Housing will be in the air conditioned Alumni Dorm, which is right down the block from all the exciting conference action.
We will be together on two or three floors of the dorm. All the rooms are meant for two persons, but you can pay a higher amount to have a single. There are shared bathrooms at the end of each hall. They are clean, with fully functional fixtures and doors!
More new information! The dorms are four-person suites, each containing a shared kitchen, bathroom, and living area plus two two-person bedrooms. If you want a single, you will have one bedroom to yourself, but you will be sharing the suite (bathroom) with other people. The prices remain the same, and are listed below.
We had negotiated a lower price with Coed Dorm, but Coed turned out to be undergoing construction this summer, and would not have air conditioning. FIT Housing graciously agreed to let us keep the price we negotiated for Coed, but stay in Alumni, which is a nicer facility.
There is absolutely no alcohol in the dorms. Bone dry. I’m sorry, Rosanne.
Housing prices
For a double, it is $59.00 per night plus a $10 service fee and a $5 check-in fee. So if you came on Tuesday and stayed til Friday, it would cost $192 for housing.
For a single (your own bedroom in a shared suite) it’s $95 per night plus the fees. So three nights would cost $300.
Responsibility for damages and lockouts
If you select on-campus housing, you will be required to sign a statement of financial responsibility when you register. What you are signing for is that you will reimburse SUNYLA if we are required to pay for damage to your room, or the fee if you are locked out without your ID. Whereas most campus housing offices want you to sign the statement and reimburse for damages individually, FIT has SUNYLA sign the statement and reimburse for damage, and then recoup the costs after the fact. So instead of signing with FIT, you’re signing with us. But otherwise, it’s nothing new.
The linens situation
As I said in the last post, FIT housing does not provide linens. You are strongly encouraged to bring a towel, pillow, and sleeping bag/sheets and blanket. The beds are standard twins.
Our local arrangements people are working out a deal with K-mart so that you can purchase a package containing sheets, a pillow, and a towel. You’ll order it when you register and pick it up when you pick up your conference badge and folder. At the end of the conference, we’ll donate them to a local charity. We expect that the package will cost somewhere around $25 or $30.
I’m aware that this is far from an ideal solution. Some people may have financial issues combined with other issues that preclude opting to bring their own gear. If this is your situation, please contact me and we’ll figure something out to make it possible for you to come and be comfortable.
Area hotels
Here is a link to the FIT website listing nearby hotels that have a reduced rate for those affiliated with FIT: http://www.fitnyc.edu/1903.asp. You have to call the hotel for the rate and availability.
Getting to New York City
gonyc.com provides basic information on getting to NYC from all points and modes of transportation. Driving can be more convenient, but parking is expensive.
Directions to the campus can be found at http://www.fitnyc.edu/1888.asp.
Nearby Restaurants
There are plenty of fast food or quick places to get meals within a 5 minute walk or less from campus. Directly across FIT on Seventh Avenue you will find: Chipotle, Pita Grill, Kobeyaki, Duncan Donuts, Brgr, a pizza place and two delis. Up a few blocks are more sandwich shops, a great sushi bar, Hale ‘n Hearty Soup, a Whole Foods, Starbucks and a lot more.
Local Dining
For those looking for something specific or inspiration to try something new, NewYork Magazine has a great searchable database of all New York City restuarants (including all boroughs). FIT is located pretty centrally in Manhattan, so most neighborhoods are within a 30 minute travel time. If you want to hoof it, look for options in Chelsea, Flat Iron, Hell’s Kitchen or 20′s w.
