AARoads Forum

I'm planning a road meet on Long Island later this year.  It will be a two-day, jointly hosted meet.  I'll be hosting the first day (my first time hosting), which will probably be based out of Greenvale and will focus on Nassau County will a brief crossing into Queens to see the I-295/GCP stack interchange and the Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295).  Doug Kerr will be hosting the second day, which will be based out of Smithtown and focus on Suffolk County.  There's also been some talk about tacking on a third day to go out to Montauk and/or Orient Point for people who are able to take off from work.  Highlights of the first day will include:

* Sea Cliff switchback
* Roslyn Viaduct reconstruction
* Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295)
* Atlantic Beach Bridge (NY 878)
* Jones Beach
* Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway (NY 135) "highway from nowhere" endings
* Bethpage Parkway super-2
* Pond traffic circle on Post Road (CR 4) in Old Westbury

I'll let Doug fill in what he's thinking of for the second day.

Anyway, I hope you'll all come.  If you're interested, please vote on which days are good for you so that we can schedule it to accommodate the most people.  If there's no consensus, I'd be inclined to do earlier rather than later so that we maximize daylight.

Sounds like a fun weekend, I doubt any of those dates will work for me since both my wife and I plan to be in central PA from September 25 to October 4. Last summer after the NYC meet I was able to make it all the way to Montauk and back but I will vote for the weekend of October 10-11

I don't know of any conflicts for me at this point, so I voted for Columbus Day weekend just because it gives me the extra day off work.  As for my vote on a Monday mini-meet to Montauk point, I was hoping to clinch a bunch of stuff out there, so it might be easier to do it individually.  General plan as of right now:
-Head down Saturday morning via NY 22, the Hutch, Cross Island, and LIE
-After the meet on Saturday, take the LIE to Smithtown
-Sunday morning: possible clinching trip (Northern State Pkwy and the rest of the Belt maybe?)
-Sunday evening: clinch the LIE and head to hotel (where depends on the amount of daylight; the further east, the less driving Monday)
-Monday: Clinch the eastern end of NY 25, NY 114, and the eastern end of NY 27 (possibly more? maybe all of it?), head home

I wouldn't mind stopping at Montauk Point and swinging by the Big Duck if I have time.

I haven't come up with all the details yet, but the Suffolk part of the meet weekend would involve NY 347 construction, walking an abandoned section of NY 111, Robert Moses Causeway, an abandoned stretch (or two) of the Ocean Parkway Extension on Fire Island and more. I'm looking at basing the meet out of Smithtown for people who may choose to take the LIRR to the meet, not necessarily because it's the town where I grew up in.

I'll definitely try to make this one. I'm not sure if we can do both days (Jessica is low on vacation days after having started a new job), but we can make at least one.

Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on June 09, 2015, 10:39:17 AM
I'll definitely try to make this one. I'm not sure if we can do both days (Jessica is low on vacation days after having started a new job), but we can make at least one.

That's part of the beauty of having the multi-day meet. You can attend what days you can make, since some people may only be able to attend the Saturday session or Sunday session. I am going to try to compile some hotel suggestions for that weekend as well, despite not needing a hotel room myself (I'll stay with family).

Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is leading the vote as well, so vacation might not be much of an issue ;)

Quote from: vdeane on June 09, 2015, 08:23:20 PM
Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is leading the vote as well, so vacation might not be much of an issue ;)

It's at 7-1-1-0. Can we just call it now?

Quote from: Dougtone on June 09, 2015, 08:05:42 PM

Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on June 09, 2015, 10:39:17 AM
I'll definitely try to make this one. I'm not sure if we can do both days (Jessica is low on vacation days after having started a new job), but we can make at least one.

That's part of the beauty of having the multi-day meet. You can attend what days you can make, since some people may only be able to attend the Saturday session or Sunday session. I am going to try to compile some hotel suggestions for that weekend as well, despite not needing a hotel room myself (I'll stay with family).

There's a good one in Garden City where my family stayed during home renovations back in 2007, so I'd recommend that so anyone looking to stay in Nassau.  It's close enough to what I'm thinking of for the meet restaurant that you don't have to get on the highway.

Quote from: Alps on June 09, 2015, 08:58:09 PM

Quote from: vdeane on June 09, 2015, 08:23:20 PM
Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is leading the vote as well, so vacation might not be much of an issue ;)

It's at 7-1-1-0. Can we just call it now?

Yeah, it's looking pretty clear that it's going to be that weekend.

I took a quick glance at lodging tonight to see the prices and I noticed that hotels get very scarce the further east you go (at least according to Hotels.com).  Looks like I'll have to add a day to my trip since there's nothing east enough to clinch all the touring routes east of Riverhead, visit Montauk Point, AND go back to Albany in the same day.

Quote from: vdeane on July 07, 2015, 09:39:01 PM
I took a quick glance at lodging tonight to see the prices and I noticed that hotels get very scarce the further east you go (at least according to Hotels.com).  Looks like I'll have to add a day to my trip since there's nothing east enough to clinch all the touring routes east of Riverhead, visit Montauk Point, AND go back to Albany in the same day.

Hotels on Long Island are pretty scarce, period.  Further east, there are some resorts all the way out by Montauk, but they're a fortune and that's about all there is once you get to the more rural part.

Having family and friends on Long Island itself, I haven't paid too much attention to hotel costs because I stay with family or friends. I would suggest looking along the LIE corridor between Hauppauge and Medford for lodging.

SCH-I545

I am super interested in attending this meet, and Columbus Day Weekend works for me.

As much as this being basically right in my backyard makes it tempting to show up... I will be taking the CEM exam on Friday the 16th. So, I really shouldn't be out playing around the weekend right before that.

That said I'm not going to just shut myself inside and do nothing but study all weekend either. So maybe I'll show up for lunch and then bounce, which I was seriously considering doing anyway given the "I've already seen all this stuff" nature of the tour.

QuoteSo maybe I'll show up for lunch and then bounce

Nothing that hasn't been done before.  I've done this twice myself...

Quote from: froggie on July 17, 2015, 06:52:15 AM

QuoteSo maybe I'll show up for lunch and then bounce

Nothing that hasn't been done before.  I've done this twice myself...

I've just had lunch and skipped out early too for a few meets, for various reasons. I see the meets being as much a social function as they are about roads.

Of course, since I would be hosting the Suffolk County portion of the meet, I will be around for the entire meet. I expect to hammer out more meet details within the next couple of weeks. Some things that I plan for the tour may not be on the typical list of LI road things to see.

All right, the Facebook page for day 1, including the meet guide, is up at https://www.facebook.com/events/1664387823795564/.

Even though there was a non-1 or more percent chance of me attending, I am a vital staff member of a conference being held in Washington DC that weekend. Besides, I have seen mostly everything I need on Long Island (except for 4 LIRR stations and NY 105)

Also, being Jewish, I love the choice of restaurant in Greenvale.

Going, but it looks like my trip to Montauk Point is getting cancelled as I cannot find lodging further east than Jerico.  Hotels are quite expensive out there and everything that has decent reviews and a minimum check in age below 25 is well outside my price point (I look for places that are under $90/night).

Day 2 of the meet details can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/873421326081703/ (https://www.facebook.com/events/873421326081703/)

The second day of the 2015 Long Island road meet will involve Suffolk County on a Sunday. The Suffolk part of the meet weekend will involve the NY 347 reconstruction, walking an abandoned section of NY 111, Robert Moses Causeway, an abandoned stretch (or two) of the Ocean Parkway Extension on Fire Island, spying an old NY 495 shield, a Suffolk County maintained freeway and more.

This will follow the 1st day of the Long Island meet, which will be focusing on Nassau County. Details for the 1st day can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/1664387823795564/ (https://www.facebook.com/events/1664387823795564/).

We will start by meeting at the parking lot behind the Smithtown train station which can be reached from Main St. (NY 25/NY 25A) by way of Elliot Place and Fairview Avenue. Since it's a Sunday, I wanted to get the meet tour completed first, then we will have lunch afterwards, in case people need to part ways right after the tour or wanted to explore more on their own. I may arrange to meet up for breakfast prior to the meet as well, in case anyone desires to do so.

Lunch options would include Croxley's Ale House (within walking distance of the train station), Old Street Pub and Grill in Smithtown or John Harvard's Brew House in Lake Grove.

I might be up for breakfast on Day 2. I would also look to carp ool to save some expenses. Anyone else coming in from west of the Hudson?

I'd be up for breakfast... but if we're doing the tour before lunch, wouldn't it technically be dinner?

I looked at it as a late lunch, or perhaps it could be an early dinner. There shouldn't be much competition from Giants or Jets fans either for places to eat or sit, as the Giants play that Sunday night and the Jets have a bye week.

If my parents have any money and vacation days left, maybe stay a couple days in New York. My brother has a friend who lives in Queens, and if we get a chance, I could beg my parents to attend the meet (and maybe RSVP) and stay in my brothers friend's apartment. Hopefully all of the money won't be blown away, but I am really uncertain right now.

Oh yeah, by the way this is my 1st road meet, so I am really unfamiliar with how it goes.

Quote from: noelbotevera on July 28, 2015, 11:29:17 PM
Oh yeah, by the way this is my 1st road meet, so I am really unfamiliar with how it goes.

It's pretty simple :) the host plans everything out and you more or less just follow the itinerary provided.

I wanted to go to this, but unfortunately my midterms are following week, with a huge group project due on Monday the 12th. Needless to say, I will be unable to attend because I'll be at school for most of the weekend.

Meanwhile, because of events that will be taking place during the week prior, I will also be unable to attend.

I've typed up a itinerary for Day 2 of the meet.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v0arku30sgr5jsj/2015LIMeetDay2.doc?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/v0arku30sgr5jsj/2015LIMeetDay2.doc?dl=0)

Here are the best I could do with the group photos on both days of the meet.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2FLong-Island-meet-photo-day1-DSC_0065.jpg&hash=c963088197173809cc122e4246ea6e6b3f228733)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2FLong-Island-meet-photo-day1-DSC_0067.jpg&hash=5fcf4f6854a7f4a16c2adbfde71dae602071bcfd)

^ These two photos were taken at Fort Totten Park, with the Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295) in the background, on day 1. The first photo has the better bridge view and nobody not in our group, but doesn't have me. The second photo has our whole group, but other people in the shot too, one of whom (right behind Valerie) could not be cropped out. From left to right in the second photo: David Golub (NY, day 1 meet organizer), C. Patrick Zilliacus (MD), Valerie Deane (NY), Doug Kerr (NY), William Roll (PA), Anthony Costanzo (NY), Alyssa Torres (NY), Oscar Voss (VA).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2FLong-Island-meet-photo-day2-DSC_0070.jpg&hash=79c2ca85f75038fd6af7957eaf70a115b6610095)

^ This day 2 photo was taken at Smith Point County Park, at the south end of CR 46. The park is near the east end of Fire Island (one of only two road-accessible parts of the island), and where the Ocean Parkway would have ended had the parkway been built all the way across the island from the Robert Moses Causeway. From left to right: Oscar Voss, David Golub, Doug Kerr (day 2 meet organizer), Valerie Deane, William Roll, Dan Murphy (NY), C. Patrick Zilliacus.

Great photos!  I really wanted to attend both days, but I recently started a new job and I have to work most weekends.  I decided that I would have been pushing it asking for time off since I started less than 2 months ago.  So, instead, I opted to bow out.  Oh well, there will be other meets, and I look forward to attending several in 2016.

Nice pics, looks like nice weather for the meet :-)

"_____ (NY?)" is Dan Murphy, aka roadwaywiz on YouTube.

Quote from: vdeane on October 14, 2015, 03:35:50 PM
"_____ (NY?)" is Dan Murphy, aka roadwaywiz on YouTube.

And he is indeed from NY.

Holy hell at my face in the first photo. I had no idea I could look that scary while attempting to look silly. :-D

And Will Roll is indeed from PA.