Elderly parents going to NYC for US Open tennis tournament. Any tips?

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My parents who will both be turning 75 this year are wanting me to plan them a trip to the US Open in September. I went six years ago with my sister, and I believe we took the subway from our hotel near Times Square to the tennis center in Queens. Is this the best and easiest way for them to get around? I also saw there is the LIRR they could take but is that only from Grand Central? They both are fit for their age but I do worry about them as they are not as quick as they used to be. Any tips on how they should get around the city or where they should stay? They are from a small town in Arkansas so they do not normally rely on any mass transit.
 
I’d stick with the 7 train if they are staying in Times Square area. They take it straight with no transferring. Think the stop is Willets Point but let me check; always changing names in Queens (giggle).

Edited to add: yes, it’s the Mets-Willets Point Station and the ride takes about 25 minutes. When they get out just follow the crowd although there are signs all over the place.
Have fun.
 
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As for area hotels, there’s always the Marriot Marquis, the Edison is less expensive but a bit off the trodden path and the InterContinental. I’m sure there are newly opened hotels in that area but I’d have to wait until after the weekend to ask anyone who still works in the hotel business; they’re still on holiday or at work.
 
Also a Manhatttanite here! I've taken the 7 train to Citi Field and the US Open, and it's a great option. That said, the LIRR can take them from either Penn Station or Grand Central. That option may be more comfortable for people in their 70s who never take mass transit. I work in the travel industry; Marriott Marquis and Renaissance would be good suggestions for that area. Maybe the Edition.
 

It really depends on their mental and physical status. I'm 77 and all I think I would need is a general knowledge of the system and how it works and I would be fine. Talk to them directly and have them express their concerns and preference concerning distance, amount of walking required, etc. If necessary explain to them that being your age doesn't relate to desires and or abilities. Just be sure you have specific information from them and know that what you liked and were able to do necessarily will apply to them.
 
Agree with the 7 train on the subway. Also, get day passes and tickets to the evening in Arthur Ashe. With the day tickets you can get on the grounds and can access the outdoor courts and general admission in grandstand and Louis Armstrong courts. Food and drinks are expensive but it is such a fun atmosphere.
 
Totally agree - that day pass/night ticket deal is incredible and the atmosphere is electric and full of comraderie. The food and drink cost there makes my eyes water, and I'm used to even NYC prices. Insane, and also not very good. Also: sometimes the 7 is express and sometimes it's local. They say there's a schedule for that buuuuuut there really isn't. LIRR trains are generally air conditioned. The 7 train is fitfully air conditioned, but they might get lucky! The US Open is so, so much fun; they'll have a great time.
 
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Do they have their hearts set on staying in NYC? Are they flying in or driving in, JFK or LaGuardia or Amtrak? I sort of think a nice hotel on Long Island might be more enjoyable if the goal is to see an event that is outside of the city, unless they have their hearts set on it.
 
Thanks for all of the information! I think they are wanting to stay in Manhattan, and it looks like they would get on the 7 at the Times Square/42nd street station. Is that correct? Is the area near the station safe and nice? I saw there was a Hilton and Hampton Inn nearby. My mom thinks she wants to see the quarterfinals so it looks like they would definitely need tickets to Arthur Ashe. I'm not sure what other matches will be going on at the other courts by that point in the tournament.
 
There are three Hampton Inns that are "Times Square" Hampton Inns. Which one are they looking at? FWIW, the area around Times Square isn't particularly nice, and the safety level has been going down since Covid. That station is one of the busiest in the system, as are the streets in the immediate vicinity. It's always very, very crowded and loud - think thousands upon thousands of people. That station itself is not air conditioned, and if we have a heat wave, it can feel like it's close to 100 degrees on the platform. There may be safety in numbers right on that block, but less so even a block away. If I were them, I would either stay at the Hilton there or choose a different neighborhood.
 
Thanks for all of the information! I think they are wanting to stay in Manhattan, and it looks like they would get on the 7 at the Times Square/42nd street station. Is that correct? Is the area near the station safe and nice? I saw there was a Hilton and Hampton Inn nearby. My mom thinks she wants to see the quarterfinals so it looks like they would definitely need tickets to Arthur Ashe. I'm not sure what other matches will be going on at the other courts by that point in the tournament.
The only thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is how unbearably hot it can be at the tennis center. Your parents--and really anyone--should be prepared with adequate clothing, head covering, sunscreen, and water. Binoculars, if they're not sitting near the court. Be prepared for heavy sticker shock for food and beverages.

By the time the quarterfinals roll around, there are still some matches on the outer courts, particularly on Armstrong, and the admission to Ashe will give access to all the other courts as well.

Another thought about the weather: Rain. It happens, even at the US Open. So a person can spend a lot of time trying to stay dry and then watching them dry off the courts for maybe hours before there's actually a match. But, what the heck. You're there. Great things can happen right in front of you. And I've had some amazing experiences there after rain delays, especially if matches were delayed from the previous day as well.

All that being said, for any tennis fan, it is wonderful fun to go to the Open.
 
Edited to add: yes, it’s the Mets-Willets Point Station and the ride takes about 25 minutes. When they get out just follow the crowd although there are signs all over the place.
Have fun.

25 minutes may be for the 7 express train. If they end up on the 7 local train which stops at every stop, it can take up to 45 minutes. The 7 express trains only run during rush hours, when the trains will be packed to go to the US Open. At that time, there will be both types of trains and one has to watch for a lit diamond around the 7 logo for an express train, versus a lit circle around the number, signifying a local train.

And if the train is really packed and they aren't the first ones on, expect to STAND the whole trip. Although, there may be plenty of people who will give up their seats for elderly people. They really can't count on sitting as there are so many people looking down at their phones, so they may not look up and around to give up their seats.

The LIRR will be less packed, safer as there are train conductors and the walk down the wooden boardwalk is half the distance. This may be important if your parents have mobility issues. I walked the boardwalk a month ago for the Governor's Ball. The wooden boardwalk slats were all rickety and uneven and hard to walk. I was shocked to see how much they were in disrepair and so uneven. Maybe the city sands and smooths them right before the US Open? 🤷‍♀️ But the Gov Ball is a huge event too, so I was surprised that the slats were in that condition.
 
Hi! If your parents are mainly going for the US Open, I’d actually recommend staying in Flushing rather than Midtown or Times Square. It’s much closer to the Arthur Ashe stadium, only about a 10–15 minute walk or one quick subway stop away.

There are several nice and safe hotels in Flushing like Hyatt Place, Renaissance at Tangram, and Four Points by Sheraton. The area is lively but not overwhelming, and it’s got amazing food too if they’re adventurous eaters (lots of Asian cuisine options).

They can take the 7 train from Flushing–Main Street directly to Willets Point. It’s just one stop and very simple. Much easier than commuting from Times Square every day, which can be 45–60 minutes one way and super crowded.
 
The only thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is how unbearably hot it can be at the tennis center. Your parents--and really anyone--should be prepared with adequate clothing, head covering, sunscreen, and water. Binoculars, if they're not sitting near the court. Be prepared for heavy sticker shock for food and beverages.

By the time the quarterfinals roll around, there are still some matches on the outer courts, particularly on Armstrong, and the admission to Ashe will give access to all the other courts as well.

Another thought about the weather: Rain. It happens, even at the US Open. So a person can spend a lot of time trying to stay dry and then watching them dry off the courts for maybe hours before there's actually a match. But, what the heck. You're there. Great things can happen right in front of you. And I've had some amazing experiences there after rain delays, especially if matches were delayed from the previous day as well.

All that being said, for any tennis fan, it is wonderful fun to go to the Open.
OMG, UNBEARABLY hot. The roof at Ashe definitely makes things easier when it rains, but you also bake in there. Also, the subways can be halted now when we have summertime rain, which is a relatively recent development. The infrastructure doesn't take that much water very well. The LIRR is much more reliable during inclement weather.
 
I know someone who stayed at The Lexington Hotel Autograph Collection at 511 Lexington at 48th this past year and they had a great experience. The room can be on the small side, depending on what you pay but this is true of all NYC. Still it was very clean and the place was well appointed with a fantastic location close to Grand Central. It gets good reviews so that is a plus.
 
The only thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is how unbearably hot it can be at the tennis center. Your parents--and really anyone--should be prepared with adequate clothing, head covering, sunscreen, and water.

Yes, the heat and humidity can be brutal at the US Open. It's been averaging 85 degrees here this past week, and due to all the concrete buildings and asphalt streets which hold in all the heat, it can feel in the 90s. If it's really humid, and it usually is at the end of August, even if your parents are used to hot temperatures, the humidity can make them feel they are being steamed like a wilting piece of broccoli instead of baked.

There aren't a lot of places at the Open to stay out of the sun or rain. There aren't a lot of places to stand or sit in a shady spot. So we are talking 85 degrees in the sun or rain for HOURS. (Late August - September are usually when a hurricane is coming up the coastline. Expect some rain, bring umbrellas.) I have always felt the design of the grounds aren't built to be kind to elderly people or people with heat problems due to this. (I have always had problems with heat, so that makes me mindful of how hot it gets here. I also can't breathe well when it's really humid.) Have them invest in a couple neck fans or fans with misters. Make sure they are tested out to work and work well, before arriving. Also wear hats.

If your parents have a Chase bank credit card, tell them to bring it. There is a Chase Lounge building with air conditioning. But only Chase card members are let in via showing their Chase card. There is a practice court inside the Chase Lounge and they may get to see one of their favorite players practicing inside.

If they also have an American Express card, bring that too. There are perks for AMEX members. One is the coveted earphone to hear the commentators during the matches. If you go to the AMEX booth and they only give one earphone, even though there are two attending, not to worry, there is a second booth further down to nab another one. They will need to swipe the AMEX card again, but the swipers often don't work properly, so you will be able to get a second earphone. :rolleyes:

I *think* a plain cheeseburger is about $12 now, which is usually the cheapest food item there. So, any other food entree is going to be way more.

The bathrooms with the least lines are behind the food courts at Court 17.


My mom thinks she wants to see the quarterfinals so it looks like they would definitely need tickets to Arthur Ashe.

Definitely get tickets to Arthur Ashe stadium no matter what day they go. Once they have Ashe tickets, they can go anywhere in the venue, to any court, to see any match playing. They only have to line up to get seats to that match. All outer court seats are first come, first serve. NO reserved seating. If they don't have Arthur Ashe stadium tickets, they can go to any of the other courts, but not go inside Ashe Stadium.

In my opinion, if sun and heat gets to them, it would be better to get the evening match tickets which start at 5pm, instead of the morning session tickets. Although, if they do get the morning tickets, once they are booted out of the Ashe stadium for those with evening tickets, they can still stay in the venue and go to any other matches playing, even during the evening. So, they can sit at the food court, have dinner, and go around and see more matches (just not in Ashe.) There is a huge Jumbotron screen in the food court area, to watch the match going on at Ashe. This is when it would be good to have those AMEX earphones.)

To be clear: Once they go out of the gates and leave the venue, if they have AM ticket, they will NOT be let back in after 5pm. Yet they can stay inside all they way to 10pm-ish, when the last matches end if they do not leave. But, realistically, will they really stay all day? Or will the evening games be enough for them? Also, if it's the men's match they want to watch and the match goes to 3 sets, the game could end a lot later.

Depending on what the match ups are the #1 seeded players could actually be playing on one of the smaller courts. There were times that Serena Williams ended up on an outside court for a match while the males were playing in Ashe at the same time.

Your parents will know where a great match is playing, as once it is announced which court it will be on, several hundred people will move like a herd of buffaloes to that court. Again it is non-reserved seating, so if they don't move fast, they may not get good seats. However, if they already happen it be sitting in seats at that court, say, they are at the Louis Armstrong court, they do not have to leave. They just stay for that match.

Earlier in the week, there are more matches playing on all the courts. I think they are called "ground passes" are sold, with no access to Ashe stadium. As the Open gets to the quarter-finals, there are less matches over-all. Yet, they may get to see their favorite player in a doubles match on an outer court. There are also less attendees from the quarter-finals on. I think the "Ground passes" are no longer sold at that point as there are less matches going on. The whole venue is much more civilized as it's less crowded.
 
If they are from Arkansas I'm sure they are used to hot humid weather. If they were from Seattle or San Francisco they wouldn't be used to it and would have more trouble.
 
Yes, the heat and humidity can be brutal at the US Open. It's been averaging 85 degrees here this past week, and due to all the concrete buildings and asphalt streets which hold in all the heat, it can feel in the 90s. If it's really humid, and it usually is at the end of August, even if your parents are used to hot temperatures, the humidity can make them feel they are being steamed like a wilting piece of broccoli instead of baked.

There aren't a lot of places at the Open to stay out of the sun or rain. There aren't a lot of places to stand or sit in a shady spot. So we are talking 85 degrees in the sun or rain for HOURS. (Late August - September are usually when a hurricane is coming up the coastline. Expect some rain, bring umbrellas.) I have always felt the design of the grounds aren't built to be kind to elderly people or people with heat problems due to this. (I have always had problems with heat, so that makes me mindful of how hot it gets here. I also can't breathe well when it's really humid.) Have them invest in a couple neck fans or fans with misters. Make sure they are tested out to work and work well, before arriving. Also wear hats.

If your parents have a Chase bank credit card, tell them to bring it. There is a Chase Lounge building with air conditioning. But only Chase card members are let in via showing their Chase card. There is a practice court inside the Chase Lounge and they may get to see one of their favorite players practicing inside.

If they also have an American Express card, bring that too. There are perks for AMEX members. One is the coveted earphone to hear the commentators during the matches. If you go to the AMEX booth and they only give one earphone, even though there are two attending, not to worry, there is a second booth further down to nab another one. They will need to swipe the AMEX card again, but the swipers often don't work properly, so you will be able to get a second earphone. :rolleyes:

I *think* a plain cheeseburger is about $12 now, which is usually the cheapest food item there. So, any other food entree is going to be way more.

The bathrooms with the least lines are behind the food courts at Court 17.




Definitely get tickets to Arthur Ashe stadium no matter what day they go. Once they have Ashe tickets, they can go anywhere in the venue, to any court, to see any match playing. They only have to line up to get seats to that match. All outer court seats are first come, first serve. NO reserved seating. If they don't have Arthur Ashe stadium tickets, they can go to any of the other courts, but not go inside Ashe Stadium.

In my opinion, if sun and heat gets to them, it would be better to get the evening match tickets which start at 5pm, instead of the morning session tickets. Although, if they do get the morning tickets, once they are booted out of the Ashe stadium for those with evening tickets, they can still stay in the venue and go to any other matches playing, even during the evening. So, they can sit at the food court, have dinner, and go around and see more matches (just not in Ashe.) There is a huge Jumbotron screen in the food court area, to watch the match going on at Ashe. This is when it would be good to have those AMEX earphones.)

To be clear: Once they go out of the gates and leave the venue, if they have AM ticket, they will NOT be let back in after 5pm. Yet they can stay inside all they way to 10pm-ish, when the last matches end if they do not leave. But, realistically, will they really stay all day? Or will the evening games be enough for them? Also, if it's the men's match they want to watch and the match goes to 3 sets, the game could end a lot later.

Depending on what the match ups are the #1 seeded players could actually be playing on one of the smaller courts. There were times that Serena Williams ended up on an outside court for a match while the males were playing in Ashe at the same time.

Your parents will know where a great match is playing, as once it is announced which court it will be on, several hundred people will move like a herd of buffaloes to that court. Again it is non-reserved seating, so if they don't move fast, they may not get good seats. However, if they already happen it be sitting in seats at that court, say, they are at the Louis Armstrong court, they do not have to leave. They just stay for that match.

Earlier in the week, there are more matches playing on all the courts. I think they are called "ground passes" are sold, with no access to Ashe stadium. As the Open gets to the quarter-finals, there are less matches over-all. Yet, they may get to see their favorite player in a doubles match on an outer court. There are also less attendees from the quarter-finals on. I think the "Ground passes" are no longer sold at that point as there are less matches going on. The whole venue is much more civilized as it's less crowded.
All of this. With an addendum that there are now bag limits at the Open (actually, all events there). Your bag MUST be below a certain size or it will not be allowed in. Certain items aren't allowed in, either. There are no lockers in the tennis center, and some right outside of it, but these get taken very early. And don't forget that all of the concrete creates a heat island, which is bad there and worse in Manhattan. We've absolutely started getting out of dodge at the end of August. I'm pushing 50, and the weather keeps getting more extreme each summer.
 
I want to echo the others that mentioned the heat. My husband and I have been a few times and we found sitting in the sun to watch some of the matches on the outer courts brutal. Hats are essential. We also brought cheap towels that we could keep wet to keep ourselves cool. We always buy tickets for Arthur Ashe, so even if it does rain, we can still watch some matches and it gets you into all the courts.

Armstrong has a roof now, so that's another option, but they would need a ticket for that stadium.

We've only gone for the first two days for the first round. We want to be able to see as many different players as possible, even if it's just for a few games or a set.

It's great fun, and I hope they have a wonderful trip.
 
Posters mention the Long Island Railroad. You can take the LIRR from Penn Station. Trains from Grand Central don't go directly to Willets Point. You have to transfer at Woodside. You'll have to transfer to then 7 subway, occasionally you might be able to transfer to another lirr train.

Edited to add there may be a handful of trains which don't require a transfer. The 7 subway is the way to go
 
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