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1 hour ago, xandandl said:

Oh is that why the Cadets fled New Jersey for Hopkin's home state? I had always heard it had something to do with bill collectors...and northern Jersey having snowballs and other words for Philadelphia football fans.

Or all of the above

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I just learned that the Best Western in Quakertown has closed permanently. I've stayed there in the past, and usually the place is filled with people who attend the Allentown shows. 

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I also continue to be disappointed with the parking situation.  This past summer was the second year in a row where that entire street which runs between the duck pond and the stadium is closed off.  For RV folks, parking on the side streets around the stadium is problematic. Back in the day, we used to park on the grass, which was ended years ago.  Now with the street also closed, the only parking is literally down by the municipal pool, pretty far removed from the stadium.  J Birney Crum really needs a parking lot.

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We are out at one of the three Marriott hotels grouped together right off U.S. Rte. 22 in the Bethlehem area.  Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, and Courtyard. Nice properties. Fairfield and Residence have free breakfasts. 

I think there are still rooms left at a couple of them at least (last I checked anyhow, a couple of days ago), if that helps anyone.

Pretty convenient to J. Birney Crum... took us about 20 minutes door to door last year... and with some late-night food options nearby.

Edited by Fran Haring
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3 hours ago, craiga said:

I also continue to be disappointed with the parking situation.  This past summer was the second year in a row where that entire street which runs between the duck pond and the stadium is closed off.  For RV folks, parking on the side streets around the stadium is problematic. Back in the day, we used to park on the grass, which was ended years ago.  Now with the street also closed, the only parking is literally down by the municipal pool, pretty far removed from the stadium.  J Birney Crum really needs a parking lot.

Parking's a nightmare for corps as well. All the buses park on one street in the park, and no one can leave until whoever's parked in front does. This is particularly annoying on Friday, when many corps want to return to their housing site early because they'll be staying there the next day and as a result have left their food trucks there. Last August, I spent an hour and a half sitting on the bus, plus another close to two hours actually driving to the housing site, with no bus box food because the next day was Walmart/laundry, and didn't have time to get the super-hyped-up funnel cake because of the super-early BIS. Most of our corps was in exactly the same situation, and the people on the buses next to ours didn't look too happy either. Allentown is a ridiculously overhyped show site in every way imaginable. Parking's a nightmare, buses, equipment trucks, warmups, and the stadium are all a million miles away from each other, there's that nightmarish hill that you have to haul props and pit up into the stadium, there's barely room for corps to enter and exit, and the stadium itself isn't significantly better than, say, Whitewater or Little Rock and is only talked up because it's the regional.

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5 hours ago, craiga said:

I also continue to be disappointed with the parking situation.  This past summer was the second year in a row where that entire street which runs between the duck pond and the stadium is closed off.  For RV folks, parking on the side streets around the stadium is problematic. Back in the day, we used to park on the grass, which was ended years ago.  Now with the street also closed, the only parking is literally down by the municipal pool, pretty far removed from the stadium.  J Birney Crum really needs a parking lot.

good luck. given how it's built into the neighborhood around it, I don't see it happening. the city and the school district doesnt have the cash to make that happen

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1 hour ago, Bone-Tone Lord said:

Parking's a nightmare for corps as well. All the buses park on one street in the park, and no one can leave until whoever's parked in front does. This is particularly annoying on Friday, when many corps want to return to their housing site early because they'll be staying there the next day and as a result have left their food trucks there. Last August, I spent an hour and a half sitting on the bus, plus another close to two hours actually driving to the housing site, with no bus box food because the next day was Walmart/laundry, and didn't have time to get the super-hyped-up funnel cake because of the super-early BIS. Most of our corps was in exactly the same situation, and the people on the buses next to ours didn't look too happy either. Allentown is a ridiculously overhyped show site in every way imaginable. Parking's a nightmare, buses, equipment trucks, warmups, and the stadium are all a million miles away from each other, there's that nightmarish hill that you have to haul props and pit up into the stadium, there's barely room for corps to enter and exit, and the stadium itself isn't significantly better than, say, Whitewater or Little Rock and is only talked up because it's the regional.

there's a lot more that goes into it than the logistics, though they count for a lot. in an activity in which everyone crows about traditions, yet get chucked to the side daily, Allentown is that one tradition that remains, warts and all. No it's not an NFL or major college stadium, and it saves all involved a ton of money as a result....and makes more for the corps because costs are low. the relationship with the city and the district goes back 40 years. it's always drawn well, even in the dark years, and recent years have been close to record numbers. it has a throwback charm for fans with the tailgating, and now with Flo, people everywhere can watch it. Any other major stadium within 2 hours of the region will drive the budget up substantially, and many aren't turf which creates an issue. 

 

flaws yes. hell the Dome old and new in Atlanta have had leaks. San Antonio is Texas in July. But the major fields in Philly are grass, not turf, and NJ will cost a small fortune. So would Annapolis

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some of the ones by 78 and 100 have been renovated nicely as well.

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4 minutes ago, rmm155 said:

While your comments are accurate as are Mr. Windisch comments about 800 additional beds somewhere south of the Interstate, this information presumes one has a car or the finances able to not only to pay for the much increased hotel prices but to rent a car for the weekend. It's almost a two mile walk to the Dorney Park hotels, the nearest and all uphill to the Downtown Allentown venues. That's why the closure of these hotels is notable. When the Allentown show ends each night, there are (almost) no public transit so your only Lift is with a friend, Uber,or skitching on an corps vehicle going that way. Not good for us oldsters or anyone coming in from out of State by way of airport, train, or bus. Pennsylvanians seem to d-ream everyone has a tractor at their disposal. Minnesota, Denver, Atlanta, and San Antonio shows have some better alternatives.

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