October 5, 2005

7:20 PM

nyc mini-meetup: brooklyn represent! since naxos (aka our lady of the hair glued to jonmc's desk) is in a limited timeslot, and because I owe hellbient many (many) drinks...
saturday oct. 15th, spuyten duyvil, 7pm. (spike hill, sputnik, other suggestions welcome)
posted by dorian to MetaFilter gatherings at 7:20 PM (83 comments total)

(aka our lady of the hair glued to jonmc's desk)

que?
posted by jonmc at 7:21 PM on October 5, 2005

also, I'll be convalescing, so I won't be able to attend. But have a drink for me.
posted by jonmc at 7:22 PM on October 5, 2005

you know what I mean, mister.

also: crap. well, feel better. you'll be missed.
posted by dorian at 7:24 PM on October 5, 2005

I know them both and I can't imagine what that joke could be meant to imply.

Anyway, I might go if I can crash on somebody's couch; I'm not sure I want to deal with commuting back to UWS when it's over.
posted by bingo at 8:28 PM on October 5, 2005

I'll be there most likely.

(And I am so saving bingo's comment for the next time he tries for an Upper West Side meetup.)
posted by dame at 8:43 PM on October 5, 2005

I hereby propose that sometime in November, we have an Upper West Side meetup.
posted by bingo at 9:01 PM on October 5, 2005

You're such a dick.
posted by dame at 9:05 PM on October 5, 2005

Sorry, I'll be seeing Sector 9. Have fun.
posted by muckster at 10:16 PM on October 5, 2005

Spuyten or Spike Hill? That's my hood! I might even be able to make this.
posted by Decani at 7:07 AM on October 6, 2005

Finally, a brooklyn meet-up. It's a shame I'll miss it.
posted by safetyfork at 7:29 AM on October 6, 2005

okay guys, my name is naxosaxur and im a time traveler from sunday, october 16. im here to warn you that the meetup last night was the most kickass meetup in the history of all metafilter fêtes. paris paramus was there and did some shots and then got naked and was all like OMG AMERIKKKA SUCKS LOL IRAQ OIL BOOSH YANKS RAWRRRR.

/soooo coming to this...see you all there bitches!
posted by naxosaxur at 8:00 AM on October 6, 2005

Right, I'm definitely coming to this one. Parisparamus naked is just too much of a draw. Also, if we go to Spuyten I can be all Brit real ale bore. It's hard to know which would be more exciting.
posted by Decani at 8:50 AM on October 6, 2005

THREE CHEERS FOR DECANI

YAY YAY YAY
posted by naxosaxur at 8:52 AM on October 6, 2005

I know which would be more exciting, Decani. But I'll come along just to make sure.
posted by idest at 8:52 AM on October 6, 2005

THREE CHEERS FOR IDEST

WOO WOO WOO
posted by naxosaxur at 9:02 AM on October 6, 2005

Man, you guys are making me jealous that I don't live in Brooklyn. I mean, not really cause Los Angeles rox like six thousand times more than New York, but still, I wish I was visiting or something just so's I could attend.
posted by jonson at 9:44 AM on October 6, 2005

at this rate we are definitely going to have to swipe the big table in the back...
posted by dorian at 9:53 AM on October 6, 2005

i might make it.

and i'll be commuting from washington heights. HA.
posted by Stynxno at 10:06 AM on October 6, 2005

muckster - you're show doesn't start until 9pm! Doors at 7 means you get to stand around while people make fun of you for showing up too early. That's plenty of time to pound a few before Quadrant 9. Alright then, see you there.

And dorian - there's no way you owe me anything. And welcome to Brooklyn!

And let's make sure to have a toast on jonson's behalf - "here's to our designated driver - the MTA!"
I'm sure I'd be dead several times over without them...
posted by hellbient at 10:08 AM on October 6, 2005

yeah, damned if the subway doesn't know the way to carry the sleigh thru white and drunken snow. osj.

also, uws meetup sounds good (may I suggest ding dong lounge? or maybe carmine's heh)

my fscked-up life this year:
jan: hoboken
feb - jun: wmburg
jul: uws
aug - sep: les (ah, good times)
now - oct 2006: bed-stuy

it is so nice to be back in brooklyn, mille grazie!
posted by dorian at 10:19 AM on October 6, 2005

Los Angeles rox like six thousand times more than New York

Stop. Smoking. Crack. Now.
posted by Decani at 10:21 AM on October 6, 2005

heh I was not going to say it but decani said it. nice.
posted by dorian at 10:22 AM on October 6, 2005

New York. The "it" town of the 20th century. Time has passed you by, and the future lies to the west, gentlemen.
posted by jonson at 10:39 AM on October 6, 2005

the future lies to the west, gentlemen.

Damned right. West Brooklyn.
posted by Decani at 10:41 AM on October 6, 2005

I'll see if I can get my shots and travel documents in order in time.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:50 AM on October 6, 2005

Though is it really a meetup without Jon?
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:52 AM on October 6, 2005

(The World Began In Eden And Ended in Los Angeles)

hellbient, your point's well taken but I doubt I'll get from Bklyn to TimesSq in time for the show... and I can't miss a note of STS9!
posted by muckster at 11:07 AM on October 6, 2005

muckster: Spuyten Duyvil to Beford Avenue - 5 mins walk.
Bedford Avenue to Times Square by subway - half an hour, tops.

You could spend at least a whole hour there!
posted by Decani at 11:38 AM on October 6, 2005

Wait a minute. I'm just south of the Williamsburgh Bridge, near Kent Ave. Where is this happening exactly? It'll be the first one I found out about before its happening
posted by Busithoth at 12:08 PM on October 6, 2005

Busithoth: Spuyten Duyvil is on Metropolitan Ave, just a teensy bit east of Havermeyer. Kinda almost opposite Black Betty. Real close to you...

Spike Hill is on the West side of Bedford, somewhere around N8 or N9. I can't quite remember.
posted by Decani at 12:12 PM on October 6, 2005

Here you go.
posted by Decani at 12:14 PM on October 6, 2005

Spike Hill is at n7
posted by dame at 12:16 PM on October 6, 2005

Is that what that place is? Huh. I notice it from time to time (carrying my beans from Atlas). September 2003? Sacagawea! I thought it was brand spanking new.

It's also the name of a Metro North stop, near/in Riverdale, no?
posted by Busithoth at 12:24 PM on October 6, 2005

It certainly is. I take Metro North through that very station three times a week.
posted by Decani at 12:25 PM on October 6, 2005

Hey, a Brooklyn meetup, heh, are the freakin' welfare checks going through the day before or something? hehehe. Lemme guess - it's at the Library so everyone's already home when it's over? hehehe. Does the most drunk person get their shoes thrown up on a telephone wire? hehehe. It's gonna be like a freakin' UN meeting with alcohol - a representative of every country in the world - getting wasted. hehehe. And hey - don't forget to shoutout to Tupac Shakur and Abner Louima! hehehe. Wick-wick-wack. hehehe.

Anyway, I can't make it - I've got a NAACP street fair the next day and I've gotta brush up on my insults, hehehe. If you need immediate insultance, please contact ParisParamus. hehehe.
posted by racist dunk-tank clown at 12:37 PM on October 6, 2005

Yay! The racist clown returns.
posted by dame at 12:41 PM on October 6, 2005

Damn it, I lived by the Montrose station for most of the summer. I miss Brooklyn, but I don't miss the L. That train is the biggest pain in the arse (especially living on the other side of the track-work in the summer...).
posted by fionab at 12:46 PM on October 6, 2005

the clown!!

yeah black betty is ~across the street, if anyone needs to order some take-out semi-tasty mediterranean food.

fionab -- the L is awful, s'why I always took the G. love the G.
posted by dorian at 12:52 PM on October 6, 2005

As someone who takes the JMZ these days (moved from Metropolitan Ave. to South 4th) I miss the L train.
posted by idest at 1:28 PM on October 6, 2005

No way. The J is as good as the L (which is to say, not much). And you always get a seat on the Project Express.
posted by dame at 1:37 PM on October 6, 2005

Then again, you could have to take the A, which is hands down my least favorite train.
posted by dame at 1:39 PM on October 6, 2005

I take the G and the L and can't believe I'll be MIA for this. Yes, I said it upthread and I'll say it again!
posted by safetyfork at 1:59 PM on October 6, 2005

The best thing about the Montrose station (which may be the 4th grubbiest in the system) is that it beeps when a train is about to arrive. There's a different sound for each direction. Does it do that in all of the L stations? I lost count how many times we sat there waiting for freakin EVAR for that thing, as the tiles sweated out the exhaust and the drunk guy peed onto the tracks. Good times, good times. It could take about 30 minutes from there to 8th Ave. or, on my favorite trip, it took 1.5 hours to get from Montrose to 1st Ave. Yup, stuck underneath with no AC.
posted by fionab at 2:12 PM on October 6, 2005

it beeps on the DeKalb stop as well, but it's not real reliable. Yesterday morning it didn't beep, and I thought I might have enough time to put money on my card. I knew better and caught it sneaking into the station...
posted by hellbient at 2:53 PM on October 6, 2005

love the G.
you've got to be trolling...
posted by hellbient at 2:54 PM on October 6, 2005

I like the G too.

Anyway, the L also beeps at Jefferson. Plus the LED sign tells you which direction it is.
posted by dame at 3:08 PM on October 6, 2005

The J is as good as the L

Stop. Smoking. Crack. Now.
posted by Decani at 6:27 PM on October 6, 2005

Hey, a Brooklyn meetup, heh, are the freakin' welfare checks going through the day before or something?

I earn more in one hour than you did last year, you absurd penile wart. What's more, I deserve it. I'm also incredibly modest and far, far - oh my Lord so far you couldn't even begin to formulate a conception of the distance - better than you in the sack, you porn-scarfing, ambulatory spunk stain.
posted by Decani at 6:34 PM on October 6, 2005

Okay, the L has a better route. But I taken both fairly often and I haven't waited especially longer for one than the other. The J is slightly dirtier, but it always has a seat. They are both routinely under construction. So what's your argument that the L is better? That there are more white people on it? Because everything else is a wash.

Then again, you're the man arguing with the racist dunk-tank clown, so I'll let the fair Reader decide who is smoking the most crack.
posted by dame at 6:49 PM on October 6, 2005

isn't the L s'posed to have some shiney new automagical computer driver which will enhance service and/or kill us all? that's why the service was such crap all summer, I thought, 'cos the mta was implementing the t-1000 train conductors. not sure that makes it better or worse than the J hm.

I also recall reading in nyc.transit about passengers holding a mutiny on the L late at night on a weekend when told it would not be crossing the river...
posted by dorian at 6:56 PM on October 6, 2005

So what's your argument that the L is better? That there are more white people on it?

Ummm... was this question addressed to me? Assuming it was... I live on S4th and I take the JMZ from Hewes to Chambers three times a week. It sucks so much ass in so many ways I can't believe a Williamsburger would seriously be asking this question. It's sloooooow as shit - especially over the bridge; all the stations are absolutely filthy, rat-infested hellholes (Canal St in particular always reeks of piss. I frequently end up standing next to bum turds, too). An the cars are ancient and crap. The L is fast, fairly regular, clean and hugely efficient by comparison.

I'm going to ignore the "because it has more white people" remark because... well, because if I didn't I'd have to become extremely offensive towards you and I'm in a good mood.
posted by Decani at 7:15 PM on October 6, 2005

I've taken them both with regularity. The only difference as I can see is that the L trains are newer and aren't the Project Express. I'm sorry you found the question insulting; I didn't intend it as such.

I will assure you though that L stations out where I live smell awful and have enough rats. Then again, I've seen more rats at the First Avenue L than anywhere.
posted by dame at 8:11 PM on October 6, 2005

You know what line is best of all? My prius, which stops right in front of my house and goes directly to my parking space at work. I regularly eat lunch up to 10 miles away from my office thanks to the Prius, and it never requires a token, or has a smelly hobo on it. Of course, you lucky New Yorkers don't have to worry about personal transport to and from your jobs, you get the joy of walking several blocks on each end in the freezing cold of winter and stifling hot of summer. Did I mention it's lovely and temperate year round here? And all the people are beautiful. Seriously.
posted by jonson at 10:34 PM on October 6, 2005

bah, the only good thing about la is the ridiculously oversized ranch99. if it's still there, that is. hoor.

if/when all of california slid into the pacific, I would mourn half moon bay and hercules and parts of sf. and the weather, yeah.
posted by dorian at 11:02 PM on October 6, 2005

oh, and the in-n-out burgers in palo alto / los altos, natch.
posted by dorian at 11:04 PM on October 6, 2005

Ah, that explains it, dame. I generally only take the L between Lorimer and 8th Ave. Sounds like it gets worse towards the other end.

Another reason I like it better than the JMZ is it's a straight shot across all the major Manhattan lines whereas the JMZ does that loop back down into Brooklyn which isn't always too convenient if you're heading uptown.

Anyway, the 6 is the best line. So there.
posted by Decani at 5:03 AM on October 7, 2005

The L has the most efficient connection points in Manhattan, which is why I like it better. The JMZ is great when I'm working downtown, but that's rare. Given that my office is based in midtown and that I also frequently have to get from South 4th in Williamsburg to 110th on the UWS to pick my kids up from school, the extra transfers involved from the JMZ are a bummer.

So I guess there are some factors aside from the color of the people on the trains.
posted by idest at 5:13 AM on October 7, 2005

You know what I like about not driving? Everything!

Idest, to begin with, I said route aside. Second, many people think things are nicer when there are more white people. Often because things with more white people are really better serviced. It obviously didn't go over the way I meant it, but I wasn't actually accusing anyone of being racist.

And if you think any IRT could be the best, we're going to have a long talk over a beer, my friend.
posted by dame at 6:59 AM on October 7, 2005

No sweat, dame. My initial reaction to the "more white people" comment was a big old "WTF??" but that's because it seemed like a suggestion of racism on my part. Your actual meaning didn't occur to me.

Anyway, to be honest, the main differences I notice about the people on those two lines is that you see more fat people in baseball caps on the JMZ and more skinny, tattooed hipsters on the L. Although more and more of those damned skinny hipsters are definitely moving south. There goes the neighborhood! :-)
posted by Decani at 7:14 AM on October 7, 2005

This is going to be fun. I'll be the skinny hipster wearing an "L" t-shirt. Okay, not really. I'll be the fat person in a baseball cap.
posted by idest at 7:26 AM on October 7, 2005

There goes the neighborhood!

Nah, it went back in 2003 when I everyone I know left for Bed-Stuy and Bushwick.

And it will be fun. I'll be the vaguely brown girl, who looks a little like a hipster & has all the references down. You know, the one who blends in on both trains! [Mwah ha ha.]
posted by dame at 7:34 AM on October 7, 2005

No way. The neighborhood went in '97. I know because that's the year I moved in.
posted by idest at 7:42 AM on October 7, 2005

No way. The neighborhood went in '97. I know because that's the year I moved in.
posted by idest at 7:42 AM PST on October 7 [!]

Is that the last year of the flea-market-like gathering at theMetropolitain and Bedford parking lot?

Oh, and I plan on making the mini-meetup, but I work until 8 in midtown, so it'll be more like 9 before I get there...
posted by Busithoth at 8:08 AM on October 7, 2005

hey, I like the A train.
posted by Stynxno at 8:27 AM on October 7, 2005

Well who doesn't like the A train?
posted by idest at 8:38 AM on October 7, 2005

I hate the A train. It's filthy *and* crowded. I take it less than many others, but get stuck between stations on it more. Its only charm is that express stretch betweeen 60th and 125th, but of course you're still uptown when that happens, so it is a mixed blessing.
posted by dame at 8:43 AM on October 7, 2005

But it's an institution. I mean, wouldn't you miss it if it went away?
posted by idest at 8:44 AM on October 7, 2005

The A train is good for one reason and one reason only.

Latinas.
posted by Stynxno at 8:46 AM on October 7, 2005

So are you saying you don't like the trains with more white people, stynxno? :-)
posted by idest at 8:49 AM on October 7, 2005

Um...PATH anyone?
posted by cyrusdogstar at 8:51 AM on October 7, 2005

The N train kicks all your asses.
posted by jonmc at 8:51 AM on October 7, 2005

idest, exactly.
posted by Stynxno at 8:51 AM on October 7, 2005

The A is OK, but I don't like it because it makes me think of that crap jazz number. The 7 always makes me hallucinate. Or maybe that's just the incredible graffiti you see when you hit Queens. And stynxno... south Williamsburg and the JMZ is Latina central.
posted by Decani at 8:54 AM on October 7, 2005

huh.

i guess i need to move then.
posted by Stynxno at 8:56 AM on October 7, 2005

I love you all.
posted by dame at 9:01 AM on October 7, 2005

Or maybe that's just the incredible graffiti you see when you hit Queens.

:D :D :D God I love that building. I forget if that's the Fun Factory or if that's someplace else, but either way it rocks.
posted by cyrusdogstar at 9:04 AM on October 7, 2005

stynxno, this is what I've been telling you.
posted by idest at 9:21 AM on October 7, 2005

Wish I could but I'm getting hitched the next day.

I vote for meeting in Hell's Kitchen in November. UWS is sooooo far away.
posted by papercake at 9:49 AM on October 7, 2005

Actually, it looks like I have to be in Seattle next weekend. Sorry.
posted by bingo at 7:15 PM on October 7, 2005

Hell's Kitchen in Nov! Yes! I wouldn't have to take any trains at all, just slouch over a block or two.

And congrats papercake!
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:34 PM on October 7, 2005

*dunks the clown, again*
posted by matteo at 9:58 AM on October 10, 2005

7pm, geez!
I usually get over by there about 11 or 12,
but if I get out any earlier I'll swing by.

It's weird that when the discussions of best trains comes up, no one ever says the F, but how can you beat a train that goes from Flushing Queens, to Central Park, Rockefeller Center, heart of NYC, and NYU then Prospect Park to Coney Island - right by the aquarium, and it's usually pretty clean (but not creepy spotless like some disney / singapore future nightmare). Gotta love the F.
posted by milovoo at 1:46 PM on October 14, 2005

I can’t make this one–I had to run around town to find another [expletive] sump pump. Things are a lot drier now, but it won’t get me to Spuyten Brooklyn Duyvil in time. Have a round for me, though–I’ll try for the next one, barring collegiate conflicts.
posted by Smart Dalek at 12:42 PM on October 15, 2005