St. Patrick's day in NYC, Questions

[flintoid]

A few of my fellow ff's and I are planning a St. Patrick's trip to N.Y. in 2004. I was at the 10/02 Memorial and marched in the rain for our lost brothers. While visiting, several NYC ffs suggested a March 17th trip for a follow up to the sad and somber memorial march.
Any advice or suggestions for lodging? Are the visiting FF's welcome to march in the parade? Where and what time should we stage?
Shouldn't be hard to find a place to quaf a beer!

look forward to seeing you there.

thanks, T.

[E40FDNYL35]

Ok The St. Patrick's Day Parade is open to all. BUT officially only FDNY members can march;) ;) FDNY lines up at around 10:30 am at 44th Street and 5th Ave. After the parade there is a coalition at The Armory at Lexington Ave. and East 65th Street. And if you make it out of there the City is open for partying.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

A couple of suggestions;

1. Bring $.

2. Don't try to drive in the city that day.

3. Lodging in NJ will definitely be cheaper and easier to obtain. There are busses from all over North Jersey that go directly to midtown. There are trains on the NJ Transit Morris/Essex line that go directly to midtown. You can drive to the waterfront and take a ferry. There are a billion hotels. Get a good map and sign on to one of the hotel sites and start looking.

4. Non-Irish cops have no sense of humor. They will be working that day. They mean it about the public drinking laws. There was an ethnic festival about five years back where numerous young ladies were sexually assaulted and harrassed by drunken revelers. The PD made alot of arrests. They took a beating in the papers for not being as aggressive on the High Holy Day, so now they are.

5. Parking sucks in the City and it is very, very expensive.

6. Bring $.

[E40FDNYL35]

BLONDIES West 79th Street between Amsterdam Ave. and Broadway.WESTSIDE St. Paddys Day HQ (http://aolsvc.digitalcity.com/newyork/bars/venue.adp?vid=20030&type=overview) :cool:

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by E40FDNYL35
BLONDIES West 79th Street between Amsterdam Ave. and Broadway.WESTSIDE St. Paddys Day HQ (http://aolsvc.digitalcity.com/newyork/bars/venue.adp?vid=20030&type=overview) :cool:

Ray, that's a pretty ritzy neighborhood for FF and cops isn't it?:D

[flintoid]

Just want to thank you for your help and suggestions for the "Holy day" in March. Reference to BLONDIES, Did get there in October '02 and couldn't buy a beer, the owners were just wonderful.
Thanks again for the info.
T.

[E40FDNYL35]

Originally posted by flintoid
Just want to thank you for your help and suggestions for the "Holy day" in March. Reference to BLONDIES, Did get there in October '02 and couldn't buy a beer, the owners were just wonderful.
Thanks again for the info.
T.

SHHHHHH...:eek:Something FREE in Manhattan...:)http://smilies.sofrayt.com/1/r/bigdance2.gif