Update from New York City After Hurricane Sandy

NYC & Company has issued the following update on New York City: In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, New York City has begun the process of assessment, recovery and restoration. Our greatest concern has been, and will be, for the safety of our residents and visitors. While restoring the city to a sense of normalcy and its infrastructure to full capacity will take several days, the situation is improving by the hour.

As of Wednesday afternoon, we have the following updates to share for the visiting public. Further updates are available at Facebook.com/nycgo and on nyc.gov.

Airports:

• JFK International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport have reopened with limited service. Check with individual carriers regarding specific flight confirmations.
• LaGuardia Airport will reopen at 7am tomorrow (Thursday) with limited service.
• Taxi service, shared shuttles, private transfer companies and express shuttle bus service from Newark and JFK are available into the city. AirTrain and rail service are suspended at this time.

Transportation:

• Taxis and livery car services are operating throughout the city.
• The public transportation system is slowly being restored within the city. Beginning Thursday morning, there will be limited subway service on several routes, supplemented by a bus shuttle between Downtown Brooklyn and Midtown. A modified map reflecting service changes can be found here. There will be no subway service between 34^th Street in Midtown and Downtown Brooklyn. Visit mta.info for information regarding specific subway lines.
• Public bus service has resumed throughout the city and is running on a normal weekday schedule with delays.
• Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are providing limited service to and from the city. Amtrak is not currently providing service into or out of NYC.
• Most major highways, bridges and tunnels into the city are open to traffic. Only the Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn-Battery) Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel remain closed.
• Until further notice, all cars crossing the bridges and tunnels into Manhattan are limited to High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV – must have at least three passengers) between the hours of 6.00am and 12.00 midnight.

Hotels:

• Before travelling, visitors are advised to re-confirm their hotel reservations directly with the property regardless of location.
• In Midtown Manhattan, most hotels are open and operating with the exception of a few hotels near a construction incident on 57^th Street, including Le Parker Meridien, West 57^th Street Club by Hilton and Salisbury Hotel.
• Power outages are widespread in Lower Manhattan below 39^th Street on the East Side and below 23^rd Street on the West Side, affecting many neighbourhoods and hotels in this area. Con Edison has advised that power will be restored as soon as possible, but could take several days. The situation is improving continually, however. Travellers holding a reservation for a hotel in this area are strongly advised to check with the hotel in advance of travelling.
• Also be advised that the ING New York City Marathon has confirmed for Sunday 4^th November. As a result, occupancy is expected to be high in the city this weekend.

Museums, Attractions and Broadway:

• Many tourist attractions have resumed operations, including most Broadway shows, The Met Museum, MoMA, the Empire State Building Observatory, and others. Top of the Rock and Gray Line New York Sightseeing are expected to resume operations on Thursday.
• Some sites, particularly in Lower Manhattan, remain closed until further notice including The 9/11 Memorial, South Street Seaport and The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
• All NYC parks, playgrounds, beaches, and recreation centers remain closed.
• For more information and continuing updates, visit Facebook.com/nycgo, or check individual websites.

On behalf of New York City and our hospitality industry, we thank you for your continued support and look forward to welcoming you and your clients. New York City and its residents are resilient and we will recover quickly, but we appreciate patience and understanding during this difficult time.