Analise

Wow, you are in the know! Ashe isn't open until Monday and the food court in Armstrong/Grandstand won't be open until Monday too.

It was hot yesterday; they set up huge misting fans in one of the plazas. Felt SO GOOD. Some great matches yesterday!

You might enjoy this article from tennis.com which really captures what yesterday was all about: http://www.tennis.com/news/2012/08/s.../#.UDjYlI5wY20

The best match of the day must have taken place after his article was due to his boss: Ricardas Berankis (LTU) v Tim Smyczek. Tim won in 3 sets. Only 1 break in the first two sets!

DenverDave

dstan, you are the official US Open guru. Heading out on Sunday with Grounds Passes. Have been once before. Not sure if we'll hit Armstrong, Grandstand or 17 - depends on court assignments. Hoping to see Dolgopolov/Wawrinka if the 2nd round pans out.

I read your Bathroom Strategy section, but we never really learned a good strategy for Grandstand in '09. Does anyone have a tip for quickly hitting the restroom & maybe grabbing a hot dog without having to stand in the same line for people first arriving into the court? One guy sitting near us told us to access the lower level concourse via the exits at the LIRR/Citi Field end of Grandstand & re-enter the same way. Does that avoid the massive line of people first arriving?

It seems restrooms & basic concessions are way easier inside Armstrong, and it seems like leaving either there or Grandstand to hit the Food Village is a total kiss of death.

dstan

You can EXIT the Grandstand at court-level to access the stairs that go up to the balcony where the bathrooms are. However, you cannot re-ENTER via that route and will need to go back down below the court. Definitely try the entrances that are further away from the main entrance to the tennis center - most people just queue up at the first line they come to and don't realize that there may be shorter lines on the other side of the court.

Enjoy!


Actually, while we're at it, has anyone ever used the bag check at the end of the boardwalk just outside the main entrance? Do they accept strollers? I found a couple websites that say it costs $3 per piece, but not sure if that is current.

dstan

Of note for FTers, this year Emirates is apparently a major sponsor, and you can try out their A380 F suite in a booth just outside Ashe!

dstan

OK, the e-surance bag check is at the end of the boardwalk on the far left. This year's rate is $5 at one bag per ticket holder. Strollers accepted.

jamesegrant

Hi

Firstly what a great original post and follow ups full of info.. Many thanks

I am taking my tennis mad 17 year old son as a post high school/pre university trip to the open .. First class Avios flights from Scotland and staybridge suites hotel through priority points all booked!

I joined us both in USTA and am trying to figure out best ticket strategy. We are coming a long way and its a special trip so want to go to the final and the semis

I see there is a mini plan that covers this for with 1000 upper or 1500 lower for two passes. Would anyone recommend I do this or should I wait until USTA presale? And is the extra 500 worth it between lower and upper?

Many thanks for any help

Cheers

James

bitburgr

I have a transportation question that I don't think was covered upthread.

A large group of us (in town for work) will be going next week and will be coming from an area near the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott (in face, we may congregate there so we are all together). What is the best way for us to get up there?

1 - car service? (and it would be multiple cars)
2 - taxi?
3 - the 4/5 line to Grand Central and then the 7 train?
4 - the G line...but I don't see where I can transfer to the 7.

Am I missing something better? Seems like option 3 is the way to go.

Thanks for your help.

themicah

A chartered minibus or car service will be significantly faster than the subway (20-40 minutes depending on traffic vs. 60-80 minutes).

You could try calling companies like Golden Touch to inquire about a minibus charter that will hold all of you. But I wouldn't be surprised if it actually cost more than just getting a small fleet of town cars from a Brooklyn car service like Eastern. My guess is that a car service will charge about $35/car (under $10/person) for the ride.

For subway, the G does connect to the 7 at Court Street, but I think the 4/5 to Grand Central will be faster as it (1) is closer to the Marriott, (2) runs more frequently and (3) connects to the 7 express at Grand Central (Court Street is a 7 local stop).

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

The G connects to the #7 at Court Square Station, which is served by both local and express #7 trains. (The elevated #7 Court Square station is located on a section of the #7 line that only has two tracks. Local-only stations only exist between the Queensboro Plaza and Willets Point/Mets stations.)

RichardInSF

You might also consider taking a car only TO the Open. Coming back at the end of the night session, I was surprised and pleased to see how many special 7 express trains that the MTA put on. There was only a few minutes wait despite the large number of people leaving.

stockmanjr

The G isn't very far from the Marriott as it stops at Hoyt-Schermhorn (About a 8 minute walk). Also the 7 express does stop at Court Square it runs express only from QBP-61th-Junction-Mets Willets point. If it's a weekend end then yes I suggest taking a car service but if you're going to a weekday night session then highly suggest taking the train at the roads can be a nightmare during rush hour.
Cheers
Howie

themicah

Thanks for correcting that.

wcj1

Different this year: Metal detectors at security.

I don't know if it was that aspect that slowed down getting on the grounds so much today, or the typical first day where they really aren't being efficient, but it is new. And because of this, I think they have half as many people checking your single regulation bag since they then have to pass it around the detector.

Tip: use foursquare and and be one of the first ten people to check in at Heineken House each day and get a surprisingly nice baseball cap.

bitburgr

We ended up taking multiple taxis to the Open (each was about $40). Traffic getting to the BQE and on the BQE was the worst. LIE wasn't bad. Total time had to be just under 40 minutes...not too bad.

Coming back, we did a combination of things...some used Uber to get a cab and some took the subway. Indeed, it was about an hour from the time the train left to the time I walked into my hotel room.

All-in-all, pretty easy.

dstan

In the last few years, there's been a "buy $20 get $10 statement credit" offer from Amex at the US Open, but I can't find anything about it this year. Anyone know if it is still on and, if so, if registration is required?

Looking forward to another Labor Day weekend at the Open!