I agree with Charles and everyone else who dreads having the Fest in Newark. I have attended festivals in eight different locations, and Newark was by far the worst. I live in NYC, so it was only a half hour drive. The problem with Newark was two-fold. First, it is extremely difficult to find, even for a New Yorker who is familiar with the area. I made a few wrong turns, delaying me about a half hour. Furthermore, I heard horror story after horror story from people who were driving from other states, many of whom got lost for up to two hours. If this was an isolated incident, I would call it an anecdote. But I heard this from several people. One couple was stranded in an awful neighborhood and had to be guided to Newark by a Good Samaritan in his car.
The second problem with Newark, as others have mentioned, is that nothing is conveniently reachable. Not restaurants nor sidewalk hot dog vendors. Traveling to Manhattan is not realistic nor convenient. Tarrytown is fine. Brooklyn is preferable because it's a short subway ride to Manhattan, there are many places within walking distance, and for me, it's almost a short walk from home.
Unfortunately because of cost, I don't believe Jim will have it in Manhattan. I do hope that he has gotten sufficient feedback that no one wants it in Newark. We will see.
Frank
