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16th Annual BRT (Brooklyn Reality Tour) June 13, 2015

16th Annual BRT (Brooklyn Reality Tour) June 13, 2015

Old Jan 9, 2015, 12:40 pm
  #1  
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16th Annual BRT (Brooklyn Reality Tour) June 13, 2015

16th Annual Brooklyn Reality Tour (BRT) June 13, 2015

Seats available.
Pick up location: Write it down

234 East 46 street. It's the same location as previous tours. This is between Second and Third Avenue on the east side. It's just down the block from Sparks Steakhouse.

Arrive 9:30 - 9:45. Doors close at 10:00. Departure immediately following.

I'll be PM'ing you my cell phone number prior to the tour. Rest assured that I will not be calling you if you're late. If you are running late, I'll give you directions to our first stop. Its happened before, and it will happen again. I did leave Catman, one of my oldest dearest FT friends behind.

You'll need cash for pizza at L&B + bakery goodies + lunch at http://www.smorgasburg.com/ < extended lunch here, overlooking the eastside of midtown Manhattan.
==================================================


Theme: 1968 meets 2015.

Theme: We're going to antie up some money to the Captain Jason Dahl Foundation. http://dahlfund.org/ Details to follow. This will be our 5th year.


The first 15 Brooklyn Tours were sellouts. BRT 4 - 7 I rented an airport type shuttle van. Several years ago, we had a 50 passenger coach bus. We split the cost. This year, the cost will be about $75 per person. The bus company raised the rates. A portion of your fee goes to the Captain Jason Dahl Foundation.

Paypal, or you can mail me a check to reserve your seat today. I will not chase anyone down this year. Please PM me for my e mail address.

FYI, Catman will once again host the SoupDo on Friday night. Soup Do 12: Friday June 12, 2015.

We'll have WineDo 8 on Sunday evening. I'll post a new thread when I have time.

Pick up 10:00 Saturday morning in the Grand Central Terminal neighborhood. Drop-off at 10:00pm. We have a tradition of departing ontime.

Besides touring Brooklyn (my home town), we eat, and eat, and eat. Can you say 'real' Brooklyn pizza? Can you say 'delicious' bakery goodies? Just ask any of the folks who have been on this tour. We drive. We tour. We eat.

If you're new to Flyertalk, the tour is a great way to make new friends.
At the end of the BRT tours 2 - 15, we went for dinner at an authentic Italian place in an authentic Italian neighborhood. Lots of jewelry showing. < part of this information is dated, but you get the idea.

Our pizza stop will set up back about $6.00 or 5.07 euros, or 3.96 GBP, or $7.32 AUD, or $7.11 CAD

The lunch/dinner will be open to everyone. If you're not on the Tour, you'll have to take the subway to the restaurant. It's about 40 minutes and $2.50 one way. Several years ago, we had a few hitch-hikers on the van back to Manhattan. Dinner will be at L&B Spumoni Gardens. http://www.spumonigardens.com/our-story

Start planning now. Springtime in New York is beautiful. Consider yourself invited.

If you've been on the tour before and want to go again, please sign up. Repeat riders welcomed and encouraged. There is no waitlist. Several riders are regulars. Thinking about bringing a friend or relative? No problem. Bring them.

Past tour highlights include:

2001...poor AnnaS having a cold.
2002...Lisamcgu making us stop for White castle hamburgers.
2003...mjm insisting on a Starbucks break. After I stopped laughing at him for thinking that Brooklyn would even have a Starbucks... we found one.
2004...gorging on food at marysunshine's house...and this was a snack!
2005...cawhite knocking on the door of my childhood home; while I ducked for cover. It was a priceless moment. Details towards the last page of the 2005 thread. Also, a Tony Soprano type sitting at the bar added some extra flavor to our experience.
2006...Our van squeezing past a doubleparked car on a side street. You can just imagine the typical Brooklyn swearing. Also, the tour getting its 15 minutes of fame on Cable television News 12 Brooklyn. Check it out http://news12.com/BK/topstories/article?id=175940# use name: dhammer53ft, password: flyertalk (may not work).
2007... When cawhites 'friend' Larry (the guy who always sits at the bar), checked us out!
2008... "I had no intention of stopping at my childhood home. As we approached, I told the driver to slow down, then stop. Seems the front door was wide open. I took this as a sign from above. I stopped the bus.
A couple of years back, cawhite knocked on the door. I ducked for cover. This year I was apprehensive as I approached. When I told the woman that she bought the house from my Mom, she said in typical Brooklyn fashion whats her name? When I responded, she had a big smile for me.
This may have been the moment on BRT 8. Every year, there's always one moment that's noteworthy".

2009... We were filmed throughout the day for a documentary. Maybe it'll even come out one of these days.
2011... the bus went MX (mechanical). 90 minute delay.
2012... Teena, from Teenas Bakery isn't exactly know for being customer friendly.

BRT 12 brought 24 customers to the store. Many of them bought black and white cookies (famous in New York City), rugelah, and lots of other assorted delicious bakery goodies. I think all she had available for sale was 6 black and whites. That wasn't enough for this crowd. After we were finished, we were hanging around outside enjoying our purchase. Teena comes running out yelling, DAN. I turn around and she tells me that next year I should call in advance and warn her that we're coming, so she can have enough black and whites ready. (Note) - Teena's closed on January 1, 2013.

BRT 13 cawhite had her picture taken with Larry at Fiorentinos.

Last year: Democracy in Action.

So what's the moment in 2014? It's got to be the democratic vote we took on the bus after dinner. I told everyone we had a couple of choices, but limited time. Juniors took 2 1/2 hours vs the planned 2 hours I budgeted. That screwed up the schedule.

Note:

We rotate seats on the bus. Seat 1A is reserved for a couple of long time attendees (yes, that means you).
We make plenty of stops.


No talking miles and points when I'm (ahem) lecturing on Brooklyn.

It takes a certain type of person to put up with other Flyertalkers for an entire day. If you're looking for an excuse to visit NY (Brooklyn) in June, the dhammer53 Brooklyn Reality Tour is it.

Please post below if you're interested.

If you're interested in coming along, I need you to pm me your:

-Handle and real name.
-Hotel you're staying at, when available.
-Cell #

The 2014 thread here... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...14-2014-a.html


Note to new riders... I would suggest reading the 2014 thread to get a peak at what you can expect. 15th Annual Brooklyn Reality Tour - June 2014. Saturday.


What's not included: Lunch, dinner, bakery goodies.
Other than that, your share is all-in.

No refunds, since we share the cost of the bus. If you can't make it, I'll try to find a replacement.

Backstory... the Brooklyn Reality Tour was named by our dear friend magic111 after he rode on BRT 1. Jim watches over us every year from 1A in the sky. ^

Are you in?

Dan

Last edited by dhammer53; Nov 15, 2015 at 7:00 pm
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Old Jan 9, 2015, 12:43 pm
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WineDo 8 thread >> http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...l#post24437783

List of BRT attendees:

19 so far. 6 seats left.

dhammer53 + Janice?
jswong
Middle_Seat
CMK10
iluv2fly
mhnadel
CDKing +1
KathyWdrf
boxo
steveman
cruisr
jjd477

JimBobDuggar
dinoscool3 +2
Yeg
Violist




Bolding = paid.

Last edited by dhammer53; Jun 12, 2015 at 2:47 pm
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Old Jan 11, 2015, 1:47 am
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Flights booked already so can be confirmed

Look forward to it

Jeff
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Old Jan 11, 2015, 8:37 am
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Please add me to the list. Flights booked.

Last edited by Middle_Seat; Jan 11, 2015 at 8:55 am
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Old Jan 11, 2015, 1:00 pm
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I'm in Hotel and Flights TBD
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Old Jan 11, 2015, 5:36 pm
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Im in
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Old Jan 12, 2015, 8:40 pm
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I'm in! I have a summer internship this year so Soup DO is out but I can't miss this. This will be my 4th BRT and I'm very excited already.
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Old Jan 12, 2015, 10:58 pm
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Next Time ...

(date does not work)
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Old Jan 12, 2015, 11:07 pm
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Originally Posted by dhammer53
Many of them bought black and white cookies (famous in New York City), rugelah, and lots of other assorted delicious bakery goodies. I think all she had available for sale was 6 black and whites.
You can grab a box of those at Grand Central Terminal right inside the entrance at East 42nd and Vanderbilt pre-BRT.

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Old Jan 13, 2015, 11:41 am
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I'm in.
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Old Jan 13, 2015, 12:54 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by iluv2fly
I'm in.
It's open seating this year, even for you. Dan didn't have the heart to tell you so I'm doing it
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Old Jan 14, 2015, 9:25 am
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Originally Posted by iluv2fly
I'm in.

Took you long enough.

Waitlist started.

dh
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Old Jan 15, 2015, 7:34 am
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I'm in.
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Old Jan 15, 2015, 6:24 pm
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I'm in, and add a +1 I have a friend who will really enjoy it, even if they don't know it yet!
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Old Jan 16, 2015, 10:53 am
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I'm in

This year, nothing will stop me from attending. I'm also in for the Wine Do 👍
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