ACM Multimedia 2004: Travel, Visa, and Local Information

TRAVEL, VISA, & LOCAL INFORMATION

Airport Information

There are three airports in the New York metropolitan area: LaGuardia (LGA) airport, Kennedy (JFK) airport, and Newark (EWR) airport. LaGuardia is the closest airport to Columbia University.

Conference Location Information

Columbia University main campus, also known as the Morningside campus, is located at Morningside Heights in Manhattan. The main entrance is at Broadway and West 116th Street. Columbia University main campus is between Broadway (at the west) and Amsterdam Avenue (at the east), and between West 114th Street (at the south) and West 120th Street (at the north). You can check Columbia University campus map here.

Visa Information

If you require a visa to attend ACM MM'2004, please send email to SIG Program Coordinator Irene Frawley at ACM headquarters, who is handling all visa requests.

For US Visa services, you can check here.

Hotel Information

ACM MM'2004 has negotiated discounted rates at the conference hotel, On the Ave Hotel. It is located on West 77th Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Room rates are as follows: $150 for Sunday through Thursday, and $195 for Friday and Saturday; room sizes are King or Queen. Check-in time is 3:00pm (EST) and checkout time is 12:00 noon (EST). To make reservations, please call 800.497.6028 or 212.362.1100, or fax 212.787.9521. In all cases, you must refer to "ACM/MM" group in order to get the preferred rates. The cut off date is September 16, 2004.

For other hotels in Columbia University area, you can check New York City hotels site and Columbia University hotels site.

Transportation Information

Directions from John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport

Taxis: (Yellow Cabs) are available outside every terminal. Ask for Columbia University, and instruct the driver to take the Triborough Bridge to Manhattan. The taxi fare is price fixed for Manhattan at $45, not including the ($3.50) toll for the Triborough bridge, which will not appear on the meter. The standard rate to tip in New York is 15% and does not apply to the toll.
Car Service: Most terminals have a ground transportation desk which will be able to provide you with a list of Car Service companies. A good cheap option is Carmel (Tel. 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 666-6666 when in Manhattan). Their prices are $35 plus toll ($3) and tip ($4) before 8:00pm, and $32 plus toll and tip afterwards. Call from the terminal and they should have a car there within 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, for an extra $4 you can arrange for the driver to meet you at baggage reclaim.
New York Airport Service: Buses run every 20 to 30 minutes between 7:00am and 9:30pm, stopping ouside each terminal in turn. The fare is $13 each way. This bus service stops twice in Manhattan, at Park Avenue and 41st Street, and at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue and 42nd Street. At Park Avenue, the options are a taxi or the westbound #104 bus on 42nd Street. At Port Authority, either take a taxi or the subway ($2.00).
Air Train + Subway: This is the cheapest way to get into the city. First take the Air Train to get to Howard Beach station. Then take the "A" train into Manhattan, and at the 59th street station, switch to the 1/9 train uptown. The Columbia University stop is at 116th street and Broadway.

Directions from La Guardia (LGA) Airport

Taxis: (Yellow Cabs) are available outside every terminal. Ask for Columbia University, and instruct the driver to take the Triborough Bridge to Manhattan. The taxi fare should be approximately $25 including the ($3.00) toll for the bridge, which will not appear on the meter. The standard rate to tip in New York is 15% and does not apply to the toll.
Car Service: Most terminals have a ground transportation desk which will be able to provide you with a list of Car Service companies. A good cheap option is Carmel (Tel. 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 666-6666 when in Manhattan). Their prices are $25 plus toll ($3) and tip ($4). Call from the terminal and they should have a car there within 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, for an extra $4 you can arrange for the driver to meet you at baggage reclaim.
Super Shuttle: Rates range from $13 to $22. From any location in Manhattan. Call 212 BLUE-VAN (212-258-3826). They ask that you give them 1 day's advance notice.
New York Airport Service: Buses run about every half hour Grand Central Station at 42nd street and Park Avenue. The fare is $10 for a one way trip. You can then either take a taxi ($10) or the westbound #104 bus on 42nd Street ($2.00).
The M60 Bus: runs directy from the airport to Columbia Campus, with a fare of $2. For more information, see the bus section of this page.

Directions from Newark (EWR) airport

New Jersey Transit: Buses leave from every terminal to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, leaving every 15 minutes. The price is $7 each way, and the trip takes about 30 minutes. At Port Authority, find a taxi cab, take the subway, or catch the M104 bus at the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue.
Car Service: All terminals have a ground transportation desk which will be able to provide you with a list of Car Service companies. A good cheap option is Carmel (Tel. 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 666-6666 when in Manhattan). Their prices are $34 plus tolls (around $8) and tip ($4) before 8:00pm, and a few dollars more afterwards. Ask for Columbia University, at 116th and Broadway, Manhattan.

Direction from On the Ave Hotel

Take the subway at West 79th Street and Broadway. Take the 1 or 9 train heading uptown (north) to 116th Street / Columbia University.

Reaching Columbia University by subway

Columbia University can be easily reached by taking subway 1 or 9 line. The fare is $2 per trip, no matter how far you go. You will need to purchase a ticket (called a metro card and looks like ) from a machine in the station (which take cash, debit and credit cards) or from a person in a little booth (who probably only takes cash). You need to swipe the card at the turnstile in the station to enter (though you don't need it to get out).
When you on the subway, listen carefully for announcements in case they are doing work. They always announce route changes, though sometimes it's hard to hear what they are saying. Ask someone if you don't get the announcement.
When you get off the subway at the 116th Street / Columbia University station, exit the station by going up the stairs to the street on the right (east) side. Then you are on broadway and you will see the main gates to Columbia University in front of you.

Reaching Columbia University by city bus

Exact fare of $2.00 is required, payable using coins. Bus drivers cannot accept bills. Transfers to connecting buses are free, and are usually time stamped to the closest hour. New magnetic stripe MetroCards are also available.
M4: Runs along broadway, across 110th Street, down Fifth avenue, and back up Madison Avenue. Schedule (PDF, 87K)
M5: Runs along Riverside drive north of 72nd Street, then across to broadway and down into Midtown. Schedule (PDF, 84K)
M11: North of 110th, this takes Amsterdam Avenue. South of 110th the downtown M11 uses Columbus Avenue, and the uptown uses Amsterdam. Schedule (PDF, 82K)
M60: This may be caught outside the main gates at Broadway and 116th. It goes up to 120th, across to Amsterdam, up to and along 125th to the Triborough Bridge, then over into Queens and La Guardia Airport. Schedule (PDF, 82K)
M104: Runs along Broadway, and then east along 42nd to the U.N. The uptown runs along 42nd, up 8th, and then up Broadway. Schedule (PDF, 82K)

For other directions to Columbia University, you can also check here.

Tour Information

ACM MM'2004 has arranged a cruise banquet with Bateaux New York on October 13, 2004.

For other tour information about New York City, you can check New York City tour site and Columbia University's web guide.

Other Local Information

Local businesses: restaurants, stores, banks, post offices etc. near Columbia University

Local weather: weather forecast for New York City

For questions about local information, please email Weibin Zhao.




		ACM Multimedia 2004 Conference Poster Conference Committee Technical Program Committee Submission Information • Papers • Panels • Short papers • Tutorials • Brave New Topics • Technical Demonstrations • Interactive Art Program • Video Demonstrations • Workshops • Doctoral Symposium • Open Source Software Competition Camera Ready Submission Instruction Final Program Registration Travel, Visa, and Local Information Student Volunteer and Travel Grant Related Events Corporate Support MM Conferences MM 2003 MM 2002 MM 2001 MM 2000 Sponsoring SIGs SIGMM Contact Us Webmaster: Lalitha Agnihotri		TRAVEL, VISA, & LOCAL INFORMATION Airport Information There are three airports in the New York metropolitan area: LaGuardia (LGA) airport, Kennedy (JFK) airport, and Newark (EWR) airport. LaGuardia is the closest airport to Columbia University. Conference Location Information Columbia University main campus, also known as the Morningside campus, is located at Morningside Heights in Manhattan. The main entrance is at Broadway and West 116th Street. Columbia University main campus is between Broadway (at the west) and Amsterdam Avenue (at the east), and between West 114th Street (at the south) and West 120th Street (at the north). You can check Columbia University campus map here. Schapiro CEPSR is in Section D Low Memorial Library is in Section Visa Information If you require a visa to attend ACM MM'2004, please send email to SIG Program Coordinator Irene Frawley at ACM headquarters, who is handling all visa requests. For US Visa services, you can check here. Hotel Information ACM MM'2004 has negotiated discounted rates at the conference hotel, On the Ave Hotel. It is located on West 77th Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Room rates are as follows: $150 for Sunday through Thursday, and $195 for Friday and Saturday; room sizes are King or Queen. Check-in time is 3:00pm (EST) and checkout time is 12:00 noon (EST). To make reservations, please call 800.497.6028 or 212.362.1100, or fax 212.787.9521. In all cases, you must refer to "ACM/MM" group in order to get the preferred rates. The cut off date is September 16, 2004. For other hotels in Columbia University area, you can check New York City hotels site and Columbia University hotels site. Transportation Information Directions from John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport Taxis: (Yellow Cabs) are available outside every terminal. Ask for Columbia University, and instruct the driver to take the Triborough Bridge to Manhattan. The taxi fare is price fixed for Manhattan at $45, not including the ($3.50) toll for the Triborough bridge, which will not appear on the meter. The standard rate to tip in New York is 15% and does not apply to the toll. Car Service: Most terminals have a ground transportation desk which will be able to provide you with a list of Car Service companies. A good cheap option is Carmel (Tel. 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 666-6666 when in Manhattan). Their prices are $35 plus toll ($3) and tip ($4) before 8:00pm, and $32 plus toll and tip afterwards. Call from the terminal and they should have a car there within 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, for an extra $4 you can arrange for the driver to meet you at baggage reclaim. New York Airport Service: Buses run every 20 to 30 minutes between 7:00am and 9:30pm, stopping ouside each terminal in turn. The fare is $13 each way. This bus service stops twice in Manhattan, at Park Avenue and 41st Street, and at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue and 42nd Street. At Park Avenue, the options are a taxi or the westbound #104 bus on 42nd Street. At Port Authority, either take a taxi or the subway ($2.00). Air Train + Subway: This is the cheapest way to get into the city. First take the Air Train to get to Howard Beach station. Then take the "A" train into Manhattan, and at the 59th street station, switch to the 1/9 train uptown. The Columbia University stop is at 116th street and Broadway. Directions from La Guardia (LGA) Airport Taxis: (Yellow Cabs) are available outside every terminal. Ask for Columbia University, and instruct the driver to take the Triborough Bridge to Manhattan. The taxi fare should be approximately $25 including the ($3.00) toll for the bridge, which will not appear on the meter. The standard rate to tip in New York is 15% and does not apply to the toll. Car Service: Most terminals have a ground transportation desk which will be able to provide you with a list of Car Service companies. A good cheap option is Carmel (Tel. 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 666-6666 when in Manhattan). Their prices are $25 plus toll ($3) and tip ($4). Call from the terminal and they should have a car there within 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, for an extra $4 you can arrange for the driver to meet you at baggage reclaim. Super Shuttle: Rates range from $13 to $22. From any location in Manhattan. Call 212 BLUE-VAN (212-258-3826). They ask that you give them 1 day's advance notice. New York Airport Service: Buses run about every half hour Grand Central Station at 42nd street and Park Avenue. The fare is $10 for a one way trip. You can then either take a taxi ($10) or the westbound #104 bus on 42nd Street ($2.00). The M60 Bus: runs directy from the airport to Columbia Campus, with a fare of $2. For more information, see the bus section of this page. Directions from Newark (EWR) airport New Jersey Transit: Buses leave from every terminal to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, leaving every 15 minutes. The price is $7 each way, and the trip takes about 30 minutes. At Port Authority, find a taxi cab, take the subway, or catch the M104 bus at the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue. Car Service: All terminals have a ground transportation desk which will be able to provide you with a list of Car Service companies. A good cheap option is Carmel (Tel. 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 666-6666 when in Manhattan). Their prices are $34 plus tolls (around $8) and tip ($4) before 8:00pm, and a few dollars more afterwards. Ask for Columbia University, at 116th and Broadway, Manhattan. Direction from On the Ave Hotel Take the subway at West 79th Street and Broadway. Take the 1 or 9 train heading uptown (north) to 116th Street / Columbia University. Reaching Columbia University by subway Columbia University can be easily reached by taking subway 1 or 9 line. The fare is $2 per trip, no matter how far you go. You will need to purchase a ticket (called a metro card and looks like ) from a machine in the station (which take cash, debit and credit cards) or from a person in a little booth (who probably only takes cash). You need to swipe the card at the turnstile in the station to enter (though you don't need it to get out). When you on the subway, listen carefully for announcements in case they are doing work. They always announce route changes, though sometimes it's hard to hear what they are saying. Ask someone if you don't get the announcement. When you get off the subway at the 116th Street / Columbia University station, exit the station by going up the stairs to the street on the right (east) side. Then you are on broadway and you will see the main gates to Columbia University in front of you. Reaching Columbia University by city bus Exact fare of $2.00 is required, payable using coins. Bus drivers cannot accept bills. Transfers to connecting buses are free, and are usually time stamped to the closest hour. New magnetic stripe MetroCards are also available. M4: Runs along broadway, across 110th Street, down Fifth avenue, and back up Madison Avenue. Schedule (PDF, 87K) M5: Runs along Riverside drive north of 72nd Street, then across to broadway and down into Midtown. Schedule (PDF, 84K) M11: North of 110th, this takes Amsterdam Avenue. South of 110th the downtown M11 uses Columbus Avenue, and the uptown uses Amsterdam. Schedule (PDF, 82K) M60: This may be caught outside the main gates at Broadway and 116th. It goes up to 120th, across to Amsterdam, up to and along 125th to the Triborough Bridge, then over into Queens and La Guardia Airport. Schedule (PDF, 82K) M104: Runs along Broadway, and then east along 42nd to the U.N. The uptown runs along 42nd, up 8th, and then up Broadway. Schedule (PDF, 82K) For other directions to Columbia University, you can also check here. Tour Information ACM MM'2004 has arranged a cruise banquet with Bateaux New York on October 13, 2004. For other tour information about New York City, you can check New York City tour site and Columbia University's web guide. Other Local Information Local businesses: restaurants, stores, banks, post offices etc. near Columbia University Local weather: weather forecast for New York City For questions about local information, please email Weibin Zhao.