Travel

FCCM’22 held at Cornell Tech

This year FCCM will be held at the Verizon Executive Center at Cornell Tech in New York City. Cornell Tech is a brand-new extension campus of Cornell University and now stands as one of the greatest concentrations of computer engineering research and education in NYC. It is located on Roosevelt Island, adjacent to Manhattan, which gives it a unique balance of accessibility and tranquility. It has access to all Manhattan has to offer without having to deal with many of the downsides of being in a major city.

Cornell Tech currently has restrictions for in-person events that require masks and proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for guests. These restrictions follow the New York City guidelines, and more information can be found on the Cornell Tech website. We expect by the time of the conference that some of these requirements may be loosened, and this page will be updated accordingly.

There are many options for hotels and ways to travel to Cornell Tech. The Graduate Hotel is directly attached to the conference venue and has reasonable rates for NYC standards. In addition, you could reach the island within 30 minutes from most hotels in NYC. It is accessible from the F train line, by car from the Queens side, or by tram from the Manhattan side. Below we give detailed recommendations for travel to NYC and Cornell Tech, and for hotel accommodations.

Visa Support

For any presenter needing a letter to support visa application to attend FCCM22, please email chairs@fccm.org with the subject “FCCM22 – visa letter request [your paper ID]”. 

Travel to NYC

By Flight

The nearest airports to Cornell Tech are LaGuardia Airport (LGA), JFK Airport (JFK), and Newark Airport (EWR). In general, LaGuardia and JFK are the simplest options with easy public transit to most parts of NYC. Newark is farther and less convenient. Given many of the airports are under expansion and renovation, you should always consult navigation apps (e.g., Bing Maps) for real-time updates. 

From LaGuardia: 

  • Car Services: 25-40 mins depending on the traffic
  • Public Transit: LaGuardia Link (Q70-SBS) to Roosevelt Av/74 St station, then F Train to Cornell Tech or Manhattan

From JFK:

  • Car Services: 40-60 mins depending on the traffic
  • Transit: JFK AirTrain to Jamaica Station, then E Train to Manhattan or Train E and Train F to Cornell Tech

From Newark:

  • Car Services: 60-80 mins depending on the traffic
  • Public Transit: Newark Airport Express towards Manhattan

By Bus

Bussing is often the most convenient and economical way to travel into NYC from other cities in the Northeast. Buses are more convenient because they can end closer into the city and with all considered, they are often just as fast as flying from nearby cities.

By Car

Generally, traveling by car will be more expensive and less convenient than flying or bussing. If you travel by car, we generally recommend you park and stay in Queens, since Manhattan driving and parking can be expensive.

Travel to Cornell Tech

The most convenient way to get to Cornell Tech is public transit, walking, or car services. Cornell Tech is a few minutes walk from the F Train and the Tram station, and cars can drive directly to the Verizon center from the Queens side. Besides staying on Roosevelt Island itself, the two most convenient areas to stay in are Midtown Manhattan and Long Island City / Dutch Kills.

From Midtown:

  • Tram: the Roosevelt Island Tram (aerial tramway) is a fun way of traveling to the Island and doubles as a tourist attraction with sights of the Upper East Side and East River
  • F Train: the F train is the only subway line servicing Roosevelt Island and Cornell Tech

From Long Island City / Dutch Kills: 

  • F Train / Public Bus: the train and bus services from Long Island City are the main ways to get to Cornell Tech
  • Car Services: the bridge leading to Roosevelt Island is in Dutch Kills so car services are fast and cheap

Parking at Cornell Tech:

  • There are limited parking spots at Cornell Tech under the Tata Innovation Center and in the surrounding area on the streets with metered parking
  • More parking are available north of the campus at Motorgate Parking Garage (15 min walk to campus) with the current rate of $24 / day

Hotel Recommendations

There are hundreds of hotels in New York City, and in general they can be relatively expensive. A typical hotel room should be expected to be at least $100 a night (with fees and taxes), while most reasonable rooms will be in the range $150-250 a night.  Roosevelt Island has only one hotel, the brand-new Graduate Hotel, which is attached directly to the conference venue. We highly recommend this hotel although since its prices are moderate, we also give suggestions for hotels in Midtown and Long Island City / Dutch Kills.

Long Island City / Dutch Kills has many reasonable hotels within a short walk to the F train to Cornell Tech. Dutch Kills has the only bridge connecting to Roosevelt Island, which makes traveling to Cornell Tech with car services very convenient. This area has seen exceptional growth in the last decade, so while many hotels are modern, the surrounding area is still developing. It is generally safe, but we recommend using car services after dark and particularly avoiding the Queensbridge Station area at night.

For Manhattan hotels, we recommend staying close to the Midtown F line stations for easiest access to Cornell Tech. These most convenient areas here are Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Herald Square. Below we list a few hotels in each area.

Area Hotel Notes Average Rate Travel Time
Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel Only hotel on Roosevelt Island, amazing views of Manhattan 250-300 Instant
Manhattan Carvi Hotel 10 min walk to Tram, scenic travel to Roosevelt 180-240 25-35 mins
Hotel 46 Times Square 4 min walk to F train 160-200 15-25 mins
Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan/Times Square Directly on Bryant, Park, 2 min walk to F train 280-340 15-25 mins
Long Island City / Dutch Kills Lotus Blu Inn and Suites Affordable hotel in Dutch Kills 80-100 15-25 mins
La Quinta Inn and Suites Closest hotel to drive to Roosevelt Island 100-150 15-25 mins


Student Travel Grant Applicants (closed)

Update:  If you missed the first deadline of Mar 31, we have the second round of call for applications, due Apr 15, 2022. For the second round, each student awardee can get up to $500 travel grant. Please submit through this link.

A limited number of travel grants are available for the FCCM 2022 student participants who are enrolled in a US institution. The travel grant is intended to encourage wider participation, especially for under-represented groups and those who are in their early years of FPGA research. It would (partially) cover the travel expenses (up to USD $1,000) for those students with limited or no funds to travel to the conference. Please keep your receipts for reimbursement. Note that NSF requires US-flagged carriers to reimburse the air ticket.

A number of factors would be considered by the committee, including 

  • The need justification (a brief supporting letter from the supervisor is required)
  • Whether the applicant is a student (only students enrolled in a US institute are eligible)
  • Whether a paper or poster is being presented by the applicant (a plus)

The last condition is a plus, but not a requirement. In fact, the committee would look positively at applications that show the participant is looking for networking opportunities and learning more about FPGAs to enrich their FPGA research.

Applications for travel grants can be submitted through this link. The deadline for submission is March 31, 2022. The committee will announce the recipients by around April 8, 2022 (before the early registration deadline).

Acknowledgment: We thank the generous support from NSF.