Your humble blogger has bought tickets to go to Milwaukee for a May 1 meetup and to Minneapolis for May 2. Katy is working on a venue for Minneapolis (and I could use a hotel suggestion when that is sorted) and I could use a venue and hotel pick for Milwaukee.
I floated the idea of a Washington DC meetup for what would have been last night and didn’t get many takers or a convergence on a venue. The most successful spot in DC had been a JW Marriott at 1331 Pennsylvania, NW. It had a very large bar area in the basement, with lots of alcove-y near rooms. Someone got there early and commandeered a section, and that worked very well for our group of ~25. But that was years ago, and that Marriott may have reconfigured that area. Does anyone know that hotel and can advise as to what the setup is now?
In Boston, last time we used 49 Social, at 49 Temple Place, near the Red, Green, and Orange lines. The advantage is that we can reserve the entire upstairs, which was more than large enough for our group (25-30). We could go there again unless readers have another suggestion. Can anyone tell us how this Marriott is set up now? And if this doesn’t seem like a good idea, what alternatives do you suggest? Please see the list of criteria below.
Regarding options for Milwaukee and Washington, and possible alternatives for Boston, the criteria are:
Reasonably accessible transportation-wise
Ability to reserve or commandeer a section of the venue that can accommodate 20-30 people (in Milwaukee, I’d assume smaller, more like 15-25). We usually start at the geriatric hour of 5:00 PM, and most bar/restaurants like a group that starts early. Having enough room to mingle helps (as in restaurant-style seating makes that harder, but we have worked around th\
Decent noise level
Not twee (as in beer/wine/drinks prices should be reasonable for that city)
Food is nice but not required
Irish pubs often work well.
Possible DC meetup dates:
Thursday April 11 or Friday April 12
Possible Boston meetup date:
Wed April 24 or Thurs April 25.
Let me know! Thanks!
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I would prefer Thurs, Apr 26 over Wednesday for Boston.
I haven’t made a meetup yet, and this would be a priority after a decade (!) of reading nc. the location you have is great – pretty sure I used to organize social events in the same room, under different name/management.
Looking forward to seeing you again in Boston!
The Westin in Minneapolis would be a good place to stay. It was originally the Farmers & Mechanics Bank building which was built in 1942 in the ‘Streamline Moderne Art Decco’ style. It is right in the center of town, and a block south of the light rail stop on S 5th St between Nicollet Mall and Marquette Ave. Taking the light rail is a great way to get to and from MSP airport, downtown St. Paul and the Mall of America (if one wants to be in a huge shopping mall).
My city was on display for the Super Bowl a little over a year ago, and it will be again next weekend for the Final Four.
I love the minneapolis westin too! The building’s preservation/renovation was a great addition to the city
Milwaukee recommendations:
Boone and Crockett > Huge space, Best taco trucks,
Camp Bar > Quiet, dog friendly, no food service but cool with bring-ins
Lakefront Brewery > Best “micro” brewery in town, Parking can be iffy but on a Wednesday it should be all right.
Safehouse > Speakeasy ambiance, needs a password to get in, fun time, probably not the best for a large crowd but worth checking out on your own.
in Milwaukee, consider the Hyatt Regency. bar is attached to the lobby
(apologies – I can’t figure out how to make links)
https://images.oyster.com/photos/lobby–v12889674-720.jpg
https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/remote.jpg.ashx?mode=crop&width=1920&height=1080&scale=both&urlb64=aHR0cDovL2Fzc2V0cy5zaW1wbGV2aWV3aW5jLmNvbS9zaW1wbGV2aWV3L2ltYWdlL3VwbG9hZC9jX2ZpdCx3XzE5MjAsaF8xMDgwL2NybS9taWx3YXVrZWUvVk1fSHlhdHRfSW50ZXJpb3JfTG9iYnkyMC04OGVmOTcyNDUwNTZhMzZfODhlZjk4MGEtNTA1Ni1hMzZmLTIzNGVkY2I5MjNjYWNkNDIuanBn&hmac=tWYYXEM3weY
https://pix10.agoda.net/hotelImages/245/2456330/2456330_17111009530059072795.jpg?s=1024×768
there’s also a big open area on the 2nd floor
https://www.frphotowedding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/06-59780-post/Milwaukee-Commercial-Photographer-069(pp_w768_h511).jpg
All bets are off if there’s a wedding (unlikely on a Wednesday) or conference (a possibility). I have no idea what drink prices are.
I hope to make it. Need I make a firm commitment? Temple Place is fine with me and I would love to meet up if I stay sane until then.
Wed/Thurs in Boston will both take some arranging, but a high probability that I’m there either way. 49 Social was good last time and will surely be good again.
Thursday or Friday works for DC, although Thursday probably is slightly preferable. Several months ago, the JW Marriott location was unchanged. There’s a place in the DuPont Circle area called the Commissary that has lounge chairs and couches in the center.
I live 2 hrs from DC, but will try to make a meetup there. No ideas on best spot….
If you wanted to do a meet up in Charlottesville i would have some suggestions!
Hawthorne coffee roasters is a locally-owned coffee bar which serves alcohol and is very close to the airport. It has a large meeting area (it used to be a bowling alley). I’m there right now.
https://www.facebook.com/HawthorneCoffeeCo/
I can arrange things locally if needed.
Either 24th or 25th are good, in Boston. Temple Place is very accessible by MBTA in our traffic clogged city. I’ll show up.