Where to Stay for the US Open
Flushing, Long Island City, or Midtown Manhattan — the honest tradeoffs for each and what to book first
The US Open runs for two weeks and hotels near Flushing Meadows fill months in advance. The question is not just which hotel but which neighbourhood to base yourself in — and the honest answer depends on what you want from the trip.
Option 1: Flushing
Flushing is the most convenient base. The hotels there are within a 15-minute walk of the USTA gates, the 7 train is at Main Street for everything else, and you're in the middle of the food ecosystem that makes this tournament distinctive. The neighbourhood itself — the largest Chinatown outside of China, per many accounts, with Taiwanese, Shanghainese, and other regional cooking concentrated along Main Street and Roosevelt — is worth being embedded in rather than commuting to.
The tradeoff: Flushing hotels are not characterful. They're newer, efficient, and built for the business traveller who ends up in Queens for a trade show at the convention centre. Expect clean rooms, functional service, and limited lobby or common area quality. The neighbourhood is what earns its place.
Option 2: Long Island City
Long Island City (LIC) is two stops on the 7 train from Mets-Willets Point, putting you 15–20 minutes from the tournament gates with a direct line and no transfer. The hotels here are newer, more design-forward, and often better value than equivalent Manhattan options. The neighbourhood has a different quality from Flushing — more residential and post-industrial, with waterfront parks that look directly at the Midtown Manhattan skyline.
For a US Open trip where you want convenience to the tournament plus a more interesting base than a Flushing business hotel, Long Island City is the strongest option.
Option 3: Midtown Manhattan
The obvious choice for visitors combining the US Open with a broader New York trip. Times Square, Grand Central, and the hotels nearby are all 38–42 minutes on the 7 train from Mets-Willets Point — workable, but that's 80 minutes of transit for each full day at the tournament. For a two- or three-session visit where you're also spending time in the city, Manhattan makes sense. For a dedicated tournament trip, the commute accumulates.
Booking timing
US Open hotels — particularly in Flushing — book out 3–6 months ahead of the tournament. If you're planning to attend during the second week (quarterfinals onward), assume high demand and book as soon as your dates are confirmed.
Why it's special
The accommodation decision for the US Open is more consequential than for most sporting events because the neighbourhood matters. Staying in Flushing means you're in the food scene; staying in LIC means you're in a genuinely interesting part of New York that most visitors don't see; staying in Midtown means you're doing New York and happening to go to some tennis.
All three are reasonable choices depending on what you're optimising for. This section is designed to prevent the default Midtown booking that leaves you with an 80-minute daily commute when 20 minutes was available.
