Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

Not an airport connection, LGA has no rail link, but for non-flying travelers New York is Amtrak's busiest hub: Northeast Regional/Acela from the DC-Boston corridor plus long-distance routes arrive at Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station, 31st St & 8th Ave). From Penn Station take the 2 or 3 express uptown to 125th St for Marcus Garvey Park (~15 min), or the downtown 1/2/3 to 14th St and the L across to 1st Av for Tompkins Square Park.

Budget fly-in alternative for regional travelers, not an airport transfer: Greyhound and most FlixBus services arrive at or near the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St & 8th Ave). From there the A/C/E, or a crosstown transfer to the uptown 2/3 at Times Sq, reaches 125th St for Marcus Garvey Park; the downtown A/C/E to 14th St + L to 1st Av reaches Tompkins Square Park. Greyhound bookings for New York: https://www.greyhound.com/bus/new-york-ny

The M60-SBS runs 24 hours from all LaGuardia terminals directly across 125th Street in Harlem, the single-seat ride for the Marcus Garvey Park days. Get off at 125th St/Madison Ave or 125th St/Fifth Ave and walk 2-4 short blocks south to the park (bounded by 120th-124th St between Madison Ave and Mt Morris Park West). Select Bus Service uses off-board fare payment at the stop or OMNY tap; transfers to/from the subway are free within 2 hours on the same card/device.

The Q70 LaGuardia Link is fare-free (since May 2022) and runs nonstop every 8-10 min from Terminals B and C to the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av / 74 St-Broadway subway hub (E, F, M, R, 7 lines), ~15 min in typical traffic. For the Tompkins Square Park days, ride the subway into Manhattan and finish on the L to 1st Av or the 6 to Astor Pl, both stations are a short walk from the park (E 7th-10th St & Ave A). For Marcus Garvey Park this routing also works (subway to the 2/3/4/5/6 at 125th St) but the M60-SBS above is more direct. Only the subway leg is charged.

Yellow taxis pick up at the official airport taxi stands only (LGA has no Manhattan flat fare, trips are metered, starting at $3.00, unlike JFK). The Port Authority's own estimate for Morningside Heights, comparable uptown distance to Harlem/Marcus Garvey Park, is $24-45 before tolls and tip; surcharges: $1.00 weekday peak (4-8pm), $0.50 nightly (8pm-6am), $0.50 NY State tax, and a $2.00 PANYNJ airport access fee on pickups. Uber and Lyft pick up in signed 'Ride App Pick Up' zones: Terminal A directly across the street, Terminal B on Level 2 of the parking garage, Terminal C arrivals inner lane; fares are quoted in-app. Note for the Tompkins Square Park days: the East Village is inside Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone (below 60th St), so car trips there carry the $9.00 peak-period congestion toll (5am-9pm) on top of the fare, transit avoids it entirely.

891 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025

Typically $70-130 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

37-10 11th Street, New York, NY 11101

Typically $70-130 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

1145 Southern Boulevard, New York, NY 10459

Typically $70-130 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

106 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10026

Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

2027 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, New York, NY 10027

Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

55 West 110th Street, New York, NY 10026

Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

2296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New York, NY 10027

Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

410 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128

Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

Typically $170-300 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

135-20 39th Avenue, New York, NY 11354

Typically $170-300 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

100-15 Ditmars Boulevard, New York, NY 11369

Typically $100-190 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

102-05 Ditmars Boulevard, New York, NY 11369

Typically $100-190 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

102-40 Ditmars Boulevard, New York, NY 11369

Typically $100-190 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates

NYC is a special case: Local Law 18 (enforced since Sept 2023) cut legal short-term rental listings by over 90%, only ~3,000 registered STRs operate citywide, so entire-home stays under 30 nights are scarce and priced accordingly, and citywide hotel rates have hit record averages (~$320/night). Book far ahead for late-August, or expect private-room listings rather than whole apartments. Harlem and the East Village both retain some registered inventory.

No camping exists anywhere near the venues, both are Manhattan public parks that close overnight. Hipcamp inventory for the region is Hudson Valley / Catskills / western Long Island private-land sites, generally 1.5-2+ hours out by car or Metro-North-plus-taxi, so it's a scenic base only for attendees who already have a car and don't mind a long commute in; not a practical hotel substitute for this fest. Link points to the statewide New York directory.