The view from the train from Syracuse to NYC. Can you spot West Point?
Up bright and early at 5:00 am this morning to make the trip to New York City for ThrillerFest – a conference for thriller writers and not, as some of you may have hoped, a conference for Michael Jackson fans.
ThrillerFest is one of my favourite writing conferences for several reasons. First off, it’s one of the largest concentrations of professional thriller writers and industry professionals in the world. Their PitchFest is a particularly valuable event for those looking for agents – participants get the chance to pitch their work to dozens of agents and publishers over the course of an afternoon. More practically, ThrillerFest is also always held in New York City – a relatively easy hop from Southeastern Ontario – and it’s held at the same time of year.
My other favourite writing conference is Bouchercon, which has more of a fan-focus and which has a focus on crime writing as opposed to thriller writing. Bouchercon isn’t quite as buttoned down, and has events all over the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, it’s typically held during the first week of September, which is challenging for parents. Bouchercon will be coming to my hometown of Calgary in a few years, however, so I’ll have to try to make it out then.
I’ve also been meaning to take in a game development conference at some point over the past few years, but still haven’t managed to make it out yet. The Game Development Conference (GDC) is held over March, which always overlaps with the kids’ school break. This year I’m going to see whether I can attend PAX Unplugged – a game conference specifically for tabletop roleplaying, card games and other non-electronic games.
Anyway – New York. I’ve made the trip four or five times previously but it’s taken me until now to feel like I’ve finally ‘mastered’ the journey. (Famous last words…)
The first leg was from Ontario through the Lansdowne border crossing to Syracuse. I left with time to spare in case of traffic, though ultimately I was able to drive right up to the Nexus booth. A few questions later and I was on my way into the US.
For those not aware, Nexus is a trusted traveller program that offers faster access for Canadians travelling to the US. It also grants access to shorter airport security lines and advanced systems that let you keep your liquids in your bag. That last feature alone makes the card worth its weight in gold.
It looked like clear sailing down to the Syracuse AMTRAK station – until my wife called to inform me that our electric car had thrown yet another battery fault, and would need to be towed into the dealership. It also looked like they didn’t have any loaners so she would need to rent a car for a week. A heck of a mess, but we managed to hash it out during a pit stop just across the border. I refueled my gas car and was back on the road shortly afterward.
The rest of the drive was largely uneventful, apart from some heavy rain and missed directions – I was foolish enough to assume that the ‘Syracuse Regional Transport Hub’ and the ‘Syracuse Regional Transportation Center’ are one and the same. (Spoiler: They are not.) So be careful to use the exact address when using Google Maps – 1 Walsh Circuit, Syracuse. Thankfully, this error only cost me about 10 extra minutes.
The Syracuse train station is small yet efficient. Everything is relatively clean, there are places to sit and a convenience store and a Subway. That’s really all you need.
Photo credit: AroundAirports.com
The hour-long wait was taken up with electric car-related administration, and then it was time to wheel my bag up the ramp and get ready to board. I had the foresight to pre-book business class – essential given that it’s a sold-out train today – which meant that I boarded near the back of the train.
It wasn’t entirely a smooth embarkation. I tried to board before everyone else got off (rookie error), and then had a hard time putting my extremely heavy bag into the overhead bin. (They were storing heavy bags near the front for our first leg, but that’s also the handicap accessible area so… don’t count on that.) I also paid for a beverage from the café car when I could’ve gotten it for free for being in business class. I’m clearly out of practice – but at least I’ll have this helpful blog post to re-read before my next trip.
Photo by FlyerTalk.com user Seat 2A.
Otherwise, it was a pleasant journey. There’s a view of various waterways – the Erie Canal and the Hudson River – and I had a halfway decent hotdog. The seats are also large and comfortable, which is a big help when you’re on the train for 6 hours. Combined with an extended drive and early arrival, and the journey weighs in close to 12 hours.
The AMTRAK kitchen is small but mighty
… As is the AMTRAK menu (or at least its prices).
Why not drive or fly, you ask? Good question. Flying is more expensive and not much faster, given the time required to drive to a major airport and again from the airport into downtown NYC. Driving is faster still at roughly 7 – 8 hours, but then you’re stuck at the wheel from start to finish.
The drive / train journey seems the best of both worlds – a quick drive followed by some relaxing, without the hassle of having to go through airport security.
We even managed to arrive ahead of schedule. I then lugged my suitcase up the steps of the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station and tried to figure out how to get to my hotel.
There was no shortage of drivers offering to take me to my destination. Though how many of them were genuine Uber drivers and how many simply had a flashing GIF on their phone that read “UBER” was very much an open question. Google Maps said it would take 18 minutes to take a taxi as opposed to 30 minutes to walk, so I elected to walk instead.
Navigating New York’s streets with luggage in hand is not a task for the faint of heart, but I think it was well worth the effort. Once I’m ensconced in the conference, I’m not going to do much sightseeing. That’s just the sad reality of events like this – the point is to be among my fellow writers, not to visit the Statue of Liberty. But this short walk gave me a very real taste of the sights, sounds and very distinctive smells of NYC.
The hotel check-in process went quickly – just needed to show some ID and hand over a credit card. I asked whether they had any upgrades available. I have had some surprise victories with last-minute upgrades – like the time I was able to secure the Producer’s Suite at the Toronto Park Hyatt for a few hundred extra, thereby getting myself a balcony, living room and even an entire board room. (Which I used solely as a spot where I could polish my shoes.) But it was not meant to be this time around – no upgrades available.
I also asked whether they had any kind of a private club or lounge to which I could buy entry. This was a great option at the NYC Park Hyatt where they conference was previously held, as it granted access to a spectacular rooftop bar and lounge. But the Sheraton lounge has been shut down for the past several years – again, no luck.
I was famished at this stage, so I went to the lobby bar to get some quesadillas. The food at the Sheraton’s aptly-named Library Bar is fine, but the service is not so great – particularly later in the evening. I got the sense that they are understaffed, and the layout is less than ideal – all food must be brought across the lobby from the kitchen. They also shut down at around 11:00 pm on the weekdays – despite what’s listed on the Sheraton’s own website. Too early, particularly by New York’s standards.
After dinner, I then went out to meet up with some friends at a little-known hidden gem of a bar – which will remain hidden out of respect for my NYC friends. Not that I expect this blog post will lead to a rush of people to the bar in question, but you never know.
(If you really want to know the name of the bar, you can e-mail me at unknownlongitude@gmail.com and I’ll pass it along.)
Then it was back to the hotel to crash out. I needed to be up bright and early the next morning – I had a conference to attend.
Coming soon – a rundown of the various ThrillerFest presentations, panels and events.