Spring 2013 Philadelphia meet up

Meet up date: May 18-19, 2013



We have decided to meet up on the weekend of May 18-19. Specific plans and times will be announced as the time approaches.

List of potential and definite attendees:

Definite:
Darryl (kidzdoc): Atlanta/Levittown, PA
Katherine (qebo): Lancaster, PA
Nora (norabelle414): Washington, DC
Deborah (Cariola): Chambersburg, PA
Jim (drneutron) & wife: Lisbon, MD
Zoë (_Zoe_): NYC
Laura (lauralkeet) & husband: Chester County, PA
Mike (CurrerBell): Drexel Hill, PA
Monica (crazy4reading): Boothwyn, PA
Tad (TadAD) & wife: NJ
Judy (ffortsa): NYC
Jim (magicians_nephew): NYC
Belva (rainpebble): Washington State
Marcia (allthesedarnbooks): Binghamton, NY
tloeffler (Terri): St. Louis
brenpike (Brenda): Lawrence, KS

Probable:
Madeline (SqueakyChu): Rockville, MD
Barbara (friend of SqueakyChu): Catonsville, MD
Linda (Whisper1): Bethlehem, PA
tophats: Philadelphia area
Brit (weejane): SE Pennsylvania
Anne (AnneDC): Washington, DC

Possible:
Linda (laytonwoman3rd) +/- spouse: Beech Creek, PA
Terri (tymfos): Western PA
Caroline (cameling): Boston
Maren (Marensr): Chicago
Jane (janepriceestrada): NYC
Gary (GaryCandelaria): Shepherdstown, WV
Esquiress (kcrisell): SE Pennsylvania
Jennifer (whitewavedarling): Pittsburgh
Laura (LauraBrook): Milwaukee
Bob (vpfluke): Bellmore, NY
Jill (jillmwo): Philadelphia, PA

I'm in! Philadelphia is a short and unreserved train trip, and a familiar city (I lived a mile west of UPenn), so I can be fairly spontaneous about time, and possibly suggest options as things coalesce.

Great! I look forward to seeing you again and hearing ideas from you, Katherine.

Will you come by train? I'll almost certainly take SEPTA Regional Rail to 30th Street Station, so I can meet people there.

This is probably doable for me! I will keep everyone posted.

ETA: I will probably take the bus which drops off at the 30th Street Station. Bus tickets can only be bought up to 2 months in advance so I won't know for sure until then.

I hope that you can join us, Nora!

The absolute best time for me would be over Spring Break: March 15-24. But I agree that the Book Festival would be a great attraction. It gets harder for me to schedule things near the end of the semester as that is when I am swamped with grading students' final papers and planning for final exams. Last day of classes is May 3, followed by exam week and another week of marathon grading. Then I'm off for the summer. But I'll do my best to make it at any time.

I've never taken the train in, but I hear that's the way to go. I'd leave from Harrisburg, which is about an hour's drive from me here in Chambersburg. The drive to Philly would be about three hours, plus then there's the parking issue.

I'm not super familiar with the city, although I was chauffered around by a colleague when we planned two conferences in town, and I did a bit of sight seeing when I attended MLA.

Mrsdrneutron and I are probable. She works for a tax accountant, so after April 15 is desirable. :)

I'm definitely interested, and can't imagine why I wouldn't be able to make it as long as we set the date far enough in advance.

7: I've never taken the train in, but I hear that's the way to go. I'd leave from Harrisburg
That's the train I take, and it is both faster and far easier than driving.

I'd love to be there, assuming no child or family commitments that would take precedence. Spousal participation possible.

I'm guessing your meet-up will conflict with the Book Festival I host in Kensington, Maryland, for BookCrossing. Last year it was on April 22. I'll have to keep you posted as to the date for this year. I'd only be able to attend after our festival as there's too much work ahead of that date for me.

I have close family around Philly, and an April visit is possible. I'll keep track of the discussion and final dates.

I'll be visiting my newest grandchild due to be born in early April in NJ, so I might be able to arrange a train ride to Philadelphia for a meet-up. I'll sure try!

>7 Cariola: We should keep mid March in mind in case mid April doesn't work out for most people. Or, we could have a second meet up then, especially for those who live close by. If I came in mid April I probably wouldn't come again in March, but I wouldn't rule it out automatically.

30th Street Station is just west of the Schuylkill River in University City, at 30th & Market Streets. You can cross the river on the bridge over Market Street, the main east-west street in the city, to reach Center City, or you can take an eastbound Market Street subway or SEPTA Regional Rail train at 30th Street.

Here are a couple of maps in PDF format of Center City. The first is less busy, and it shows the route of the SEPTA Phlash service that goes to the most popular attractions. Unfortunately it only runs from Memorial Day until the end of October.

Phlash Route Map

The second map has more detail and is considerably busier than the first one.

Philadelphia Downtown Map

It's probably easier to take the train to 30th Street Station and walk to Logan Square than it would be to drive and try to find parking nearby, especially on a weekend when there are several events taking place nearby. Alternatively, there are several parking lots adjacent to 30th Street Station and along Market Street east of the station near Rittenhouse Square and the hotels west of City Hall if you wanted to drive to the city instead.

>8 drneutron: Excellent! I hope that you can make it, Jim.

>9 _Zoe_: It will be great to see you again, Zoë. This, of course, assumes that you will eventually return to NYC from the Bay Area. ;-)

I listed you, Katherine and myself as "definite", although I'm sure that none of us will be certain until sometime next year.

>10 qebo: I would tend to agree with Katherine. Driving into Philadelphia is nowhere near as onerous as driving into NYC, but it's far easier to take a train to 30th Street Station and walk or take public transit from there.

>11 lauralkeet: I'm looking forward to meeting you, Laura. Would you drive from Chester County or take SEPTA?

>12 SqueakyChu: That's understandable, Madeline. I hope that these two dates don't conflict, as it would be great to meet you in Philly. If not, a meetup in the Baltimore/DC area is potentially doable for me, especially if it coincides with a visit to my parents' house. They live close to the Trenton train station, and I can easily get an Amtrak train from there.

>13 dchaikin: Great! I hope that you can make it, Dan.

>14 arubabookwoman: I was going to say that Dan might have the longest distance to travel to Philadelphia (assuming that Paul Cranswick, from Kuala Lumpur, isn't able to join us), but you would trump him if you could make it, Deborah!

>15 kidzdoc:: Darryl, I would drive in. We don't live near a train station and by the time we get to one we might as well just keep driving. It's one of the things I dislike about where we live ... Wish we had researched public transportation before moving here!

Add two more to the possibles, Darryl. As I mentioned on your thread, we are determined to visit Philadelphia sometime this Spring, but are not yet able to set specific dates. April or May would probably be our preference, as March can be such an iffy weather month. I'll be watching here for more details.

A bit of bad news: the 2013 Philadelphia Book Festival will take place in mid-April, from Monday April 15 through Friday April 19. However there will not be any weekend author readings or street fairs (where publishers and bookshops sell books) this year. So, should we keep with the same weekend, or entertain alternative ones? If so, which date(s) would you prefer?

As Linda said, my preference would be for a weekend sometime in April or May, due to the potential for bad weather in the Northeast in March. I'll look for other book related or cultural events in town during mid spring.

Well, if we are not worried about the book fair, I'd prefer to wait until May. My grades will be in and my time free by May 16.

What about places to stay in Philly?

I also would prefer later in the year as if I decide to drive up for one day only, I'd like to be back before it gets dark. I no longer like to drive after dark as my vision is not what it once was - old fogey that I am! :D

>19 Cariola: A mid to late May meet up would work for me. Should we shoot for the weekend of May 18-19? The following weekend is Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27), which may not be the best time for a meet up for some people. Thoughts?

As Zoë said, as long as the meet up is far enough in advance, and barring any unforeseen work commitments, any time in April or May would be fine with me. I'd like to get together with as many people as possible, so I'd like everyone's opinion on a preferred meet up date.

>20 SqueakyChu: I've never stayed in a hotel in Philadelphia. However, there are several hotels close to Logan Square, which would be a short walk from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation collection, and others closer to the Convention Center, which would be a longer walk from the museums but is still doable.

I just looked at a 2013 Philadelphia annual events calendar, and there are two festivals that will be held on the weekend of May 18-19: the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival, which "features live entertainment, games and food, plus the Italian Market’s dazzling array of homemade sausages, delicious cannolis, imported meats and cheeses, luscious cappuccino, butcher-cut beef and poultry, specialty cookware and fresh pastas", and the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival, which "transforms the Rittenhouse shopping and dining district into a come-one, come-all street fest for a day of music, outdoor shopping, fashion events, international entertainment and food from some of the city’s most renowned restaurants." So, there will be plenty of things to do that weekend, which will give people other options if they don't want to visit the museums or bookstores.

Add me. I'll be coming in from Drexel Hill (Delaware County), just west of Philadelphia.

May is fine for me too, Darryl.

May 18-19 sounds like the perfect weekend for me.

If I come down for more than a day, I will stay at a Marriott property. My daughter still works there on occasion and gets a great discount for immediate family. I've stayed at the one that is near the Franklin Science Center and the one in Old Town.

Alas! I'll probably only be on the east coast in April. Maybe next time.

Does anyone know if there will be a mid May LT meet up in DC next year? I don't want to schedule one in Philadelphia on or near the same date as that one.

>23 CurrerBell: Excellent! I'll add your name to the list.

>24 lauralkeet:, 25 Thanks for letting me know, Laura and Deborah.

>26 arubabookwoman: Maybe we can have two Philadelphia LT spring meet ups, for people who aren't able to attend one of them. I definitely need to hear from Madeline or Zoë about any other May LT meetups in the East Coast.

Madelaine (SqueakyChu) would definitely know about a DC meetup. I think the Washington Book Festival on the mall is later in the summer, but I'm not sure.

I don't think the spring DC meetups have any particular date; we just work around everyone's schedules. I haven't heard anything yet about this coming year.

No, we don't have a date set for the DC spring meetup, though we will definitely have one. We can plan ours around the Philly meetup.

May 18-19 works fine for me for Philly.

Works for us too.

The National Book Festival does not take place until the end of September although there are other Maryland books fairs in which I participate with my local BookCrossing club that take place in the spring. They don't lend themselves well to meet-ups, though, because the two in which I'm most heavily involved (Kensington, Gaithersburg) are not Metro accessible.

Thanks, everyone. So, unless there is a groundswell of support for another date, let's plan to meet up on May 18th and/or 19th. I'll request an extended weekend off from work (at least Friday to Monday), so I'll be able to attend any meet ups on Saturday and Sunday. For the moment I'll plan to commute into Center City by train each day from my parents' house, but if we decide to do something in the evening I may stay in a hotel one or both nights.

That sounds good to me! I'm just going to confirm the dates of one workshop that I know is happening around the end of the semester; hopefully it won't be the same weekend.

>34 _Zoe_: I hope that your workshop won't interfere with the meet up, Zoë. We can consider an alternate meet up date if it does.

Thanks; I've emailed the organizer, so hopefully I'll have a response within the next 24 hours. I'm impressed at how quickly this meetup discussion was able to coalesce around a particular date!

I'll clear my schedule to accommodate what ever date is choosen. Philadelphia is a mere hour and 1/2 from me and I'm very familiar with the city.

I'm going to have to miss your Philly meet-up as the Gaithersburg Book Festival is on May 18th this year. Maybe I'll get to see some of you at the DC meet-ups in 2013.

I don't think the date is set in stone, Madeline--we can keep looking if that one doesn't work for you. Would Memorial Day weekend really be so bad, for example?

Could you join us on May 19th, Madeline?

ETA: Major holiday weekends are considerably more difficult for me to take off, as we all have to chip in and work a set number of holidays per year to cover the hospital service. It's far easier for me to get a long weekend off during a non-holiday weekend.

Memorial Day weekend is really bad for travelling because everyone and his brother is on the road at that time.

After working the book fair all day on Saturday, I very seriously doubt if I'd be up for travelling out of state the next day! Those are fun events but very tiring.

Hmm. I'd still say it's better to travel in traffic than not to meet up at all, but I guess that's easy to say when I wouldn't be doing the driving myself.

I'm good for May 18-19, or for any weekend thereafter through August.

Typically I have to work two of the four minor holidays per year: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day. I generally like to take off for Labor Day, as I usually travel to London in late August to mid September. So, I would have to work two of the remaining three holidays, and there would be a two in three chance that I'd have to work Memorial Day weekend, depending on the requests of my other partners. If we decided to meet up on Memorial Day weekend, then it's moderately likely that I couldn't make it.

The Spoleto Festival is being held from May 24 to June 9, and I was thinking of going to Charleston for a few days to see it, depending on the event schedule (which comes out on December 10th; hmm, Charleston meet up?). So, I'd be reluctant to commit to a meet up the weekend after Memorial Day. I often get two week breaks from work in mid April and mid June, and I'd like to keep that open for a spring trip to London or San Francisco.

I doubt that there will be a weekend, whichever one we choose, that will accomodate everyone, since most of us will be traveling from outside of the immediate Philadelphia metropolitan area. I would suggest choosing the weekend that best fits the majority of people, knowing that, unfortunately, one or more people may be unable to attend. This includes me, too; if there is a weekend that fits everyone's schedule but mine, I'd say go for it, and I'll try to make it to the next meet up!

ETA: I just looked at my work schedule (which we keep online) for the past few years. I've worked every Memorial Day weekend from 2008-2012. So, if the group decides to meet that weekend I'd almost certainly have to request precious vacation time, or alter my September London plans, or most likely not come at all. May 18-19 would be my first preference, followed by sometime in mid April.

>41 SqueakyChu: Madeline, Would you want to take the bus or train together? That's what I will do anyway and then you wouldn't have to worry about driving.

20,41,45: The train (or bus) would eliminate the driving after dark issue too.

That would be a possibility, Nora. When a date is set, I'll figure it all out. Now is too soon to know. I'm also expecting a grandbaby the beginning of June so everything is up in the air for me really.

Well, it seems that May 18-19 will work for me, anyway. The workshop organizer responded from the train without checking her calendar, but thinks that the workshop is April 12 (a Friday). Surely her memory couldn't be that far off, right?

So, it looks as though a sizable majority of people can make it on May 18-19. Considering that Madeline's plans will be up in the air for awhile, I think we should plan the meet up for that weekend.

I'm in the Boothwyn area (Delaware County) and I could take the train into Philly. I won't spend $$ on a hotel. I am off on weekends and can always take a day off during the week if needed. I have never attended one of these and would love to meet people from LT!!

Great! We'd love to meet you, Monica.

I've never been to a group meetup either, although I met Madeline (SqueakyChu) one-on-one. It always looks like so much fun when people post photos.

May 18-19 would work for me. Memorial Day weekend wouldn't (anniversary).

This Meet-Up could turn out to be HUGE!

I hope I can make it. I have never done one of these Meet-Ups but am looking so forward to it.

Yup, it may be the biggest one yet!

Put Jim (Magicians_nephew) and me down for a probable. I think the date is ok for us.

>53 TadAD: Great, Tad! Will your wife come as well?

>54 SqueakyChu: Definitely, Madeline. How many people attended the largest previous LT gatherings? I assume that those would have been the ones in Boston and DC.

>55 crazy4reading: I hope that you can make it, Monica.

>56 _Zoe_: Cool!

>57 ffortsa: Great, Judy! I look forward to seeing you and Jim again.

49: Darryl, maybe you could put the date in bold, and other plans as they are settled, in your post 1 or 2? This is getting to be a popular thread, and the details may get lost.

>58 kidzdoc: Boston, Fall 2011 - Wiki shows 12 people signed up, but I don't remember how many of them showed up. Tim was also there. So that's potentially 13? But not all at the same time.
DC, Spring 2012 = Wiki shows 15 people signed up, but I think about 4 of them did not attend.

>59 qebo: Or make a wiki page!

Richard's birthday might also be a contender for largest meetup.

I would love to make the Philly meet-up, if circumstances allow. And I might convince my husband to go too. We haven't been to Philadelphia since the mid-70's when we lived there for just under a year while I was in paralegal school.

>59 qebo: Great idea, Katherine. I have posted the meet up date at the beginning of message #1, and I've eliminated the information that is no longer pertinent in that message. I'll include more specific information when plans begin to take shape.

>60 norabelle414: Thanks for posting that info, Nora. By my count we're up to 21 possible attendees, and I expect that several more people will express an interest in coming.

I'll have to learn how to make a wiki page. I should be able to do that sometime next week.

>61 _Zoe_: Good point, Zoë. There was a large gathering for Richard's birthday, as I recall.

>62 laytonwoman3rd: Great, Linda! I hope that you and your husband can join us.

>58 kidzdoc:: Probably, but I never like to speak for her and we haven't talked about it, yet.

I must say the idea of a Philadelphia meetup is tempting, even though it's on the other end of the state from where I am now. I know the city pretty well and enjoy going back there periodically. I'm just not sure the logistics will work out for getting the weekend off, and some family issues to sort out. Consider me a "possible" to attend. Probably a long shot, but possible.

I would love to come up for a Philly meet-up so pencil me in. I won't know whether I'm actually available that weekend until much later, but I will try to block it out.

>64 TadAD: Smart move, Tad. I hope that both of you can join us.

>65 tymfos:, 66 Terri and Anne, I've added both of you to the list of possible attendees.

I plan to attend barring any financial problems or family emergencies happening that weekend. I will add the dates to my calendar so that I have the marked off already.

>68 crazy4reading: Great! I hope that you're able to join us, Monica.

I am visiting friends in London, Ohio this spring. No dates have been set. I will be flying in but perchance I could time it just prior to the meet up and take a train or bus from London to Philly. Have never been there so would need a little help as to where to go and perhaps help finding a B.& B. or an hotel that is conveniently located to the events of the meet up. Then I could just fly home to Washington State from Philly. Hmm, it might work. I would love to take part and meet you all.

That would be awesome, Belva! I'd love to meet you, too.

I hope that you can join us, Belva! Let us know if you'll be able to come, and I can look into hotel rooms for you, particularly as our specific plans become clearer.

Oh my, oh my, oh my ... this is so tempting. I've taken down the dates and will try to work my schedule around this. I so dearly want to join you guys at this MeetUp. So put me down as a possible attendee.

Excellent! I hope that you can make it, Caroline.

Uh oh! I have a friend (not an LT member) who said she'd come to Philly with me if I should decide to do the LT meet-up instead of the BC book fair. What to do? Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Come to the meetup!

:)

75: This is a question? Come to the meetup and recruit another LT member!

I've tried for years, but it's a no go.

Yeah, but once she meets our smiling faces, it'll be a slam dunk!

Heh! That's what I keep telling her. However, my husband met both _Zoe_ and qebo and still refuses to join. :)

Since it looks more and more like I'll actually be joining you in Philly, might I suggest that all of you keep a "wishlist" as a collection here on LT so that, if I come across any BookCrossing-registered books that you want, I can bring them to you. Of course, they'll be free to you (with only the hope of a journal entry). :D

Wishlist Books wiki

Feel free to delete any books that I plan to bring to the meet up to this list (which I'll be gleaning from the wishlists of the myriad folks planning to attend this meet-up).

#82 Good idea, Madeline. I'm marking your message as a "favorite" so I can find the Wiki again easily if (WHEN!) I definitely know I'm going to make it to Philly. Surely I must have books I can share with someone, Book-Crossing registered or otherwise.

> 83

I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure how others would react to it (i.e. me pushing off my BookCrossing-registered books onto others). My local LT meet-up groups knows I do this, and they are always prepared to say, "No!" :D

Well, if it's on my wishlist, and it's in decent condition, I can't imagine being put out because someone offered it to me! And I know how to say "No, thanks" too.

My books are in decent reading condition. Mostly it's been an issue of others carrying these books home. :)

Doh; how does one make a 'wishlist' on L.T. Have been here for a few years now and yet do not know this. Hmmm

> 87

How to make a wishlist here on LT:

1. Click on the tab called "Your books"
2. Click on "All collections".
3. Scroll to the bottom and click on "edit collections".
4. Click on "wishlist".
5. Check "active".
6. Click on "Save".

Voila! You now have "Wishlist" as one of your LT book collections in "All collections". Go ahead and add your wishlisted books. FYI: Those books will not be mixed into "Your Library".

Addendum: At first, I was very against making "Wishlist" a collection here on LT. Since I've done that, I've had no problems with it, and I'm glad I've done so. It's so easy to click on a book about which I read a review and instantly make that an LT wishlisted book. Then, later when I have more time, I'll go back and add it to my wishlist on BookMooch.

By the way, if you try it and don't like it, you can always delete it, so no harm done. :)

Also, if you move the Wishlist collection to the top of the collection list, Add Books will by default add new books to it. Since the majority of books I add go on the Wishlist, this saves me having to edit each as I add them.

Thanks for that information about the collections SqueakyChu and drneutron. I was wondering why book club books was always at the top of my list when I added new books.

Thank you so much for the info. I will be working on that when I get some spare time.

kidzdoc;
Could you edit to put myself and possibly the hubby down as possibles please? Now he is thinking we will take the dog and the trailer and go cross country to Philly and London. I think he is more excited than I am. He thinks that there are some kind of racetracks around there and is very keen on checking them out.
thanx,

Will do, Belva!

Add my friend Barbara to my name under list of potential attendees. Wow - is that list growing! She's from Catonsville, Maryland.

Add me to the possible folks too. I don't know if I'll be able to work it in but I'd like to try. I'd be coming from Chicago

We are certainly gathering a crowd. Maybe if we have enough certain participants, we can get a hotel deal.

>95 Marensr: Will do, Madeline!

>96 ffortsa: Excellent; I hope that you can make it, Maren!

>97 kidzdoc: Good idea, Judy. Unless the group plans on late night activities I'll probably take the commuter train (SEPTA Regional Rail) from Center City Philadelphia to my parents' house, so I probably won't stay in a hotel. Maybe we can get a head count of people who are definitely coming and definitely plan to stay in a hotel to see what group deals might be available. I've never stayed in a hotel in Philadelphia, so I can't recommend any specific ones. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I will be staying at a Marriott because my daughter works at the one in Nashville off and on, so I get the Associates discount. I have stayed at two of them in Philly. Both are lovely (but not exactly cheap).

Hi! I live a short(ish) train ride away from Philly, and I'd love to join the meetup as well. As of yet, I have nothing planned on that weekend *fingers crossed* and I'd love to meet up with some LT members :)

I know that if I go to this meet up I will not be staying in a hotel because funds are very limited and I don't want to spend money unnecessarily. I would have to check the times for the train to make sure I can make it back on the last train that evening (safely) too.

I'll just be coming in from the burbs -- I might park at the DoubleTree at Broad and Spruce, or maybe just park at an all-day meter in Sixty Ninth Street and take the Market Street subway.

If I come, I'd like to stay parked at the hotel we choose and then walk or use public transportation to get to where we're going.

Darryl, can you put me down as a maybe. A good friend from grad school lives in Philly so I could visit her also.

>98 Cariola: The downtown Marriott hotel is on 12th & Market, just across the street from Reading Terminal Market. That would be a great place for me to stay if I decide to stay in Center City for the weekend, as it's a short walk from there to the Market East SEPTA Regional Rail station. It would also be convenient for anyone coming into 30th Street Station on Amtrak, as they could take a taxi or SEPTA from there. Which other Philadelphia Marriott hotel did you stay at, Deborah?

>99 tophats: Welcome, tophats! I'll put you down as "probable" then.

>100 crazy4reading: What station would you be coming from, Monica? I believe that there are many more trains that travel from Philadelphia to Harrisburg than to cities west of there, such as Johnstown and Altoona. I'm sure that Katherine would know more about this than I do.

>101 CurrerBell: I'll probably also commute to Center City; the Langhorne SEPTA Regional Rail station is less than 10 minutes from where my parents' house.

>102 SqueakyChu: There are a lot of hotels in Center City, Madeline, but I think you'd be better off staying at one close to the Convention Center/Reading Terminal Market and the ones close to the museums west of City Hall.

I guess we should start discussing what we'd like to do there, especially since this will probably be a very large group and not everyone may want to do the same things at the same times. At least some of us are interested in going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the new Barnes Foundation Museum, which are within walking distance of each other along Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Rittenhouse Square area is also within walking distance, as is the Joseph Fox Bookshop (what would an LT meet up be without book shopping?) and the Mütter Museum (great medical museum). If others wanted to go to Independence Hall, the Constitution Center or Olde City, they would probably be better off staying closer to the convention center or a bit further to the east.

>103 janemarieprice: Gladly, Jane. I hope that you can join us!

I've stayed at the downtown Marriott and the Residence Inn, which is in the same general area. Assuming that I can get the Associates rate (it's too early to do so now), I will probably come in on the 17th. I went to the reservation site and did see that there is special place to reserve 10+ rooms. Don't know if that means a discount, however.

For things to do, I would definitely like to see the new Barnes, but I could do that on my own if there isn't enough interest. I've seen the Liberty Bell, etc. several times.

I'm also very interested in seeing the new Barnes, Deborah, especially since I never saw the collection at its previous location. It's my mother's favorite museum, and there is a small chance that I might see it with her when I go there in February. She is suffering from degenerative osteoarthritis of her knees, though, so I suspect that she probably won't want to see it until the weather warms up a bit.

I've been to Independence Mall several times since high school, so I'd be far less interested in (though not opposed to) going there.

University City (Drexel & University of Pennsylvania campus area), west of and walking distance from 30th Street Station:
University of Pennsylvania Bookstore
Penn Book Center
Last Word Bookshop
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Ben Franklin Parkway, north east of and walking distance from 30th Street Station:
Free Library of Philadelphia
Franklin Institute
Academy of Natural Sciences
Barnes Foundation
Rodin Museum
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rittenhouse Square area, south east of and walking distance from 30th Street Station:
Barnes & Noble
Joseph Fox Bookshop
Mutter Museum

Pennsylvania Convention Center area, further east:
AIA Bookstore
Cook Book Stall
Jefferson Medical & Health Science Bookstore
Reading Terminal Market
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Constitution Center and Independence Mall, even further east:
Book Trader
National Constitution Center
Independence Hall
Philadelphia History Museum
African American Museum
National Museum of American Jewish History
Chemical Heritage Foundation

I’d like to see the new Barnes Foundation; I also never went out to its previous location. I’ve been to the Museum of Art and Franklin Institute a gazillion times, but wouldn’t mind going again, and they should be high on the list for anyone who hasn’t been to Philadelphia. Both, of course, have museum gift/bookstores. Independence Hall ratcheted up the security after 9/11, and often has unpleasantly long lines. I’m partial to the Penn Museum because that’s my old neighborhood, but understand that it’s west of the classic sites so probably not on the agenda.

often has unpleasantly long lines.

I'd be happy to skip those as time for me will be limited.

Two very good used bookshops, both of which I discovered through LT member sibyx's recommendation!
- Book Trader, 7 North 2nd Street (near Independence Mall / Society Hill)
- Last Word, 220 South 40th Street. (near UPenn and therefore near 30th St Station)

Kidzdoc I would be taking Septa from Marcus Hook. I am familiar with Septa and have no problem taking it just not at the late night.

110: Thanks. Last Word I knew about, because I walked by it weekly on the way to the grocery store. Book Trader is unfamiliar, but it has a semi web site that I've just added to the list in 107.

Now that I know the dates, I'm going to try to make it. I failed to make the D.C. gathering this year, but will put the Philadelphia May meeting on my calendar!

Jim and I were at the Barnes the day after Thanksgiving, with my sister and brother and sister-in-law. I liked it very much, but the others thought its idiosyncratic and sometimes dark displays were irritating. It's definitely worth seeing, and I say that even though I was drowning in Renoirs by the time we left.

>107 qebo: Wow; great list, Katherine! Thanks for posting it.

>108 qebo: Oddly enough I don't think I've ever been to the Franklin Institute, and certainly not since high school. I'll have to find out what's on at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I'd agree that it's a must for any museum lovers that have been there before, and I always enjoy going there.

I have very little interest in going to Independence Hall, but with a group this large, there may be some people who might like to visit it.

>110 lauralkeet: Thanks for those bookstore recommendations, Laura. I'm ashamed to say that I know very little about Philadelphia's bookstores, especially in comparison to the ones in NYC.

>111 crazy4reading: Ah. For some reason I was thinking that you were close to State College, Monica. I took night classes at to Drexel University for a couple of years, and I'd catch a late train (West Trenton local) from 30th Street Station to Langhorne at least a few times each month, back in the early 1980s. I didn't have any problems, in part because there were always other students from Drexel who also walked from campus to the station at the same time I did.

>113 GaryCandelaria: I'll add your name to the list, Gary. I hope that you can join us!

>114 ffortsa: Hopefully we won't drown in Renoirs, Judy!

Today's New York Times Travel section features 36 Hours in Philadelphia...

oooohhhh - so I just found out about this. I live/work at a boarding school about 30-45 min southwest of Philly, so assuming I'm not working and can get some kid-free time I'm in.

Wow... this is fascinating! I'm about an hour or so outside of Philly, and I'd really like to get together with people about books :)

May I be put on the list as a possible attendee, if all goes well for me?

-kcrisell (you can call me Esquiress)

I may be in...I have family just outside of Pittsburgh who'd put me up for a night or two, so if I can afford the gas, I'll be there :)

Could you add me to the list of slight possibles? I haven't had a vacation in years, and could use the trip as an added bonus to dig into my family tree in Pittsburgh on the way back. I'm thinking I might drive (how is parking in Philly, BTW?), or if nothing else I can always take the train too. And of course, all of this depends on Ye Olde Budget too. But still, it's something to think about for me, and I'd LOVE to meet all you the LTers that are going to be there!!!

Laura in Milwaukee, WI

Darryl,

Please upgrade my status from possible to probable! :)

12-> You're coming from Milwaukee? Then you'd be needing motel/hotel accommodations, and they should have quite adequate parking wherever you stay, though you ought to check on how much they charge per day.

Are you planning on driving through Philly while you're here? Center City parking can be a little iffy, just like it is anywhere, but the buses and subway are decent enough for most locations you'd want to go. For more outlying areas, there are also the regional rail lines. Take a look at the SEPTA maps. (Market Street is the main east-west street through the city, and Broad Street is the main north-south street.)

As for getting around, I guess first you really want to figure out where you want to go. You might want to look at a tourist site, and you might also want to check out some of the favorite bookstores I link to on my profile page.

Some of those links are just places I mean to get around to visiting sometime (maybe before I die?), but these five are ones I'm most familiar with.

Book Trader has great hours and is just about half-a-block from the Market Street subway, but parking in its immediate neighborhood is lousy. Book Trader has a strong following, but they're not really my personal cuppa, but I may just be prejudiced by the limited parking in the area. Given its great hours, it's something you'd definitely want to check out for a one-time visit.

House of Our Own on the University of Pennsylvania campus is just four or five blocks from the Market Street subway and has good parking right in front of the store if you don't mind paying $2/hour. As an idea of what it's like, she keeps a couple piles of Norton Critical Editions separate and she has a small foreign-language collection, heavily French. She also used to have a nice bunch of Virago Modern Classics that she piled separately, but I've pretty much cleaned those out.

My own favorite, The Title Page, is in Bryn Mawr, near Villanova University, definitely outside the city and not too easily accessible unless you drive, but parking is quite good. Beverly also used to have a nice Virago collection sorted out separately until I cleaned her out, but she thinks she may have some more in storage and she's going to check it out in good weather. Her hours are limited (Monday-Saturday and she closes at 5), but in addition to the usual used-book-store inventory she's also strong on rare books, some sets running more (I think) than you'll ever want to pay. Considering that she's a short drive into the suburbs, right out into my own neighborhood, I'd call ahead to be sure she's open. Among other items I've gotten there -- very reasonably priced at $75 -- was the complete 32-volume Kensington Illustrated Thackeray (very early 20th century), and I'm also looking at a very nice complete set of Tobias Smollett in the $70 price range.

Bucks County Bookshop and Central Books share a building in Doylestown (think James Michener and Pearl Buck) but their hours are more limited, especially Buck County Bookshop. Doylestown is some significant distance from center-city Philly, so I'd call ahead to make sure they'll be open. Parking is excellent.

Virago-ites might be particularly interested in House of Our Own and The Title Page, both of which have strong "women's lit" sections, and Beverly may be getting some more Viragos out of storage for The Title Page when the weather gets warmer and it's easier for her to get around. Virago-ites will also be especially interested in just chatting with Beverly at The Title Page -- stuff like that book dealer she knew who tried to get as many autographed copies from authors as he possibly could but Djuna Barnes always insisted on inscribing the copies to the dealer's wife, that sort of thing. Beverly's also gotten from time to time some strong estate collections of deceased professors from local colleges.

uh oh. My brother lives in Bryn Mawr. I may have to peek into The Title Page the next time I visit.

>116 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura; I saw that article, but I forgot to post it here.

>117 weejane:-120 Brit, Esquiress (cool name!), Jennifer and Laura: I've added your names to the list of possible attendees.

>121 SqueakyChu: Done! I'm glad that you're now a probable attendee, Madeline.

>122 CurrerBell: Thanks for answering Laura's question and providing those excellent recommendations, Mike.

>123 ffortsa: And I'll have to check out Bucks County Bookshop, which is about 15 miles north of where my parents live.

I've spent some time in Bryn Mawr but hadn't heard of The Title Page, so I might have to go check that out!

Our local independent book store (Chester County Books) is closing, but I was never much of a fan. They were always extremely rude and unhelpful . . .

125>> I just snagged quite a bit on their 40%-off close-out sales, a couple or three bagfuls of high-quality hardcovers and some trade paperbacks that I was interested in but wouldn't have paid full price for. I thought they were a decent enough store, but I'm from eastern Delco and it's a bit of a trek out Paoli Pike or down 202 for a store that wasn't particularly out of the ordinary (though I did years ago see Janis Ian there for a book-signing of Society's Child).

My understanding is, it's being replaced by an LA Fitness? I have the impression that the West Goshen owner is looking for a more "flagship" store for the shopping center? I'm no fan at all of Acme as a supermarket and don't consider it any kind of flagship, and the shopping center generally doesn't seem a particularly strong one for such a good location at Paoli Pike & 202.

ETA: From your profile, you're interested in the American Revolution. The Title Page has quite a decent collection on military and naval history as I recall, though my it's not my own interest so it's not Title Page stock that I'm particularly familiar with. (On the other hand, considering it's not my own interest, the fact that I even notice it may indicate that there's a good bit of it at the Title Page.)

#122 CurrerBell - awesome information. My mother is in Bryn Mawr, so I will put The Title Page on my must visit list.

#122/124 - For anyone willing to go to Doylestown, I also recommend peaking into Bucks County Bookshop. It's a used book store that seems to specialize in harder to find high quality literature of various kinds. And many of them are classified by global region. I got a little lost in there once, and still regret the books I didn't bring home with me (I left Nicholas Shakespeare's biography of Bruce Chatwin there, along with Amos Oz's A Tale of Love and Darkness...but at least the Oz book is easy to find.)...that parking, however, is not what i would call "excellent".

127>>

Daniel--

I'd definitely call the parking "excellent," but you have to know where to park. ;-) Are you aware that Bucks County and Central have a free parking lot for their customers behind their building? It's only a few parking spaces, but I've never found it full.

I wasn't always aware of this and wound up parking quite a bit down the hill by a water-ice seller (not the Rita store, but the other one). If you're not sure where this parking lot is (and it's not really all that visible), give Janet a call at Bucks County Books.

Oh, good to know. I actually stumbled in to the stores after eating lunch in town. Parking on the street was a bit challenging.

I should visit Bucks County Bookshop the next time I visit my parents. They live in Bucks County, but it takes much longer to get to Doylestown (35-40 minutes, via PA 413) than it does to get to Center City (20-25 minutes, via I-95).

Will we be doing activities as a group or on our own at the meet up? I have never been to one before and reading the posts, am just a bit confused. I have never been to Philly before and am afraid that I would find flying wingless to be a bit intimidating for me.

So how many of us are planning to stay in hotel accommodations? It would be nice to stay at the same hotel or at least in the same area. If a lot of us are planning this, we might even get a discount.

131> Belva, I've never done one of these either, but I think the way it will work is that there will be an initial group gathering scheduled so that we can all meet one another. After that, people may break into smaller groups to do whatever they like. Folks who have never been to Philly might want to see the historic sites, while others who know the city well might prefer to go to an exhibit or browse a book store. Whatever you choose to do, there will surely be others who will join you. Don't worry, you won't get stranded!

132> I checked the Marriott awhile back, and they do offer a group discount. You need to reserve at least 10 rooms. Be forewarned that the hotel is VERY pricey, however, so even with a discount, it will be a smack in the wallet.

> 133

Deborah, could you give us a heads up as to the prices of hotels (so we won't faint and then back out of our commitment to come!).

Well, the downtown Marriott on Market says prices for a one-guest room start at $439.

(Can I pick you up off the floor now?)

Best bet would probably be to try one of the outlying lower end hotels--a Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn, La Quinta or something else that still might be close to transportation. I just looked at Marriott because my daughter works at one part-time and I can get the Associate's discount (but only if they have rooms available closer to the date).

> 135

*has heart attack (after a perfectly normal stress test yesterday!)*

If that's what I'd have to pay for a hotel room, I'd skip the weekend. Sorry, but that's way too much for just an overnight stay for me. I'd opt to wait for the September meet-up in DC, and everyone would have to come here.

Darryl, could you switch me back to "possible"?

Madeline, there's absolutely no reason why you would have to stay at a hotel like that.

I think I need to wait until I have more information about the plans for Philly before I commit.

I'm hoping I can stay with a friend, but if not, I'd be looking for a cheap hotel room (presumably not right downtown) and other people to share it with. I can't imagine I'd be the only one, either.

There are tons of hotels in and around Philly. I only mentioned the Marriott because I've stayed there and may be able to get a discounted room, and because they offer group discounts. If I can't get a discount (and I won't know until 4-5 weeks ahead of the gathering), I'll be looking elsewhere, too. No one should rule out this meetup on the basis of their crazy prices.

Someone should check Hotels.com or another site and see what else might be available. The important thing would be to make sure that transit in to central Philly is within walking distance, or that there is parking available if you would need to drive to the subway or train station.

For example, there is a Residence Inn in Cherry Hill, PA. It's 10 miles outside of Philly, 3 miles from the nearest subway station--if there's parking nearby, no problem. The rooms start at $139/night, and that is with no discounts (senior citizen, AAA, etc.), so it might be even less for some of us. The Airport Fairfield Inn is about six miles from downtown and only half a mile from the subway; rooms start at $194/night, without any discounts. Both of these also offer group discounts for 10 or more rooms. Others further out are even less expensive--and I'm still just looking at Marriott properties. I'm sure some independent hotels, B&Bs, and some of the motel chains would be much less.

I checked availability for B&B I know of, and a couple of hotels, and they are already booked for every weekend in May. Graduations maybe? Unfortunately, I'm probably too far afield to offer accommodations though I'm happy to do so if the schedule works; train is somewhat over an hour, and I generally walk to/from the station so add another 45 minutes, can drive too but parking may be iffy. Philadelphia is an easy day trip by train from NY (SEPTA / NJ Transit is less expensive and more flexible than Amtrak) and DC. For anyone concerned about Philadelphia public transportation after dark, it's fine, I lived there for years and traipsed around at all hours, and I'll be happy to accompany anyone to the train station since I'll need to go there too.

There's absolutely no way anyone should be spending $400+/night. Check out the Sheraton on the Penn Campus or the Best Western in Olde City or the Comfort Inn in Essington by the Airport or the Club Quarters in Center City (and this last one I don't know anything about, so I wonder about the really low price, but it's got a good review on Hotels.com).

Cariola, can you link to the $439 price for the Marriott on Market Street? I assume it's the one by the Convention Center, which should be about the priciest locale anywhere, but even there I'm seeing nightly rates of under $200. And here's a general Marriott page showing prices not just for Marriott but for other hotels and motels in the vicinity.

I don't think anyone needs a spa or a fitness center or even (for just one or two nights) a high-speed Internet connection, considering there are plenty of Starbucks around and a couple B&Ns (in center city and on the Penn campus).

One caution I would have is to avoid out-lying hotels and motels unless (1) you're driving and (2) you're comfortable with finding your way around by car. I'd also be a little careful about the airport, which would include the Comfort Inn that I've linked to. Although there is some SEPTA service by the airport, it may be difficult to get from a hotel to the SEPTA line without a car or taking a taxi, but as someone who lives in the neighborhood and drives, it's not an issue I'm that familiar with.

The Sheraton on the Penn Campus is just about three blocks from the Market Street subway, and the Best Western in Olde City is just about a block from the Market Street subway. If you don't like going underground in a strange city, the Route 21 bus runs along Chestnut Street even during "night owl" hours. And in a real pinch, you can always grab a cab.

And if you book well in advance, I'd assume you'd get a better price than at the last minute.

For those of you who are driving, you have a good deal more flexibility since you can stay at a hotel/motel that doesn't have to be immediately accessible to public transit. Commuting by car, you can get all-day parking in Center City for a moderate-but-not-cheap price at the DoubleTree Hotel (even if you're not staying there) and in a couple other inside-lots in Center City, as well as at some Philadelphia Parking Authority inside-lots.

Don't take anything I'm saying here as gospel, because I'm not in the habit of staying in hotels just a few miles from my home. I do know the driving and the public transit, though, and I can really fill people in and post some maps, SEPTA routes/schedules, and parking information as the time comes near.

141>> Very good point, qebo, about May bookings. I hadn't though of graduations, and that's going to be a particularly hectic time on the Penn campus (and will to some extent affect parking in that neighborhood as well).

ETA: It's going to be a lot simpler -- for those coming from a distance and needing overnight accommodations -- if you drive. Then you can look for outlying hotels/motels and not worry about accessibility to SEPTA.

142> I went back and did my search again. Initially I tried for a one-night stay, the 18th, and there were no rooms available at the Marriott on Market St. When I added the 17th, I got the same price of $439/night. If you were getting lower rates, were you putting in the dates? Prices may be lower right now than the week of the Philadelphia Book Festival and perhaps several graduation ceremonies.

I'll likely be driving but would prefer not to have to drive around the city looking for parking. I've been there a few times but pretty much stayed put and used public transit or had someone else driving.

144> Okay, gotcha. I was getting $179 for one night, but when I put in for that second night it became $439. I probably wasn't doing it for the precise May 18 date, though, which was why I didn't see that there were no reservations left for that single night.

Lemme try a few other hotels/motels in the area and see what I come up with. Is that the weekend the Philadelphia Book Festival is set for? I think it was earlier last year?

May 17-19 (generally doesn't seem to matter one versus two adults), average nightly rate:

Penn Sheraton -- $399

Club Quarters -- $259

Independence Park Best Western -- $278

These are all kinda high, but check out the Airport Comfort Inn, which looks to be $114 but that doesn't include senior and AAA discounting.

These dates look still to be available at all these locations. The Comfort Inn is obviously the best deal, but I think it may be better to drive if you're staying there.

I don't know very many people who want to stay in a "poor" rated $75 accommodation, but if you're willing to rough it the price needn't be that bad. (Personally, I'm used to traveling through Down East Maine for photography by bunking up at real cheap motels, but others may not feel like I do.) Folks ought to check out Hotels.com and see what suits them, because everyone's mileage is going to vary.

I'm off from work for the next two weeks starting tomorrow, so I can help people find hotel rooms.

One place I found that is reasonably priced and recommended by the New York Times is the Alexander Inn on 12th & Spruce in Center City (phone number 1-877-253-9466). Good news: full rooms are priced at $139/night for 2 adults. Bad news: when I tried to reserve a room the site indicated that no rooms were available except for Friday night 5/17. However, the web site also recommended calling to see if the inn did have rooms available.

Back to work...

I just need to know where we will be meeting. I plan to be taking Septa into the city. I live in Delco so public transit is best. I know there are hotels near the airport but not sure of access to public transportation from them.

Seeing the prices of hotels and motels is making me faint. The sheets better be made of spun gold and/or silk for that price.

148>> I know what you mean. And just as a matter of curiosity, I checked Hotels.com to see what I could get per night near Bar Harbor, Maine. I'm seeing decent enough sites for less than $100/night, and that's in June, during the tourist season. If I go after Labor Day, I see a couple places I can get for significantly less than $100/night. And based on my own experience, I might even get better prices than that just driving around and looking at motel marquees.

C'mon. What would you rather see? The Liberty Bell or Jordan Pond? And when I go up to Maine, I don't go for the motel accommodations. I want to get somewhere cheap because I'm only going to be sleeping there anyway, since I'm in Maine to drive around with my digital SLR.

But remember that some of those hotel prices (like Marriott's) you're seeing in Philly are near the Convention Center, which means a lot of the trade is corporate executives, which means they don't have to pay for it, thanks to their expense accounts and their tax breaks. ;-)

Darryl, Jim and I are intending to spend a few days in Phillie. Is center CIty a convenient location for what you think are the weekend activities? Please keep us posted on what you find and we'll make our reservations. We don't want to go down and back each day, lazy slugs that we are. Thanks for scouting things out.

I think I am going to have to bow out of this one. I was very excited to be coming but we are retired, on a fixed income, and I simply cannot be paying as much for a room and I will be paying for my flight.
I hope you all enjoy the meet up and perhaps another time. :-(

151>> We'll miss you, Belva. I'm doing a thorough inventory of my VMCs right now, cataloging them and boxing them. I know I have some duplicates, so as soon as I get my lists done up I'll make sure to give you first dibs on the give-aways and pop them to you by mail if you'd like. You've always been such a help to everyone on the VMC group!

For those looking for a more economical option for accomodations, I suggest checking out airbnb.com. You can rent a room, or even an entire apartment, in downtown Philadelphia for less than $100 per night.

>@ 152: Oh Currer, I would love that so very much. Thank you and thank you for your kind words.

>@ 153: That sounds good but as I won't have a vehicle and getting around in unknown surroundings intimidates me greatly I will simply hope that there are those who can take advantage of this.

Is the D.C. meet up a bit more accommodating?

I took a look at the offerings on AIRBNB and they look quite good. If you want just a room, there are plenty, and there are also quite a few full apartments and suite-based hotels in the Rittenhouse Square area, which looks to be close to all public transportation and walking distance to many areas. Jim and I will be thinking about it. Some of the full apartments accommodate more than two, with a second bedroom or a pull-out couch. We are thinking of coming down for more days than just the meet-up weekend, so if you are inclined to do the pull-out couch thing for a night, please let me know. Maybe we can reserve something at a reasonable rate. Many of the places are under $200 a night for a full apartment, and some considerably under that, and of course we'd be sharing d costs for the only nights we share.

>154 rainpebble: I'm not sure what you mean by accommodating? The hotels in DC are more expensive than Philly. I have never ridden public transport in Philly, but I would expect that it is about the same as DC; perhaps cheaper and/or more reliable.

155: Yes, from Rittenhouse Square you can get anywhere that matters by walking or public transit.
156: SEPTA is grungier.

>157 qebo: I'll take grungy over stranding a train full of people under the Anacostia any day ;-)

158: SEPTA is not above stranding people. However, for meetup purposes, with everything in a feasibly walkable area during populated and active hours, it is sufficient.

I just had a thought about hotel rooms, particularly for people who plan to drive to Philadelphia. One affordable option would be to stay in a hotel outside of the city, and then drive or take public transportation into Center City. For example, people like Jim & Judy who are coming from the north could stay in a place like Langhorne, the town next to the one my parents live in, which is easily accessible from I-95 and has several hotels and residence inns within a 5-10 minute drive from the exit). From there it's a straight shot into Center City on I-95 by car (~20-25 minute drive), or one could take SEPTA Regional Rail from the Langhorne station (~45 minute trip); the trains are comfortable, reliable and convenient, as they make three stops in Center City. I would guess that there are similar options for those who would be coming up I-95 from the south as well, and I'm sure that these places would be far cheaper than the obscene prices that have been quoted for Center City hotels.

If anyone is interested about hotels along I-95 north of the city I should be able to help.

I've never stayed in a Philadelphia hotel, so I would use the same resources that are available to the rest of you to look for available rooms. Having said that, I'll still post any information that I happen to come across.

160> Right, Darryl--that was what I was suggesting in #140 above, although I was still looking only at Marriott properties. I would expect there to be Holiday Inn Express, Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, and other more reasonably priced chains a bit further out, as well as some privately owned hotels or B&Bs.

>148 crazy4reading: Monica, I suppose where we meet will depend upon when and how people are coming into Center City. It should be a central place that would be easy for people to find and get to. One thought, especially for those of us who will arrive using public transportation, would be to meet at 30th Street Station. However, as you know it's on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, which would be an inconvenient place to meet for people who are staying in Center City. Depending on what time we meet, it may be good to go to Reading Terminal Market for breakfast or lunch, which we could get to easily via SEPTA Regional Rail or the Market Street subway from 30th Street. The downside of that idea is that the market is usually busy on Saturdays, especially in the late morning and afternoon, so it may be difficult to pick out unrecognizable LTers (e.g., for me, people I haven't met in person before or who haven't posted photos from previous meet ups). If anyone has other ideas of specific places to initially meet, please let us know!

>150 ffortsa: Judy, Center City would be the most convenient place to stay, but some of those hotel prices that have been quoted are rididculous; I've never paid that much for a hotel, even in central London. Please see my previous message for one set of possible options. BTW, many New Yorkers are familiar with Langhorne, as it's the home of the Sesame Place amusement park and Reedman Autos, the largest auto dealer in the East Coast. If you're interested, I can start looking at hotels and inns there and along I-95 north of the city.

>151 rainpebble: Belva, I'm sorry to hear that the hotel prices that have been mentioned have made you think about bowing out of the trip. If you were to come, how would you get to Philadelphia? Car or public transportation? I'm sure that we can find some more reasonably priced rooms outside of town, especially if you plan to drive.

>153 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! That may be the best idea of all.

>154 rainpebble: Belva, Center City Philadelphia is easier to navigate than most major cities, as the streets are almost all laid out in a north-south or east-west grid, with numbered north-south streets with only a couple of exceptions (Front St and Broad St come to mind). The city is pretty safe IMO, and it isn't as crowded or overwhelming as Manhattan is.

Even for people who don't plan to drive, I'm sure there are places farther out that are accessible by public transit.

>155 ffortsa: Judy, Rittenhouse Square would be my preferred place to stay in Center City. It has some nice shops and restaurants, along with a lovely park, and the Joseph Fox Bookshop is there as well. It's a short distance from the major museums and 30th Street Station, and, as Katherine said, it's convenient to any place you would want to visit. The only question I would have would be the convenience of finding parking spots there.

>156 norabelle414:-159 Regarding SEPTA, I've found it to be generally reliable and safe from morning through early evening. I feel comfortable on the NYC subway late at night and the early morning hours, but I'd be a bit cautious about riding SEPTA past 10 pm or so. However, the places we would go to and where people would stay at should be centrally located, so I think we'd all be fine.

>161 Cariola: Deborah, I've almost always found affordable rooms in nice hotels in the US cities I've stayed at, and I doubt that I've paid more than an average of $200 per night. So, that $439 price you mentioned was a shock to me!

>163 _Zoe_: I think so too, Zoë. I'll have to think about this some more this weekend, though. Unfortunately SEPTA's Trenton local, which provides service from Trenton to Center City, calls on some pretty grungy stations en route, unlike the West Trenton local, the train that I usually take. Although the Trenton train station is safe, as it is busy and manned constantly by NJ Transit police officers, the area around it is blighted and dangerous, especially at night.

I think Jim and I will secure a place in Rittenhouse Square then. It would be our first experience with Airbnb, but there are quite a selection of full apartments for rent at quite reasonable prices. As I said before, we are thinking of spending a few days in Phillie before the meetup, so price is important. And I no longer have a car, so in-town would be best.

If your main concern is just to travel as cheaply as possible, Hostelling International has accommodations from as low as $20/person the night of the 18th, or $36 for a more central location. These are dorm beds, but again, no one should be prevented from attending because of the accommodation costs.

I (Bob Campbell) will be interested in coming. I currently live on Long Island, but did go to college in Philadelphia, and worked at SEPTA in the mid 1970's. I might drive down to a stop on PATCO in New Jersey and take it into Center City.

>166 ffortsa: Sounds good, Judy. It should be easy to hire a taxi to bring you & Jim from 30th Street Station to Rittenhouse Square, as there are normally several of them lined up just outside the station.

>167 _Zoe_: Very good idea, Zoë. I looked at the web site, out of curiosity; the hostel in Center City is very close to 2nd & Market Streets, and you could take the Market Street Subway from there or walk to most of the locations we'll probably go to.

>168 vpfluke: Welcome, Bob! I'll add your name to the list.

>#162:
I won't be driving. I will be flying in from Washington State to Ohio, visiting friends there in London for a few days and then taking the train in to Philly probably on the Thursday or Friday. So I won't have a car.
I will be flying back to Washington State from Philly. Which airport would work best and what would be the easiest way to get there from where we will be?
Thank you if you can help.

170: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is easily accessible by commuter rail (schedule: http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/index.html) from 30th Street Station (or from a couple of downtown stations), which is within walking distance (or easy public transit) from the various meetup options. The train stops at each airport terminal.

>170 rainpebble: Katherine's right; SEPTA, the Philadelphia area public transit system, does provide direct train service from its three Center City stations (Market East Station, Suburban Station & 30th Street Station) to each of the terminals within PHL, via the Airport Line. From each terminal station an escalator or elevator puts you within the terminal, only a few feet from the airlines' check-in stations. I take the Airport Line once or twice a year when I visit my parents in suburban Philadelphia, and I find it to be very convenient and easy to use.

There is direct service from PHL to SEA via Alaska Airlines, Delta and US Airways. However, if it's cheaper, a second doable option would be to fly out of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey (http://www.panynj.gov/airports/newark-liberty.html), which is also accessible by public transit; Amtrak provides service between 30th Street Station and Newark Liberty International Airport Station, and you can take the AirTrain to the airport from there. There is also service between EWR and SEA. I fly into or out of EWR once every year or two, either to visit my parents in PA or my mother's sisters in North Jersey. It's a longer trip, by roughly an hour, from 30th Street Station, but it would be another option if you were able to get a much cheaper ticket to Seattle.

Thank you for the help, encouragement and advice everyone. I very bravely got online late last night before I could change my mind again and went to Airbnb and found what I think will work out just fine. I found a room on S 21 St in Philly and the host said that it is just 2 blocks from Rittenhouse Square. Did I do good? Is that where I want to be? She also said that there are pubs, eateries, and bakeries right there so it sounds convenient if I AM in the right location. Now I am excited and looking for duplicate copies to bring to share. Yea, me....I hope.
Oh yeah, $79.00 per night. Hope it won't be too shabby.

S 21st two blocks from Rittenhouse Square is exactly where you want to be. (If you have the address, plug it into Google Maps or MapQuest to get the cross street.) You'll be near everything: bookstores, food, transit.

And the rest of you? Oh good. I will do that qebo. Thank you so much for the reassurance.

175: We'll be in the bookstores. :-) Take a look at the map that Darryl linked to in post #15. Philadelphia is a large city, but the core area with museums and events and such is walkable with ample transit options as backup.

Well done, Belva! As Katherine said you're in a prime location. I'm glad that you'll be joining us!

Ditto that Darryl! I am so very excited, for the trip, to see my friends, to meet all of you, to see Philly and grasp some of our heritage.
I am just so happy about the entire thing. I have only met Stasia and christiguc and now I will get to meet all of you. :-) My first meet up but hopefully not my last.

And representing Missouri and Kansas . . .
Terri (tloeffler) St. Louis area and I (brenpike) Lawrence, KS are definitely coming to the meet-up. We found a place through Airbnb on S 18th just south of Rittenhouse Square. Looking forward to meeting all you fine folks!

This is beginning to look a little bit like the 1787 Constitutional Convention!

I know. I can't wait. Just found out last night that your partner in crime Laura, (CG) has put in for those days off. I am so excited to get to meet all of you, learn a bit of our history & visit some awesome, I hope, bookshops. I am going to take a run up the thread and see if we have a count going somewhere.

Ooh, I might be in! I am about 3 hours from Philadelphia, so it wouldn't be a long trip for me.

So, do we have a sense of when things are starting on Saturday? I'm thinking of arriving the night before. Is anyone else going to be getting there on Friday, and would you want to have dinner or something that night as well?

Zoe, Terri and I will be there midday Friday. We would be interested in dinner that evening. : )

I'm planning on getting in late Friday. I'll take the bus or train after work and probably get to Philadelphia around 8pm so it might be too late for dinner. I'll let you know once I actually get tickets.

I haven't actually booked tickets either, but I'll book them for Friday since at least some people will be around. We can figure out actual plans much closer to the date.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to take the bus or train. Bus is cheaper, but the train takes half as long. And it's still only $70.

I'm waiting for Megabus to go on sale, since it should be possible to get tickets for under $10. But people with real jobs may have other priorities :P

I'm still hoping for a decent Associate's rate at a Marriott not too far out from center city. I'd like to arrive by late afternoon on Friday, so I'd be available for dinner. Or maybe drinks at the City Tavern?

I'm from a suburb just west of the city. I don't drink, but I'm available for a "greet and eat" at any time convenient to out-of-towners.

Put me down as a definite! I just have to find a reasonably-priced place to stay. I will probably arrive Friday evening, since I'm not one for getting up early in the morning to travel somewhere, so dinner/drinks would be swell.

I live South East of the city and I might be able to meet up with some on Friday. I do have some vacation days to use. Keep me posted as the time gets closer.

I've requested vacation time from May 17-20. My group's May work schedule hasn't been published yet, so I'm not sure when I'll come into town. I'll almost certainly stay at my parents' home, which is just north of the city, and take SEPTA Regional Rail into Center City, although I haven't completely ruled out getting a hotel room. So, I won't know about my Friday plans for at least a couple of weeks. If I'm only off from Friday-Monday then I'll probably take the Airport Line directly from PHL and stay in or near Center City, but if I'm off for a week or more I'll stay with my parents.

Either way, I'd be interested in having breakfast on Saturday morning, perhaps at the Down Home Diner in the Reading Terminal Marketplace, which is within walking distance of Rittenhouse Square and next to the Market East SEPTA Regional Rail station. Maybe the early birds can have breakfast there or elsewhere, and then plan to meet those who are coming in by train or want to get together a bit later someplace else, maybe at or near one of the major museums (Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Museum of Art).

We're hoping to nail down an airbnb place tomorrow, coming in on Thursday if the plans work out.

I'll see how the meetup events shake out, but probably I'll trek in on Saturday and Sunday, doubt I'd be there on Friday evening but Saturday breakfast is feasible if it's not too early.

I will drive into town either Saturday or Sunday, probably not both. Just lurking here to see how the plans develop!

I am up for breakfast but it depends on what time. I am usually up early but not sure how early the trains run on the weekend. I will have to start checking the schedules for my Septa line to get an idea as to how I will be doing this. I can see it now I will get stranded in Center City... :)

I will be hitting town (no hubby this time) Friday afternoon. So a dinner get-together, no-host meet up would be very nice to get a jump on meeting some of my 'friends'.
I am attempting to see if I can possible add another night's stay to my airbnb unit as the flight back to Seattle/Portland will be rather grueling and I would really like to put that off until Monday.

What worries me about your meetup is that it involves so many people (together owning huge piles of books). Will it have some effect on earth rotation?

Kidding, have fun you guys! (I'm just "jealous").

BarkingMatt;
I surely hope so. TILT!~!
I am going to attempt to be very clever and ship my books back to Wa. State. I'm sure the airlines would charge me an arm and a leg!

>199 Nicole_VanK: I am concerned about the bookstores in Philly. Should someone notify them beforehand so they can stock up??

>196 lauralkeet:: I'm with you, lauralkeet. I have a fundraiser for my choral society on that Saturday that might preclude me from getting together with people that day; I'm not sure yet. But maybe Sunday will work out nicely...

201> I've already told Beverly at The Title Page. I've pretty much cleaned out her bookcase of Viragos, but she's going to check her storage when the weather gets better to see what more she's got. Maybe I'll even leave some unbought this time.

I have been borrowing books more then buying them lately. I have run out of shelf space and the boxes of books in my house are starting to take over. I really need to organize my books and donate any that I know I will not read again to our Friends of the Library. I think I buy more from them then I donate.

204> I _know_ I buy more books than I donate to my FoL. They have these wonderful twice-yearly sales, with a bag/box sale on Sunday...I held it down to 80 books last time, much better than usual.

And I definitely agree about the books taking over. But I have this horrible handicap that I _can't_ send away a book I haven't read. Or at least tried to read - I just got rid of one that's been on my Currently Reading list since December 2010. So I have to read all of these before I can dump them...and I keep picking uninteresting ones (which I can then get rid of) but then I feel that a reread is more fun (which it is, but that doesn't clear out the junk)... Wah wah waaah. I'm working on it.

>205 jjmcgaffey: Ooh, I hope that your following this thread means you're considering making the trip? :D

Not a chance. I'd love to, but between the time and the cost of the flight... but it's fun reading about it, anyway.

Oh, too bad. I'll be back in the Bay Area in the future, though.

Oh, good. Seeya!

Hm. I've been investigating the Airbnb places, the ones that are whole apartments, not just guest rooms, trying to figure out how to handle a bag if we arrive before check-in time or leave after check-out on Sunday. Since these are not hotels, no front desk to accommodate. I hope to find a place Jim and I can stay that's not too far out and doesn't require too much suitcase-lugging. Does anyone know if there are luggage lockers or a luggage check place at the Philadelphia train station?

Yes, there's baggage check at 30th Street Station.

Ah, that's good to know. In the meantime, I
We've secured an Airbnb studio on Rittenhouse square. It's the first time I've tried this mode of travel - an experiment. But it means we get to stay in our own place from Thursday through Sunday for the cost of on night at the Marriott!

Of course, no maid service, but I guess we will survive.

We will be happy to meet with any early arrivals.

Oh, good to hear about the baggage check. I had been assuming I'd have to carry everything around on Sunday, which might be very unpleasant depending on how many books had been purchased....

We're driving down but breakfast on Saturday would be doable provided it wasn't at 7:00 a.m.

Just thought I'd mention that if anyone is a Groupon member, there is a special on for the next 9 days for rooms at the Wyndham Hotel in Mt. Laurel, NJ: $69 for a King or two queens. It doesn't seem that there is a train station nearby, so you would still have to drive or take a cab partway and catch a bus, train, or subway; the hotel is 11 miles from downtown Philly. But it's a great price for a decent hotel chain.

I just don't like driving and parking in Philly, which is why I was hoping to stay put at the downtown Marriott or one of the outlying properties. So far I'm not having much luck getting the associate's rate or finding one that's walking distance from a subway station.

>214 TadAD: Ha! I'm admittedly an early bird, but 7 am is way too early for me. What about 10 am?

I think we should make a general plan for Saturday and Sunday and then figure out where meals will fit in. I have no idea at all about what we're actually doing.

E.g., I'm happy with 10 for breakfast, but where will this be happening?

>217 _Zoe_: Right, Zoë. I have some ideas of things to do (e.g., museum and bookshop visits), but I haven't explored them in great detail yet. My group's May work schedule probably won't be published for another week or two, so I won't know if I'll stay with my parents or at a hotel until then.

Now that the meet up is getting closer, we should start discussing when and where we should meet, and what things people would like to do. Since the potential group is so large I would imagine that not everyone will want to do the same things at the same times for the entire weekend, and that it would be preferable to have 2-3+ smaller groups than one massive one, especially for meals and bookshop visits. We should all get together as one at least once or twice, though!

Perhaps everyone could confirm their likelihood of attending, when and how they plan to come to Philadelphia (including the approximate time of day they would like to meet up), and what they would like to do that weekend.

>218 _Zoe_: I was thinking of having breakfast in the Down Home Diner in the Reading Terminal Market, located on Arch Street (one block north of Market Street, the main east-west street in Center City) between 11th & 12th Streets, which is close to the Convention Center and within walking distance of Rittenhouse Square. It's accessible to people taking SEPTA, as the Market is just across the street from Market East Station and is one block north of the 11th Street Station on the Market Street subway.



I doubt that the diner could accommodate 20-30 people, so I was thinking of a small group breakfast at 9-10 am for the early risers, before we got together with the larger group elsewhere. There is general seating within the Market if we all wanted to meet there, but it still would be tough to seat 20-30 people at one time.

There is a good chance that I'll be off from work for the next eight days, so I'll have more time to explore what's going on in Philadelphia that weekend, and I'll post specific events here.

>217 _Zoe_:: As is typical in our family, all is in flux until the last minute. However, our current plan is to drive down for Saturday. We are early risers and greatly enjoy breakfast get-togethers, so we'd vote for a breakfast someplace convivial and conducive to conversation (i.e., not millions of tiny tables for 2). It's a 2½ hour drive for us, so somewhere around 9:00ish would be a good time.

Julie and I both like museums. Book stores are fine, also, but maybe that's less of a group activity? If the weather is nice and a lot of folks are first-time visitors, we're fine with doing the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall/Penn's Landing thing, or a walk around South Street. We could even take The Big Bus tour of the city if a lot of people are unfamiliar. Of course, a visit to Campogiro for gelato might be in order if the weather is nice. ;-D

>220 TadAD: I see that the Down Home Diner provides take out service, so one option would be to have people meet at the Market at 9-10 am in the dining area, which has several rows of tables for 2-4 people that can be easily connected to each other, and grab breakfast from Down Home Diner or a place of their choice. There probably won't be many people having breakfast then, although the Market will be moderately busy, and the dining area is conducive to conversation, so this should be easily doable. However, I'm certainly open to other ideas for places to meet for breakfast.

Nine o'clock works for me, too, and I'd prefer 9 am to 10 am.

I also love museums, and I would definitely like to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation. Others have expressed interest in going to these museums as well. I like your Big Bus tour and South Street ideas (and maybe cheesesteaks at Jim's Steaks?). History and architecture buffs would probably enjoy a walk through Olde City on the way to or from South Street, particularly visits to Elfreth's Alley, which is supposed to be the oldest's residential street in the US, Betsy Ross House, and the Museum of the American Philosophical Society, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin and dedicated to the study of natural philosophy (science).

Gelato at Campogiro sounds good; there is a shop near Rittenhouse Square. On the Italian theme, I love the freshly baked cannolis at Termini Brothers in the Reading Terminal Market, although it might be nice to go to the original store in the Italian Market, especially if some of us decide to go to the Italian Market Festival, which takes place that weekend (out of towners may be familiar with the Italian Market from the first "Rocky" movie).



If we decided to go to the festival we should take the Broad Street subway; finding parking near the Market is a challenge on regular weekends, and it's practically impossible during the festival.

The one thing I really want to see is the new Barnes. I've been to Philly a few times and have seen most of the historical sites. I'd be up for the art museum and a good book shop. Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions.

Another relevant Groupon offer today, available for the next six days and good for up to 120 days: Center City East Hop-on/Hop-off Historical Bus Tour. Price is $12.99 for one person (regular price $27), and the discount gets greater as you purchase more (up to four tickets allowed). Here's the link for anyone who might be interested.

I live in Haverford Township, Delaware County, and if you know that area you'll realize that I'm just about a half-hour from Center City in light traffic (which it will be on the weekend). I drive pretty much everywhere, and I can walk quite several city blocks unless it's bad weather, so my idea is to drive, park at the Doubletree Hotel parking lot near Broad and Spruce, and then hoof it to wherever, assuming we're meeting at the Reading Terminal. (If we were meeting near the Liberty Bell, I'd park at a Parking Authority lot down around Second Street, and if we were meeting near the University of Pennsylvania, I'd park at the Parking Authority lot at 38th and Walnut, a couple blocks from my church.)

So what I'm saying is, everyone, I'm so local that I'm extremely flexible, so tell me what you're planning to do and I'll do it.

I'd be up for breakfast on Saturday morning. 9 may be too early for a feasible train schedule, but I'll just show up late or meet you at the next item on the agenda. I too saw most of the proposed sites when I lived in Philadelphia, and I'm happy to traipse along for the company, but the new Barnes has appeared since then and is my top preference. I'd also be interested in the Italian Market festival.

>223 Cariola: Ooh, that Groupon seems like good value. Would anyone else be interested in doing that tour?

I've reordered the list of attendees in message #2, and separated them into definite, probable and possible attendees. I scrolled through all 225 messages, and I realized that I missed several people who are definitely coming; welcome Terri, Brenda and Marcia!

Since this is message #227 should I make a new thread, or continue this one as is?

>222 Cariola: I've never been to the Barnes, my mother's favorite museum, so I'm very eager to go. There is an exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that I'd like to see, Journeys to New Worlds: Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Art from the Roberta and Richard Huber Collection; it closes on May 19th.

I had mentioned in message #22 that the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival will also take place on meet up weekend, on Saturday May 18th from 12-5 pm.

I'm not a good source of bookshop recommendations in Philadelphia (as I usually buy books in NYC), but I understand that the Joseph Fox Bookshop, which is close to Rittenhouse Square, is very good.

>223 Cariola: Thanks for posting that info, Deborah.

>224 CurrerBell: Sounds good, Mike. Right now I envision a medium sized meet up for breakfast, possibly at Reading Terminal Market, followed by a large group meetup, possibly at someplace like Logan Square (if we hit the museums), or Independence Mall (if we go to the historical sites in and around Olde City and visit South Street), or Rittenhouse Square (if we wanted to go book shopping first). All of these sites are within walking distance or are accessible via SEPTA.

>225 qebo: So that makes at least three of us who are highly interested in going to the Barnes Foundation Museum. I haven't been to the Italian Market Festival in years, so I'd love to go there. Remind me: will you be staying in town, or are you planning to return to Lancaster on Saturday? If so, are you planning on coming back on Sunday? (I would suspect not.) If you'll only be in town on Saturday we'll have to hit the Barnes and the Italian Market Festival on the same day, but if you'll be there on Sunday it might be good to go that morning, before it becomes super crowded (that's the time I used to go).

ETA: >226 _Zoe_: I probably won't do the Groupon tour, since I've been to most of the historical sites, unless we had unplanned free time. It sounds like a great idea for those who haven't seen Philadelphia, though!

I think people might have to buy tickets in advance for the Barnes, especially on the weekends. The tickets are timed, as I recall, so plan carefully.

Jim and I will be in a couple of days beforehand, so we are up for whatever timing is convenient for Saturday breakfast.

>228 ffortsa: Great point, Judy! You're right; the Barnes Foundation web site highly recommends buying tickets in advance, and the tickets are timed, as you mentioned. The last time for entry is the 1:30-2:00 pm slot, although the museum is open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Reserving tickets should be a high priority for those of us who want to go, especially for those who will only come for one day.

I'll glad that you & Jim will join us for breakfast; the Reading Terminal Market is within walking distance of Rittenhouse Square. It's a great place to eat and shop, and if you have time, you may want to visit before or after the meet up, too.

The best I'm doing so far with hotels is in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Price is right, no parking fee. It's 6.5 miles from the Woodcrest train station, and the ride in to Center City is about 2 minutes. To park free at the station (or $1 between 5 and 10 a.m.), you have to have something called a FREEDOM card; otherwise its metered parking at 25 cents/two hours. Wonder if you can use multiple quarters or have to return every two hours?

227: I will be returning to Lancaster on Saturday night. I may or may not return to Philadelphia on Sunday, and I probably won't commit one way or the other until the time is near and I know what else is happening that weekend, so I'd certainly prefer a Barnes event on Saturday.

The Woodcrest Station is on PATCO and it is more like 20 minutes from Philadelphia. 8th & Market is the big stop, but the end stop at 15-16th Locust is only about 3 blocks or so from Rittenhouse Square. I worked for PATCO in 1969 when it first opened up, and again in 1973-74. There used to always be free parking areas in the fringe sections, but I haven't been on PATCO in years, so really don't know.

Regarding parking, I am sure you can feed in a bunch of quarters. No one who rides PATCO is going into Center City for 1-2 hours only.

Regarding booksellers, there is a fair number in Center, and then there is another clutch on the University of Pennsylvania campus, which is located about 2/3 mile SW of 30th St. Station (the train station in Philly). Ther is also a so-called Suburban Station located just NW of City Hall and easier walking distance from Rittenhouse Sq (in the SW part of Center City) and the art museums (in the NW part of Center City). The 8th & Market station is fairly close to the Reading Terminal Market (more like 11th St) and both are in the eastern part of Center City.

Chiming in for myself and Terri . . . We are interested in breakfast on Saturday (9:00 or 10:00 sounds good), seeing the Barnes, and the tour mentioned in #s 223 and 226 above. The Italian Market and the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival also sound interesting. This will be a first-time visit to Philly for both Terri and I, so we will be relying on advice from you all about how to best spend our time there while spending as much time as possible with fellow LTrs.

>230 Cariola:, 232 I've never taken a PATCO train, Deborah, so I'm almost completely ignorant about it and its stations. However, my brother used to live in Mount Laurel, so I can ask him about that station and taking PATCO into Center City (I'm not sure he's ever taken it, though). I looked at the Westmont Station page just now. My guess is that you could put in enough quarters at one time to last for the entire day (e.g., 6 quarters for 12 hours). I seriously doubt that you would have to return there every two hours. That page also mentions that the trip from there to the 15th-16th & Locust Station is 16 minutes, so Bob was spot on. If you wanted to join us for breakfast at Reading Terminal Market (if we decide to meet there) you could get off at the 9th-10th & Locust station, which would be about 3-4 blocks away.

>231 qebo: Thanks, Katherine. So, we should probably go to the Barnes by late morning or early afternoon, and then hit the Italian Market Festival by mid to late afternoon, right?

>232 vpfluke: My favorite Philadelphia bookstore was Robin's Books on South 13th Street; unfortunately it closed several months ago, after 76 years of continuous service. Other than the campus bookstores at Penn and Drexel the only other bookstore I'm familiar with is the Barnes & Noble next to Rittenhouse Square.

>233 brenpike: Welcome, Brenda! Perhaps some of us could go to the Barnes and either the Italian Market Festival or the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival on Saturday (which runs from 12-5 pm), and hit the historic sites (Independence Hall, Olde City) and South Street on Sunday? Although I'd like to go to the Italian Market Festival with Katherine on Saturday, it may be more feasible to go to the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival instead, as it isn't taking place on Sunday, and go to the nearby Joseph Fox Bookshop, which is closed on Sundays. We might be able to attend both festivals on the same day, though.

The Italian Market is in South Philadelphia, and it's accessible from Center City via the Broad Street Line's Ellsworth-Federal Station. Depending on the weather I would have a slight preference to go there on Sunday morning, before it gets crowded, and possibly go from there to South Street, and then to Olde City. However, I'm open to any and all suggestions.

BTW, if there are any diehard baseball fans out there the Phillies will be in town that weekend, with games against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. (Laura?) Citizens Bank Park is also easily accessible by public transportation, as it's a short walk from the last southbound stop on the Broad Street Line (Pattison Avenue).

>234 kidzdoc:: Perhaps some of us could go to the Barnes and either the Italian Market Festival or the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival on Saturday (which runs from 12-5 pm)
I'd be up for that. Baseball is OK, but my allegiance to the Reds is firmly rooted in the past (1975-76). And I'd rather do quintessential Philly stuff.

>235 lauralkeet: Baseball is OK, but my allegiance to the Reds is firmly rooted in the past (1975-76). And I'd rather do quintessential Philly stuff.

I agree, Laura (except for any allegiance to the Reds on my part). I thought I'd mention it, in case there were any diehard baseball fans who might be interested in going to Saturday night's game.

You can move me from "possible" to "probable" for the Philly meet-up. It's on my calendar and nothing so far has come up. I'll most likely come up on the train and may not stay over; if I do it will most likely be with a relative. Sounds like a lot of fun!

>237 AnneDC: Done. I hope that you can join us, Anne!

I'm trying to fenagle with Lisa & see if we can afford to come. I've always wanted to visit Philly & the thought of meeting so many of y'all at once has me excited!

All depends on $$$$. With the wedding coming, I'm just not sure but I really, really want to come! :)

Wow so much planning going on. I am usually an early riser. I am up almost everyday at 5 am to walk my dog. On weekend that usually turns into 6 or 7 am. I have to look at the train schedule and get acclimated with the times and locations again. I used to live in Montgomery county when I took the train so I am used to coming in that direction. I am known for being able to get lost very easily. Depending on when I wake up depends on if I will have eaten breakfast. I try to eat 5-6 small meals a day.

I just printed the train schedule for my area. The latest I am able to stay in the city on Sat is about 10 pm. On Sunday the last train leaves at 8:20 pm. depending on what station I would be departing from. One of my fears is being stranded in Center City in the middle of the night.

I am open to doing anything. My concern is the $$$. I don't have that large of an income so I have to plan my money accordingly to the ticket expenses, food, books (which I really have no room for and my son would kill my for buying.) museums etc. If there is a chance to purchase tickets in advanced for things I am willing to do that.

I can also meet people on Friday if they are going to be in the city before Saturday. I am planning to take off that Friday. I just need to make sure I take care of my dog. I hate leaving her alone for long periods but she is getting used to it.

Do they update the train schedules monthly? I just want to make sure that I look at the most current one when it gets closer. But at least now I have one to get acclimated with.

>239 TinaV95: I hope that you can make it, Tina! It would be ironic if I saw the first Atlanta LTer I've met in person in Philadelphia.

>240 crazy4reading: Thanks for mentioning that, Monica. I should check the last times of the West Trenton local, too. I don't have a car at my parents' house, so I'd either have to ask one of them to pick me up from Langhorne Station, or drive one of their cars to the station and leave it there all day (which I'd rather not do, as it could inconvenience their weekend plans). I'll probably try to leave Center City around 7-8 pm both days, but I'll keep an eye on the weekend schedule to make sure I don't miss the last train out.

I think the schedules are updated a couple of times per year, but, unless things have changed, I doubt that they are updated monthly.

I plan to buy a SEPTA Independence Pass (I think that's what it's called) on both days, or at least the one day I/we go to the Italian Market Festival. It serves as an all day pass, including off peak trips on SEPTA Regional Rail to and from Center City, along with free rides on SEPTA's bus, subway and trolley lines.

I checked Amtrak, and on weekends the first train to Philadelphia arrives at 9:10am, and the last train to Lancaster departs at 9:45pm. So I'll be late for breakfast.

The last West Trenton local leaves from 30th Street Station at midnight on Saturdays and Sundays, so I'll be fine both days.

>242 qebo: Assuming no delays (Amtrak never has delays, right?), I guess you'll get to Reading Terminal Market around 9:30-9:45, which should be fine.

I'll probably take the 8:09 West Trenton local from Langhorne, which will arrive at Market East at 8:55, and I'll be in Reading Terminal Market roughly 5 minutes later.

I think we should create a private cell phone list, so that we can keep in touch with each other. If y'all think this is a good idea, feel free to post your cell phone (or e-mail address, if you can read messages on your cell phone) on my profile page as a private message, and I'll post the list to everyone just before we meet up.

My plan is that I will be flying in from Washington State on Friday afternoon. I am hoping to not have any really long layovers anywhere. Need to get those flight tickets post haste but I do already have my room booked. Since I am so far away I may not get the opportunity to return to Philly so the tours and historical sites are high on my agenda and like some of the others I will need to depend on more area experienced L.T.ers so am hoping to join in with a group that is also interested in the museums and historical sites plus the bookshops of course. So within those parameters I am up for whatever the group wishes to do.
I am open for a dinner meet on Friday evening with any who are already there and interested. Saturday breakfast sounds great and I am open for whenever/whatever. I think perhaps I will need to google a little street map of the area we will be in so I know where to meet and how to get there.
I am also thinking that it might not be a bad idea for each of us to have cell numbers for a few of the others just in case........ What is the consensus of any others on that?

>244 rainpebble: Ha! Great minds think alike, Belva!

Hmm. On second thought, maybe it would be better if everyone had access to these numbers, and not just me. However, we should preserve each others' privacy above all. Anyone have any ideas?

>246 kidzdoc:: you could set up a Google spreadsheet phone list and provide access to attendees. Everyone would need to give you their Google id (usually same as email address), and/or create a Google id if they don't have one.

Maybe folks could just share their numbers with you and with others of their choice via a PM?

I'm still a little up in the air about where I will be staying, but it will probably be in Mt. Laurel. I don't mind the 20 minute ride in to Philly and would rather do that than go nuts with traffic and parking. I plan to arrive before rush hour on Friday; check-in seems to be 3:00 p.m.

Darryl thanks for mentioning that Independence Pass. I just looked it up and it is only $11. I guess that means I can use more then just the train. I never knew about this. Do you know if you have to purchase them in advance? Looking on the Septa site you can purchase them but I can't figure out if there is a date on them or not.

I am fine with giving people my number. If it is easier for one person to compile the list and then send it to everyone that is fine with me. Let me know if I should just send it to you Darryl or someone else.

I just saw this suggested meet-up. I did a smaller Green Dragon meet-up in Philly a few years back and would enjoy meeting a few more people. Put me down as a possible/probable? Thanks.

>247 lauralkeet: Good idea, Laura. I have a Google ID and can definitely set this up.

>248 Cariola: That works too, Deborah. I'll set up a Google spreadsheet this weekend for people who would prefer this method, or people could send me PMs with their cell phone numbers otherwise. I do have a few phone numbers of people I've met previously.

>249 crazy4reading: You're welcome, Monica. Right, the SEPTA Independence Pass is a one day pass that allows unlimited access to the entire SEPTA system, as long as you don't take a commuter train into Center City that arrives before 9:30 am on a weekday. A one-way off peak ticket on the West Trenton Line from Langhorne to Center City costs $4.75; so a round trip costs $9.50, and I only need to take one bus or subway ride ($2.00 fare) to make the purchase of an Independence Pass cost effective. You can buy the passes from the train conductors, at your local station, or online. You can purchase them in advance, and the train conductor will punch the date on the pass once you use it.

Feel free to send me a PM with your phone number at your convenience.

>250 jillmwo: Welcome, Jill! I'll add you to the "possible" list for now.

246: Hmm. On second thought, maybe it would be better if everyone had access to these numbers, and not just me. However, we should preserve each others' privacy above all. Anyone have any ideas?

How about if everyone who wishes to PMs Darryl with a cell# and YES or NO to Darryl including that number on a list that he can then PM to everyone else in the meetup group. Anyone who doesn't want to be on Darryl's list or on the general list can make personal arrangements. This will surely result in a critical mass of people in communication.

>252 qebo: Good idea!

>234 kidzdoc: Darryl, I like your idea of the Barnes and Rittenhouse Square on Saturday (after breakfast at the Down Home Diner) and the Italian Market on Sunday morning possibly for brunch, followed by some historic site visits.

Should we plan a Saturday midday meet-up location where everyone who is attending can meet? I would love to see this group in it's entirety and I know our LT fans will want photos! Thinking maybe Rittenhouse Square? With Joseph Fox Bookshop thrown in?

The Barnes is open until 6 on Saturday. So maybe the Barnes late afternoon/early evening?

Excuse my thinking out loud . . . Now that we've booked travel and board, I'm jumping into details of mapping out specifics! Probably getting ahead of myself . . . So much to do, so many people to meet!

>254 brenpike: Should we plan a Saturday midday meet-up location where everyone who is attending can meet?

Yes, I think that's a great idea! We all should get together as one at least once or twice, and Rittenhouse Square would seem to be the best place to meet.

According to The Barnes Foundation web site, the last time slot that tickets can be purchased is from 1:30-2:00 pm. If that's right, those of us who plan to go would have to be there by then, and we'd want to leave Rittenhouse no later than 1:00-1:30 pm. So, we'd probably be better off meeting if we went to the Barnes relatively early (late morning to early afternoon), and met up at Rittenhouse Square somewhere around 3-4 pm, in time to see the Rittenhouse Square Festival (which ends at 5 pm) and make it to the Joseph Fox Bookshop (which closes at 6 pm). Others who don't plan to have breakfast or go to the Barnes should also be able to meet up at Rittenhouse Square then.

I haven't been to the Barnes, either in its original location or its new one, but it seems like 3-4 hours are required to see it, based on the last entry time (2 pm) and the closing time (6 pm). Hmm. Unlike we run from one event to the next like crazed tourists, I suspect that we won't be able to fit in all of this and a trip to the Italian Market Festival on Saturday, as we also need to plan lunch somewhere in there; presumably we can have dinner after we meet up at Rittenhouse Square - ideas, anyone? Maybe those of us who will be in Philadelphia on Sunday could go to the Italian Market in mid-morning or early afternoon, and go from there to South Street and Olde City afterward (or vice versa)?

Apparently boredom or a lack of things to do will be the least of our problems!

The Barnes is not quite as big as you might think. Three hours should be plenty. I don't know for sure,but ithink a one pm ticket allows you to enter any time after one. Alternately, people can go to the Barnes earlier, say ten am, and we could meet at two?

Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to attend, as I will be recovering from some minor surgery. But I will be there vicariously - watching for stories and pictures!

When I visited the Barnes Foundation museum in Lower Merion Township many years ago, I think it only took about two hours to see. I don't know whether they have done much in the way of new acquisitions. Remember, that Barnes wanted people to see art arranged in a certain way, so that affects how paintings are shown. In NYC, the museum most like the Barnes is the Frick Collection. The Philadelphia Museum of Art (like the Metropolitan in NYC) is a big rambling place. Also, the tiny Rodin Museum is just NW of the Barnes, and the main library is just SE. The Free Library does have author events, but only very occasionally on weekends. What I remember as its most distinguished collection is the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral music, but that isn't open on weekends.

Does anyone think we will have an opportunity to all dine together? Food, mingling and good conversation do so go hand in hand. I thought if we could find someplace with long planking tables rather than 'restaurant tables' like a Spaghetti Factory type of Pizzeria type of eatery it would be more conducive to what may be desired. IDK; just a thought to ponder.

>256 ffortsa: That's good to know, Judy. I can do two hours in a museum, and maybe three, but I become overloaded after that.

>257 Linda92007: Should we forego breakfast at Reading Terminal Market, so that we can get to the Barnes earlier? We should try to hit the Market at some point, as it's a great attraction in itself. Or, perhaps the early birds can start there at 9 am, and make it to the Barnes by roughly 11 am, so that we could meet up with the others at Rittenhouse Square at 2:30-3:00 pm. Thoughts?

>258 vpfluke: Thanks for the helpful information on the Barnes, Bob. I'll call the museum later today or tomorrow, to get an idea of how long a typical tour is, and whether visitors can enter after 2 pm, in case some of us wanted to go there later in the day.

>260 kidzdoc: I like the plan that includes an earlier breakfast. I'll certainly want to eat something before beginning the day.

>260 kidzdoc: Probably makes sense to try breakfast at 9:00ish, on to the Barnes, then Rittenhouse. We may have a hard time pulling away from the group once we are all together!

I had the same thought about calling the Barnes, Darryl. If you don't get to it, I'll call within the next few days. I also noticed they have music some Friday nights, and though a May schedule of events is not yet posted, the Barnes with music (and dinner) sounds appealing.

>259 rainpebble: That's what I thought of too, Belva. The central dining area within Reading Terminal Market consists of several long rows of 2-4 seat tables situated very close to each other, which are made of light aluminum and are very easily connected into a long dining table:



It would be difficult to find seating for a large group at lunch time, but I doubt there will be many people having a sit down breakfast there at that hour. The Market itself has dozens of stands and restaurants, and it's a great place to shop as well as dine.

>261 _Zoe_: I agree, Zoë. Nine o'clock seems like an ideal time to meet and have breakfast. Are you thinking of going with us after breakfast to the Barnes, or do you have something else in mind, such as the Philadelphia Sightseeing Tour? (No need to make or have plans at this time, of course; I'm just curious to find out what other people are thinking of doing.)

>262 brenpike: Right, Brenda. All of the group LT meet ups I've attended have been filled with good conversation, so we should try to get our day started as early as is reasonably possible.

I called the Barnes Foundation (215.278.7000) twice today, but I was unable to speak to a live person. I'll try again tomorrow, or on Monday if I can't get through. Let us know if you're able to find out anything.

Saturday seems to be coming together nicely (at least for the people who want to go to the Barnes and the Rittenhouse Square Spring Festival), but I don't have a great idea where we should have dinner.

>263 kidzdoc: I figure I'll go along with the group. Much easier to plan that way!

For dinner, I wouldn't mind having a restaurant that serves shad, and May is when this fish is in season, and I miss it here on Long Island. But I realize shad is not on very many people's radar screen. And, I don't want to go expensive.

>264 _Zoe_: Great! I'm glad you'll be joining us, Zoë.

>265 vpfluke: Oh, that sounds good! I love fresh fish, and I'll bet it won't be hard to find a good seafood restaurant in Center City.

#263>,

The "Reading Terminal Market" seems very appropriate for a group of book people.

James

>268 Keeline: Ha! I hadn't thought about that, James, as "Reading" is pronounced with a short e ("Redding"). The Reading Terminal Market sits on the ground floor of the old Reading Terminal, the Philadelphia terminus of the Reading Railroad trains (later taken over by SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) that operated from 1893 to 1984.



The main building, which sits on Market Street, still exists, essentially unchanged from when it was built:



The Market sits one block north of the main building, in what used to be the terminal's train shed:



The Market has been in operation at that site since 1853, when it was an open air market for its first 40 years of existence. After protests from vendors once the plan for the new Reading Terminal was announced, the company agreed to house them in the building once it was built. The Reading Terminal Market is a Philadelphia landmark, and a favorite shopping and dining place for locals and visitors alike.

Zoe I like your idea. That is what I am planning to do too!

I think this thread has grown quite long, so I've created a new one here.