Dragoncon Livejournal Community Archive

shucks - I wonder if any events are coming up...maybe there is a calendar somewhere I can find online...

From:

werewulf.livejournal.com

I know that once I arrive in Atlanta, I will find out where the heck the AmericasMart building is, but I'd appreciate a "walk TO" from the assorted hotels area, just to know in advance where I'm supposed to look for it. If you manage a walk thru as well, that'd just be gravy.

From:

glasscannon.livejournal.com

Seconded. I know vaguely where one entrance is (between the Westin and the Hyatt, on the opposite side of the street from Hard Rock Cafe, etc), but I'd love to see more detailed walk-TO instructions, especially if there are any indoor or hamster-tube alternatives to walking at street level, or other entrances to know about.

And not a video request, but I was just rewatching your 2011 video showing the walk from the Peachtree Center Food Court to the Suntrust Food Court (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aOD2bqAKdM). I've still never made it over to that food court, and I noticed in the video comments that there's some debate as to what days the Suntrust food court is open during DragonCon weekend. Do you have any more information about which days it's open?

From:

Every time I have come to the con it has only been open on Thursday/Friday. I think they need to realize how much business they could draw in by opening on that weekend, but I tend to eat most meals there on Thursday/Friday as I know by Monday I will have visited the other food court quite a bit :)

From:

cetkat.livejournal.com

That would be nice. I'm not sure how much they really have a say though. Doesn't access to the building in general end at a certain time? That would have to be the thing to change in order for them to stay open later.

From:

Suntrust Food Court is only Thursday and Friday. If this ever changes I'll be surprised, because other than Dunkin Donuts it's mostly this weird, off brand, non-chain knock-off stuff that caters to desperate office workers who don't want to walk more than 5 mins away for lunch. You're not missing anything, based on what I've sampled there.

From:

songbirdsews.livejournal.com

My friends seem to end up there by accident every single year on Thursday (before they remember where everything is) and they say it's only good for pizza. I've never managed to go before it closes, so can't verify on that.

From:

Yeah, the pizza is fine, nothing special but definitely better than that awful pizza by the entrance to the MARTA station. The SunTrust pizza place actually has some healthier options, too, like chicken and salad.

From:

It is not the best but dunkin as an alternative morning option is great, and the burger place is ok too.

From:

"Burgers & Friends" lol - yeah, I get their "gyro" sometimes. It's not a great gyro by any means, but much less greasy than the gyros over in the main food court.

From:

The entrance is on Peachtree Street in the block between the Hyatt and the Westin. It's next door to the Starbucks, across the street from the entrance to Peachtree Center Mall. There's also a skybridge over Andrew Young International Boulevard connecting the second floor vendor's area with the sixth floor of the Westin.

From:

I also have found your walk through videos to be very helpful. Thanks again! But, I don't think that you'll be able to get into AmericasMart to do one. Here'e what their website says about access:

"AmericasMart Atlanta is a wholesale marketplace and is closed to the general public. Visitors to AmericasMart must be active members of the retail or wholesale industry and be affiliated with a business that resells product represented in our buildings. Business credentials must be presented for entrance into any of the buildings."

Dragon*Con's use of one of their facilities seems to be something out of the ordinary for them, although it's still not open to the general public during the con.

Here's their web site address:
http://www.americasmart.com/

The floor plans of the two floors that D*C will be using are attached to the vendor's application on the D*C website:
http://www.dragoncon.org/images/pdfs/2013_Vendor_Application.pdf

There are a few mistakes on the floor plan. The bank isn't a Wachovia (they went belly up a few years ago). It's now a Wells Fargo, the bank that took over Wachovia's assets and accounts. Also, I don't think that Durango's restaurant is where they show it. Looking at the street view on Google maps, it appears that location is Ray's in the City. Durango's is down the block a bit to the south.

From:

Thanks for this...YEa, it might be a tough one, but I will try to walk around the area and take a video of the surroundings so you can see how to get there.

Last year I actually was hassled by the people at the Westin. Toward the end of the walkthrough there are 2 security guards that basically ask me to leave through the motor lobby then also at the very end as I shut the camera off a third came running after me. The other hotels did not seem to mind, but the Westin is a little more picky. I just told them I was filming for a personal project.

From:

cetkat.livejournal.com

You could try going up to the registration desk and asking a manager for permission to film, letting them know why. The better people can navigate things, the less disruptive the crowd will be. It just makes sense. Given the amount of footage that ends up online anyway.. I can't think of a reason they'd be against it so long as you're not in the way.

A heads up can work wonders sometimes.

From:

I just noticed another mistake on the vendor's floor plans. Both levels are labeled as being "Building 1 - Floor 2". The first floor plan (the one with the bank) is actually Building 1 - Floor 1. It's on the street level.

From:

I drive past the Americasmart daily and from what I've seen from the street, you should at least be able to walk into their lobby, giving people a sense of how to get there from the hotels if nothing else.

From:

soliscjw.livejournal.com

I work at a drugstore on Piedmont and I know I have seen people with AmericasMart passes that say "guest of" I do not know what was involved in getting them weather (I know i put the wrong spelling but auto-correct must want rain.) they were family, friends, or business partners.

From:

sandiafairy.livejournal.com

I was in Atlanta back in March for a comedy show and stopped by America's Mart to see if I could find where the vendor halls were going to be. I entered the America's Mart building through the Westin skybridge. When I went through the door I came to a counter with an America's Mart employee behind it. They were closing up for the day but she was very helpful in telling me what I needed to know when I told her what I was doing there. From what she said, the doors to the halls are always locked unless there are exhibits going on. However, you could do a video showing people how to get there and where the doors are.

From:

the-ferret1.livejournal.com

Good to know there is a skybridge from the Westin to America's mart. connie

From:

so could we use that to walk part of the way to the mall and/or Hyatt as a cut through when it's open? The less time in the hot sun, the better :D

From:

sandiafairy.livejournal.com

To my knowledge, there is no skybridge from the Hyatt to the America's Mart. As for the mall, if there is one, I don't know. Sorry.

From:

Sorry, I meant the skybridge from the Westin to the America's Mart. Mall=food court.

From:

faustino.livejournal.com

My wife and I have enjoyed watching your videos. We watch them whenever we get nostalgic for dragoncon :). I don't recall seeing you point out where the con suites are or the armory for that matter. That would be something we'd like to see.

From:

thx for suggestion...I will look into this for the next vid

From:

42badwolf.livejournal.com

Hi! Thanks for all the videos. I watched the one going to the Westin. I will be staying at the Westin for the first time and I am wondering how much of a walk is it to get to the Sheraton from the Westin for registration day. Do you already have a video of that? If not, I would really appreciate if you could film the walk so I can tell if I need to cab it instead. Thank you!!
:-)

From:

I think its either 2 or 3 blocks, I walked from the Sheraton to the Hard Rock which is just across the intersection from the Westin, so no cab needed. I'll be at the Westin for the first time this year also.

From:

The Sheraton is two blocks east of the Westin on Andrew Young International Boulevard. The Westin is at the intersection of Andrew Young International and Peachtree Street. The Sheraton is at the intersection of Andrew Young International and Courtland Street. So, it's a straight shot from one to the other. A cab wouldn't be needed unless you have mobility problems. However, that part of Andrew Young International is on a hill. It's downhill from the Westin to the Sheraton, but a bit of a climb coming back. There's not much to see on that stretch of road except for a few restaurants, including the 24 hour eatery, The Metro Cafe Diner.

I stayed at the Westin last year and was really satisfied with it, although there was frequently quite a wait for an elevator. The rooms were just remodeled last year and are excellent! I would have stayed there again this year, but couldn't get a room. But, I was lucky enough to snag a room at the Hilton, which is just a block and a half to the north of the Sheraton on Courtland.

From:

Weird, I couldn't get a room at the Hilton, but one was available at the Westin, opposite of your experience.

Is the Westin's pool open during DragonCon, or do they close theirs like the Hyatt does??

Edited Date: 2013-07-01 01:19 am (UTC)

From:

I didn't use the pool, but I was told that it was open last year. It's indoor/outdoor with a retractable glass roof, so they keep it open year round. Being on the 11th floor, it doesn't have the continuous flow of people going by it like the pool at the Hyatt does. As far as I know, the Hyatt is the only one of the host hotels that doesn't have its pool open during D*C.

From:

Thank you for that information! I figured I'd try the Westin this year since it's right next to the new Dealer's location, I like to shop ;P. Plus I have a short walk to and from the Parade which will pass right in front of it. (It was crazy leaving the Parade last year and trying to get back to the Hilton).

From: