Fordham University is a medium sized private university with two campuses in New York City and one in Westchester County.
ACA 2014 will be held at the Bronx Campus (called Rose Hill).
See Fordham University.
It is intended that participants will stay on campus. (However, no one under the age of 18 may do so.) See the accommodations page.
Update: June 20: Campus accommodation is now full.
Airport
New York City is served by three major airports. Those already in North America should fly into LaGuardia. Those coming from abroad will fly into either JFK or Newark.
Getting From LaGuardia to Fordham.
Getting From Newark Airport to Fordham.
Trains
Amtrak has stations in Manhattan, New Rochelle, and Croton-Harmon. The latter two are in Westchester County, north of Fordham. From there, one may easily switch to the Metro North Railroad to get to the Fordham Campus. The Fordham station of the Harlem Line of that railroad is virtually at the Fordham gate. If you are coming from the north or west, definitely get a ticket to Croton-Harmon.
However (slight complication), the Metro North system has three train lines in Westchester County, the Hudson Line, the Harlem Line, and the New Haven Line. Croton-Harmon is on the Hudson Line and New Rochelle is on the New Haven Line, but Fordham is on the Harlem Line. Therefore, if you arrive at either Amtrak station in Westchester, you will have to go south to the 125th Street Station (a very good, busy station) and switch trains to come back north on the Harlem Line.
If you arrive in Manhattan on Amtrak, you will be at Penn Station. You need to get to Grand Central Station to take the Metro North Railroad to the Fordham Campus. That is a walk of about 1500 meters, 0.9 miles. You can take taxis or subways instead. Or, you can take the subway B or D-train from the 34th Street-Herald Square station all the way to the Fordham stop of the B or D-train. That will leave you with a walk of about 600 meters and will take longer than the Metro North train. Or, you could take the 2-train from 34th Street to Pelham Parkway. That will leave you with a walk of about 1200 meters and will take longer than the Metro North train. Study the subway map carefully!
However, if you study the subway map carefully, you will see that the B train is dotted north of 145th Street. That means it only runs there during rush hour. Ordinarily, stick with the D to be sure.
Metro North Railroad. We are on the east side of the Hudson. The station is extremely convenient to Fordham.
Introduction to the New York Subways.
Getting Into Manhattan from Fordham
Most people who come to New York City want to visit Manhattan. From the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, the easiest way to do so is with the Metro North train. The Fordham station of the Harlem Line of that railroad is at the southwest corner of the Fordham campus, virtually at the Fordham gate. It will quickly take you to Grand Central Station (which is worth a visit in its own right). The disadvantage is that you may not want to be in that area. Instead, you may want to take the famous subways. The closest subway stops to Fordham (Rose Hill) are the D-train to the west of campus on Fordham Road, and the 2 & 5 trains to the east across the Bronx River Parkway. Once on the subway you can go virtually anywhere in New York City on one ticket. Thanks largely to Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg, the subways are much cleaner and nicer than they were twenty years ago.
Driving and Parking
Those within driving distance may want to consider driving to campus. It is easy to do so, especially if you are coming from the north, and there is plenty of parking available on campus in a garage very close to the residence halls. The fee is $11 per day and $11 per night. Night means 11:00pm (23:00) to 7:00 am.
Coming from the north or west, try to cross the Hudson River no farther south than the Tappan Zee Bridge. If at all possible cross at the Bear Mountain Bridge, the I-84 bridge, the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, or near Albany. Come down the Taconic Parkway rather than the New York State Thruway. (However, beware, the Taconic Parkway is a notorious speed trap until you get into Westchester.) The Taconic Parkway merges into the Sprain Parkway (sometimes called "Sprain Brook Parkway"). At Hawthorne Circle it is straight ahead to the Sprain. Do not follow the sign to the exit on the right labelled Taconic or Bronx River. By whatever route, get on the Sprain Parkway, which in about nine miles merges imperceptibly into the Bronx River Parkway. Study the maps and do not rely on your GPS system or your smartphone map app.
If you are driving from the northest, the basic idea is the same: get on the Sprain Parkway, probably by coming west on I-287. (Farther north, usually I-84 to I-684 is better than I-95.) I don't care what your iPhone says, take the Sprain Parkway! The only exception, and it is extremely unlikely, is if there is a bad traffic jam on the southbound Sprain. Your smartphone traffic app could tell you that. DO NOT take I-95 south of I-287. DO NOT get on the Hutchinson River Parkway. DO NOT get on the Sawmill Parkway. I once saw a so-called "smartphone" recommend taking I-95 south to the Cross Bronx west. That's the most ludicrous advice immaginable.
If you are coming from the south, you are probably better off going north to the Tappan Zee Bridge and following the instructions above. If your smartphone traffic app says the traffic is OK (happens maybe one day in five) then OK, follow the more southerly route here. It won't be fun. Your best choice is route 46 to the George Washington Bridge. DO NOT take I-95 all the way to the GW Bridge! And especially DO NOT take the express lanes on I-95!! That's the classic out-of-towner's mistake. The express lanes are almost always slower than the local lanes (welcome to New York). If you need gasoline, get it along route 46. You will save 50 cents per gallon. The savings will almost pay for the hefty toll at the GW Bridge. Once in the City, come up Webster Avenue. Just remember, probably you are better off going north to the Tappan Zee.
Coming from Long Island: take either Whitestone or Throgs Neck, depending on traffic. The obvious route then is the Cross Bronx west to the Bronx River Parkway, north to Pelham Parkway. Follow How to Drive Onto Campus. The Cross Bronx is usually badly backed up with traffic, but at least you will be exiting at the Bronx River Parkway. If your smartphone or GPS says the traffic is just too too horrible (quite likely), the alternative is to take the Hutchison Parkway north to Pelham Parkway, then west on Pelham Parkway. Study a map. The exit from the Hutchison Parkway to Pelham Parkway west is not well marked.
How to Drive Onto Campus. Come from the north. If you are coming from the south, you were probably on the Cross Bronx Expressway. You have my sympathies.
Typical Afternoon Traffic in New York. Quite unusual is that for once the George Washington Bridge is NOT all red. Typically, the Van Wyck, Cross Bronx, and Belt Expressways are terrible. There is a lot of traffic around LaGuardia airport. The Lincoln Tunnel is terrible. The Whitestone and Robert F. Kennedy Bridges are OK.
Unless you are already well familiar with Manhattan, I do NOT recommend driving into Manhattan.
Unless you are already well familiar with Manhattan, I do NOT recommend crossing the George Washington Bridge.
Walking Onto Campus
Those staying on campus will be given ID cards when they check in. Others do not need an ID card. Explain why you are here to the guard. The guards will know about the ACA conference.Walking Around the Fordham Neighborhood (off campus)
During the day and up until, say, 21:00, this is quite safe. After say 23:00, be in a group. The one thing NEVER to do after 23:00 is to be obviously walking around using a cell phone.