Final MSG Tips for those comming from out of town.

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Well here we are... just a day away from the first show @ Madison Square Garden.

Seeing as people comming from out of town will probably be leaving tonight or tommorow, I figured I'd start a little last minute question and answer thread re: important questions only... i.e. arrival time, directions, subway/mass transit help, etc. etc.

Please leave hotel booking questions to the other threads... this is simply for travel and arrival logistical questions.



A tip for anyone arriving for Friday's show... Remember... it is still a regular business day in NYC, and Madison Square Garden sits directly on top of Penn Station, the busiest commuter transportation hub in the entire city. Two main subway lines (1,2,3 & A,C,E), two huge commuter railways (Long Island Rail Road & New Jersey Transit), and Amtrak all use Penn Station. So long story short, the area is very very busy at all hours of the day, and especially durring AM and PM rush hour. You may want to adjust your arrival time accordingly.

Anyone arriving by plane/train/bus, etc. who needs advice on getting to the Garden, i.e. subway, taxi, etc. etc. Ask away...

 

[Shade]

If I'm not already near the Garden and am commuting down from Washington Heights, what time should I leave to make it to the 7:00PM gate-opening-thing?

 

[EPandAmerica]

How's the weather?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

If I'm not already near the Garden and am commuting down from Washington Heights, what time should I leave to make it to the 7:00PM gate-opening-thing?

depends on if you're taking a taxi or subway. i'd give it 45 minutes, just to be safe. will it take that long? no. but it'll insure that you'll get to the garden with plenty of time to spare.

opener doesn't go on till 8 anyways.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

How's the weather?

overcast.

here's the forecast for the entire weekend...

Today: Mostly cloudy with areas of fog this morning, then becoming partly cloudy. The fog may be locally dense at times early this morning, with visibility one quarter mile or less. Humid with highs in the upper 70s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy this evening, then mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers after midnight. Patchy fog. Humid with lows in the mid 60s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Rain likely, especially in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Friday Night: Rain heavy at times. Patchy fog. Humid with lows in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday: Rain likely. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 60s. West winds 10 to 15 mph, becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Any showers ending. Patchy fog. Cooler with lows in the lower 50s.
Sunday: mostly cloudy.Breezy and cool. Highs in the lower 60s.
Sunday Night: partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s.

Columbus Day:
partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s.
Monday Night: partly cloudy. Lows around 50.
Tuesday: partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s.
Tuesday Night: partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s

looks like a crappy weekend due to the rains from the tropical storm down south headed this way... but with any tropical type storm, it could move off course and miss the city. prepare for rain.

 

[Shade]

looks like a crappy weekend due to the rains from the tropical storm down south headed this way... but with any tropical type storm, it could move off course and miss the city. prepare for rain.

It figures that fucking storm would follow me all they way up to NYC. It just figures. I think I'm going to have to break out the Weather Dominator.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

note... be prepare for added security cheks on the subway tommorow and throughout the weekend.

see cnn.com

i highly recomend that anyone doing GA bring a minimal amount of stuff with them... do not bring large bags, chairs, etc. etc.

 

[Shade]

note... be prepare for added security cheks on the subway tommorow and throughout the weekend.

see cnn.com

i highly recomend that anyone doing GA bring a minimal amount of stuff with them... do not bring large bags, chairs, etc. etc.

Are they gonna flip out if I have a relatively small courier bag with me?

 

[Steved1998]

The subway shouldn't. I doubt if MSG will let you in with it.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Are they gonna flip out if I have a relatively small courier bag with me?

how small we talkin?

normaly the rule at msg is that your bag has to be able to fit under a chair.

seeing as GA has no chairs, i'm guessing any bags being taken to the floor need to be able to be held by the person without interfering with other guests.

as for bags on the subways... if you don't have to take it, don't take it. if you're taking it, be ready for potential seraches. i.e. if you were planning on doing some, eh hem, illegal narcotics at the show, don't keep them in a bag and then ride the subway. your voyage will come to an end.

 

[oliveu2cm]

not to be a big wimp but...should we be worried about the cnn stuff? I'm not in the city or probably "used to" the higher level of threats like you guys are. Any advice/wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[ruffian]

See some of you in the GA tomorrow (or I guess that is today)

 

[Monkey79]

I'm staying on W. 46th Street. I'm going to the Saturday night show --> Am I better off walking to MSG, taking a cab, or riding the subway?

Another question... since this is my first time to NYC, I plan on doing a lot of the "touristy' things like the Empire State Bldg. Should I buy any tix in advance for stuff like that?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

probably gonna be my last chance to answer questions before i head out in the city, so lemme try to get everyone's done in one shot...

Olive- welcome to new york's new reality. should you be worried? nah... i'm not. when you live/work/play in and around this area you kinda get used to the idea that, eh hem, people i don't know are trying to kill me. but then you remember that you have the biggest and best police force in the world out there protecting you, and you get over it and get on with your life. i'll be taking mass transit all weekend... commuter trains, subways, etc. just alot extra time for searches no matter where you go. other than that, simply go about your time as you normaly would. i talked to my best friend last night... he's a rookie nypd cop. they reassigned him and others in his precient to the area around penn station/madison square garden. every resource in the city is, as it always is, being used here. the city right now is as safe if not safer than any other major city in the US.

just be prepared for potential searches at subways and touristy type places, including the garden. if it would normaly take 20 minutes to get to where you're going, take 30 minutes to get there. have your bag ready and open if you see a search point, be cooporative, and just have fun. yes the sight of a police officer or national guardsmen with an m-16 in times square may take a little getting used to, but rest assured... they would have been there this weekend wether this announcement had been made or not. they've been there every day since 9/11.

i hope that helps... i dunno if it did.

depends on where on 46th street you're staying. i'm guessing it's around the times square area, in which case you're only 13 blocks north of MSG... about a 10 minute walk. normaly i would walk it, but that's your decision. it may be raining, which might effect your decision.

penn station/msg is one subway stop (1,2,3) from times square. a cab ride might cost ya a little more than 5 bucks, but it's very hard to get a taxi in times square, unless you're at a major hotel and the doorman just pulls one up to the door for you.

if it's not raining, i'd walk it. i'm guessing you're not in manhattan often... it'll be more of an experience to hoof it and take in the sights along the way.

but if you decide to take a subway, just remember to get off at 34th street/penn station. penn is directly below madison square garden.

i'm off to shower up, get dressed, and head into manhattan... giggity giggity.

have fun, be safe, be drunk Ldrunk:

 

[Monkey79]

Thanks for the advice, Headache. I'm SO PUMPED!!!

Seeing U2 in NYC has always been a dream of mine. I can't believe it's almost here