Geeky destinations to discover during New York Comic Con
From glittery vampires to people running from
the undead, New York Comic Con is
the East Coast’s mecca for pop culture fans.
But there are plenty of nerdgasms to be had exploring the city
to see where famous movies and shows were filmed. Plus, we’ll let you know
where you can stay some of these uber-cool locales, along with the best ways to
around town and how to get there.
In a perfect world you’ll be booking your flight to NYC as soon
as you can for the event. But sometimes you’re going to need to book at the
last minute. Just pulling a search on our flight finder for two roundtrip
tickets to New York City from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11, we found some really good
deals. Boston fanboys can fly to the Big Apple for $103, while the good people
of Chicago can get there for $114. Dallas ($175), Atlanta ($197), and Miami
($114) also have direct flights to New York that won’t have you scarfing down
Ramen noodles… well, not any more than usual.
New York Comic Con
flights
We’re good for flights. Now to tackle hotels. New York Comic Con
does an excellent job of negotiating rates for fans coming into town, even
setting up free shuttles at various spots in the nearby area. The
only problem as last-minute travelers know all too well is those hotels can,
and will, be booked well in advance. That isn’t such a bad thing though, as we
can find you a couple of awesome places to stay that are either near or some of
your favorite comic book and pop culture moments.
Let’s start at The Gotham Hotel.
While the name may invoke images of the Caped Crusader, it has a bit more to do
with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Gotham is just a four-minute walk down
East 46th Street to the MetLife Building. And that building, my friends, was
the served as the model of Stark Tower for “The Avengers.” And don’t worry
about the Chitauri – they’re not doing any flybys any time soon.
If you’re willing to make the trek to Tribeca, you’ll find
yourself at the Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca.
It’s a great three-star lodging near a couple of nice parks, but it’s three
minutes away (on foot) from Hook & Ladder 8 – the home of the Ghostbusters.
The exterior is just like you remember from the movies, but the inside won’t
remind you of Venkman, Spangler, Stantz or Zeddemore since interior shots were
filmed in Los Angeles. Still, you can always chat up the brave crew inside to perhaps
get a peek inside the firehouse. There’s even a subtle tribute to the films in
an FDNY shield with the Ghostbuster logo in the middle just outside the truck
entrance.
Let’s turn our attention from the supernatural to Time Lords,
and the Comfort Inn Central Park
West. This comfy not-so-little hotel is right next to Central Park,
which is where Whovians bid farewell to Amy Pond for good in the “Doctor Who”
episode “Daleks in Manhattan.”
“Doctor Who” fans should also find some time to hit up The Way Station in
Brooklyn. This restaurant takes its love of the BBC show to another level with
“Madame de Pompadour sponge cake,” a bathroom decked out like the TARDIS, and
various drinks named after the good doctor(s).
A little time travel can go a long way, kind of like how an epic
superhero battle can. Take the throwdown between Spider-man (Tobey Maguire, not
Andrew Garfield) and the Green Goblin from the 2002 flick, for example. The
Queensboro Bridge was the perfect place for such a fight, and makes for one of
the more picturesque Marvel movie filming locations. A locale you can see if
you’re staying at The Bentley Hotel.
We know the whole reason for this trip is to see some of New
York Comic Con’s guests, which include the likes of Todd McFarlane, Stephenie
Meyer, Bruce Campbell (Ash!!!), Nathan Fillion, and many other awesome people.
But the Javits Center is in Hell’s Kitchen. Hell’s Kitchen is the stomping
grounds of Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil. And while the show is using various
spots around the city to bring things to life, we can still check out some of
the more noticeable locations. Heck, you might even see them filming this or
other Netflix/Marvel shows with a quick look over at onlocationvacations.com while
in town for NYCC.
Want to check out where mob bosses meet their maker via a
bowling ball, like what happened in the episode “Rabbit in a Snowstorm?” Take a
trip to Whitestone Lanes in
Flushing. It’s open 24/7, so you don’t have to worry about anyone getting the
drop on you. Can’t say the same about a 7-10 split, though.
In episode 6 “condemned,” Daredevil takes Russian baddie
Vladimir to an abandoned warehouse to save him from Wilson Fisk’s thugs. That
warehouse is actually Exit Room NY,
which describes itself as an art gallery/cultural space on Meserole Street in
Bushwick, Brooklyn. It’s about a 40-minute subway ride (take the 7 to 4,5, or 6
trains to the L train) from the Javits Center, so get yourself a seven-day
Unlimited Ride Pass for $31 to use during your stay in NYC.
Daredevil did a bit of double dipping when it came to their
scenes at the Rockefeller Center Roof Gardens. Yes, this is where Fisk had a
chat with Madame Gao to discuss NYC crime boss stuff. But Sam Raimi used the
same spot for a meet-cute of sorts between Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson
after a battle with the Green Goblin. These gardens have been up here for over
80 years, and are sealed off from the public. Don’t worry – you can sneak a
peek at them from the Top of the Rock observation deck.
While checking out all the cool sites around New York that have
been in our favorite shows or movies, we sometimes forget to soak up that
breathtaking skyline. Karen Paige and Ben Urich do a little bit of sightseeing
while uncovering Fisk’s plot to take over Hell’s Kitchen at the Greenpoint
Docks. We recommend taking a ride on the East River Ferry to get a look at the
city from this view to start of your day at the Comic Con.
After a full day of sightseeing, autograph seeking and
full-blown nerdgasms, the only way to top it off is by heading to Foggy Nelson
and Matt Murdock’s favorite watering hole, Josie Bar. The locals in
Williamsburg know it as the Turkey’s Nest, a local dive bar on Bedford Ave. for
over 35 years. You could get a shot or two of the hard stuff, it’s known for $7
margaritas and beer at low prices.
If you need a little more visual searching for your New York
Comic Con experience, try this cool interactive map below.
