Location
The 2008 5th Annual Games for Change Festival is taking place on June 2 – 4, 2008 and is being hosted by Parsons, The New School for Design in New York City.
Monday June 2nd at:
Parsons The New School for Design
Theresa Lang Student Center, 2nd Floor
55 West 13th St.
New York, NY
Tuesday and Wednesday June 3 and 4 at:
Tishman Auditorium
Parsons, The New School for Design
66 W. 12th St.
New York, NY
Why Games in New York? NYC is known as a hub both for international business and the social change sector including the UN. For games, NYC is emerging as a center for expertise from universities with games production departments and small, highly innovative game makers. State leaders are beginning to see games as an exciting opportunity to develop a high-profile growth sector to reverse brain drain. Other regions of the country have already established momentum around both military games and healthcare games, but NYC is emerging for games and social change -- a strategy which brings together the fields of informal learning, global peace diplomacy, and national/grassroots politics.
Directions
The conference is located at Parsons The New School for Design in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. It is accessible via several modes of transportation: MTA bus, MTA subway, or car/taxi.
MTA Subway
The subway is the most efficient way to move about NYC. It is clean, modern, and safe although its popularity among locals can make it quite crowded at times.
Entry into the subway requires a “Metrocard”. It cost just $2.00 per ride no matter how far one travels. There are also “unlimited ride” passes that can be purchased for a day or even for multiple days. Every subway station contains electronic machines that dispense these cards. All forms of payment are accepted: cash, credit card, or ATM cards. Metrocards work equally on both buses and subways and the costs are the same.
The MTA website contains lots of useful information. It can be accessed at http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/subway/
Click here for a New York City Transit Map.
MTA Bus
From Above 13th St.:
Take the 2, 3 or 5 down 5th Ave. to 13th St. Walk West on 13th St. to the conference.
From below 13th St.:
Take the 5, 6 or 7 up 6th Ave. to 13th St. Walk East on 13th St. to the conference.
These are merely the buses closest to the Avenues of the conference – many other buses will get you within a block or two. Express buses will stop at 14th St.
Car/Taxi
One can hail a cab from anywhere in NYC. All cabs are yellow and black and charge by distance/time. It is easiest to catch a cab near hotels and major attractions, but they are rather frequent in the main parts of Manhattan.
Car Services
There are several car services available in NYC. Rates are negotiated per service per trip.
Tel-Aviv Car Service is a very popular service. They can be reached at 212-777-7777 or on the web at http://www.telavivlimo.com. Be sure to make reservations in advance.
Driving
From the North:
Take I-95N over the George Washington Bridge to enter Manhattan. Take 9A South toward Downtown. Left onto W 14th St., Right onto 5th Ave., Right onto W. 13th St.
From the South:
From I-95 North/New Jersey Turnpike North, merge to I-78E/NJ Turnpike E. Take Exit 14 toward Bayonne/Jersey City/Holland Tunnel. Enter Manhattan via Holland Tunnel. Take Exit 3 toward Brooklyn. Left onto 6th Ave., Right onto W 14th St., Right onto 5th Ave., Right onto W. 13th St.
Parking
Parking on the street is all timed in this area. For monitored parking, try any of the following nearby:
Central Parking: 20 W. 13th St. (Between 5th Ave. and 6th Ave. on same block as the Festival)
Central Parking: 64 E. 11th St. (Between 5th Ave. and Broadway)
Central Parking: 69 5th Ave. (North of 13th St.)
Kleen Parking: 107 W. 13th St. (Between 6th Ave. and 7th Ave.)
Hotel Accomodations
The Festival Hotel is the Gershwin Hotel, a funky and fun “art hotel” about a 10 minute walk to the festivals. We have a fixed number of rooms there, and they fill up fast. So book early.
Gershwin Hotel
7 E. 27th St.
212-545-8000
www.gershwinhotel.com
$185-225/night
Give code “CI-GAMES”
New York City is of course filled with many other hotels. We have listed several options mainly due to their location and/or price, and secured several hotels for discount pricing (see below). If you seek a hotel on your own, keep in mind staying on the west side of Manhattan will ensure more convenient access to the conference center; although, it is possible to reach the conference center from anywhere in Manhattan and much of the boroughs. If you would like to find your own hotel you can search for hotels located near areas such as “Greenwich Village”, “Union Square” or “Midtown West” to be closest to convenient transportation. (The festival is in Greenwich Village, 3 blocks from Union Square and an easy subway ride from Midtown.)
Discounted blocks available for reservation by May 1st at the following hotels:
Marcel Hotel
201 E. 24th St.
212-696-3800
$289/night
Ask for “Games for Change” Group
W Union Square
201 Park Ave. S
1-877-WHOTELS (1-877-627-7191)
$549/night
Ask for “Games for Change Festival” Group
These are other nearby hotels where you are likely to find good rates:
Hotel 17
225 E. 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 475-2845
www.Hotel17ny.com
Inn on 23rd
131 W. 23rd St.
877-387-2323
212-463-0330
www.innon23rd.com
Chelsea Lodge
318 West 20th Street
New York, New York 10011
212.243.4499
800.373.1116
www.chelsealodge.com
Larchmont Hotel
27 W 11th St
New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212) 989-9333
http://larchmonthotel.ypguides.net
Union Square Inn
(212) 545-0879
www.nyinns.com/index.html
Econo Lodge Times Square
301 W. 47th St.
212-246-1991
www.econolodge.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=NY318