2014 NYC National Road Meet (June 28-29, 2014)

[hbelkins]

Hopefully you'll keep us posted as you get farther along in the planning process.

I would be interested to know things such as where the daily meeting point would be, how accessible it would be from various lodging options, if said lodging options are automobile-friendly (because I would be driving up from Kentucky should I attend), and the like.

[PHLBOS]

if said lodging options are automobile-friendly

Automobile-friendly and NYC is a contradiction in terms. 

To be fair, while there are likely some lodging establishments in Manhattan that provide parking for their partons (at addtional cost); IMHO, one might be better off lodging outside of Manhattan.  The rates for such (again, outside of Manhattan) are probably cheaper as well.

[Dr Frankenstein]

The rates for such (again, outside of Manhattan) are probably cheaper as well.

FTFY.

[corco]

Yeah I'm planning on either staying at least as far north as White Plains or in New Jersey and taking train/bus down- only driving into Manhattan if absolutely necessary.

Tentatively looking at hotels in Manhattan...it looks like $300 a night minimum. You've got to get 20-25 miles out of town before reasonable rate ($80-$110) hotels that aren't terrible start to pop up.

[PHLBOS]

The rates for such (again, outside of Manhattan) are probably cheaper as well.

FTFY.

Unless someone snags a good (but non-refundable) deal on Priceline, Hotwire, etc.

Yeah I'm planning on either staying at least as far north as White Plains or in New Jersey and taking train/bus down- only driving into Manhattan if absolutely necessary.

Tentatively looking at hotels in Manhattan...it looks like $300 a night minimum. You've got to get 20-25 miles out of town before reasonable rate ($80-$110) hotels that aren't terrible start to pop up.

As stated before (in the Tolls at road meets thread); this is the kind of meet that would make car-pooling essentially mandatory.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Yeah I'm planning on either staying at least as far north as White Plains or in New Jersey and taking train/bus down- only driving into Manhattan if absolutely necessary.

Tentatively looking at hotels in Manhattan...it looks like $300 a night minimum. You've got to get 20-25 miles out of town before reasonable rate ($80-$110) hotels that aren't terrible start to pop up.

My most probable scenario so far is taking the Amtrak down from Montreal and either get off before NYC and stay there (and get to the meet via Metro-North) or transfer via Penn Station to NJ Transit.

Question is, who will be willing to bring their car to the meet? ;D

[PHLBOS]

Question is, who will be willing to bring their car to the meet?

I think the date/weekend of the meet would need to be settled first prior to anyone answering/commiting to such.  Additionally, some may be only able to attend the meet for one day rather than the entire weekend.  Previous meets I attended were only day-meets.

That said, if the date's chosen is one I can make/attend; I am willing to bring my car (my Crown Vic. can hold up to 6 people) to the actual meet location.  I would just ask that somebody either from or more familiar with the area ride along as the co-pilot.   While I've driven through NYC a few times; it's no where near as frequent as I've driven through Philly or Boston.

I did similar at an Airliners.net NYC meet I went on several years ago and it worked out rather well.

[PHLBOS]

FYI, current toll rate info.; this may influence how the itinerary is planned.

MTA car toll rate info:

http://web.mta.info/bandt/traffic/btmain.html#cars

PANYNJ tolls rates for cars:

http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/tolls.html

[yanksfan6129]

Yeah I'm planning on either staying at least as far north as White Plains or in New Jersey and taking train/bus down- only driving into Manhattan if absolutely necessary.

Tentatively looking at hotels in Manhattan...it looks like $300 a night minimum. You've got to get 20-25 miles out of town before reasonable rate ($80-$110) hotels that aren't terrible start to pop up.

My most probable scenario so far is taking the Amtrak down from Montreal and either get off before NYC and stay there (and get to the meet via Metro-North) or transfer via Penn Station to NJ Transit.

Question is, who will be willing to bring their car to the meet? ;D

Me. I drive into New York all the time. Especially given that this is a summer weekend, it won't be bad at all.

[vdeane]

Knowing the tour in advance would be good for this meet.  My plan is to somehow clinch the remaining interstates I don't have in NY (everything south of I-287 except I-95) as well as the eastern spur of the NJ Turnpike.  I hope that the I-78 circle is included because I don't think I could handle driving in Manhattan beyond the few freeways it has.  I may also head out to the lighthouse at the eastern end of LI if I have time.

Given how expensive this "mini" vacation will be (I'm looking at 2-3 days in addition to the meet) I'll have to be judicious in what other roadmeets I attend next year.

[Dr Frankenstein]

I'm also planning on doing some clinching. Get US 1, US 9 and NY 22 out of the way in the area, as well as (maybe) some Long Island stuff and (if I feel like it) some East River bridges.

[Janko Dialnice]

If this works out, I can actually combine business and pleasure, by spending Friday or Monday in our Manhattan office. This will prevent me from losing one day of work, and I can catch up with my two good friends who work there.

[dgolub]

Knowing the tour in advance would be good for this meet.  My plan is to somehow clinch the remaining interstates I don't have in NY (everything south of I-287 except I-95) as well as the eastern spur of the NJ Turnpike.  I hope that the I-78 circle is included because I don't think I could handle driving in Manhattan beyond the few freeways it has.  I may also head out to the lighthouse at the eastern end of LI if I have time.

Given how expensive this "mini" vacation will be (I'm looking at 2-3 days in addition to the meet) I'll have to be judicious in what other roadmeets I attend next year.

Yeah, if we could squeeze I-895 into the route somehow, that would be great.  It's the only interstate in New York south of I-84 that I haven't taken any pictures of yet (or been on, for that matter).

[Duke87]

Question is, who will be willing to bring their car to the meet? ;D

I can, and I'm going to venture that most people will want to. Commuter trains are really only good for getting to Manhattan, and if you start the tour there anyone who brings their car will have to pay through the nose to park it in a garage. It probably makes more sense to start at an outer borough restaurant that has some of their own parking and where anyone who's not driving on the tour can find free on-street parking nearby. Also no needless negotiation of Manhattan traffic that way.

I also should be able to give a couple of people a ride to and from the restaurant if they are staying somewhere in the city.

I hope that the I-78 circle is included because I don't think I could handle driving in Manhattan beyond the few freeways it has.

If it isn't, I will gladly give you a ride through the Holland Tunnel afterwards... for $10.25.

[Alps]

Everyone's going to want route X and Y to be on the meet. It's a two day meet, with the expectation that you can stay in the area an extra couple of days. So if it's not on the meet... get it yerself

[SSOWorld]

Everyone's going to want route X and Y to be on the meet. It's a two day meet, with the expectation that you can stay in the area an extra couple of days. So if it's not on the meet... get it yerself

* SSOWorld likes this response.

It took me a month to get all the Interstates in Los Angeles and two 3-day trips to get the Interstates in San Francisco.  Why?  Other things to do (LA - first priority is job, SF - Well I can't neglect the host - who isn't a roadfan)

[vdeane]

Everyone's going to want route X and Y to be on the meet. It's a two day meet, with the expectation that you can stay in the area an extra couple of days. So if it's not on the meet... get it yerself

That's the plan, I'm just really hoping I can minimize/avoid driving on Manhattan streets, since breaking traffic laws and aggressively asserting right of way are both mandatory for driving there, and I do neither.

[SSOWorld]

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I am planning on going.  It is my intent to take the week of the 4th off, however it is likely that I will fly in and only rent a car on days that I roadgeek - using trains to get around otherwise.

[hbelkins]

This signature may or may not contain chemicals known to the State of Alanland to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Fixed your sig line for you.

[A.J. Bertin]

I would really like to try and attend this meet. It's too soon for me to know exactly what's going on next summer, but I have a feeling the last weekend of June might not work for me. As far as I know, all other weekends mentioned may work okay with my schedule. If it's scheduled for one of the earlier weekends, I'd say I have somewhere between a 50 and 70 percent chance of being able to go. I really want to and hope it works out for me.

[dgolub]

Everyone's going to want route X and Y to be on the meet. It's a two day meet, with the expectation that you can stay in the area an extra couple of days. So if it's not on the meet... get it yerself

That's the plan, I'm just really hoping I can minimize/avoid driving on Manhattan streets, since breaking traffic laws and aggressively asserting right of way are both mandatory for driving there, and I do neither.

There's nowhere that you have to travel on Manhattan streets, other than places inside Manhattan.  There's one scenario where it may save time to do so, which is going between Long Island and New Jersey via the Midtown Tunnel (I-495) and the Lincoln Tunnel (NJ 495).  In this case, it's just a mile or so across 34 Street.

[Dougtone]

I may be pretty open for weekends, especially in the second half of June.  That being said, I would likely only be attending for part of the meet weekend, since I don't live terribly far from NYC, plus I have friends and family on Long Island I ought to visit more often.

[jpi]

At this point I am 50/50 on this. I plan on being in York, PA Memorial Day weekend but just taking 5 days off for that which would require only 1 vacation day so if all goes well I should be able to attend if finances and work is ok and if Steph is able to come too.

[hbelkins]

Finances are making this less and less likely for me. We'll have to wait and see. I was looking forward to this, and it would be a shame if I can't come.

[vdeane]

Everyone's going to want route X and Y to be on the meet. It's a two day meet, with the expectation that you can stay in the area an extra couple of days. So if it's not on the meet... get it yerself

That's the plan, I'm just really hoping I can minimize/avoid driving on Manhattan streets, since breaking traffic laws and aggressively asserting right of way are both mandatory for driving there, and I do neither.

There's nowhere that you have to travel on Manhattan streets, other than places inside Manhattan.  There's one scenario where it may save time to do so, which is going between Long Island and New Jersey via the Midtown Tunnel (I-495) and the Lincoln Tunnel (NJ 495).  In this case, it's just a mile or so across 34 Street.

What about clinching I-78?  Last I checked, it dumps out onto Canal St.

Finances are making this less and less likely for me. We'll have to wait and see. I was looking forward to this, and it would be a shame if I can't come.

Same here.