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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: hutch on October 01, 2011, 03:20:45 pm
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so here's the deal: I have to be in NYC Thursday for a concert at Irving Plaza..I guess its doors 6:30... the last bus I can find to DC is at 11 pm which I fear is too early.. are there any later ones? I'd really like to be back home that night/early morning.
Looks to me I'll have to kill a few hours and take the 7 am one back putting me in DC at 11 am.
Also can you buy a ticket for the 11 pm and if you miss it simply take the 7 am??
Any good places to kill a few hours on Thursday late night?
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I've never dealt with Chinatown buses, but I know Greyhound has real early morning (1AM) buses back to DC from NYC.
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I've never dealt with Chinatown buses, but I know Greyhound has real early morning (1AM) buses back to DC from NYC.
hmm. i'm not seeing that.. 1 am would be perfect but i am not seeing that.. i don't think they have that.
whoa score.. MEGABUS mus be what you were thiking of..seems like they have a 1:15 am..perfect.
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hutchy for the radiohead show i took the thur 6am bus thru megabus and took the 115am bus back that morning good deal i thought. ;D
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hutchy for the radiohead show i took the thur 6am bus thru megabus and took the 115am bus back that morning good deal i thought. ;D
that is a good deal..its $30 total
i'm going to do just that...
my only remaining issue is the venue itself.. never been there....
anybody been to irving plaza? I understand its run by the dark side...
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Haven't been to Irving but here are some tips on megabus if you haven't been on it before. The pickup point is Union Station but not right outside. It's about a 10 minute walk or so from Union Station. Also the pickup point in NY is quite a hike away from everything. The Roseland Ballroom was at like 52nd street and the megabus pickup was at 33rd street. If your show ends at midnight then you would have no problem making it there, walking wise. I was way up in front for Radiohead so I had to judo chop and give people elbows to get out of there ASAP or I would have been in there forever ;D
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Haven't been to Irving but here are some tips on megabus if you haven't been on it before. The pickup point is Union Station but not right outside. It's about a 10 minute walk or so from Union Station. Also the pickup point in NY is quite a hike away from everything. The Roseland Ballroom was at like 52nd street and the megabus pickup was at 33rd street. If your show ends at midnight then you would have no problem making it there, walking wise. I was way up in front for Radiohead so I had to judo chop and give people elbows to get out of there ASAP or I would have been in there forever ;D
all good tips thanks
i will commence judo chop training post kung fu ticketing seminar...
:D
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anybody been to irving plaza? I understand its run by the dark side...
yup, seen several shows there - waddaya wanna know?
the claimed capacity is the same as the 930's but sight lines aren't as good from the back. there is a balcony but chunks of it might be reserved to VIPs. no risers either, so unless you get balcony rail you're probably better off on the floor. drinks are spendy and bar have been cash only every time i've been.
irving plaza is just east of union square, so you'll need to metro or taxi it from and to the MBus drop-off.
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I've never dealt with Chinatown buses, but I know Greyhound has real early morning (1AM) buses back to DC from NYC.
hmm. i'm not seeing that.. 1 am would be perfect but i am not seeing that.. i don't think they have that.
whoa score.. MEGABUS mus be what you were thiking of..seems like they have a 1:15 am..perfect.
That's strange. Both times I've gone to NYC for shows (once from Richmond, once from DC) I've taken 1:00AM buses (Greyhound. Definitely Greyhound) back right after the show. The trip is a bit rough, and sleeping on the bus sucks, but it's been better than having to book hotels and whatnot. Round trip from DC was like 34 bucks.
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CAll me crazy, but I can't inagine taking a 1am Greyhound bus from NYC to DC as being better than staying the night in a hotel.
I've never dealt with Chinatown buses, but I know Greyhound has real early morning (1AM) buses back to DC from NYC.
hmm. i'm not seeing that.. 1 am would be perfect but i am not seeing that.. i don't think they have that.
whoa score.. MEGABUS mus be what you were thiking of..seems like they have a 1:15 am..perfect.
That's strange. Both times I've gone to NYC for shows (once from Richmond, once from DC) I've taken 1:00AM buses (Greyhound. Definitely Greyhound) back right after the show. The trip is a bit rough, and sleeping on the bus sucks, but it's been better than having to book hotels and whatnot. Round trip from DC was like 34 bucks.
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CAll me crazy, but I can't inagine taking a 1am Greyhound bus from NYC to DC as being better than staying the night in a hotel.
I've never dealt with Chinatown buses, but I know Greyhound has real early morning (1AM) buses back to DC from NYC.
hmm. i'm not seeing that.. 1 am would be perfect but i am not seeing that.. i don't think they have that.
whoa score.. MEGABUS mus be what you were thiking of..seems like they have a 1:15 am..perfect.
That's strange. Both times I've gone to NYC for shows (once from Richmond, once from DC) I've taken 1:00AM buses (Greyhound. Definitely Greyhound) back right after the show. The trip is a bit rough, and sleeping on the bus sucks, but it's been better than having to book hotels and whatnot. Round trip from DC was like 34 bucks.
crazy ;D
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Oh it's certainly not better.
But I'm cheap.
So it is better.
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I have a kid I have to get back for..
but, having said that, hotels in NYC are Expensive man!
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Don't take the greyhound 1 am bus...they always overbook. The next one is 4 am. Megabus at 1:15 is the better choice but it stops in philly...
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Greyhound sucks. Never again!
Chinatown bus made me think I was going to die throughout the trip.
Megabus are OK but it is still a bus and cramped quarters for that long start to get to me.
I am paying the $45ish each way for train from here on out. Sure, it costs more but the room you get, more comfortable seating, fewer smelly people and expediency are worth it to me.
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Irving Plaza has sucky sightlines. As its all ages - people tend to line up early for shows. Most the bars are cash-only but I think theres an ATM on the premises. If youre a fast(ish) walker you can easily get x-town from there and over to Megabus (although I cant remember if their pick up is still on 7th Ave or if theyre on 8th now). Then again - theres some bus that stops at 24th(ish) and B'way. If thats the case - its really close to Irving Plaza.
NQR456L all go into union square - so you can easily make it up there from anywhere downtown. Going x-town is not a good option for late night - best bet is cab or walk. The venue is a LN venue -I avoid it like the plague (not for that reason - but last show I saw there I couldnt see a thing - so rarely go back there).
And if you think the N is a good option to get you back --- DONT. Its one of the worst lines- and if Im in a hurry Id never rely on that past 10pm (its my train line - the yellows are horrendous at night).
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FYI (I cant remember if youre the one who always posts about the shows you recorded/videos, etc). This place will confiscate cameras quite quickly or at least tell you to put them away.
Tickets subject to all applicable facility fees and service charges. Please note we may cancel any ticket orders that exceed the published ticket limit. Tickets may not be available in all price levels and sections. Small personal cameras are allowed in the venue. Commercial photography, flash photography, professional cameras and recording devices are not permitted.
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FYI (I cant remember if youre the one who always posts about the shows you recorded/videos, etc). This place will confiscate cameras quite quickly or at least tell you to put them away.
well i don't think I am the one but this happens to be very useful info for me!
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if youve got any more specific questions - feel free to PM me. Glad thats of help.
FYI (I cant remember if youre the one who always posts about the shows you recorded/videos, etc). This place will confiscate cameras quite quickly or at least tell you to put them away.
well i don't think I am the one but this happens to be very useful info for me!
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thanks for all the suggestions..
I wanted to add that Irving Plaza blows... they either oversold the show or do this regularly but there were people watching from the lobby! Its like a smaller 930 with worse sightlines- the same amount of people in audience and the second level pretty much every spot with a view was VIP only..perhaps this explains why a 6;30 when doors opened there was a line clear around the block; people knew they had to get in early if they were going to be able to see.. not that i wasn't before but reinforced how grateful i am for the 930... i doubt i'll go back to this venue.
as far as buses..I guess James Ford was onto something.. the megabus was fine on the way up.... but on the way back the 1:15 am was almost torture..took over five hours due to a ridiculous stop- as I'd been warned- in Philly to drop off a few people... the bus was packed too... unpleasant and if I ever do this again I'll come up with something better... also as opposed to the chinatown bus lines i've taken before the megabus drivers seemed dangerous (even though they drove slower!).
on the plus side: great show, got to go backstage and hang with the man himself.....
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There should really be a 12:00 or 12:30 train back. Greyhound is just as brutal at night.
Still, I would much rather wait for a 3:00 train than take a Greyhound any time.
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shit now i absorb the comment about lining up early..
my night would have been entirely different had i done that..
then again i probably would not have gotten backstage...
anybody see detroit rock city? the evening was a bit like that for me.
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cant say i didnt warn you about getting there early :) Im seeing Howard Jones there as I really had to see him again playing his classics. Im already regretting going there, but the one good thing is its during CMJ. I expect it to not be too awful.
shit now i absorb the comment about lining up early..
my night would have been entirely different had i done that..
then again i probably would not have gotten backstage...
anybody see detroit rock city? the evening was a bit like that for me.
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cant say i didnt warn you about getting there early :) Im seeing Howard Jones there as I really had to see him again playing his classics. Im already regretting going there, but the one good thing is its during CMJ. I expect it to not be too awful.
shit now i absorb the comment about lining up early..
my night would have been entirely different had i done that..
then again i probably would not have gotten backstage...
anybody see detroit rock city? the evening was a bit like that for me.
(http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/5928/dsc05180w.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/64/dsc05180w.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
clown who took picture was a second late but I'll take it...
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Forgive me for my dumbness but who is who? ;D
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Greyhound sucks. Never again!
Chinatown bus made me think I was going to die throughout the trip.
Megabus are OK but it is still a bus and cramped quarters for that long start to get to me.
I am paying the $45ish each way for train from here on out. Sure, it costs more but the room you get, more comfortable seating, fewer smelly people and expediency are worth it to me.
is that for amtrak? must be the weekday prices. im coming back on a sunday and i couldnt find anything that cheap.
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I'm curious azag, too...Union to Penn and times?
Hutch, how'd you end up getting back to the bus stop - cab it?
x - I have no idea what you said so I'll have to call you to discuss should I hit NY for a night.
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I'm curious azag, too...Union to Penn and times?
Hutch, how'd you end up getting back to the bus stop - cab it?
x - I have no idea what you said so I'll have to call you to discuss should I hit NY for a night.
I walked both to the show from the bus stop and back..
Its actually a pretty quick walk...
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Forgive me for my dumbness but who is who? ;D
I'm guessing that's Hutch on the left and Pauly Shore on the right.
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Forgive me for my dumbness but who is who? ;D
I'm guessing that's Hutch on the left and Pauly Shore on the right.
Nice, I didn't know Pauly Shore was still alive ;D
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I was wondering which one was Starsky, and which was Hutch and was thinking they both looked like Starsky after a night of dumpster diving.
Forgive me for my dumbness but who is who? ;D
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sounds like a plan :) its a good place to hit up for a night :)
I'm curious azag, too...Union to Penn and times?
Hutch, how'd you end up getting back to the bus stop - cab it?
x - I have no idea what you said so I'll have to call you to discuss should I hit NY for a night.
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oh no.. have i revealed too much?
:D
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One of the guys from Starsky and Hutch was at work the other day, though I didn't see him. The dark haired one but I bet it's silver now.
I lost track of this thread and have no clue who performed that night.
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I lost track of this thread and have no clue who performed that night.
nobody does other than me!
;D
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andres calamaro. ;)
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So you still work at a nursing home?
One of the guys from Starsky and Hutch was at work the other day, though I didn't see him. The dark haired one but I bet it's silver now.
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^ Ha! No... but I still see a lot of old people. All kinds of people, actually. Much, much better environment and circumstances though.
Honestly, I'm not sure if I've ever watched Starsky And Hutch so I don't know if I'd have even recognized him if he walked up and talked to me, which was quite possible that day. In fact, I think Stephen Baldwin did a couple months ago but I'm still not completely certain.
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Amtrak charge $49 each way if you get the tickets far enough in advance. Tickets from Union to Penn and back on the 29th still cost that, for example.
Greyhound sucks. Never again!
Chinatown bus made me think I was going to die throughout the trip.
Megabus are OK but it is still a bus and cramped quarters for that long start to get to me.
I am paying the $45ish each way for train from here on out. Sure, it costs more but the room you get, more comfortable seating, fewer smelly people and expediency are worth it to me.
is that for amtrak? must be the weekday prices. im coming back on a sunday and i couldnt find anything that cheap.
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Amtrak charge $49 each way if you get the tickets far enough in advance. Tickets from Union to Penn and back on the 29th still cost that, for example.
Greyhound sucks. Never again!
Chinatown bus made me think I was going to die throughout the trip.
Megabus are OK but it is still a bus and cramped quarters for that long start to get to me.
I am paying the $45ish each way for train from here on out. Sure, it costs more but the room you get, more comfortable seating, fewer smelly people and expediency are worth it to me.
is that for amtrak? must be the weekday prices. im coming back on a sunday and i couldnt find anything that cheap.
not worth paying $80 more..sorry.
that just makes the cost of attendin the show prohibitive to me...its like add $100 to the cost of the ticket..
for that much i'd rather drive which with gas prices the way they are i would not imagine doing.
i'm just going to hope new york doesn't get anything i must see and i'd say my odds are good.. in last 9 years there have only been two shows that made me go up there
Joao Gilberto .. and boy was that a great decision.
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^ Don't forget all the crazy tolls! Either way, they get you. Some of those buses are a real deal if you are fortunate enough to live close enough to one.
With that said, I'm with you. Only worthwhile if either you are rolling in money or are going up to NYC for other reasons and packing a show or two in with other activities.
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^ you're right..with tolls it would be pricier to drive..
the lincoln tunnel toll i noticed is now $12!!!!!!! i guess that covers gettin in and out but geez..
i think with the buses i made a mistake. .had i not bought the return trip on megabus i could have made the 11 pm on one of the other lines...i'm guessin that would have taken 1-2 hours less due to faster drivin and not stoppin in philly.. also may have had less people... the 1 am is just goin to get a lot of people..its the only 1 am option..there was the yankees game.. etc..
of course if show had run later etc and i did not have a reservation on 1 am i don't think i'd have been let on...
they need a real chinatown bus leavin late...megabus is too darn slow...leaving at 1:15 and gettin in to dc about 6;45 is slow.
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i think all megabuses from NYC to DC stops in Philly and Baltimore (White Marsh)...
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Ive taken megabus a few times. Only had the stop in B'more not in Philly. Never stopped in Philly on any of the bus lines Ive taken. greyhound (peter pan) can have great fares. Last time I got to DC on a $8 fare :) (not even booking it far in advance either).
i think all megabuses from NYC to DC stops in Philly and Baltimore (White Marsh)...
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Last time I got to DC on a $8 fare :) (not even booking it far in advance either).
this begs the question: how the hell do bus companies stay in business? i can't believe that $8 a person pays for gas, staff, and the bus rent/loan. poeple used to claim that chinatown busses could do $10 to $20 fares because they were money laundering fronts. i can't beleive that greyhound and peter pan have gotten into the field too.
(why yes, i know it's a thread - but my name isn't jack)
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My guess is as it gets closer to the date the bus is departing - if the bus isnt full they lower fares to get people on. I think with so many choices now - you almost have to. I wonder how much they charge tho at the gate (for all the real last minute fares). Not sure how it is in DC, but in NYC theres always a ton of people trying to get down that way.
Last time I got to DC on a $8 fare :) (not even booking it far in advance either).
this begs the question: how the hell do bus companies stay in business? i can't believe that $8 a person pays for gas, staff, and the bus rent/loan. poeple used to claim that chinatown busses could do $10 to $20 fares because they were money laundering fronts. i can't beleive that greyhound and peter pan have gotten into the field too.
(why yes, i know it's a thread - but my name isn't jack)
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I've always assumed that some entity like the Chamber Of Commerce, the city, or some other group somehow funneled money to the bus companies to get people into town. They know that once in town, they spend money, so it indirectly pays for the buses. Don't know about any of this though as it's purely speculation. Not sure, but I think the casinos do things like that to get them into places like Atlantic City.
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This is for Megabus:
Exciting news! We're giving away 200,000 FREE seats for travel between Jan. 4 and March 1!! Use promo code GOFREE.
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My guess is as it gets closer to the date the bus is departing - if the bus isnt full they lower fares to get people on. I think with so many choices now - you almost have to. I wonder how much they charge tho at the gate (for all the real last minute fares). Not sure how it is in DC, but in NYC theres always a ton of people trying to get down that way.
That's the conventional wisdom, but for Megabus, specifically, it's the opposite. The earlier you purchase, the cheaper. But the closer you get to departure, the more expensive, and THAT is where they make money. I take Megabus to get back and forth between NYC and DC all the time and only a handful of times have I ever been on a full bus. In mid October I went to NYC to visit a friend and took the 7 am bus from N Capitol and K. The bus was less than half full. Predicting such, I was really tempted to just show up for the bus at 7 am and say "Hey, I'll pay you $10 for one of your many empty seats on the bus." But I also had a feeling they'd say "we don't accept cash" or just flat out "no." Why they'd pass on $10 instead of having another empty seat is beyond me, but they have their ways of doing business.
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Why they'd pass on $10 instead of having another empty seat is beyond me, but they have their ways of doing business.
you, sir, are an astute businessman
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I was really tempted to just show up for the bus at 7 am and say "Hey, I'll pay you $10 for one of your many empty seats on the bus." But I also had a feeling they'd say "we don't accept cash" or just flat out "no." Why they'd pass on $10 instead of having another empty seat is beyond me, but they have their ways of doing business.
same reason airlines won't sell you an empty seat on a departing plane for cheap.
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but you can upgrade for first class cheaper if they are available ;D
I was really tempted to just show up for the bus at 7 am and say "Hey, I'll pay you $10 for one of your many empty seats on the bus." But I also had a feeling they'd say "we don't accept cash" or just flat out "no." Why they'd pass on $10 instead of having another empty seat is beyond me, but they have their ways of doing business.
same reason airlines won't sell you an empty seat on a departing plane for cheap.
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Why they'd pass on $10 instead of having another empty seat is beyond me, but they have their ways of doing business.
you, sir, are an astute businessman
I know. So why do you think they'd rather have the empty seat than take someone's $10? Is it because they just don't want people handling cash?
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Why they'd pass on $10 instead of having another empty seat is beyond me, but they have their ways of doing business.
you, sir, are an astute businessman
I know. So why do you think they'd rather have the empty seat than take someone's $10? Is it because they just don't want people handling cash?
i doubt handling cash has much to do with it, more like basic business principles of not wanting to set a precedent of discounting/diluting your product