NJ trip

[kitanzi]

As I've mentioned, I am going to NJ for a two week training course starting 3/14, so 3/18 (evening) to 3/20 I'm hoping to be able to go to NJ and see people. ACat is flying into La Guardia Friday and Maedbh7 is planning on going directly to NY also on a bus. I'm trying to figure out how to get from NJ to NY in such a way as to meet up with them and whoever else might be around and interested. The hotel website is useless, but the fact that they don't have an airport shuttle suggests they aren't close enough to the airport to make that a good mass transit jump on option and NJ Transit website doesn't seem to be helping me figure out what's anywhere near Morristown, which is where the hotel is. Do any of the local/localish people have advice or websites or resources? All help appreciated - plus it would be good to know where/when/who might be in the catherding plans for the weekend!

Comments

[jslove.livejournal.com]

You could come to Massachusetts on 3/12 to the M.A.S.S. F.I.L.C. meeting which is also my (49th) birthday party... It's not quite exactly on the way, but you would be most of the way here.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I'd love to, but work's buying my plane ticket and paying for my hotel. I don't think I can convince them of the importance of going to a MASSFILC meeting, even one that includes your bday - a shame!

Sherwood Forest

[annonynous.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Hillary S. is driving from N. J. to the, ahem, March MASSFILC?

Ann O.

Re: Sherwood Forest

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Since her flight lands in NJ on 3/13, It probably won't be very useful in putting her in a position to get to the 3/12 MASSFILC. :-\

Re: Sherwood Forest

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I have no idea, but since work has bought me a plane ticket for 3/13 that doesn't seem very relevant to me. :)

o/~ No reply -y -y -y ~\o

[annonynous.livejournal.com]

Sigh. They're right, you know. Ann to brain, Ann to brain, come in please!

Ann O.

Re: o/~ No reply -y -y -y ~\o

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

*hug* It would be a lovely thought!

[camwyn]

I used to live about fifteen minutes from Morristown. Now I live about fifteen minutes from Manhattan. The simplest way to get from Morristown to New York City is to get to the Morristown NJ Transit station and buy a Midtown Direct ticket- make sure you get it at the ticket office if the ticket office is open, or they'll make you pay $5 extra to buy the ticket on the train. Midtown Direct takes you straight to NY's Penn Station, which is on 33rd Street and takes up an entire block. 's right next to Madison Square Garden and you can get other trains to most of the city from Penn, plus there's buses but I don't know them.

There are also bus lines that run out of Morristown, but when I lived near there it was generally train or bike or car, rather than bus, for me.

I live in Jersey City now. The easiest way to visit, if you wanted to visit, would probably involve you getting to the train station and getting a ticket to Hoboken instead- do not take the Midtown Direct train and assume it stops in Hoboken, because it doesn't. The Hoboken train stops more often than Midtown Direct, so it's slower- takes around an hour to cover a distance a car could manage in half an hour to forty minutes. I can come to Hoboken quite easily. Or, barring that, I can come to Morristown pretty easily too.

I can also give you my phone number if you like.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

We could meet up in Morristown at some point during either week for dinner or something, if you like? The weekend in the middle is looking like it's going to be in NYC, practicing Zen Tourism with ACat and Maedbh7. :) I don't know if other people will be coming along or not, it's all pretty vague aside from those few set facts. As much as there are many people I'd love to see while I'm in the general area, I'm not interested in prodigies of cat herding to manage it, but something simple would be welcome.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

From Morristown you'll need a bus, I'm afraid...I don't think there's a train line that goes near there. But that part of NJ should have park and rides all over the place. Try http://www.njtransit.com/rg_spr_parkride.shtml#morris for a list of Morris County park and rides. You may have to break down and call either the hotel or NJ transit to find the closest one, and then see if the hotel has a courtesy shuttle to get you out to it, or else take a taxi. (Yeah, I know, a taxi to the bus stop is funny.) The buses all come in at Port Authority terminal, near 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, so you can arrange to meet your friend who's coming by bus there, but be careful to find a stable landmark--it's a big place! Try http://www.ny.com/nyc-cgi-bin/frame?url=http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/pabframe.HTM&frame=/frame/travel.html for ideas there. I wouldn't recommend trying to meet ACat at the airport, as it's nowhere near where you might want to hang out in Manhattan, but he can easily get a bus or the subway from LaGuardia to Port Authority. He'll have to check at Ground Transportation in the airport...try http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/lgrtfram.htm.

Good luck, and have fun!

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about getting around in NJ at this point without a car (though it appears there are several good suggestions upthread). A good resource for in-NY travel is the Metropolitan Transit Authority (http://www.mta.info) (with, among other things, maps for the subways and Long Island Railroad, and schedules for the latter).

Weekends are an interesting situation for me (us); my work schedule is Friday/Saturday 9P-9A, Sunday 7P-7A. However, I do live near the best Indian food in NYC (and possibly in the larger area); getting together for dinner one day (Friday?) prior to going to work is a possibility, if you're interested.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Well, hmm. I am not sure on the timing for dinner Friday, since as far as I can tell I'd probably be getting into NYC about the time (or shortly before) you have to go to work that day, between my work and the apparent transportation options.

[sdelmonte]

It's worth noting that the weekend you alude to is Lunacon weekend, which means many of us would be busy, but also menas that many of us would hope that you somehow find your way to the con. And it's now in NJ.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

We probably won't make it to the convention, sadly. We really appreciate the many people who've pointed out to us that we're co-inciding for the weekend, but I've never been to NYC before, and I want to see it, rather than seeing a hotel ballroom, however filled with my friends and family it may be. :)

[bercilakslady.livejournal.com]

*blink* You've never been to NYC?!

And I expect that Paul will likely be down that weekend, but it might be possible to meet up, if plans go nicely. If there is a specific date for gathering, please do let me know.

-L

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Nope. I drove past it once, but took a wide bearth around it. (Driving through NYC at 9pm on a Friday night didn't actually appeal to me at the time. *grin*)

No ultra-specific plans. We'll be staying at the Westin New York Court Hotel on East 39th street between Lexington and Park Ave. In true Zen tourist tradition, we're not making any very specific plans, although I'd like to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art (note to self: re-read "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" before the trip) and if we can get tickets, I'd love to see "Avenue Q", which could in itself be a fun group outing.

I'm arriving on Friday morning at about 11:30am, and don't leave until 9pm on Sunday. (Note to self: look up transit options to and from LaGuardia). We'd love to see you at some point during the visit, of course, and anyone else who'd like to meet up.

*hugs*

[bercilakslady.livejournal.com]

I'll poke to see when I'll be free. I'd imagine that Saturday might work, or possible something Sunday morning?

Send your email so I can get in touch about more specific plans?