Re: MacWorld SF "First Time Attendee" Advice
Re: MacWorld SF "First Time Attendee" Advice
- Subject: Re: MacWorld SF "First Time Attendee" Advice
- From: Tim Allison <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 00:07:46 -0600
On Tuesday, November 4, 2003, at 09:40 PM, Jim Foster wrote:
>
Hi!
>
>
Beginning to look like I might be able to attend MacWorld SF for the
>
first time this coming January. Have been to NYC several times, but
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never to SF.
>
Congratulations on getting to go to SF. Personally, I think that SF has
always been a better show than the East Coast (either NYC or Boston),
simply because there are more exhibitors and things going on. Plus, I
can think of a lot of better places to beat the summer heat than either
Boston or Manhattan; but San Francisco in January would be Chicago (my
home) or just about anywhere else in the country (although I knew one
person from Hawaii that went to MacWorld SF, and realized that some
would indeed go to "worse" weather for a MacWorld, but he was
definitely in the minority.
>
Wondering if anyone can point me to any source for "first time MacExpo
>
attendee travel advice"? Has anyone ever put together an FAQ on this
>
subject? Here's a sample of things I am wondering:
>
I don't know of any FAQ's or official information sources, but I'll try
to share some of what I know.
>
- Seems pointless to rent or even have a car in NYC, but in SF I will
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be coming with three other people who are mostly there to vacation and
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shop, not participate in MacWorld. Should we plan to rent a car or is
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this area of SF a walker's (or public transit) paradise? (We will be
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flying into SF.)
Don't bother renting a car in SF. It will be about as pointless as in
NYC if not more so. San Francisco is much smaller than NYC and Moscone
(and most hotels) are within easy walking distance of just about
anything and everything you would want. Public transportation is also
very modern and efficient (compared to Chicago standards at least), and
probably better than NYC. As for your companions, Moscone (and the
aforementioned hotels) will be in easy walking distance of Union Square
and the boutiques and stores there. The theater district is also within
walking distance, and there are plenty of restaurants to suit every
palette and wallet. The cable cars can whisk you up to Fisherman's
Wharf and there are streetcars and buses to Golden Gate Park, Fort
Mason, The Exploratorium and other museums. There is a tourist
information center on the lower level of the Muni/BART station plaza at
5th St., Powell and Market that can direct you on everything you might
want to see and how to get there. Speaking of BART, Berkeley is a short
BART ride away, so whatever you might want, be it used bookstores, used
computer stores, records/tapes/CDs or anything else, Berkeley probably
has it. Although the UC-Berkeley campus will still be on break, there
is still plenty of activity and stuff going on around the town.
>
- I enjoy staying in the Hotel where UGU is being held, like the New
>
Yorker in NYC. But the Argent is quoting me $199.00 U.S. per night and
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I am wondering if that's about right or if there are significantly
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better values still within reasonable distance of Moscone and Argent.
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in other words, does anyone have alternative recommendations for
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accommodations and why?
The Argent is a very nice--I believe it would be called "Business
Class" hotel, and the price while not unreasonable for SF, is toward
the higher end of what hotels in the area charge. I personally am a
cheapskate, and usually stay at what are euphemistically called
"European Style" hotels (translation: the bathroom's down the hall);
but for last January, I did try PriceLine and was able to get a room at
the Marriott (think 4-star First Class with the health club and
everything else) for only $70 per night. I don't know if it will be
do-able this year, but I intend to find out.
As always, you should scour the Mac-related websites, especially those
that have chat rooms or forums. Invariably people will be talking about
MacWorld SF and sharing tips and ideas. I prefer to make my
arrangements at the last feasible moment (translation: end of
November/early December) to watch for specials and bargains.
>
- Perhaps obvious, but what are the MUST SEE tourist attractions which
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are within reasonable distance of the show?
>
Reasonable distance is entirely relative. Moscone is right near Union
Square (think shopping), the SoMa ("South of Market (Street)": booming
art/multimedia district with lots of studios, galleries and more
nightlife than 5 or 10 years ago. The U.S. Mint is only a few blocks
away, but I don't know if they still give tours or anything. Again see
above for suggestions about other possible things and how to get to
them.
/Tim Allison
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
Tim Allison
President
[demime 0.98b removed an attachment of type image/tiff which had a name of Pasted Graphic.tiff]
The Rest of Us Chicagoland Macintosh Users Group
P.O. Box 81679
(312) 409-2426
Chicago, IL 60681-0679
<
http://www.trou.org>
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