The U.S. Open comes to Queens at the end of August and any newcomers who plan to attend should go in with a veteran’s grasp on the racket. Get into the swing of things and avoid any unforced errors by following these six simple tips:
1 – Leave the car at home and take mass transit.
Avoid traffic headaches and travel green at the same time by taking the rails to the Open for your days and nights on the courts. The No. 7 Train and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) provide a non-traffic option with set schedules and relatively inexpensive fares.
2 – Know your venue.
Arthur Ashe Stadium hosts the top-seeded matches and the finals; usually five matches per day. Louis Armstrong Stadium has some reserved seating and also open seating for ground pass or other ticket holders. The Grandstand is the smaller venue, open to anyone with a ground pass or other ticket. The field courts are dotted throughout the grounds and give spectators the closest look at the action during the first few days of the tournament.
3 – Bag your bags.
If you want to keep the lines moving as fast as possible, leave all bags behind. If you don’t have a bag, you are directed to a separate security line that moves a lot quicker.
4 – Don’t follow the crowd.
Enter at the South Gate, directly in front of the Unisphere. The lines at the East Gate, right off of the subway/LIRR, are consistently the longest and the slowest.
5 – Protect yourself from the sun.
With very little shade at Flushing Meadows, the sun can burn bright and ruin your view of the action. Make sure you have sunglasses, a hat and sun block. These items can also be purchased at the many Open shopping kiosks.
6 – Eat at the Open.
Visit the Food Village at the open for an eclectic array of dining options. Queens is culturally diverse and so is its cuisine; the same is true at the Open, with burgers, deli, crepes, Mexican, Italian, sushi, Indian, kosher and more. There are also plenty of upscale options, as well as bars for adult beverages.
