The short version
The US Open runs August 23 through September 13, 2026, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, with Fan Week and qualifying at the front end and the main draw from August 30 to the finals on the 13th. From us on John Street, you're looking at one transfer and roughly 50 to 60 minutes door to gate. That's the whole reason people ask whether downtown works for the Open, and the answer is yes, as long as you know which train to take.
We're at 17 John Street in the Financial District. Two weeks of tennis is a long trip, and it's the kind of trip where a kitchen and a laundry room earn their keep. Space to live in the city.
Getting from Lower Manhattan to Flushing Meadows
The fastest reliable route is the LIRR. The Port Washington Branch runs straight to Mets-Willets Point from Grand Central Madison or Penn Station in about 19 minutes, and the MTA and the USTA have set a $5 special fare with extra stops for the tournament. From us, take the 4 or the 5 from Fulton Street up to Grand Central, walk down into Grand Central Madison, and ride out. Fulton Street is a two-block walk and the 4 runs at all times, the 5 at all times except late nights.
The subway-only route is the 7 train, which serves Mets-Willets Point from Grand Central Terminal and is the way most people go. Same first leg for you: 4 or 5 from Fulton Street to Grand Central, then up to the 7 platform. It's slower than the LIRR and it stops everywhere in Queens, but it runs constantly and you don't need to think about a timetable, which is worth something after a five-hour session.
Coming back from a night session, the 7 is the safer bet. Sessions can end well past 11pm and the subway doesn't stop running.
| Route | From us | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| LIRR via Grand Central Madison | 4/5 from Fulton St, then Port Washington Branch to Mets-Willets Point | ~19 min on the train, ~50 min total |
| Subway only | 4/5 from Fulton St to Grand Central, then the 7 to Mets-Willets Point | ~60 min total |
Why we like downtown for a tennis trip
Because you're not sleeping next to the tournament, and that's the point. Flushing hotels put you close to the gates and nowhere near anything else; midtown puts you in the crush. Down here the offices empty out in the evening and the streets go quiet, which is exactly what you want when you've spent nine hours in the sun on Court 17.
Your suite has a full kitchen if you want to cook, and there's a laundry room, so a two-week stay doesn't mean two weeks of takeout and a suitcase of damp clothes. The gym and the guest lounge are here too, and the rooftop terrace is a nice spot in the evening if you're back before the last match ends. For a family or a group, we don't have connecting rooms, but we do have two and three bedroom suites, and the three bedrooms come as either two kings and a queen or two queens and a king.
What to do on a day without tennis
The 9/11 Memorial is a seven-minute walk west of us, and the reflecting pools are free to visit; the museum next to it is ticketed and takes a couple of hours if you go in. Go early, before the tour groups land.
Stone Street is two blocks south and it's the one block down here that's genuinely busy at night: a cobblestone lane of restaurant patios that fills up with after-work crowds from spring through fall. It's where we send guests who want dinner without a subway ride.
The Staten Island Ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal, about a 15-minute walk south, and it's free. You get the harbor and the Statue of Liberty from the water for the price of nothing, and the round trip takes about an hour. Sit on the right side going out.
Battery Park is on the way to the ferry, at the southern tip of the island. It's the closest real green space to us and the best place down here to sit with a coffee and look at water instead of buildings.
Know before you go
Bags: the tennis center has a bag size limit and no re-entry rules that shift year to year, so check the official site the morning of your session rather than trusting a blog. Weather: late August in New York is hot and humid, and the outer courts have no shade. Tickets: a grounds pass gets you every court except Arthur Ashe, and in week one that's the better value.