Local Information
Travel Visas
In case you require a travel visa to visit the United States, you may need an invitation letter. If so, please send an email to cpaior2013@gmail.com confirming that you have registered for the event and indicating any main conference papers, late breaking abstracts, or workshop papers you may have co-authored for CPAIOR-2013. The Local Arrangements Chair would be happy to send you an invitation letter as a scanned PDF and, if you like, a hard copy by post.
Orientation and Transportation
IBM Watson at Yorktown Heights is located in Westchester County, NY. It may be accessed from all three major New York area international airports: LGA (Laguardia, 37 mi), JFK (John F Kennedy, 45 mi), and EWR (Newark Liberty, 52 mi). Additionally, there is a regional airport closer by with flights from certain domestic destinations: HPN (Westchester County airport, 12-17 mi).
To/From the Airports: If you will be arriving at the White Plains / Westchester County regional airport, HPN, a taxi cab is the easiest way to get to hotels in Mount Kisco (~$60), White Plains (~$25), and the general Westchester county area. Please check with your hotel for the possibility of a complementary shuttle service; e.g., Crowne Plaza in White Plains provides a free shuttle pickup from HPN. Car rental is also an alternative. If you will be arriving at JFK, LGA, or EWR, you have four options:
- Rental Car: This would be the most flexible and fastest option if you are comfortable driving, just be sure to have a GPS or clearly printed directions handy.
- Private Taxi/Limousine service: This is a convenient but somewhat expensive option. It is better to call a fixed rate Limo service (e.g., limos.com, www.westchesterexpress.net) and reserve in advance rather than try to take a metered taxi cab from the airport. The cost from JFK to Mount Kisco would be in the ballpark of $130 + toll ($15) + tip (typically 20% automatically added to the bill). To White Plains would be somewhat cheaper, while from EWR would be somewhat more expensive. If you are willing to walk out to the limo pickup area, it will likely cost less than asking the driver to come into the airport and look for you.
- Shared Van: www.westchesterexpress.net provides shared shuttle service between JFK/LGA and the Westchester county. One way fare to White Plains and Mount Kisco are roughly $71 and $53 (plus tip), respectively. Please reserve in advance if planning on this option. The van typically runs between 7 AM and 11 PM.
- Public Transportation: This is the cheapest way and will take around 2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel. From JFK/LGA/EWR, there are special buses (NY Airporter, www.nycairporter.com, is very reliable and does not require advance reservation) that run every 20 minutes or so to the Grand Central train station in New York City and cost roughly $15. Depending on the airport, there are also alternative ways to get to Grand Central using AirTrain and/or Metro bus service; please refer to the airport websites for information. Once at Grand Central, take a Metro North train (http://as0.mta.info/mnr/schedules/sched_form.cfm) on the blue Harlem Line to Mount Kisco or White Plains; the "express" trains are substantially faster and always stop at White Plains (35 min), but not all of them go further up to Mount Kisco, so please check the schedule before boarding. Tickets bought at the station are substantially cheaper than those bought on the train. Once at the train station in White Plains or Mount Kisco, a $5 taxi ride or free hotel shuttle should get you safely to the hotel.
To IBM Watson: IBM Watson Research Center is located adjacent to Taconic State Parkway (parkways are highways meant only for cars). The best way to reach IBM Watson is by car, hotel shuttle, or taxi cab. Currently, the only hotel that provides shuttle service is the Holiday Inn in Mount Kisco (see below).
The center has two entrances. The "south" entrance, which is closest to most hotels and also the one recognized more readily by MapQuest / Google Maps / GPS units, is at:
882 Pinesbridge Rd, Ossining, NY 10562
If taking this route, enter through the main gate (if needed, mention to the security person that you are here to attend the CPAIOR conference), go straight past the first stop sign, and you will see the main entrance to the building on your left.
The "north" entrance is immediately to the right after you exit Taconic State Parkway towards Route 134:
1101 Kitchawan Rd, Route 134, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
However, some GPS units do not recognize this address. If entering through here, go past the main gate (if needed, mention to the security person that you are here to attend the CPAIOR conference) and you will see the main entrance of the building ahead, to your right.
Parking is available right in front of the building.
Additional information on getting to IBM Watson may be found at the visitor information page.
Hotel Accommodations
There are, unfortunately, no hotels within walking distance of IBM Watson. A car, hotel shuttle, or taxi cab is the best way to get there. There are, however, several hotels in the extended Westchester County area.
A block of rooms has been reserved till April 19 for CPAIOR participants at the following two hotels:
- Holiday Inn, Mount Kisco, NY
- 1 Holiday Inn Dr, Mount Kisco, NY 10549
- Hotel Website, Additional Hotel Info
- Negotiated rate: $121/night + tax, includes breakfast, parking, internet, and shuttle (see below)
- Booking: please call +1-914-241-2600 by April 19 and ask for special rate for the CPAIOR-2013 event
- 15 minute drive (6.5 miles) from IBM, on local roads
- Roughly 1 hour from Grand Central, NYC, on Harlem line of Metro North Railroad (schedules)
The hotel provides free shuttle service to IBM Watson. Guests may sign up for their 9-person shuttle bus. The shuttle will make multiple trips, depending on demand.
Update: Given the large number of attendees planning to stay at the Holiday Inn, we are in the process of arranging additional bus transportation to/from the hotel to IBM. - Crowne Plaza, White Plains, NY
- 66 Hale Ave, White Plains, NY 10601
- Hotel Website
- Negotiated rate: $159/night + tax, includes internet and breakfast; garage parking available for additional $12/day
- Booking: please call +1-914-682-0050 by April 19 and ask for special rate for the CPAIOR-2013 event
- 21 minute drive (16 miles) from IBM, mainly on highways
- 35 minutes from Grand Central, NYC, on Harlem line of Metro North Railroad (schedules)
The hotel does NOT provide a shuttle service to IBM Watson, and is hence suitable only for those with a car. However, they do have free shuttle service to/from the Westchester County Airport and local areas such as Mamaroneck Road (with many restaurants, etc.) and the train station.
Here is a list of other hotels in the extended area that CPAIOR guests may consider staying at. All of these are roughly a 20-25 minutes drive away. Please note, however, that no rate has been negotiated with these hotels. Rooms here may be booked through, e.g., Hotels.com or Hotwire.
- Hampton Inn, 200 W Main St, Elmsford, NY 10523
- Extended Stay America, 118 Tarrytown Rd, Elmsford, NY 10523
- Residence Inn by Marriott, 5 Barker Ave, White Plains, NY 10601
- Double Tree by Hilton, 455 S Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591
- Tarrytown House Estate, 49 E Sunnyside Ln, Tarrytown, NY 10591
- The Ritz-Carlton Westchester, 3 Renaissance Square, White Plains, NY 10601
Dining
The registration fee includes coffee breaks, lunch on Saturday and Sunday, as well as banquet dinner on Tuesday. Lunch during the main conference days (Mon-Wed) may be purchased from IBM’s cafeteria. Breakfast is typically included in the hotel price. For dinner and late evening snacks/drinks, here are some pointers:
Mount Kisco: There are several restaurants on Main St, close to the train station and around one mile south of the Holiday Inn. There are also some restaurants closer by near Mount Kisco Commons (Preston Way and Bedford Way).
White Plains: There are many restaurants and bars on Mamaroneck St, especially near the intersection with Post St. There are also a few options on Main St, including a Starbucks coffee shop near where Mamaroneck St and Main St intersect in a T-junction. The area is very walkable and vibrant, and many joints remain open till late night.
