(Topic ID: 247318)

Official Pintastic New England 2021 hotel/driving discussion

By dmarston

4 years ago


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  • 131 posts
  • 37 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by mudflap
  • Topic is favorited by 20 Pinsiders

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    There are 131 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 3.
    #51 4 years ago

    What's the parking situation at the main hotel if I reserve a room at the overflow hotel? I know there is a shuttle....but let's just say I'm a flea market junkie....might need that car for some bigger purchases

    #52 4 years ago
    Quoted from ejacques:

    What's the parking situation at the main hotel if I reserve a room at the overflow hotel?

    The main hotel in Boxborough has spacious parking. You can get a general idea from the aerial footage in the promo video. They have overflow space in the wooded area to the Northwest of the building, too. I've been to some big shows there and have always found someplace to park.

    The current plan is that the flea market vendors will be in the line of spaces parallel and closest to the North wall of the building. This should offer great visibility for those vendors and a way for a buyer with a pickup or mini-van to pull adjacent while loading in their purchases.
    .................David Marston

    #53 4 years ago
    Quoted from ejacques:

    What's the parking situation at the main hotel if I reserve a room at the overflow hotel? I know there is a shuttle....but let's just say I'm a flea market junkie....might need that car for some bigger purchases

    I would say double the parking as Sturbridge.

    1 week later
    #54 4 years ago

    I just did a quick check of driving times from Providence, RI. The new show location is about the same driving time from Providence as the old Sturbridge location was. From Taunton, MA: Boxborough is about 10 minutes less than Sturbridge. From Westerly, RI: Boxborough is about 10 minutes more than Sturbridge. Looks like those coming from the Southeast won't have any major changes.
    .................David Marston

    1 week later
    #55 4 years ago

    It is a nice little hotel that we go to comic book conventions at. Always plenty of parking and easy off the highway.

    1 month later
    #56 4 years ago

    Lots to reply to in this thread, but the short of it is the new location is good. Been all 5 years, things did seem a bit chaotic last year though. Can see how people would miss the Free Play area, a new-to-the-event volunteer actually steered us away from it on Thursday last year thinking it was the Extra Ball Lounge. Thought I overheard tell of some other confusion as the days went on.

    Don't forget Bamboo for Chinese food to go with the list above, or the Yangtze River if you like hot garbage. Kimball's seafood is definitely not on the same level as their ice cream, these are the masters of milk here. The seafood they just buy from a wholesaler, fry, and sell for high prices. No more tolls is big, 495 access a single exit away from Route 2 is big. Other local airports in the area as well, one mile might as well be five.

    Good to hear that Westford is still psychotic about its "small town status", they fought a battle to keep Wal-Mart out decades ago and established a legal precedent for outrageous nonsense. Westford Regency is a good spot as noted in abundance above.

    Any word on the compared square footage? Maybe just in total now if the allotment isn't complete. Had all sorts of parking comments but our patron organizer has already predicted them perfectly.

    #57 4 years ago
    Quoted from Tubes:

    Any word on the compared square footage?

    The Vendor Hall is larger, Free Play room is about comparable. The Club Room, which will be populated with games from more than just SNHPC, has the potential for more square footage, but we need to trace out all the electrical circuits. The facilities for our volunteers are likely to be way nicer. Some things are still being decided about room allocation.

    Quoted from Tubes:

    Other local airports in the area as well, one mile might as well be five.

    The hotel shuttle will pick up and drop off at the Stow airport, though. For train riders, we will probably be able to get you at Littleton-495 station, but it's a good idea to post in this thread if that's of interest to you.

    What is the street address of this Bamboo restaurant?
    .................David Marston

    #58 4 years ago

    Good news about the square footage. The Club Room is the free-to-enjoy area from Southern New Hampshire, yes? The cramping and frantic vibe became merged into one wild cacophony as Saturday closed last year, as the man of electricity, Steve Ritchie himself, entered. Good it will get a boost in size. The electric man's appearance will augur well for getting more current, voltage drop is nothing. More power, like that Tool Man.

    Must have missed the shuttle going to the airport, seems too good to be true. This could have rendered it invisible, not expecting to see it. I can recommend Minuteman by proxy, pleasant airfield. The Bamboo restaurant is the "enhanced" version of the local upscale Mandarin chain (meaning sushi as well, though a successor to the claim of best sushi around may already have been mentioned), and is located along the same road as the Westford Regency and shopping areas, 110. It's 1 Lan Road.

    #59 4 years ago
    Quoted from Tubes:

    The Club Room is the free-to-enjoy area from Southern New Hampshire, yes?

    That's right, although it's "free" once you've bought a show admission (badge or wristband).
    .................David Marston

    #60 4 years ago

    I was looking at 2019 badge buyers and found, as expected, plenty from the 6 New England states and the nearby states and provinces. But we drew from 21 US states and 4 Canadian provinces just for the badge sales! Wristband sales for cash may have added more states. Pintastic New England drew attendance from Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and Manitoba with one each. We got more than one each from Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, and West Virginia. Thanks to all for their support and participation.
    .................David Marston

    #61 4 years ago

    We've gone every year but never yet gone in for the LE package—can the Extra Ball Lounge℠ this year compete with former years' 1,920 square feet and enticing sounds I've heard emanating in the past? It suddenly occurs to me that I'll be wanting to play pinball from 3 am through 8 am on a whim given the new location's proximity. Also, which Regency is the Friday LE breakfast buffet at?

    #62 4 years ago
    Quoted from Tubes:

    Also, which Regency is the Friday LE breakfast buffet at?

    It will be at Boxborough.
    .................David Marston

    #63 4 years ago
    Quoted from Tubes:

    We've gone every year but never yet gone in for the LE package—can the Extra Ball Lounge℠ this year compete with former years' 1,920 square feet and enticing sounds I've heard emanating in the past? It suddenly occurs to me that I'll be wanting to play pinball from 3 am through 8 am on a whim given the new location's proximity. Also, which Regency is the Friday LE breakfast buffet at?

    Some of the same games form years past. But also some new games that I have acquired this year like The walking dead premium and Circus Voltaire. Along with a lot of the new games we will be bringing in from the very close vendor hall after it closes each night. But trust me I will not disappoint you all.

    #64 4 years ago

    It was hard to tell in the main thread, but has Westford booked up as well? Someone couldn't book the type of room they wanted but it wasn't clear where. If people are looking for those dual queen rooms or whatnot, they seem to have erected a brand new Courtyard by Marriott right off the current Exit 30B from 495, on 119, very close to the Westford Regency and slightly closer to Boxborough than the Westford Regency is. Comes with its own Starbucks in the same complex, and some sushi and Mexican food and such.

    #65 4 years ago
    Quoted from Tubes:

    It was hard to tell in the main thread, but has Westford booked up as well? Someone couldn't book the type of room they wanted but it wasn't clear where. If people are looking for those dual queen rooms or whatnot, they seem to have erected a brand new Courtyard by Marriott right off the current Exit 30B from 495, on 119, very close to the Westford Regency and slightly closer to Boxborough than the Westford Regency is. Comes with its own Starbucks in the same complex, and some sushi and Mexican food and such.

    All room types are still available at the Boxboro Recency. Best to call and talk to Courtney if your having any issues. It is nice to stay at the host hotel if possible. But there are many large hotels with in 10 to 15 min drive.

    #66 4 years ago
    Quoted from dannunz:

    All room types are still available at the Boxboro Recency….

    Good to hear direct from The Man, I definitely saw in another discussion someone who was under the impression that Boxborough was booked (some weeks ago).

    #67 4 years ago

    If flying into 6B6 (Minuteman) check the notams (R4102 also). If IFR there is only one GPS approach in and an ODP if departing to the S.

    #68 4 years ago
    Quoted from Ramrod215:

    If flying into 6B6 (Minuteman) check the notams. If IFR there is only one GPS approach in and an ODP if departing to the S.

    It seems like more detail on these things can be found at http://minutemanairfield.com/pilots/ and its "Useful Links". If I'm reading it correctly, shuttle service is provided free by Minuteman Airport to local hotels (Westford and Boxboro included).

    #69 4 years ago
    Quoted from Tubes:

    It seems like more detail on these things can be found at http://minutemanairfield.com/pilots/ and its "Useful Links". If I'm reading it correctly, shuttle service is provided free by Minuteman Airport to local hotels (Westford and Boxboro included).

    Good information! I never flown there just work planes into there.

    1 week later
    #70 4 years ago

    If someone is looking for a room at the Boxboro Regency, I just cancelled a king room. The show is actually closer to my house than my office, and I pass the hotel all the time. So I decided to just drive up each day for the show.

    1 month later
    #71 3 years ago

    The 2020 edition of the Pintastic New England show has been cancelled. The show will return in 2021. Discussion of the 2021 show is over here:
    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-real-official-pintastic-new-england-show-info
    Of course, we will continue to monitor the worldwide pandemic situation and make appropriate adjustments.
    .................David Marston

    2 weeks later
    #72 3 years ago

    If you were hoping to indulge in some candlepin bowling, note that the number of candlepin places in the region has just decreased by one (unless one of you is feeling entrepreneurial and buys it).
    https://www.telegram.com/news/20200518/final-strike-worcesters-last-candlepin-alley-closes
    There are some duckpin bowling places in nearby towns, too.
    .................David Marston

    3 months later
    #73 3 years ago

    RIP

    20200831_160831.jpg20200831_160831.jpg
    #74 3 years ago
    Quoted from Irishbastard:

    RIP
    [quoted image]

    Pro tip. Don't put the color ones in the dishwasher. The etched one like you have has held up fine.

    2020-09-01 10.13.52 (resized).jpg2020-09-01 10.13.52 (resized).jpg

    #75 3 years ago
    Quoted from Shredso:

    Pro tip. Don't put the color ones in the dishwasher. The etched one like you have has held up fine.
    [quoted image]

    Weird, I have one of those as well and always run it through the dishwasher. Maybe there was a small batch of bad ones?

    #76 3 years ago
    Quoted from Shredso:

    Pro tip. Don't put the color ones in the dishwasher. The etched one like you have has held up fine.
    [quoted image]

    Quoted from Irishbastard:

    Weird, I have one of those as well and always run it through the dishwasher. Maybe there was a small batch of bad ones?

    From the "toon tumbler" (maker of the pintastic glasses) FAQ:

    All ‘Toon Tumblers® use state of the art materials featuring deep, vivid colors. There are, however, varying degrees of durability between items. All of our Looney Tunes™, Hanna-Barbera™, and Archie™ ‘Toon Tumblers® are dishwasher-safe. Our Marvel Comics and DC Comics ‘Toon Tumblers® can not be made using the same process and we recommend that these products be hand-washed only.

    My guess is the pinastic glasses are made like the DC/Marvel ones they sell and are not dishwasher safe since I ruined one as well that way.

    #77 3 years ago
    Quoted from Irishbastard:

    RIP
    [quoted image]

    Interesting boot leg beer glass lol

    #78 3 years ago
    Quoted from dannunz:

    Interesting boot leg beer glass lol

    I think it’s just the normal black one, but the ink faded over time.

    #79 3 years ago

    Like the side art on a B/W machine.
    How appropriate.

    #80 3 years ago
    Quoted from dannunz:

    Interesting boot leg beer glass lol

    Bootleg? No, former "offical Pintastic" glass. Faded and flash made it look more grey than it really was. Still have one left, and two "Toon" ones (dishwasher survivors).

    #81 3 years ago
    Quoted from Irishbastard:

    Bootleg? No, former "offical Pintastic" glass. Faded and flash made it look more grey than it really was. Still have one left, and two "Toon" ones (dishwasher survivors).

    I have never seen that happen. I have washed my black ones In the dish washer many times and they are still black.

    #82 3 years ago
    Quoted from dannunz:

    I have never seen that happen. I have washed my black ones In the dish washer many times and they are still black.

    Our old dishwasher used to do that to everything. Our new dishwasher doesn’t. It’s very machine specific.

    4 months later
    #83 3 years ago

    Exit numbers on the Mass Pike (I-90) and the expressway portion of US Route 3 are now mileage-based. Signs for re-numbering I-495 are being positioned near their respective exits. Has anyone checked out MA Route 2 lately?
    .................David Marston

    1 month later
    #84 2 years ago

    Reset your GPS! We will be in Sturbridge again for 2021. The hotel is being renovated by the new owners.

    Driving note: exit numbers have changed. Take Exit 78 off the Mass Pike (I-90) to I-84 West, then immediately take Exit 6-B off I-84 to US 20 West.

    More info and discussion in the main thread:
    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-real-official-pintastic-new-england-show-info

    Make your plans!
    .................David Marston

    #85 2 years ago

    I hope this works out this year. It would be nice to see some pinball peeps and share some beers, which is my favorite feature of this venue

    #86 2 years ago

    Ohhhhh yeeeeaaaaahhhhh!!!

    #87 2 years ago

    Just FYI to anyone who wants to book a room: Online it says the rooms are booked up and there are none available. This is not true. Call them up and book over the phone. Plenty of rooms available.

    #88 2 years ago
    Quoted from ThePinballCo-op:

    Just FYI to anyone who wants to book a room: Online it says the rooms are booked up and there are none available. This is not true. Call them up and book over the phone. Plenty of rooms available.

    What is the Pintastic room rate?

    #90 2 years ago

    As far as we can tell now, the only issue with online booking is that the block of rooms associated with some block code is messed up. We hope the hotel will get that fixed ASAP. From what I've heard, the Registration staff at the hotel have all their information straight, so it's just the block code or the block it applies to, as represented in the online system.
    .................David Marston

    1 week later
    #91 2 years ago

    The hotel room block has been fixed in the online system for the hotel. If you now try
    https://pintasticnewengland.com/hotel-2/
    you should have a button that opens a booking page where all four nights are available. If you want to come earlier than Wednesday (11/17), you can book nights starting Wednesday online, then call the hotel and ask to modify your reservation.
    .................David Marston

    2 months later
    #92 2 years ago

    Driving note: exits have been re-numbered to mileage-based numbering on I-90, I-84, I-495, I-91, and I-93. I haven't been on other expressways lately; reports are welcomed from I-291, I-295, I-95, etc.
    .................David Marston

    #93 2 years ago

    I-190 and MA Route 2 have also been renumbered.
    .................David Marston

    #94 2 years ago
    Quoted from dmarston:

    I-190 and MA Route 2 have also been renumbered.
    .................David Marston

    Did Massachusetts do that just to annoy people with older GPS programs?

    #95 2 years ago
    pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png
    1 month later
    #96 2 years ago

    I-95 and Route 146 have been renumbered in MA.
    .................David Marston

    #97 2 years ago
    Quoted from beelzeboob:

    Did Massachusetts do that just to annoy people with older GPS programs?

    It's a federal requirement. Mass and RI and some others are just late to the game. Exits are now mile-based. So from the start of the interstate/state line, Exit 7 is 7 miles in.

    #98 2 years ago

    Who are the speakers & roughly what games have been registered? Thanks.

    #99 2 years ago

    I use wazy and it

    Quoted from acedanger:

    Who are the speakers & roughly what games have been registered? Thanks.

    Kevin O’Connor is announced. Another designer will be announced this week.

    More to come after that.

    #100 2 years ago
    Quoted from dannunz:

    I use wazy and it

    Kevin O’Connor is announced. Another designer will be announced this week.
    More to come after that.

    I can speak if you want me to. It's getting me to shut up that's the problem.

    There are 131 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 3.

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