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THE UNOFFICIAL FAN'S GUIDE TO ECW ONE NIGHT STAND WEEKEND IN NYC

THE UNOFFICIAL FANS' GUIDE TO ECW ONE NIGHT STAND WEEKEND

The weekend of June 12, 2005 has turned into one of the most packed and awaited weekends of the year, with Extreme Championship Wrestling (or at least a WWE-esque version) rising from the grave on PPV, Hardcore Homecoming and a number of independent shows with loaded lineups scheduled over that three day period.

ECW faithful and newbies all waiting with baited breath to see if WWE can deliver the goods and bring back that old feeling, even if for one night. Fans from across the United States and the globe will all converge in New York City that weekend. They will be waiting, frying pans in hand, to hand them over to the likes of The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer. But what to do before the PPV? Let’s find out.

NEW YORK CITY

There are a ton of things to do in New York City. If you are traveling by subway, buy the one week Metrocard for $24 and it allows you as many subway and/or bus rides as you need for the entire week. When the rides are $2 each, you can see how easy it is to add up rides. Unlikes most cities, the subway system runs 24/7 and most major city buses do as well, although the later it gets, the longer your wait will likely be.

If you are renting a car, the fact is you really won’t need it in Manhattan. The entire city (as those of us New Yorkers call it) is one great big grid and easily accessible via the subway. If you need to find information about the NYC MTA (our public transportation system), you can at this link. Don’t believe the hype – it’s safe in the subways, as long as you don’t act completely like you’re looking to get robbed. Use common sense like you would anywhere else and 99% of the time you’ll be fine.

If you have time, you’ll want to explore the city, but if you do, trust me when I say you’ll never get through the entire thing in a few days. There are tons of sites and areas to visit and go shopping. If you are in the Times Square area, you might want to hit some of the shops, including the world's largest Toys R Us which includes a Ferris wheel among other attractions.

You’ll find every major store/tourist trap in the Times Square area on West 42nd Street. A few blocks down on 7th Avenue and 40th Street is Midtown Comics, the best comic book store in the city with two floors of action figures, magazines, rare videos and DVDs, and other cool pop culture stuff. The Manhattan Mall can be found on 6th Avenue and 34th Street, just a few blocks from the Hammerstein Ballroom. If you are looking for some more funky selections, I suggest hitting St. Mark’s Place down in Greenwich Village.

If you want to check out a local club or bar or a musical act, I suggest picking up a copy of free newspaper The Village Voice.The wonderful thing about NYC is that it seemingly never closes, with bars and clubs going until much later than most other major cities.

While there won’t be any wrestling shows there, Madison Square Garden provides a "behind the scenes" one hour tour ($17) for those who want to take a look at the Mecca of sports-entertainment. If you want to check out other major NYC sites, NBC (including the set of Saturday Night Live) and Radio City Music Hall have tours of their facilities as well. There are a number of historical sites including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and many other attractions. For more on NYC attractions, click here.

If you want to take a free boat ride, head downtown and ride the ferry to Staten Island. You'll go right past the Statue of Liberty and it won't cost you a penny for the round trip.

If you are looking for good places to eat, there are tons of restaurants, diners, and other places all over the city. You can also check out the New York version of the famed Philadelphia cheesesteak eatery www.tonylukesnyc.com.

Speaking of food, by the way, it's true. Our bagels, hot dogs, and pretzels are the best. Hit a vendor on the corner and see for yourself!

One last word of advice: I also advise anyone coming into town to hit the Internet – research is your best friend when it comes to planning ahead. If you need to find an Internet café in the city, there’s one on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue that is open most days 24 hours straight.

Of course, you are here for some wrestling and any weekend where you’ll get to see the likes of JT Smith twice in 2005 is golden in my book, so let’s get into that!

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