that is forbidden and you will likely be ticketed. Instead, make your way to 35th Street where left turns onto Seventh Avenue are allowed.
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.
Subways and City Buses:
Take the 1, 2, or 3 train to 34th Street and Seventh Avenue (Pennsylvania Station), right across the street from the Hotel Pennsylvania. (One exit will even let you out right next to the hotel!) Or take the A, C, or E to 34th Street and Eighth Avenue (Pennsylvania Station) and walk one block east. Or take the B, D, F, M, N, Q, or R to 34th Street and Sixth Avenue (Herald Square) and walk one block west. 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 $2.75, but you have to pay $3.00 if you're only buying one ride at a time. You'll also have to pay $1.00 if you're getting a new Metrocard instead of using an existing one. You can also get various discounts based on what sort of pass you put onto a Metrocard.
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.
Human-Powered:
New York itself is amongst the most friendly cities to pedestrians and cyclists. Multiple routes exist for entry into Manhattan on foot or on a bike. Bicyclists should be aware of NYC traffic laws, which are fastidiously enforced by the NYPD. Transoceanic swimmers or kayakers may wish to advise CBP ahead of time of their attempt and request preferred points of entry.
Jetpacks, Drones, and Flying Cars:
Midtown Manhattan does not yet have extensive parking facilities for personal flying devices, and there may be restrictions on where you can park and land. Note that the main entry to HOPE is at street level. Please pick up your registration badge before alighting to the 18th story balcony.
Parking on the balcony is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis. Air valet service will not be available.
Time Travel:
The Eleventh HOPE will have taken place in the Holocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period. 2016 was known for abundant opportunities created by technologies of the day, along with efforts to quash those opportunities and create feelings of disempowerment. At the time, many residents of Earth still thought that handheld devices for computation and communication were a pretty neat idea. If you arrive and see that Earth has no polar ice caps, try a few years earlier.