Located along Eleventh Avenue on the West Side of Manhattan, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is a large convention center built in 1986. It replaced the New York Coliseum as the city’s major convention facility when it opened with over 62,700 square meters worth of exhibition space. The space-framed structure was named after Senator Jacob K. Javits who actually died on that same year.
The center is known world wide as one of the prime locations for expositions and trade shows in New York. It is a first class center with state of the art facilities and cutting edge technologies, built to ensure that it can cater to every possibility requested by the organizer. It has a five block long structure made of glass and steel that overlooks into the Hudson River. As a result of an expansion project in 2006, the center expanded in size by around 45 percent and is worth about $1.7 billion dollars.
Today, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center has over 1,800,000 square feet of expanse, which also includes an auditorium with a capacity to seat 2,500 people at one time. The center has 100 meeting rooms, which have a total floor space of 100,000 square feet. The rooms are scalable to accommodate smaller events. Its largest meeting space is an impressive 158,000 square feet worth of area. Meanwhile, its exhibition space is an area worth 100,000 square feet, available to organizers and exhibitors. This 15-storey structure also has a 150-foot high lobby that is known as the crystal palace, also designed by the world famous architect, I.M. Pei. It is the yearly home of the Art Expo, the New York International Motor Show, the National Boat Show and the Gay and Lesbian Business Expo.
The center has a number of restaurants to choose from although they are a bit on the pricey side. The Jacob Javits Center does not have its own parking facility, however there are several parking facilities within the nearby area that can provide 24 hour, 7 day a week to more limited services. Since the center is situated in a somewhat isolated location, visitors will need transportation going to the venue. It is quite accessible though by public transportation. Visitors may hail a cab, or take the subway or bus. Hotel accommodations are also recommended to be made somewhere in the city.
