MEGADOPEFEST PAGE 3 UPDATE
In this update we will finalize the Saturday afternoon plans. Confirmations (and unfortunately some un-confirmations) have been coming in, but we still need to hear from a bunch of people.
For all those planning to attend (or who are listed as attending but will not), please post in this thread confirming that you will be there (or won’t or are still not sure). Also, please mention whether you plan to come to the Thursday Korean Dinner and/or the Billdo Bagel Brunch so that we may make reservations and send directions.
Also, in order to keep this thread to a manageable length, we would appreciate it if you could keep posts in this thread to comments and questions about the Dopefest, the attendees, and arrangements. Also, we will be posting additional details about events, parking, transportation lodging and other items of interest. If you want to start a pre-Dopefest flirting or woo-hoo I’m going to New York thread, for pre-Dopefest chatter, feel free.
Thursday, January 2: The Pre-Dopefest Korean Dinner
For those in the City a bit early, we will be having dinner at Kum Gang San, 49 West 32nd Street., just east of Sixth Ave. at 7:00 p.m. 1/2/3/9, to 34th St/Penn Sta, B/D/F/V or N/R/Q/W to 34th St Herald Square. Parking Map
Please post if you plan to attend so we can make reservations.
Friday, January 3: The Welcome to Dopefest Gathering
After an extensive search, we have identified a Friday Night base of operations. From 7:00 p.m. until at least 11ish, we will have New York dopers there to greet all visitors at The Bleecker Street Bar, 58 Bleecker Street, between Broadway & Lafayette Street. 4/5/6 to Bleecker Street, F/V to Broadway/Lafayette, N/R to Prince St. The Bleecker Street Bar is handicapped accessible, with a no-step entrance in the back. Dopers under 21 planning to attend, please e-mail me. We should have a sign saying “Friends of Cecil A.” or something to that effect. Parking Map
Around the Bleecker Street Bar are tons of places to eat and other forms of entertainment. We plan to sponsor a group to go dancing, leaving from the Bleecker Street Bar at 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 4: Daytime Cultural Events
During the day on Saturday, January 4, we will be sponsoring several events:
[ul][li]The Dim Sum Lunch in Chinatown will meet at Noon at Ping’s, 22 Mott Street (between Mosco and Worth streets). Take the N/R/Q/W or 6 to Canal Street, walk east on Canal and south on Mott. Parking Map After the lunch, OxyMoron will be leading an Art of the New York City Subways tour. People will also branch out for a free-form exploration of downtown New York bookshops. We’ll try to scare up a tour guide for that.[/li][li]The American Museum of Natural History. UncleBill and GeoBabe will be coordinating this event. Meet at the lobby of the Hotel Olcott, 27 West 72nd Street at Noon. We’ll be going out to brunch beforehand, meeting at the hotel at 10:30. Take the 1/2/3 or C train to 72nd Street. Parking Map[/li][/ul]
Unfortunately, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan trip appears to be suffering from a lack of interest. For those with kids, the Natural History Museum is great, too.
Saturday, January 4: The MegaDopefest Dinner
The MegaDopefest Dinner will return to America Restaurant on Saturday, January 4, 2003 at 6:30 p.m.
America, 9 East 18th Street
New York, NY 10003, (212) 505-2110. 18th Street between Broadway and Fifth. 4/5/6, N/R/Q/W or L trains to 14th Street/Union Square.
[Official link with menus](http://www.arkrestaurants.com/section_home.cfm?section_id=1&location_id=1&restauran t_id=1) Parking Map
Reservation for “Cecil Adams” party. According to the restaurant, it is handicapped accessible.
Following the Dinner, we will adjourn around the corner to the No Idea Bar. 30 East 20th Street between Park and Broadway, Official Link, where we have the back room reserved. No Idea is handicapped accessible. Dopers under 21 planning to attend, please e-mail me.
Sunday, January 5: Billdo’s Bagel Brunch
On Sunday, January 5, from 11:00 to 2:00, we will see how many people we can stuff into a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at Billdo’s Bagel Brunch. There will be bagels with all the trimmings and plentiful coffee and juice. My apartment is hung-over accessible (and we can get a ramp for the few steps in the lobby, if necessary). If you’re planning to attend, please post here so I may send you directions and have sufficient food. (If your e-mail isn’t listed, please e-mail me.) Parking Map
Travel Arrangements:
For those flying in, we recommend you use LaGuardia, Kennedy or Newark airports. Airport information, including ground and public transportation options, is available here.
Intercity rail service is available through Amtrak to New York’s Penn Station. Commuter rail service is available through Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North and New Jersey Transit. Bus service is available to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
People have mentioned they’re staying at the Hotel Olcott, 27 West 72nd Street, (212) 877-4200; Hotel Wolcott, 4 West 31st Street, (212) 268-2900; and Red Roof Inn Manhattan, 6 West 32nd Street, (212) 643-7100.
Once in the City, you can get around by New York City Transit buses and subways.
Folks, please remember that is New York City, with big city prices here. If you come into the City with just a few bucks in your wallet, it won’t stretch far, much less through a whole weekend. Also, we have an 8-1/4% sales tax and tipping is an important additional cost on the price of food and drinks here. America will include a 18% gratuity on the bill, and that’s about the standard percentage tip here. We’ve had problems with some that didn’t realize this before, and we don’t want to have similar problems this year.
Parking maps linked to above.
Current List of Expected Attendees:
Please post here to confirm whether you will be attending, will not be attending, or still aren’t sure. We have confirmations from those listed in italics, and a ‘k’ means we’re expecting you for the Thursday Korean dinner and a ‘b’ means we’re expecting you for the Sunday brunch.
See you this weekend (81 - 59 confirmed - 13 k - 42b): Acrylic Vessel kb, Alphagene, Ace of Swords, andygirl b, Banger, beerchick, biggirl k, Billdo kb, Bluesman, bouv b, Canby b, Ceejaytee (with Mr. Tee & BabyTee), Colibri, Cosmopolitan, Daerlyn, dalovindj, DAVEW0071 k, delphica, Demo b, Dewey Cheatem Undhow, DynoSaur, Elenfair b, Eonwe b, Eutychus b, friedo, *Geobabe * b, GingerOfTheNorth b, Gorgon Heap kb, Green Bean (and the Bean Sprout) kb, Hamadryad b, JerseyDiamond, Jessica2 b, Joe_Cool, JoeyHemlock kb, JohnBckWLD, Kaf, Kyla, LaurAnge b, LindyHopper kb, lisabethnyc, lno b, LolaCocaCola, Lucretia, LynnHazel, Maeglin, manhattan, MannyL b, matt_mcl, Morgyn, Morrison, Mnementh b, mrblue92, Nacho4Sara, Overengineer b, OxyMoron, Persephone kb, psuedotriton ruber ruber b, psycat90 b, Pucette kb, racinchikki (& friend Vinnie), ResIpsaLoquitor, Ringo b, RTFirefly b, scott evil b, SmackFu, slowhand53, Soda kb, SuaSponte b, Sue Duhnym (& hubby Dunhym), typo mna b, TruePisces b, UncleBill b, Verrain b, vix kb, waterj2 b, Weirddave b, whatmove kb, Wisest Novel b, Wonko the Sane, Zappo b
Hope you can get there (18): BluesKids, CrazyCatLady, DoctorJ, Ell, Jadis, JavaMaven1, JustPlainBryan, MandaJO (& Mr. JO), monstro, Morgyn, Queen Of Hearts, pravnik, samclem, Sophie, Ukulele Ike, ultress, zette
We’ll see you next time (28): Acrylic Gorgon Heapette, Airman Doors, Arden Ranger, Anahita, bristlesage, Cajun Man, CasperQ, DrMatrix, Eve, fizzestothetop, Francesca, Hastur, Honey, iampunha, imthjckaz, Miss Creant, Mr. Cynical, MsRobyn (& BabyDoors), New & Improved Scott, Rasa, Rebound Guy, Sakura, Scotticher, Skerri, SparrowHawk, Spider Woman, thinksnow, Tripler
Special Thanks to the volunteers on the New York Dopefest Planning Committee: canby, Cosmopolitan, delphica, Green Bean, Geobabe, vix, manhattan, OxyMoron, UncleBill, Pucette, TruePisces, and everyone else that helped.
