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travel information visa information
See the visa page for information about obtaining a visa for coming to AAMAS.air travel
There are three major airports convenient to New York City:There is also MacArthur Airport, Islip, Long Island, NY (ISP), which is a small domestic airport, accessible by train into Manhattan. Southwest flies into Islip, as well as commuter flights from the major airlines. This airport is less convenient but may offer an opportunity for cheaper fares.
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Each of the pages linked above contain detailed information on travel into Manhattan from each airport. Here's a quick synopsis:
The Super Shuttle runs from all three airports. It will cost more than the AirTrain but less than a taxi.
- From Newark, there is an AirTrain service which makes it very easy to get from the airport to downtown Manhattan. The AirTrain is a monorail train which stops at the airport terminals and takes you out to a train station where you can catch a connecting train into Manhattan (Penn Station). Both New Jersey Transit and Amtrak offer service. Note that New Jersey Transit costs less than half the Amtrak fare. Also note that the train station in Newark, New Jersey is also called Penn Station (just to make things confusing), so if you take this route, then wait and get off the train at the New York Penn Station stop (it will be obvious because for NJ Transit trains, it is the last stop; and for Amtrak trains, the stopover will be several minutes). From Newark, a taxi will cost about $50 to downtown Manhattan (plus toll and tip).
- From JFK, there is also AirTrain service, but the connection from the AirTrain to downtown Manhattan takes longer because it is on a local subway instead of a train. You can also take a taxi from JFK, but unless you come in late at night, you will probably sit in a lot of traffic (which is not very pleasant in July). If you come in late at night (say after 11pm), then taxi is recommended. From JFK, a taxi will cost about $35 to downtown Manhattan (plus toll and tip).
- From LaGuardia (domestic and Canadian travel only), there is a city bus (M-60) which stops near the Columbia Campus, though it is a local bus and makes many stops.
train travel
Trains into New York City stop either at Grand Central Station or Penn Station. Amtrak trains stop at Penn Station. The New Yorker Hotel is located across the street from Penn Station, so this is very convenient.bus travel
Busses into New York City stop at Port Authority, which is located on 42nd street and 8th avenue, six blocks north of the New Yorker Hotel.car travel
Car travel into New York City is greatly discouraged. Not only because NYC drivers are crazy, but also because parking will be very difficult and expensive. However, if you choose to drive, there are garages where you can leave your car and you should expect to pay on the order of $25 a day to park the car (if you leave it in the same garage for 24 hours).accommodation
We are pleased to offer special rates at two area hotels (The New Yorker Hotel and the Hotel Newton), each a subway ride from Columbia's campus. Also, Columbia Campus Housing is available at rates much lower than typical New York hotels. See the accommodation below for details.tipping
In NYC, it is generally acceptable to tip a taxi driver 10% of the total on the meter.
In restaurants, the standard tip is 15% of the amount on the bill before tax. If the service is really excellent, then it is also common to tip 20%. Note that some restaurants put the "gratuity" on the bill, especially for large parties (like 5 or 6 or more), so make sure you check the bill to see if there is already a gratuity added.inquiries
Sinem Guven Dept. of Computer Science Columbia University New York, NY 10027 sinem@cs.columbia.edu