All of the mentioned sound good. Did we discuss a NC option since we have a few Buffistas there. Again, it gets warm earlier.

Did we discuss a NC option since we have a few Buffistas there.

The problem with that is that where the Buffistas are, are not so ideal for f2fs. As much as I love Chapel (T)h(r)ill, it's basically a wee college town next to a wee hippie enclave. Think roughly three blocks worth of Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley or State St. in Madison. We do have free buses in town, but they're not so hot on the weekend and getting to another town requires a car.

Durham would probably be best, in terms of stuff to do. That's where amych and darth live, and it's about 20 min from where amyth and I live. Not sure where kiba is these days...

Umm. If we were really going to look at doing an f2f in NC, I'd be happy to assist a taskmaster from out of town, but I know myself too well to volunteer for it. Unless amych wants to step up.

eta Durham Convention Marriott, nicely downtown, has a rate of $104 for a double or king on a randomly chosen weekend in June. Free parking, wireless all over hotel, connected to an awesome arthouse theater. And now I need to stop pimping and write my monthly report.

I would be fine with a July f2f if it means more people could come.

Have to say, that was a popular notion for Seattle but the votes kept it squarely out of July.

Eh, people end up voting for whatever weekend is the most convenient for them.

NYC has its advantages.

If we can keep the hotel cost at "Not Too Bad" (like Seattle and New Orleans - neither was, iirc, inexpensive though they were great deals for those particular hotels), we've got easy transportation, cheap flights, several airports, lots to do, hotels with a clue, locals, and even inexpensive food if you make the effort.

If we can keep the hotel cost at "Not Too Bad"

Pretty big if...

Oh, man, NYC would be awesome.

I'll also pimp for Philly. But I can't be the point person for anything, due to a deadline and possible moving.

I'd love NYC, but I've never stayed in a hotel there for less than $200/night that wasn't a nasty place. I think if folks could afford to do it then hotels like The Muse and The Library are actually amazing deals, but they are all north of $200/night.

Yeah, I tried looking into hotel costs in NYC a little while ago, and even pretty basic hotels way out in Brooklyn were more than we usually spend.

but I've never stayed in a hotel there for less than $200/night that wasn't a nasty place

Were you getting group rates, though?

I do remember the last time I looked into pimping NYC, I didn't get very good responses from hotels. But we weren't in a recession then, so it may be worth looking again.

One thing that came up in a conversation this weekend (can't remember who I was talking to) is that many locales with cheaper hotels are also that much more expensive/difficult to fly into. Between three major airports, you can get to NYC from *anywhere*.