Travel and Accommodation

The conference will now be virtual. FDU will be proud to host CSANA on campus in the future. The information here is now for general interest only.

TRAVEL

FDU’s Florham Campus is located at 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, New Jersey, USA. If you type “Fairleigh Dickinson University” into your favorite app, make sure it isn’t sending you to the Metro Campus at 1000 River Road, Teaneck: this has happened before. Nothing related to the CSANA conference will be happening at Teaneck.

Click here for directions to campus.

The closest airport is Newark Liberty International (EWR). You can also try New York LaGuardia (LGA) and JFK International (JFK). New Jersey Transit rail serves Newark Airport and New York Penn Station and stops next to campus at Convent Station.

Click here for a campus map.

The conference will be in the Mansion building (Hennessy Hall), the former residence of Florence Vanderbilt and Hamilton Twombly (hence Flor-Ham): you might have seen it in the movies A Beautiful Mind and The Trial of the Chicago 7. It’s the centerpiece of campus, #1 on the map; you can’t miss it.

The conference has two rooms reserved on the main floor of the Mansion: Lenfell Hall is the big ballroom all the way to the right after you come through the front door; Hartman Lounge is to the left, then left again near the end of the hall.

If you have any issues whatsoever making your way around campus, Public Safety can assist you: their number is (973) 443-8888.

ACCOMMODATION

There are three very nice hotels in walking distance.

The Sonesta Hamilton Park Hotel is practically on campus: it’s the shaded building you can see on the right side of the campus map. Recommended if you want the shortest walk to and from the conference. (As you approach the Mansion from the side, although it’s not as grand, you can go in through the courtyard at the end of the parking lot and up a flight of stairs instead of going around to the front entrance.) The Sonesta will reopen for business on August 31; it used to be a Wyndham property, and if you see rates or offers for the Wyndham Hamilton Park, those will no longer be accurate.

The Archer Hotel is across the road from the Sonesta, which makes the walk at most 5 minutes longer.

The Madison Hotel is a longer walk to the Mansion – 20-25 minutes – but it’s right next to the NJ Transit stop at Convent Station. Recommended if you’re arriving by train and want to get your bags straight to the hotel without needing a ride. To walk to the Mansion from the Madison Hotel, go to the right along the paved towpath that follows the railway tracks: the buildings directly across the tracks from the hotel are Saint Elizabeth University, and while it’s possible to pick your way through Saint Elizabeth to FDU, the towpath is more straightforward. The railway is the brown diagonal cutting through the campus map. There’s an entrance to campus from the towpath at around #11 on the map. After that, the quickest way to the Mansion is across a parking lot via #12 and #16.

Of course, all this walking isn’t mandatory: the area is reasonably well served by cabs/Uber/Lyft, and the Sonesta and Madison Hotel offer local shuttle service (weekdays only for the Madison Hotel).

Pricewise, the Sonesta and the Madison Hotel are comparable (regular rates start around $170/night); the Archer is more expensive (currently quoting $189-$265 for the conference dates). Unless you find a better deal through a third-party site, the Sonesta and the Madison Hotel should be offering a special FDU/conference rate: ask for it on the phone, or expect details here as soon as they’re available.

There’s an excellent chance that the conference dinner on Saturday, April 2 will be at the Madison Hotel. There aren’t many other restaurants in easy walking distance. Other good dining options would involve a short drive or a one-stop ride on NJ Transit.

If you’re driving to campus or willing to order a ride, there are other hotels in the area, not necessarily better:

See here if you’re curious about everything “Hip & Historic” Morris County, New Jersey, has to offer.

Budget options

The cheapest local hotels are along New Jersey Route 10: you’ll find several under $100/night within 6-8 miles. The closest is the OYO Hotel East Hanover (currently $87 on their website and as low as $80 via other sites). Expect at least a 15-minute suburban drive to campus. If dealing with the drive would be a problem, check the NJ Transit schedule and try near the stations on the Morristown Line: the cheapest and likely the best option for this strategy is the Ramada by Wyndham East Orange, near the Brick Church station 40 minutes out from Convent Station, which is advertising $89/night for the conference dates. The conference schedule will be compatible with at least some of the morning arrival times at Convent Station. Walking directions from the station to campus are the same as from the Madison Hotel.

Airbnb reservations in Morris County start at $60/night, and cluster around $120-$140. If you’re looking for the cheapest possible Airbnbs and Madison, Morristown, and Florham Park aren’t working out for you, then, again, look near the NJ Transit stations between Newark and Madison: Newark Broad Street and Brick Church seem to have the most Airbnb offerings, and Brick Church has the lowest prices (currently starting at $39).