What Happened To The Big Apple Comic Con?

[the blob]

The Church was a decent spot. That was where I picked up my ASM1 back around 99. I remember that being a decent show. They could easily use the smaller venue attached to MSG or a better hotel than the Penn Pavilion.

I liked the Church shows too. Penn Pavilion is horrible. Whenever I go to the Penn Pavilion show, I just want to go home and take a shower immediately.

 

I really appreciate that Mike and Vinnie stepped up all those years ago and started the Church show when the Greenberg show collapsed. I'm sure it wasn't easy and I doubt they ever got rich from the effort.

 

It's too bad that creating respectable NY show (other than the Reed show) seems to be such a tough and costly endeavor. I think the demand is there.

 

the church basement was fine for a small local show, but not really the kind of show we're talking about here. also kind of a PITA to unload/load at that one, I basically had to take all of my long boxes up the stairs by hand to my awaiting minivan parked in front. and it was pretty hot down there in the summer too.

[the blob]

Im telling you...

 

Brooklyn

 

There are so many options in Brooklyn. With a short distance from major hubs of transportation, the hipster communities of Williamsburg and other places along with a lot of rebuilding, Crooklyn is the place to be.

 

 

weekend train service to/from brooklyn stinks. there are also not many centralized legit hotel options. while i think it's a fine venue for a local show if you can get it near the atlantic terminal (they do have one already that caters more to an indie/underground comic scene), I don't know about a venue that is close in size to, let's say, pier 92, which is kind of what you need for a "national" annual show. maybe when they finish up the barclays center and related buildings they will have one.

 

what happened to the space where they used to hold the "national"? while it may not be huge, i don't remember it being bad re: ventilation, etc.

 

[Buzzetta]

Im telling you...

 

Brooklyn

 

There are so many options in Brooklyn. With a short distance from major hubs of transportation, the hipster communities of Williamsburg and other places along with a lot of rebuilding, Crooklyn is the place to be.

 

 

weekend train service to/from brooklyn stinks. there are also not many centralized legit hotel options. while i think it's a fine venue for a local show if you can get it near the atlantic terminal (they do have one already that caters more to an indie/underground comic scene), I don't know about a venue that is close in size to, let's say, pier 92, which is kind of what you need for a "national" annual show. maybe when they finish up the barclays center and related buildings they will have one.

 

what happened to the space where they used to hold the "national"? while it may not be huge, i don't remember it being bad re: ventilation, etc.

 

I had mentioned the Barclay's Center. The only thing about that area is that there are some surrounding parts that can get a little sketchy at times.

[the blob]

Im telling you...

 

Brooklyn

 

There are so many options in Brooklyn. With a short distance from major hubs of transportation, the hipster communities of Williamsburg and other places along with a lot of rebuilding, Crooklyn is the place to be.

 

 

weekend train service to/from brooklyn stinks. there are also not many centralized legit hotel options. while i think it's a fine venue for a local show if you can get it near the atlantic terminal (they do have one already that caters more to an indie/underground comic scene), I don't know about a venue that is close in size to, let's say, pier 92, which is kind of what you need for a "national" annual show. maybe when they finish up the barclays center and related buildings they will have one.

 

what happened to the space where they used to hold the "national"? while it may not be huge, i don't remember it being bad re: ventilation, etc.

 

I had mentioned the Barclay's Center. The only thing about that area is that there are some surrounding parts that can get a little sketchy at times.

 

i don't think they'll be renting out the arena for shows, but i know the developer had plans for lots of related office buildings/conference centers (the justification for kicking a lot of folks out of their homes/businesses over there via eminent domain). the current governor has the insane idea of tearing down javitz, replacing it with condos, and moving NYC's convention business to some remote part of queens (with very sketchy public transportation options and little in the way of hotels/restaurants), which is an insane idea on its face, but he seems to be in political steamroller mode right now, so he can probably twist arms and make it happen for a multi-billion dollar waste of money.

 

the area around barclays is much improved over the last 10 years and certainly would not be an issue during daylight hours. there are, however, few hotel options right now (maybe later). with all of that said, i do not believe an out of town crowd will ever accept schlepping to brooklyn, even if the reality is that atlantic terminal in brooklym is only a few more minutes from penn station (assuming the express trains are running) as schlepping down to javitz and is actually quicker than coming over from grand central to javitz. i live in brooklyn and i don't entirely blame them, manhattan is just more functional for this sort of stuff when you factor in hotels and the "after show' bar/restaurant scene. with that said, i don't know how many convention goers actually come in from out of town for NYCC. obviously SDCD is a bigger "destination" show, NYCC can pack the house just drawing from the 25 million people in the tri-state area and another 10 or 15 million potential "day trippers" from upstate NY, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston etc.

[Buzzetta]

You too are a victim of the "L" train?

[the blob]

no, I am not on such a hipster line, but the 2, 3, 4, 5 go local on the weekends and they randomly shut down B, Q, F, D, A, etc. service for fun.

[Buzzetta]

no, I am not on such a hipster line, but the 2, 3, 4, 5 go local on the weekends and they randomly shut down B, Q, F, D, A, etc. service for fun.

 

Then you are missing out on seeing things like this:

 

[Ghost Town]

the church basement was fine for a small local show, but not really the kind of show we're talking about here. also kind of a PITA to unload/load at that one, I basically had to take all of my long boxes up the stairs by hand to my awaiting minivan parked in front. and it was pretty hot down there in the summer too.

That's all true. But if I had to choose between spending time at the church or Penn Pavilion, I'd go with the church every time. Penn Pavilion is just so skeevy.