Seattle meetup March 2006

March 5, 2006 7:09 PM

Seattle meetup anyone? I suggest March 22 at the Elysian.
posted by agropyron to Bugs at 7:09 PM (50 comments total)

The purpose of the meetup will be a discussion of bugs. That's why I posted to the "bugs" category.
posted by agropyron at 7:14 PM on March 5, 2006

What kind of bugs? A Biblical swarm of locusts perhaps?
posted by killdevil at 7:37 PM on March 5, 2006

i missed the bowling meetup so i'm still a seattle mefite stranger. but i love the Elysian and any excuse to go works for me.

i like most bugs, except maybe big spiders. can i still come?
posted by freudianslipper at 8:29 PM on March 5, 2006

Spiders are arachnids, so you are welcome.
posted by agropyron at 8:46 PM on March 5, 2006

ha! snap.
posted by freudianslipper at 8:51 PM on March 5, 2006

Which one? Capitol Hill or Greenlake?
posted by freshgroundpepper at 9:02 PM on March 5, 2006

If the meetups are moving north from Portland, maybe they'll be in Bellingham in a couple of months. Convenient to both Seattle and Vancouver (aka North Bellingham, eh?)

We will expect pictures.
posted by warbaby at 9:03 PM on March 5, 2006

THERE IS ONLY ONE! :) Tangletown is the one up North, ELysian is the one on the Hill.

I'll try and be there- thanks for suggesting!
posted by tristeza at 9:12 PM on March 5, 2006

Ah yes :) I see now that Tangletown is only subtitled "Elysian Brewing Company and Public House". Capitol Hill it is. The 22nd should work for me (unless my company sends me to Austria as they've been threatening), what time do these things normally get rolling?
posted by freshgroundpepper at 9:31 PM on March 5, 2006

I some shady asian-looking guy shows up unexpectedly, will you drive him off or offer him a beer?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 10:49 PM on March 5, 2006

I live right by Seattle University, yet if I attend, I may be forever changed. Unnerving, this.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 7:12 AM on March 6, 2006

I will be there. And porpoise, I know what you look like, and you'd only be shady if you were wearing a lampshade on your head. In fact, I expect you to wear a lampshade on your head. How's that?
posted by matildaben at 7:30 AM on March 6, 2006

I like the idea, am also a Seattle mefite stranger, and hope to come. I'm nine months pregnant, so I can't promise to be there... but I'll certainly be easy to pick out of the crowd if I can make it.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:26 AM on March 6, 2006

Let's call it 7 pm?
posted by agropyron at 8:58 AM on March 6, 2006

I'll try to be there. Can't make any promises, but I like the Elysian.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:08 AM on March 6, 2006

Is this the place? What kind of parking is available?
posted by deborah at 12:26 PM on March 6, 2006

That's the one. Mostly street parking, which is a pain in the ass.
posted by agropyron at 12:30 PM on March 6, 2006

Can anyone recommend a hotel within walking distance?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 12:39 PM on March 6, 2006

Porpoise, the SIlver Cloud on Broadway is about 3 blocks away.
posted by tristeza at 12:47 PM on March 6, 2006

cough - whoah. ~$200 a night is a little over my budget =(

Thanks tristeza, though.

(google local is really bitchin', going to spend some time trying to find another hotel/motel in the area).
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:05 PM on March 6, 2006

Warbaby will probably recommend Green Tortoise Hostel. It's downtown, so a 15 minute bus ride away from the pub.
posted by matildaben at 2:19 PM on March 6, 2006

There is also a Hostelling International hostel in downtown Seattle; the Elysian is on at least two different bus routes (10, 49) that go from the hostel area to it.

There's also a couple of Bed and Breakfasts in the Capitol Hill area that are within walking distance to the bar. 11th Avenue Inn is one, rates apparently are from $79-179 a night. Might be a bit much, but also not a hostel.

If it helps any, Seattle is very 'neighbourhood based', and the bar in question is in the 'Capitol Hill' neighbourhood. Adding 'Capitol Hill' and/or 'First Hill', the next closest neighbourhood, to your search queries might help find more suitable places to stay.
posted by spinifex23 at 2:35 PM on March 6, 2006

Spinifex nails it. Maybe also "Madison Park"?
posted by matildaben at 2:58 PM on March 6, 2006

Nah. 'Madison Park' is easily a mile and a half away, and is a very wealthy, residential area. 'Quaint' comes to mind. This is a neighbourhood where people sew maribou and silk outfits for their toy poodles.

On the other hand, Downtown and 'Pioneer Square' both have a lot of different places to stay at in varying price ranges and both are easily accessable by bus, and cab fares are inexpensive.
posted by spinifex23 at 3:11 PM on March 6, 2006

I'm having fun referring to our neighborhoods in quotes. I'm going to walk around telling everyone I live in "Greenlake".
posted by matildaben at 3:20 PM on March 6, 2006

I expect that is pronounced "so-called Greenlake."
posted by kindall at 3:28 PM on March 6, 2006

And, I made a mistake. I bow my head in shame.

Downtown isn't downtown, it's 'West Edge'! *insert jazz hands here*.

Welcome to Seattle, PurplePorpoise!
posted by spinifex23 at 3:51 PM on March 6, 2006

Is it metered parking, agro?

Forgive my Nervous Nelly-ishness, but the more info I have the less nervous I'll be about the whole meetup thing.
posted by deborah at 7:55 PM on March 6, 2006

It's not a central business area over there, so no meters. Anyway, meters end after 6 pm. If you were in the main part of Cap Hill, there would be those kind of meters that take credit/debit cards and print out a little ticket.
posted by matildaben at 8:10 PM on March 6, 2006

PPorpoise, stop by in south Vancouver (Bellingham) on your way. I'm one block off the Lakeway exit, so it shouldn't impede your majestic and triumphal progress south.

Alas, I am stuck in my foxhole until some evildoers either seek an injunction or March 28, whichever comes first.
posted by warbaby at 6:49 AM on March 7, 2006

warbaby - you're not asking for a ride so much as stop by for a beer or something?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 8:22 AM on March 7, 2006

Yup. I'm not going anywhere until this legal mess is resolved at least at the tactical level, so I can't leave town until after 3/28.

So come visit and have a drink at the bunnypin conspiracy world headquarters, earth sector, Sol, Milky Way, Universe #092382047423780234 to speed you on your way to Seattle, the location where they did the live action for the Jetsons.
posted by warbaby at 11:03 AM on March 7, 2006

I'll be there unless the world 'splodes before then (^_^)
posted by mk1gti at 11:03 AM on March 7, 2006

I'm about 90%* on this endeavour. I'll email you closer to the date, warbaby.

It's a perfect storm of my having access to a car, an envelope of American currency that I want to burn, and the need to "get out of town" for a day or two (duration and range limited by $$).

*I'd say ~5% going mental and not coming, ~3% nicotine withdrawl pangs, and ~2% the world asploding being overwhelmed by zombies craving sweet sweet brains before then.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 12:47 PM on March 7, 2006

Thanks for the info, Bean!
posted by deborah at 1:52 PM on March 7, 2006

There's a chance I might be able to make it, but as always no promises (having a family can do that). Why does it always have to be at the Elysian, though? Surely someday there could be a Mefi meetup somewhere that has PBR and Jaeger.
posted by Captain_Tenille at 10:35 PM on March 7, 2006

How many have been at the Elysian? I only know of one. I really liked it, and wanted to go back.

There have been a couple of bowling meetups too.
posted by agropyron at 10:43 AM on March 8, 2006

We've had 2 bowling meetups and 1 Ethiopian food meetup (HURF DURF REDLENTIL EATER). I've also been to two at the Big Time. I don't think I've ever been to one at the Elysian, although I go there with friends occasionally. They have the best hummous plate. Hmm, I suppose that means we need a HURF DURF HUMMOUS EATER sign.
posted by matildaben at 9:51 AM on March 9, 2006

ooh, Matildaben...can we hold hands?

XO

I'll be on my 'new' bike. See you there!
posted by black8 at 10:15 AM on March 9, 2006

so why isn't this meetup in the meta sidebar?
posted by freudianslipper at 9:20 PM on March 9, 2006

Because agropyron entered it with a topic of "bugs".
posted by matildaben at 11:24 AM on March 10, 2006

When my mom came to visit some time ago this fall, I referred her to the baconmansion (dot com!), and she said it was quite wonderful, was only about $90/night I think, and is right off the #49 line just a little past broadway; it's walkable but a healthy distance, easier to busride. There are also plenty of places in downtown seattle of varying quality that will be a short #10/#11 busride right up to the Elysian.

I guess I'll show up, in all my furious, hincandescent glory. I went to one of these before back when the infamous Jessamyn lived in Seattle, but that was some time ago... The Elysian is a great bar, terrific house beers and a full bar to boot. Sadly, they no longer carry the Arch Wit, which was the finest beer these lips have ever tasted...
posted by hincandenza at 2:14 AM on March 11, 2006

Wow- I guess I won't show up, as my comment apparently killed this thread. :S
posted by hincandenza at 10:56 AM on March 12, 2006

Is there a hotel nearby that's more reasonable than $90 a night? I'm willing to stumble a distance of up to one kilometre, if that will reduce the cost.
posted by cmonkey at 12:14 PM on March 12, 2006

Eek, apparently not.
posted by cmonkey at 12:25 PM on March 12, 2006

Damn. Had a great, well-crafted response, but stupid firefox crashed on me arbitrarily (it's so buggy and unstable since the 1.5x release!). Long story short, this is a city, so you aren't going to find cheap hotels, at least not within any reasonable distance that's bus/walk-able. Your alternatives are B&B's, but at their cheapest on cap. hill that'll run you $80/night. Cheaper than that, then, are hostels, which often have private room options if your main concern is a relatively safe place to spend the night while mildly intoxicated.

Hostels International has an apparently well-reviewed one in downtown seattle, near Pike Place Market, and you can get a bed for ~$20 and a private room/shared bath for $53. You'll probably have to pay an additional charge for the membership if you aren't already a Hostels International member which is an additional $3/day I believe. Also not sure also if (depending on how drunk you were planning on getting) they have rules about staying there alcohol free. You could ride the #10 or #11 bus in a practically door-to-door route from the hostel to the Elysian and back; you'd have to walk about 4 blocks total to get to the stops on each end.

There's another hostel that's even closer, within walking distance of the Elysian. I don't know much about it but it's called the Bigfoot Backpacker's Hostel, and it's right off-Broadway based on the address. Doesn't seem to have a website, or many reviews, so no idea what their story is or how clean they are, etc, but they certainly are close and probably cheap.


The cheapest options are to sleep in your car and drive back to Portland in the morning, to find some kind Seattle MeFite to let you crash at their place... or to wait until a Portland meet-up is organized. :)
posted by hincandenza at 7:41 PM on March 12, 2006

Several Seattle-people have come down for the last few Portland ones, so I figure it's time for some of us to head up there.

I'll ask the hostels what their booze policy is; those look affordable enough.
posted by cmonkey at 8:38 PM on March 12, 2006

It sounds like I need to keep my bald-guy-scalp-massaging fingers limbered up for this one.
posted by matildaben at 4:02 PM on March 14, 2006

Does the Love Israel family still run a hostel on Queen Anne?
posted by warbaby at 1:23 PM on March 16, 2006

Looks like 15 or so people by my count. :^)
posted by deborah at 4:55 PM on March 20, 2006