I’ll be at Blondie’s Friday night, and America & No Idea Saturday night.
Fluxxx is good, OpalCat… but Phil Foglio’s got a new game out. Strange Synergy. No idea how it plays. Or there’s Munchkin or Dork Tower…
NEW YORK CITY MEGADOPEFEST WEEKEND IV – JANUARY 16-19, 2004
Here’s a combined update for page 3 of the thread:
Please post to discuss when you’ll be here and 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.
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 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.
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. We’ll be posting parking garage maps soon,
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 who’s in and who’s out:
Making tracks to NYC: Acrylic Vessel (F-Su), Anita Vacation (F-M), av8rmike (F-Su), Banger (F-M), Biggirl (S+), Billdo (F-M), Canby (F-M), Cosmopolitan (S-M), CuriousCanuck + gf (F-Su), DAVEW0071 + Mrs. Dave-Guy (F-S), delphica (F-S), E-Sabbath(S), Eonwe (F-M), Eutychus (F-M), FriendBill (S), Geobabe (F-Su), GingerOfTheNorth (F-M), Gorgon Heap (F-Su), Helen Wheels (S), Happy Scrappy Hero Pup (F+), Houseman (S+), Jack Batty (F-Su), Jane D’oh (F-M), JohnBckWLD (F-S), Juniper200 (S), LaurAnge (F-Su), lisabethnyc (F-Su), LolaCocaCola(F?), Maeglin (S), manhattan (F-M), nyctea scandiaca (F-M), OpalCat (F-M), OxyMoron + bf (F-M), Persephone (F-M), RTFirefly (F-M), scott evil (F-Su), Sakura (S), stuyguy (?), SuaSponte (F-Su), sunfish(F-Su), SmackFu (S), TruePisces (F-M), UncleBill (F-Su), Verrain (F-M), vix (F-Su), Weirddave (F-M), Zappo (F-S), Zoltarb (S+)
Tracking in circles: Annie-Xmas, Barbarian, bristlesage, cherry, CrankyAsAnOldMan, DaisyFace, DynoSaur, Hamadryad, jinwicked, imthjckaz, KidCharlemagne, mala, Olentzero, MannyL, matt_mcl, Mehitabel, Miss Creant, Moe, Mr. Cynical, paperbackwriter, primesite, pravnik pseudotriton ruber ruber, Ringo, saramamlana, Skerri (& boyfriend), Spit, starkyld, tkeana, whatmove, Winterwren,
Trackless:: Airman Doors, USAF, andygirl, bouv, Casey105, Colibri, Eve, jeremy evil, kyla, lurkernomore, MsRobyn, porcupine, rocking chair, UncleBeer, Tripler, Wicked Blue
I will make it to Blondie’s on Friday, then No Idea on Saturday night. I can’t guarantee anything for Saturday day, because my godchild is having her first birthday party then. We’ll see how the rest of the weekend goes.
(I’ll be the big bald black woman. There shouldn’t be too many of them wandering around the group.)
Oh, yeah. I remember you. Didn’t you meet our merry band at Rose’s Turn last year at some point? Can’t wait to see how you’re doing.
OK, here goes - My hotel info has changed. I’ll be at the Embassy Suites in lower Manhattan.
I will be at Blondies Friday, the Queens tour Saturday afternoon. Of course the big festivities Saturday night. Probably the Ellis Island tour Sunday, but I may change that to the Central Park tour. I just have to see what happens with that. Indian food for sure Sunday night.
And I will not miss the Billdo Bagel Brunch Monday. My flight out is at 2:00 pm, so it will most likely be a quick bagel bite, but it will be worth it!!
Then, back to Chicago and reality.
Ok… here it goes.
Friday Blondies.
Saturday Museum of Modern Art, America, and No Idea.
Sunday Central Park. (Ice Skating), then Chinese food.
This list probably won’t speak for Gorgon Heap, since he’ll want to do other things.
I can’t wait to see everyone again. This is gonna be so much fun.
Ohh yeah,Biggirl you owe me some beers!!
Sorry, folks… the paycheck is in and it’s not gonna be enough. I have to bow out as gracefully as I can. Y’all have a great time tho!
For the choices, I’m gonna say Brooklyn, Ellis Island, and Belgian for the time being; beyond that, I’ll pretty much do everything else that’s happening while I’m in town.
And I’d like to say that I’m … let’s say 85% certain that I’m coming; Maeg has extremely kindly offered accomodations. I’m still trying to nail down a ride, but if worse comes to worst I’ll take the bus.
Gaahh, finally checking in on this. Okay, so…I think if I come to anything at all, it’ll be to Blondie’s on Friday night. I’m going to see if Moe can come too so that way I’m not travelling alone. Sunday the 18th is my birthday and I’ve made related plans for the rest of the weekend, so if anything, I’ll just be coming Friday.
I will check in again, tho.
Olentzero: uh uh, sorry, you can’t back out. >:(
I’m gonna be in on the Indian food thing on ethnic night!
Anyone want to host a game gathering? (card games?) I doubt the hotel room Anita and I are getting will be big enough to really entertain…
Sorry you can’t make it, but I think you made the right choice. These things are fun, but not worth putting yourself in major financial straits over (or sleeping on the cold hard streets of the city!).
As for the future – worry not! We actually get a kick out of organizing these things, and when you’ve got the fundage to make it it will be bigger and better than ever!
Arghhhh! Recent life and health developments make it clear that it will be imprudent for me to attend this year. And I’ve really had fun at the ones I’ve been to before.
Sorry folks, but if I keep it together this year, I can look forward to joining you next year. Party on!
As long as you don’t drink or bet, that’s what Neutral Ground’s for.
On the other hand, you drink or bet, better find someone else’s hotel room.
I know, I know… it’s killin’ me to send my regrets but it just ain’t gonna happen.
walks off muttering nasty things about ex-wives’ spending habits and high-interest loans
I am working on Saturday afternnon. I will be at the dinner Saturday night. And if I can get a place to stay on Sunday night I will be going to Billdo’s Brunch. I will also be attending the Ellis Island trip as well.
Oh, no betting. Dunno if people would be wanting to drink… I’m pretty ambivalent myself. The kinds of games we’d be playing aren’t betting kinds of games. Things like Egyptian Rat Screw, Fluxx, and (I hope!!) 1000 Blank White Cards…
What is 1000 blank white cards?
It’s a lot of fun.