NYC MegaDopefest Weekend -- Jan 16-19 -- Post if and when you'll be here.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
81

As I mentioned in the OP:

In New York, I believe the sales tax rate is 8.625%. AS RT mentioned, this means that you should reasonably expect to pay up to 30% above the menu cost of your food and drinks. At America, there will be an 18% gratuity on the bill (their standard for large parties), but we like to give the wait staff something extra.

Remember also that alcohol is more expensive than typical in many places. In most mid-priced bars and restaurants, a bottle or pint of domestic beer is around $5, and mixed drinks more than that, particularly if you call your booze. And you should leave your bartender at least a buck for a beer. For Blondies, the restaurant has agreed to waive their usual charge for a bartender for our back room if we take care of him or her. Otherwise, it’ll be a $50 charge.

If a $35 per night hotel is possibly going to break you, I’d seriously consider whether you have the resources to make this thing work and be fun. Hamadryad explained one way that it could be done cheaply, but that takes both experience with what’ll be going on in the City and a heck of a lot of self control. Although the New York crowd is often willing to lend a hand to someone, we really dislike freeloaders. At the first New York dopefest I went to (before we started having the January Megas), we had the busfare home for someone whose spending got out of control. We did it grudgingly then, but everyone involved agreed that we’d do our darndest to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

We’ll try to get as much good pricing information out there on the thread as possible, but remember, New York virtually always costs more than you expect.

82

Well, there goes my plan to freeload my way through the weekend :frowning:

83

You know what, kiddies? Count me in. I was supposed to be out of town that weekend celebrating the return of the girlfriend to our area, but, as you can tell by my Pit thread, “In which I apologize to my now-ex’s parents (SHAMELESS PLUG),” that is not happening. So you can count me in for Blondie’s at the very least. Anything after that is up to the happy scrappy gods of karma.

What time do I show? And do we wear nametags or somesuch? I really don’t know any of you. Yet.

84

F-S. Fly out to Phoenix Sunday w/Irish Flu.

85

I think I remember that night. I don’t recall any moochers, but I kinda left early.

[Thinking, recollecting, getting paranoid] Dear God, I hope it wasn’t me. (My only alibi would be the barmaid in red was forcing shots of bourbon on me before anyone else showed up)[/Thinking, recollecting, getting paranoid]

86

Well, I am their kind of people, so maybe they should watch their backsides - er, backs. :wink:

No, no, I kid. I’m engaged. But I do perform kilt checks.

But unfortunately, Oxy, I’m bowing out of Saturday afternoon at the transit museum. (In case you’re making reservations for lunch or anything.) I’m going to go see a yet-to-be-decided show with my brilliant collaborator CuriousCanuck and a couple of others.

Anyone seen “Taboo”?

87

Count FriendBill and HelenWheels in for the dinner on Saturday night at America. We are planning on coming down to the City for most of the day, and may join in the Juniors/Transit Museum/Brooklyn Bridge thing, or may see what’s on offer at the half-price ticket booth or something else of that sort.

Do the smaller things need a definite count ahead of time, or are they just show up and join in?

88

Count FriendBill and HelenWheels in for the dinner on Saturday night at America. We are planning on coming down to the City for most of the day, and may join in the Juniors/Transit Museum/Brooklyn Bridge thing, or may see what’s on offer at the half-price ticket booth or something else of that sort.

Do the smaller things need a definite count ahead of time, or are they just show up and join in?

89

OK Gang, we now have most of the scheduling together.

Please post to discuss what you’re interested in, so we can have an idea of who’s coming and how we can adjust things to make it best for the group. We’re not expecting hard sign-ups here, just a general idea of levels of interest.

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 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 a restaurant to be determined. 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.”

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 walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan (dress warm). The crossing is free, and some of our knowledgeable New Yorkers will talk about the history and legend of this great engineering feat.

Comics/Gaming Tour: The group will meet at TruePisces’ hotel, 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. Her 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. E-Sabbath knows of some Anime stores on Elizabeth St. that we might get to, but I’m considering it doubtful because of time constraints. I still have to get into my DopeDinner clothes before we go to America. So that’s the general plan. If you want to include that people can e-mail me for my cellphone number, feel free. I’d said it in my post, but I’ve no idea if anyone even read it. :)” Cost: $5-10 for lunch and as much or as little as you care to spend for shopping.

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.

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 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. She’s looking for people to post about what there interested in seeing, possibly including the Zoo, Carousel, Skating at Wollman Rink. She’s also trying to arrange some historical discussions about the park.

Sunday, January 18 (evening): Ethnic food night – dinner at some interesting ethnic restaurants of New York. 6:30 p.m. Chinese in Chinatown (possibly with dessert in Little Italy), Indian on 6th Street, Brazilian in the West Village & Belgian in Chelsea. We’ll all meet up after dinner at an East Village bar. Details to follow.

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.

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And to answer a couple of question:

Happy Scrappy, we usually have nametags at the Friday and Saturday big group events, and not at the smaller ones. And as to the inevitable next question, sometimes we’ll call each other by screen names, sometimes by real life names, most people are cool with either (and trying to remember both – or even one for more than 50 people – can be a challenge).

JohnBckWLD, don’t worry. 'Tweren’t you (though the barmaid in red was distracting enough).

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Friday: Blondies.
Saturday day: Transit Museum, but I think I may skip Juniors to get a head start on Ethnic Night. Anyone wanna join me?
Saturday night: America and No Idea.
Sunday day: interested in Central Park tour, depending on how my bum ankle’s holding up. Or I may seek out a sports bar and watch the AFC championship. If I do the latter, I’d welcome companionship.
Sunday night: Indian or Brazilian.
Monday: Bagel brunch.

92

it looks like i’m out. winken the wonderful’s kidney stone is on the move (apparently causing her to pee on my bed) and her blood pressure is up. i think she gets wind of my intentions to leave home and enjoys throwing wrenches in them.
her vet visit today ate my hotel fund.

unless i win the lottery tomorrow…

93

I think I’m thinkin’ a lot like RT thinks. Except for Sunday dinner: definitely Brazilian (I’m on the “all meat, all the time” diet).

Boy, do I feel like a copy-cat. :smiley:

94

Dave and I are in for Blondie’s, America, and No Idea. Saturday is up in the air for us so far. I hate that we’re missing the Bagel Brunch, but I’ve had a personal one with Billdo, so I’ll survive. Plus, I know where to get the bagels anyhoo.

95

We’ll be at Blondie’s, assuming you guys are there at 11ish. For Saturday, we will most likely do Brooklyn, though we’re still a bit up in the air. Saturday night dinner and drinks, we’re in for sure. Aaaaand, I think that’s all we can make.

96

So, what are we doing late night? It’s New York City, and bars and clubs are open until 4 a.m., yes? After the dinners, who’s up for exploring the night life? Who knows some cool places to go??

97

We have to play that 1000 Blank White Cards game at some point. I demand it!!!

We should have a card game gathering. Fluxx is always fun at these things, as is Egyptian Rat Screw…

98

MegaFests are moveable feasts.

There have been times that the herd has been sherparded when the need arose. But let me tell ya, where we be at is where the party be at.
For me it’ll be Blonde’s, Brooklyn, No Idea America, sleeping, Indian and sleeping. Nobody kill me if I change my mind on any of these.

99

I might be able to stop in for the Saturday evening meal/drinks, but I’ll probably be helping some relatives move into their new house in Jersey Sat. and Sun. during the day.

100

Upon careful consideration, a look at my funds and current budget (or in this case, lack thereof) I have decided not to go. It’s sad, I know, but I realize now that I really can’t afford it. Even if I manage to get a floor in someone’s apartment, even food alone will cost me too much money, not to mention any possible drinks I might want, cab and subway fares, etc, etc…

There is one possibility, and that is managing to get some money before the event, unlikely, seeing as it is two weeks away. So I guess just look for me next year…you know, I think I’m forever doomed never to go to the NYC mega-dopefest. Three years of unfortunate circumstances is more than just a coincidence…