Parking Near UBS Arena
The official lots, the right exits, and the honest answer to whether driving actually makes sense for your kind of night at UBS Arena.
Quick Answer: What’s the Best Parking Strategy for UBS Arena?
When Driving to UBS Arena Actually Makes Sense
Parking near UBS Arena is not a complicated decision once you ask the right question first — and the right question is not “which lot should I use?” It is “should I be driving at all?” The answer changes completely based on where you are coming from and how you want the night to flow.
UBS Arena itself recommends the LIRR as the primary way to get there. That is not boilerplate — it reflects the reality of the venue’s location and the strength of its dedicated train station. For visitors from Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens, the LIRR is typically faster than driving, eliminates parking costs entirely, and avoids the post-show lot exit bottleneck. If you are coming from the city, there is a real case that driving is the wrong choice even if you know exactly where to park.
Where driving earns its place:
Long Island Visitors
Nassau and western Suffolk County residents often live closer to UBS Arena than to a convenient LIRR connection. For them, the Cross Island Parkway is the natural approach and driving is the path of least resistance.
Groups of 4 or More
One parking pass split four ways frequently beats four individual LIRR tickets — especially when the starting point is suburban. Run the math before assuming rail is cheaper for a group.
Dinner + Show Plans
If dinner is at King Umberto or The Harrison in nearby Elmont or Floral Park, driving to dinner first and then driving to the arena with a pre-paid pass is a clean, logical sequence that the train cannot replicate easily.
Overnight Stay Planned
If you are staying at the Garden City Hotel — the official UBS Arena hotel partner — driving is the natural method. The hotel has free parking and is a 15-minute drive from the arena. The overnight removes the post-show urgency that makes parking exits stressful.
If none of those scenarios describe your night, revisit the LIRR option before committing to a parking pass. The full transportation picture is covered in the how to get to UBS Arena guide.
The UBS Arena Parking Garage at Belmont Park, a fitting lead image for a parking guide built around arrival strategy, timing, and the trip home.
UBS Arena Parking Lots — What’s Available and How to Access Each
All UBS Arena parking is accessed via the Cross Island Parkway. There are no practical alternative approaches for drivers — the surrounding roads route to the CIP, and the lot entry points are exit-specific. Know your exit before you leave home. The five official parking areas are:
Emerald Parking
The main general-admission lot and the only place where parking can be purchased on the day of the event without a pre-paid pass. Located approximately 0.5 miles from the arena entrance — further than the premium lots, but served by free continuous shuttle buses. For concerts, prices increase $5–$10 if purchased at the gate rather than in advance. Contains 36 accessible parking spaces with ADA shuttle service.
Buy via ParkWhiz or TicketmasterBelmont Park Garage
The closest parking option at approximately 0.15 miles from the arena entrance. Covered structure. Requires a pre-paid pass — UBS Arena warns explicitly that attendees who enter without one will be charged $125 upon exit. Accessible parking spaces with adjacent access aisles are available.
Pre-paid required · No walk-up purchaseSilver Parking
Approximately 0.29 miles from the arena. Pre-paid pass required — no walk-up purchase available to the general public. Do not take Exit 26B without a valid pass. Contains 28 accessible parking spaces with ADA shuttle service. On non-event days, Silver Parking offers free access for Park at UBS Arena visitors.
Pre-paid required · Exit 26B onlyDiamond & Ruby Parking
Both accessed via Exit 26B. Pre-paid passes required and not available to the general public for walk-up purchase. Diamond has 28 accessible spaces with ADA van service. These are premium lots, typically reserved for season ticket holders and premium event packages.
Not available to general public walk-upPurchasing Parking
The official purchase channels for UBS Arena parking are ParkWhiz and Ticketmaster. UBS Arena states it cannot verify the legitimacy of parking passes purchased through other resellers — use only the official channels. For Emerald Parking, purchase in advance to lock in the lower price. For all other lots, pre-paid passes are required regardless of price. The venue recommends purchasing parking at the same time you buy your event tickets, and on major concerts this is good advice — parking inventory can sell out for sold-out shows.
UBS Arena Parking Strategies That Actually Work
The Standard Driver Plan: Emerald Lot, Pre-Paid, Arrive Early
For most drivers, the Emerald lot is the correct choice: it is the only lot available without a pre-paid special pass, its shuttle service runs continuously to the arena, and it is the budget-friendliest official option. Buy the pass in advance through ParkWhiz or Ticketmaster. Aim to arrive 60–90 minutes before your event — parking opens 2 hours before, and the final 30–45 minutes before a sold-out show sees the heaviest Cross Island Parkway traffic on all three exits.
After the show, the Emerald lot exit bottleneck is real — it feeds back onto a single lane to the Cross Island with pedestrian traffic sharing the road to the LIRR station. Waiting 15–20 minutes in your seat after the event ends before walking to the shuttle consistently results in a faster overall exit than rushing out at the final note.
Tradeoff: Emerald is the furthest official lot from the arena door. The shuttle covers it efficiently, but it is not a “park and walk in” situation. If you need to be at the entrance quickly after parking, the Belmont Park Garage (if you have a pass) is the closer option.
The Close-In Strategy: Belmont Park Garage
If proximity to the arena entrance is the priority — arriving late, leaving promptly, or mobility considerations — the Belmont Park Garage at ~0.15 miles from the main entrance is the right choice. It is covered, close, and available through official pre-purchase channels. The key is having the pass before you arrive: entering without one triggers a $125 exit charge.
Tradeoff: More expensive than Emerald. If the Belmont Park Garage is sold out for your event, Silver Parking at ~0.29 miles is the next closest option (also pre-paid required, Exit 26B).
The Dinner-First, Drive-In Plan
For drivers pairing a pre-show dinner with the event, the cleanest sequence is: eat at King Umberto (5 min from arena) or The Harrison in Floral Park (~9 min), then drive directly to UBS Arena with a pre-paid parking pass already purchased. This avoids the scramble of trying to park, eat, and still make the show — the dinner is separate from the arena arrival entirely.
Timing matters: factor realistic dinner duration plus a 15-minute buffer for the parking lot entry and shuttle on a major event night. A 6:00 PM dinner reservation for a 7:30 PM event is workable. A 7:00 PM dinner for the same event is a sprint. For the full dining picture, see the restaurants near UBS Arena guide.
Tradeoff: You are managing two destinations by car. Simple in practice for Long Island drivers who know the roads, but adds complexity for anyone unfamiliar with the area.
The Drive + Stay Strategy
For anyone driving to UBS Arena and staying overnight, the math on parking changes completely: your hotel parking is the endpoint, not a second stop. The Garden City Hotel, at 6.2 miles from the arena and listed on UBS Arena’s official accommodations page, offers free parking and is a natural driving-based overnight. You park at the hotel on arrival, drive to the arena for the show, and return to the hotel after — no parking lot exit rush to worry about, because you are not trying to get home that night.
This approach also opens up dinner at the hotel’s Red Salt Room by David Burke before the show — a comfortable, full-service pre-event dinner that does not require navigating anywhere unfamiliar. See the hotels near UBS Arena guide for the full overnight picture.
Tradeoff: Adds hotel cost. Worth it for late-night shows, out-of-town visitors, or anyone who wants the evening to feel like a proper night out rather than a commute.
When to Skip Parking Entirely
If you are coming from Manhattan, Brooklyn, or anywhere with a reasonable LIRR connection, driving is usually the wrong call — and parking near UBS Arena is the wrong problem to be solving. The LIRR from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison runs approximately 30 minutes to the Elmont-UBS Arena Station, with free event-day shuttles to the arena. No parking pass to buy. No lot exit to navigate. No surge pricing risk on the way home. The LIRR runs on a fixed schedule after events regardless of parking lot traffic.
Driving from Manhattan to UBS Arena adds Queens and Long Island traffic on top of the arena approach. For a solo visitor or a couple from the city, the LIRR almost always wins on total time, cost, and stress. The full transportation guide covers the complete picture.
The Rule That Saves Every Driver
Buy your parking pass when you buy your event tickets. Not the day before. Not the morning of the show. When you buy the tickets.
Diamond, Ruby, Silver, and Belmont Park Garage parking are not available for walk-up purchase. Emerald Parking can be bought at the gate — but costs $5–$10 more on concert days, and inventory depletes before sold-out events. Fans who book parking weeks in advance pay less, guarantee their spot, know their exit before they leave home, and arrive at a lot with shorter entry lines. Every friction point in the UBS Arena parking experience is reduced by buying in advance. This is the one non-negotiable parking tip.
Best Parking Strategy by Type of Visitor
| Your Situation | Best Approach | Key Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau County / Long Island driver | Pre-paid Emerald or Belmont Park Garage; arrive 60–90 min early | Natural driving approach via Cross Island Pkwy; parking is the straightforward option |
| Suffolk County driver | Drive or LIRR depending on your branch — check LIRR TrainTime first | Eastern Long Island has some LIRR options; if train works, it avoids parking complexity |
| Manhattan visitor | Skip parking — take the LIRR | ~30 min direct, no parking cost, fixed post-show schedule, no lot exit to navigate |
| Brooklyn visitor | LIRR via Jamaica Station | Driving from Brooklyn adds bridges and Queens traffic before the arena approach |
| Queens visitor | LIRR from Jamaica or consider driving — depends on location in Queens | Eastern Queens drivers are close; Jamaica LIRR is fast for western Queens |
| Group of 4+ driving from Long Island | One parking pass shared — Emerald pre-paid | Cost-effective vs. four train tickets; group arrival and departure is coordinated |
| Couple doing dinner + show | Dinner near arena first, then drive to UBS; pre-paid pass already in hand | Dinner at King Umberto or The Harrison flows naturally into parking and walking in |
| Staying overnight at Garden City Hotel | Drive; park at hotel; drive to arena; return post-show | Hotel free parking is the base; no post-show urgency because you are not driving home |
| Flying in via JFK | Rideshare or car to arena (~10 min from JFK) | JFK hotels are close; no need to rent a car just for the arena trip |
Is It Better to Drive or Take the Train to UBS Arena?
The honest answer: it depends on where you are starting from. This is not a cop-out — the geography of UBS Arena genuinely changes the right answer based on origin point. Here is the clearest breakdown:
When Driving Wins
- You are starting from Nassau County or western Suffolk with no convenient LIRR connection
- Group of 4+ where one parking pass beats multiple train tickets
- Dinner plan is at a nearby restaurant only reachable by car
- You are staying overnight at Garden City Hotel — hotel parking removes post-show pressure
- Late-night return LIRR service on your specific branch is infrequent
- You are attending a daytime event with lighter post-show traffic
When the LIRR Wins
- You are starting from Manhattan, Brooklyn, or anywhere near Penn or Grand Central Madison
- Solo or couple — two train tickets almost always cost less than parking
- You want a fixed post-show schedule without surge pricing or lot exit waits
- You plan to have drinks before or during the show
- Belmont Park Village is your pre-show dinner plan (Village shuttle runs from the LIRR station)
- Sold-out major event — post-show parking lot exit takes significantly longer than the train
The Post-Show Exit: The Honest Comparison
This is where the LIRR consistently outperforms driving on big event nights. When 19,000 people leave UBS Arena at the same time, the Emerald lot shuttle feeds into a bottleneck at the Cross Island Parkway. The lot closes 90 minutes after the event ends, but exit congestion is heaviest in the first 20–30 minutes. Drivers who wait 15–20 minutes in their seats consistently clear the lot faster — but even with patience, the post-show drive takes longer than the post-show train on sold-out nights.
The LIRR runs on a schedule regardless of parking lot traffic. If the train back to Penn Station departs at 11:10 PM, it departs at 11:10 PM whether the lot is empty or still full. That predictability is worth something when the alternative is sitting in a shuttle queue.
How Parking Fits the Full UBS Arena Night
Parking and Dinner
If you are driving to UBS Arena, the pre-show dinner decision is simpler than it is for LIRR riders: eat somewhere drivable from the arena approach, then park and walk in. King Umberto on Hempstead Turnpike and The Harrison in Floral Park are both 5–9 minutes from UBS Arena by car. Eat at 5:45–6:15 for a 7:30 event, pay the bill, drive to the lot. Pre-paid pass gets you through without stopping. The sequence works cleanly. For the full restaurant picture, see the restaurants near UBS Arena guide.
Parking and Seating / Ticket Timing
Parking into a major UBS Arena concert can affect your seating experience if arrival timing is off. Lots open 2 hours before most events (3.5 hours for Islanders games). The heaviest pre-event traffic hits in the final 30–45 minutes before show time. For concerts where the main act starts at 8:30–9:00 PM after an opener, arriving 90 minutes before doors gives a comfortable buffer. For sports with a hard tip-off or puck drop at 7:00 or 7:30 PM, 60–75 minutes of pre-arrival buffer is the smarter plan. See when to buy concert tickets for more on timing strategy.
Parking and Hotels
The parking strategy and the hotel strategy are the same decision if you are driving and staying over. The Garden City Hotel’s free parking makes the driving-based overnight the simplest possible setup: arrive at the hotel, park, drive to the show, return post-show. No secondary parking cost, no post-show urgency. If you are arriving by train and staying at the Hampton Inn Rockville Centre, parking is irrelevant — you never need a car. Match the hotel choice to the transit method from the start. The hotels near UBS Arena guide covers both scenarios fully.
What Most People Get Wrong About UBS Arena Parking
Taking Exit 26B without a pre-paid pass
This is the single most consequential mistake UBS Arena drivers make. Exit 26B is for Diamond, Ruby, and Silver Parking only — all of which require a pre-paid pass and none of which sell passes at the gate. UBS Arena warns about this explicitly on every official page. If you take Exit 26B without a pass for one of those lots, you are in the wrong place on a congested road. If you end up in the Belmont Park Garage without a pass, the venue charges $125 upon exit. Program your GPS with the correct lot name — not just the arena address — before you leave home.
Deciding to drive without thinking about the ride home first
The arrival at UBS Arena by car is usually fine. The departure on a sold-out night is where the decision to drive gets tested. If you have not thought through the post-show exit — whether you are waiting it out in your seat, what lot you are in, how long the shuttle queue runs — the parking experience can feel worse than it needs to. Decide your post-show exit plan before the show starts: stay in your seat 15–20 minutes, let the first wave clear, then head to your car. This single habit produces a consistently better parking exit at UBS Arena.
Assuming the closest lot is always the best choice
The Belmont Park Garage is closer to the arena door than Emerald Parking. But it requires a pre-paid pass that is not available to the general public through walk-up purchase, and it feeds back onto Exit 26A with everyone else post-show. Emerald Parking is further away by distance but has shuttle service that covers the gap, is the only lot available to general walk-up purchasers, and is the standard approach for most drivers. Proximity does not automatically mean convenience in the UBS Arena parking structure.
Not buying parking when buying tickets
Parking inventory for major concerts sells out. Concert pricing also runs $5–$10 higher at the Emerald gate than pre-purchased. The two reasons to pre-buy parking are: saving money, and guaranteeing availability. For sold-out or near-sold-out events, both reasons apply simultaneously. Buy the parking pass the same day you buy the event ticket.
Driving from Manhattan or Brooklyn when the LIRR is faster
Manhattan and Brooklyn visitors occasionally drive to UBS Arena assuming a car is simpler. In practice, getting from Midtown or Brooklyn to the Cross Island Parkway adds real time before you even reach the arena approach. For two people from Manhattan, a parking pass plus fuel often costs more than two LIRR tickets. The train from Penn Station is approximately 30 minutes direct. The car from Midtown — accounting for street traffic, bridge or tunnel, and Queens parkways — is frequently longer on a weeknight event evening.
Planning to street-park in the surrounding neighborhood
UBS Arena explicitly warns that parking is prohibited on many residential streets near the arena and that local rules are enforced. The surrounding Elmont neighborhood does not have unregulated event-night street parking available as a reliable alternative to the official lots. Do not rely on finding something free or cheap on a nearby street on a sold-out night — it is not a dependable strategy, and the walk from any genuinely available street spot is not meaningfully shorter than Emerald Parking with a shuttle.
Frequently Asked Questions
For most drivers, Emerald Parking (Exit 26D off the Cross Island Parkway) is the standard approach — it is the only lot open to general walk-up purchase, is served by free continuous shuttle buses, and is the most affordable official option. Buy in advance through ParkWhiz or Ticketmaster to lock in a lower price. If you have a pre-paid pass for the Belmont Park Garage (Exit 26A), that is the closest covered option at ~0.15 miles from the arena entrance. Silver, Diamond, and Ruby Parking all require pre-paid passes not available to the general public and are accessed via Exit 26B — do not use that exit without a valid pass.
It depends where you are coming from. For Long Island residents without a convenient LIRR connection, driving is the natural and often correct choice. For groups of four or more where one parking pass costs less than multiple train tickets, driving can make financial sense. For Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens visitors, the LIRR is typically faster, cheaper, and simpler — the approximately 30-minute trip from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison eliminates parking cost, lot traffic, and post-show surge pricing all at once. The venue itself recommends the LIRR as the primary arrival method.
Manageable with preparation, frustrating without it. The Cross Island Parkway exits are clear and well-signed. The lot entry process moves efficiently when you have a pre-paid pass and are using the correct exit. Post-show exit from Emerald Parking involves a bottleneck on the single-lane return to the parkway, particularly in the first 20–30 minutes after a sold-out event. Waiting 15–20 minutes before heading to the lot after the event ends is the single most effective way to improve the parking experience. Without advance preparation — no pre-paid pass, wrong exit, late arrival — parking at UBS Arena becomes significantly harder.
Train for Manhattan and borough visitors, driving for most Long Island visitors. The LIRR from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison takes approximately 30 minutes to Elmont-UBS Arena Station, with free event-day shuttles to the arena. The post-show train runs on a fixed schedule without surge pricing or parking lot delay. Driving works best when your starting point is suburban Long Island, when you are traveling with a large group, or when dinner plans and an overnight stay make a car the logical centerpiece of the whole evening.
Buy a pre-paid Emerald Parking pass through ParkWhiz or Ticketmaster when you buy the concert ticket. Program your GPS with “UBS Arena Emerald Parking” — not the arena address — before leaving. Arrive 60–90 minutes before the show to avoid the heaviest pre-event traffic on the Cross Island. After the show, wait 15–20 minutes in your seat before heading to the shuttle — this consistently produces a faster exit than rushing out at the final note. For concerts specifically, note that Emerald Parking prices increase $5–$10 if purchased at the gate rather than in advance.
Worth considering if the show ends at 11:00 PM or later, you are coming from a significant distance, or you want the evening to feel like a complete night rather than a commute. The Garden City Hotel (6.2 miles, UBS Arena’s official hotel partner, free parking) is the most natural endpoint for a driving-based UBS Arena overnight. If you are staying over, the post-show parking exit becomes irrelevant — you have nowhere urgent to be. See the hotels near UBS Arena guide for the full stay strategy.
Yes — driving is arguably the better method when dinner is part of the plan, because it keeps the whole evening car-based and gives you flexibility on timing. The clean sequence: reserve dinner at King Umberto or The Harrison nearby, eat at a relaxed pace, then drive to the arena with a pre-paid parking pass already confirmed. This avoids the rush of trying to eat near the venue after parking, and keeps the night simple. See the restaurants near UBS Arena guide for dining options that fit this flow and timing guidance for different event types.
No. The lease with Empire State Development explicitly prohibits tailgating at UBS Arena across all parking areas — Emerald, Diamond, Ruby, Silver, and the Belmont Park Garage. This includes grilling, open flames, and other traditional tailgate activities. Signs are posted throughout the lots. This is a firm policy and not something that varies by event or enforcement situation. Longtime Islanders fans who were used to tailgate culture at Nassau Coliseum will find no equivalent tradition at UBS Arena.
The Parking Plan That Makes a UBS Arena Night Work
Parking near UBS Arena is a solvable problem — but only if you solve it before the night of the show, not during it. Buy the pass when you buy the tickets. Know your exit before you reach the Cross Island Parkway. Arrive with enough buffer that the pre-show lot entry does not feel like a race. And after the show, give yourself 15–20 minutes before heading out — the patience pays off every time.
More importantly: make sure driving is actually the right call for your night. If you are coming from Manhattan or Brooklyn, the LIRR delivers you to the same arena entrance without a parking pass, a lot exit, or a surge-priced rideshare home. For Long Island drivers, a group, a dinner plan, or an overnight stay, the car makes every bit of sense. The best parking strategy at UBS Arena is the one that fits how the rest of your evening is actually structured.