If you're new to the city or taking the T in from out of town, this is where you can get advice from people living in The Hub. Please keep discussion limited to things in and around Boston.
So I have a question, I live a good hour away from Boston. My cosplay is kind of big (going as the nine tailed fox so I have nine huge tails) so driving would be easier. I have taken the train many, many times so I know how easy it is. Do you think I should try the drive or just do the train? Thanks and can't wait for the Con!
If you drive, parking will be pretty difficult to find. Even when there isn't a convention going on, it's hard to find long-term parking, let alone a parking spot. At best, if you find a spot, you might have to move your car every few hours or so to avoid getting ticketed. I recommend taking the train; it may be a bit of a hassle schlepping your cosplay from home to the con, but at least you won't have to worry about moving your car every few hours.
This is just based on observation and experience with being stuck in the back seat of friends' cars trying to find a parking space in the area, so it may not be the best advice. If you ever find yourself in Boston before the con, you should swing by the Hynes Convention Center area and see what the parking situation is like for yourself so that you can get a better idea of what you might want to do.
An excellent point. Only my mom is driving, not me. She'd be dropping me off then picking me up later. I probably should have mentioned that before. Sorry
Since you have such a huge cosplay, I would recommend avoiding the Green Line all together as it is usually pack if you decided to take the subway in. The alternative route is getting onto the Orange Line and getting off at Back Bay. For the most part, the Orange Line is pretty empty (unless you are going on a school day or towards Downtown Crossing, then it can be somewhat crowded).
jessielove29 wrote:An excellent point. Only my mom is driving, not me. She'd be dropping me off then picking me up later. I probably should have mentioned that before. Sorry
LOL. In that case, I definitely recommend driving to the con. You also know how to get to the con by train if she can't drive you, so you're pretty much set.
Your mom driving you is probably the most convenient solution for you. Sometimes when I have a lot of stuff I get someone to drop me off on the side of the Sheraton and just go from there. The trains can be tough in a costume. If I have something that is large or would hinder my movement, I take it off and put it away as much as possible until I get to the convention. If you end up taking the train, if you could manage taking it in/out at less busy times, that's generally better. Less train crowded-ness means more room for cosplay stuff.
Something to keep in mind with with the train is on Friday it'll be a lot more packed because of all of the commuters...especially if you take the E to Prudential since there are a lot of colleges down that way and the E trains don't come as frequently...so it would be important to plan your train route and time accordingly.
Also, if you stay at the convention kind of late, sometimes it's very difficult getting out of there since the trains are so much more infrequent and everyone is trying to leave. I've been on rush hour trains in Tokyo, and I would still say the most uncomfortably crowded train ride I have ever been on was the E line at midnight a few Anime Bostons ago. Most of the time I will take the train into the city and then just make someone come get me at night.
So I guess in summary, driving would be a lot better for you...but if you have to take the train, just try to avoid MEGA CROWDS and try not to bump anyone with your tails...I'm sure there will be a lot of people doing the same.
My job goes right from Avon, south of Boston, to the Sheraton, then we head off to New York daily.
IF you come from the south and get onto 93, it's a piece of cake getting to the Pru. Heading into Boston, get off on exit 18. Go though the first set of lights. At the second set, take a left, and you should be coming down and around to a medical center to the right, right where it connects to Massachusetts Ave. Take a right there, and follow Mass Ave all the way up to Huntington Ave, which is right where the Symphony Hall is, as well as, IIRC, a Red Mango. The street is kind of split in two. Take a right onto Huntington, and you will be passing the Midtown Hotel. Further down, you will hit your first set of lights. The place you would see to the left across the lights is the Prudential Center, and if you look further ahead, you will see the skybridge that connects the Pru to the Marriott Copley place. If you were going to the Sheraton or the Hilton, you would take a left at those lights, and Dalton Street is right down that road. This is where we stop every day.
