'Stie d’calisse it’s cold outside. I keep seeing small chunks of ice in the East River. Yeah, they’re probably just falling off of barges, but still. Brr. Does Blondie’s serve glogg?
60 some-odd definites +15 possibilities = ±5 or 6 dozen assorted lunatics, intellectuals, drunks and bohemians in the same place @ the same time.
I shudder.
Not because it’s 7º outside with a wind-chill below zero, more likely because my deepest sympathies go out to the proprietors of Blondies, America, No Idea, Hop Kee, Haveli, Delicia, Ace Bar, et al.
I now have the answer why Commissioner Kelly & Jim Kallstrom haven’t taken us from
orange down to
yellow yet.
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they jack New York, Queens & Kings Counties up to code red by the time Saturday rolls around.
NEW YORK CITY MEGADOPEFEST WEEKEND IV – JANUARY 16-19, 2004
Here’s the latest for Page 5 of the thread. It all starts tonight. The current schedule is:
Friday, January 16 (evening): Welcome gathering at Blondies, 212 W 79th St (bet. Bway & Amsterdam), 1/9 to 79th or B/C to 81st. We’ll have the back room of this sports bar known for its chicken wings (menu) from 6:30 on (until at least 11:00) to eat and hang out.
Saturday, January 17 (day): Three options:
*Queens Tour:*Lunch at Greek Taverna in Astoria & Museum of Modern Art in Queens. Meet at information desk (under clock) at Grand Central Station at 11:30 AM, to take the 7 local to Queens. Lunch at at Uncle George’s Greek Tavern, 33-19 Broadway (corner of 34th Street) in Astoria, Queens (menu in link). After lunch (approx. 1:30/2 PM), visit to MOMA, admission: $12 for adults, $8.50 for students and seniors (must have ID). Quoth delphica: “We will view works by Max Ernst, Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Paul Cezanne, Piet Mondrian, and Jasper Johns, among others. I will even dust off my art history degree and come up with some mildly interesting things to say about what we are seeing. Approx. 4, or whenever we are done, we will return to Manhattan (the island, not the former mod), in time for people to stop back at their hotels/apartments to prepare for dinner.” Possible side trip to American Museum of the Moving Image. Plans may vary due to weather, so please contact delphica for her cell phone number, and see her post on page 3 of this thread for further details.
Brooklyn Tour: The zoltarb/OxyMoron Saturday-in-Brooklyn Tour Starts with lunch at Brooklyn landmark Juniors, 386 Flatbush Ave. Ext at DeKalb Ave. (M/N/R/Q to DeKalb Ave.) at Noon. As Citysearch says: “It’s all about the cheesecake.” (Cost, up to about $20). After lunch, a short walk to the newly reopened New York City Transit Museum at Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street (2/3/4 to Borough Hall), admissions: $5.00, no student discounts. The group should get there by about 1:45 in case people just want to meet at the museum. After the museum, there’ll be a history discussion by stuyguy and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan (dress warm). Details are on page 4 of this thread.
Comics/Gaming Tour: The group will meet at the Red Roof Inn Manhattan, 6 West 32nd Street, bet Broadway & Fifth, (B/D/N/R/Q/W to 34th St/Herald Square or 1/2/3/A/C/E to Penn Station) at 11:00, have a quick, basic lunch (probably pizza) and then move out. TruePisces’ plan: “hit Jim Hanley’s, then the Compleat Strategist, then Neutral Ground. If we have time, we’ll head down to Forbidden Planet and the Strand Book Store”, and perhaps some more Anime stores on Elizabeth St. Cost: $5-10 for lunch and as much or as little as you care to spend for shopping. Since TruePisces will be coming in Saturday morning, she asks that you contact her before the Dopefest to make sure she knows who’ll be coming. She has further details on Page 3 of this thread.
Saturday, January 17 (evening): The MegaDopefest Dinner at America restaurant, 9 East 18th Street bet. Fifth & Broadway, (4/5/6/N/R/Q/W/L to 14th St.-Union Square). Please arrive for dinner between 6 and 6:30. (menus with prices). Dinner will be followed by post-Dopefest drinks at No Idea, 30 East 20th Street (bet. Bway & Park), where we have the back room reserved. One trademark of No Idea is their Name Night, where any person who has the nightly name drinks on the house until 11:00, so if anyone’s real name is Carl, on Saturday he’s drinking for free.
Sunday, January 18 (day):
Ellis Island Tour: A visit the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where you can learn about America’s history as an immigrant nation and the experiences of some of your ancestors. We’ll meet at 11:30 at the Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park (4/5 to Bowling Green, 1 to South Ferry, or N/R to Whitehall Street) and pick up ferry tickets ($10). We’ll board the ferry (with enclosed cabin) for the short ride to Liberty Island (we’ll skip the Statue of Liberty, which is closed to visitors for security reasons) and to Ellis Island, where we’ll go through the museum. We’ll probably pick up a bite at the snack bar. Afterwards, depending on time and interest we can see some other sites in downtown Manhattan. I think that Ellis Island is one of the most interesting museums/sites in the City because it vividly shows the conditions experienced by some of the waves of immigrants that have populated (and continue to populate) this country. (Billdo)
Central Park Tour: A Sunday ramble through Central Park, starting at about 11:30 at a location to be announced. lisabethnyc is putting together a low-key trip to some of the highlights of the park. Several meeting points: Zabar’s, 80th and Broadway (1 to 79th St.), at 11:30. Willowdell Arch, near the Balto statue around east 67th Street (6 to 68th St/Hunter College) at 1:30. In front of the Arsenal at 64th Street (6 to 68th St/Hunter College), or other location to be determined at 2:30. Also included is a history discussion with stuyguy. See page 4 of this thread for details.
Sunday, January 18 (evening): We’ll be having three choices, and for each, please meet at the restaurant at 6:30.
Chinese in Chinatown: Hop Kee Restaurant, 21 Mott Street (downstairs), corner of Mosco St. (J/M/N/R/Q/W/6 to Canal St., east to Mott St., 3 blocks south of Canal St.). This choice will probably be the least expensive of the three. Possible dessert at an Italian pastry shop in Little Italy. If you’re interested in this selection, please mention it to manhattan during the weekend.
Indian on 6th Street: Haveli, 100 Second Avenue, bet. 5th & 6th (6 to Astor Place, N/R/W to 8th Street). This is the only handicapped-accessible choice, and the closest to Ace Bar, where we’ll be going afterward. The link has a few menu selections listed, but we’ll probably be ordering a selection of appetizers and dishes and sharing them family style. If you’re interested in this selection, please mention it to Billdo during the weekend.
Brazilian in the West Village: Delicia, 322 West 11th Street, bet. Greenwich St & Washington (A/C/E, 1/2/3 to 14th Street). Fabulous Brazilian hole-in-the-wall restaurant. If you’re interested in this selection, please mention it to OxyMoron during the weekend.
After dinner, we’ll all meet up at Alphabet City hangout/dive bar Ace Bar, 531 East 5th Street between Avenues A & B (just about an equally inconvenient walk to F at Second Ave, L at First Ave, 6 at Astor Place and N/R/W at 8th St). The bar has pool, darts and a wall full of vintage metal lunch boxes dating back to the 1950’s.
Monday, January 19 (day): Billdo’s Bagel Brunch. Bagels and Lox on the Upper West Side. 11:00 to 2:00 I’ll have details to distribute at the other events.
As always, we’d be pleased to have you come to as many or as few of the events as you wish. Although the main Dopefest dinner is our centerpiece, many people particularly enjoy the smaller smaller group events. If you want to break off individually and see other New York sights, we’d be happy to give advice as well. (There may be late night groups heading out from the evening activities as well).
You can’t get around the fact that New York is an expensive place to visit. We try to keep most of our events on the reasonable side (many are downright cheap by New York standards), and we will link to menus, price lists and the like when we can. However, please plan and budget for the trip appropriately. (You may also want to see the discussion on page 2 of this thread).
For those planning their travel, we recommend that people fly into LaGuardia, Newark or J.F.K. airports. There is good public transportation from each into the City, and if there is a significant price difference in flights, you should probably pick the cheapest (and if they’re about the same, pick LaGuardia). Other airports in the region (e.g. Islip) are difficult and expensive to get to and from, and not recommended. Reasonably priced hotels that people have stayed at include: Hotel Olcott, Hotel Wolcott (not to be confused with the Olcott) and the Red Roof Inn Manhattan, and the Hotel Pennsylvania (yes, its phone number is Pennsylvania 6-5000). Free on street parking is available in parts of the City (including the Upper West Side where the Olcott is located), but it can take a long while to find a space, and you have to be very careful in reading the often confusing street signs to avoid a ticket. For those of you driving in, the City has online maps of off-street parking facilities.
Most events are at wheelchair-accessible locations. Please post or e-mail if you have special needs so we can fully accommodate you.
The latest list of the expected Dopers:
Getting wrapped up for the cold: Acrylic Vessel (F-Su), Anita Vacation (F-M), av8rmike (F-Su), Banger (F-M), Barbarian + Mrs. B (F-M), Biggirl (S+), Billdo (F-M), Canby (F-M), Cosmopolitan (S-M), CuriousCanuck + gf (F-Su), DaisyFace + Mr. Face (S), DAVEW0071 + Mrs. Dave-Guy (F-S), delphica (F-S), E-Sabbath(S), Eonwe (F-S), Edward the Head (S), Eutychus (F-M), FriendBill (S), Geobabe (F-Su), GingerOfTheNorth (F-M), Gorgon Heap (F-Su), GrandfatherTrout (Su+), Hamadryad (F-M), Happy Scrappy Hero Pup (F+), Helen Wheels (S), Houseman (S+), Jack Batty (F-Su), Jane D’oh (F-M), JohnBckWLD (F-S), Juniper200 (S), LaurAnge (F-Su), lisabethnyc (F-Su), lurkernomore(F), Maeglin (S), manhattan (F-M), MannyL (Su+), matt_mcl(F-Su), Mehitabel (F-M), Morgyn (S), Moe(F+), nyctea scandiaca (F-M), OpalCat (F-M), OxyMoron + bf (F-M), paperbackwriter (S), Persephone (F-M), pseudotriton ruber ruber (S+), RTFirefly (F-M), scott evil (F-Su), Sakura (S), saramamlana(F+), stuyguy (S-Su), SuaSponte (F-Su), Sue Duhnym (F+), sunfish(F-Su), SmackFu (S), TruePisces (S), UncleBill (F-Su), Verrain (S), vix (F-Su), Wonko the Sane (S), Winterwren (F+), Weirddave (F-M), Zoltarb (S+)
Shivering with indecision: Annie-Xmas, cherry, jinwicked, imthjckaz, KidCharlemagne, mala, Miss Creant, Mr. Cynical, paperbackwriter, primesite, pravnik Skerri (& boyfriend), Spit, starkyld, tkeana, whatmove.
Staying warm all alone:: Airman Doors, USAF, andygirl, bouv, bristlesage, Casey105, Colibri, CrankyAsAnOldMan, DynoSaur, Eve, jeremy evil, kyla, LolaCocaCola, MsRobyn, Olentzero, porcupine, Ringo, rocking chair, UncleBeer, Tripler, Wicked Blue, Zappo
Crapola. If you’re reading this Sunday morning, you’ll know that I didn’t make it to the Saturday night events: I was incredibly over-ambitious, thinking I could get a flight out of Ft. Lauderdale at 2:00 PM & arrive at J.F.K., go home, change, & arrive at No Idea even semi-conscious. It didn’t help things that I had a minor accident on the plane right before we took off.
(Sidetrack: What happened was, this guy was trying to stow something in the overhead compartment, but someone had already stowed her grandma’s cane there - one of those metal ones. Well, the cane fell out of the overhead & smacked me square across the bridge of my nose. I’m allright, but for a slight headache.).
So yeah. I’m terribly disappointed that I won’t be coming tonight, especially as I won’t get to see DAVEW0071 or Eonwe, but like I said, it was unrealistic of me to think that I could get there.
And it’s my friggin’ birthday, too!
See y’all at Indian food & the bar tomorrow night.
I mentioned to someone (mehitabel) that we’ll be at the Chinese Restaurant at 7:30. That is in error. I’ve been told that our dinner time is at 6:30. I’ll work out that little snag with the restaurant tomorrow; for now I just wanna make sure no one shows up an hour late and misses us!
HOWEVER, the Brazilian option has been postponed to 7:30 p.m. It’s at: Delicia Restaurant, 322 W 11TH St; (212) 242-2002. Directions: closest subway is at 8th Avenue and 14th Street, on the A/C/E line. Exit the station at 14th and 8th. Walk south on Eighth, past a parking lot at 13th St. and a little park. Keep going about 5-6 short blocks. You’ll come to a sort of V-shaped intersection where 8th merges into Hudson, which bends slightly to the left. Keep walking on Hudson. One more block is W. 11th Street. Turn right onto W. 11th. Walk one block, crossing Greewich Street(*). Delicia is on the left side of W. 11, downstairs.
Oh, yeah. And we’ve added a sushi brunch. Monstor Sushi on 23rd between 6th and 7th at 1:00. So please feel free to join us if you’re around.
Since it’s not a Central Park-ish sort of day, I’m thinking a day of cards and football-watching might be fun. We can do that at a sports bar, or we can just hole up in my fairly spacious hotel room. (Note to Opal: football doesn’t start until 3 or so.) I’ve got a deck of Fluxx cards, and two (really) TVs. If we do this in my room, we can order out for pizza in the early P.M.
Anyone interested? Call me on my cell at three oh one - six four one - twenty-six thirty-five. I’m going out in search of brunch (anything that doesn’t start until 1pm isn’t ‘brunch’, you NYC weirdos!) but can obviously be reached on the aforementioned cell.
Not sure if anybody here is reading this or not, but, just in case… I’m sure it comes as no surprise that the Central Park tour is canceled due to inclement weather.
Maybe next time. 
I’ve already eaten, but I’m gonna join the sushi group just for the company. I’ll be back in the room ~3pm for the football-watching and card-playing, some combination of which will continue until it’s time to head down to the Brazilian restaurant.
Wimps.
I’ll see you tomorrow as I bike through the park en route to Billdo’s Bagel Brunch.
Well hell. I’ve been waiting all weekend for a fellow consultant to call regarding a report due to the client tomorrow, and he leaves me a message at 5 pm asking if we can talk this evening. :mad: I won’t make it to Indian after all.
Boy it doesn’t seem to be my lucky weekend for socializing, but I did have a good time Friday until the invisible hammer started pounding inside my skull… guess I will have to wait for the next time again. 
I am in love with the Acrylic(Vessel)-(Gorgon)Heaps and the Big(girl)-House(man)s. That is all.
Grandfather Trout needs to be my new Gay Boyfriend since Mr. Visible isn’t ever around anymore.
We had a fantastic time. Thank you so much to the NY Dopers who put everything together, and a special MWAH! to Oxy and OxyBF.
I’d be delighted, so long as you don’t mind sharing me with, you know, my own Gay Boyfriend from time to time. He’s very nice and I would miss him.
Hey! I thought you were MY Gay Boyfriend.
Hmmph. I go away for awhile and am easily forgotten. 
That would be fine. I don’t mind if you have a Gay Boyfriend too, since I intend to keep my husband and all. He’s a really good cook.
No, he’s MY Gay Boyfriend!
As promised, the squirrel story hyperlink.
http://cuagain.manilasites.com/discuss/msgReader$287
Wasn’t there some kind of thing you were supposed to drag me to, TruePisces?
Yeah, but I deleted your last e-mail, somehow neglecting to save your address from it before hand. So, I need you to e-mail me so I can drag you there.
Yes, I AM a total and complete :wally .
I think he’s got some explaining to do. 