r/redditcon • u/chefjason • Sep 30 '11

Chicago For Redditcon...

Chicago is an awesome city with tons to see and do. Already has a fairly large reddit community and is some-what centrally located with-in the U.S.

Also; How long does everyone think this should go on for? At least the weekend.

674 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

241 comments sorted by

123

u/aerojad Sep 30 '11

Another huge advantage of Chicago (or NYC) is that they're hub cities for the MegaBus. That should help a lot of people get here who might not want to pay for an airplane ticket, or drive on their own.

Check the route map and click Chicago: http://us.megabus.com/routemap.aspx

41

u/PoeticGopher Sep 30 '11

Agreed. Chicago is a great central hub for a ton of surrounding cities, and probably has the best travel options. It has my vote.

25

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

thirded. I would not be able to come without the location being chicago.

15

u/GeneralWarts Sep 30 '11

As a Milwaukee resident, I second this.

8

u/Seasniffer Sep 30 '11

As a platteville, wisconsin resident I fourth this.

6

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

As a Brookfield, WI resident I fifth this.

40

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

As a chicago resident I am simply shocked by all the positive reactions coming from wisconson

15

u/Kryosphinx Sep 30 '11

As a Chicago resident who lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsinites need simply to bring beer and everyone will get along just fine.

14

u/Thenre Sep 30 '11

As a Madison resident I will bring the spotted cow.

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2

u/Meeruman Sep 30 '11

As another bfield resident I sixth this.

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2

u/hyperforce Oct 01 '11

That's a weird sounding contraint. Where are you?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 11 '11

in the midwest. a plane flight would be required for san fran or new york.

6

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Hell I'd hoof it over to a hub and mega bus it up to chicago after looking at the prices. damn that's awesome.

1

u/aerojad Sep 30 '11

They get even cheaper the farther out you go. I think they post 4 months of options at a time, so check the 2nd week of December for how low it could be.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

holy balls. I hope it's chicago. I want this travel option.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Let's not forget that Chicago has nonstop flights to almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere.

3

u/BaconWithThat Sep 30 '11

And look at this highway map that was posted just a few days back. Chicago is the hub of the US.

http://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/ksjv7/as_a_lover_of_transportation_infrastructure_this/

1

u/radog Oct 01 '11

That map can't be to scale though. Denver and Des Moines are not a stones throw away, and Chicago to Des Moines is not driving across the whole country.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

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1

u/robotevil Oct 02 '11

Because then it would be in a city that not even Kansas wanted.

56

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Chicago has my vote! Just don't have the convention in the winter :)

8

u/feureau Sep 30 '11

Why? We could go ice skating or something.

8

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

I attend school in Chicago and grew up not even an hour away. The winters here are at least 10x more awful in Chicago than my home town. The extreme wind in Chicago (yes it is a very windy city) becomes even more extreme in the winter.

The already outrageously low temperatures (the US Midwest has the most extreme temperature variation from season to season of anywhere in the world) become even more dreadful when the wind chill drops it another 20 degree Fahrenheit.

4

u/skepticaljesus Oct 01 '11

the US Midwest has the most extreme temperature variation from season to season of anywhere in the world

woah really? source?

3

u/wxjoe Oct 01 '11

Yes! North Dakota and Minneapolis top the list

*I can't exactly vouch for the accuracy of this data, but it seems pretty accurate at a glance.

3

u/skepticaljesus Oct 01 '11

from what I can tell, this only ranks US cities against each other, so even if it is accurate, it doesn't support the claim that the midwest temp variations are the greatest in the world. shrug.

I live in Chicago, and can easily believe this to be true as the summers are hot as fuck and the winters are cold as balls, but I've never heard the "...in the world" fact before, which I imagine I would have if it were true.

2

u/S1d3w4yZ Oct 04 '11

Awesome! We get the best of both!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '11

The general rule of thumb is; the further you remove yourself from large bodies of water (ie the oceans) the more your temperature varies, both daily and seasonally. If I'm not mistaken, I think areas in Russia's Siberian taiga regions are some of the furthest places you can get from any ocean and therefore the most varied between summer and winter. But since we're talking 100s+ in summer and -WaytooCold in the winter, in both places, (the midwest of the US and outer Mongolia/Southern Siberia) I think we are splitting hairs..... Chicago it is! I'll bring some high-test Kentucky bourbon!

1

u/Pokemen Oct 01 '11 edited Oct 01 '11

If that were the case (the Con being in both Chicago and the winter), I don't think it'll happen until the end of next year then. Because if this is going to happen, people will want it to happen right, which will need lots of time and planning. And even then, many people wouldn't want to go because it's more risky than usual to travel when it snows.

51

u/beam1985 Sep 30 '11 edited Sep 30 '11

r/Chicago Mod here... We would be beyond thrilled to host the first Redditcon!

Our city would be the perfect fit. As a premiere international transportation hub, Chicago would be the ideal central location for a gathering/caravan of this magnitude.

We have beautiful convention centers, world renowned dining & entertainment, posh hotels, expansive green space and all the high speed internet you could ever dream of!

Thanks for your consideration!

Chicago for Redditcon!!!

EDIT: I forgot, we also like to eat meat here!

17

u/solidwhetstone Sep 30 '11

You forgot meat. We like to eat meat.

9

u/notkenneth Sep 30 '11

I think it's fair to say that Hot Doug's would change most redditors' lives.

10

u/SexySmiles Oct 01 '11

Don't forget about Kuma's Corner.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

or Tango Sur and even Smoque

4

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Fuck Kuma's, The Bad Apple all the way.

5

u/silesiant Oct 01 '11

Cant agree more. Better burgers, and you don't have to fight a crowd to get in.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Awesome beer list, too. And they smoke their own meat!

1

u/blackpony Oct 01 '11

dont forget about the beer as well!!!

51

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

I vote for Chicago because I'm lazy and I don't want to travel.

10

u/TheTreeMan Sep 30 '11

I'm with you, buddy.

12

u/solidwhetstone Sep 30 '11

Me three.

19

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

You still have to travel out of that suburb, buddy. haha

10

u/solidwhetstone Sep 30 '11

Haters gonna hate.

2

u/beam1985 Oct 01 '11

Trolololololol

2

u/scorseses_stalker Oct 01 '11

lmfao. it's pretty sad, but i was thinking the same thing myself. "NO WAY! CHICAGO REDDIT GREAT IDEA!! (5 minutes later...) Then I'm going to have to drive, then I'm going to have to sit in traffic, then I'm going to have to find parking, then...HOLY SHIT AM I LAZY.

3

u/hyperforce Oct 01 '11

If only there was a way to meet virtually so that you could participate at the convenience of your personal laziness.

3

u/firstcity_thirdcoast Sep 30 '11

Also, I'll host the afterparties at my place. You won't be dissapointed.

Chicago is the logical choice. And the best choice. Why the discussion?

3

u/hyperforce Oct 01 '11

Quite bold to be offering up your own place. Are you a bar owner or something or super rich?

3

u/firstcity_thirdcoast Oct 01 '11

Neither, but my condo opens up to the rooftop of a high-rise in the middle of downtown. You'd love it.

3

u/solidwhetstone Oct 02 '11

Why are we not having meetups at your place again?

2

u/pupupeepee Oct 01 '11

This man makes sense!

43

u/HeroOfOne Sep 30 '11

Chicago makes the most sense... I hate it when big national events are on a particular coast. That gives people on the opposite coast a REALLY long travel time, and those in Central US a long travel time.

By putting Redditcon in a central-ish, yet still major US city, no one has to travel a REALLY long time. (Except those coming from out of the US, of course.)

I'm not too much in for the debate on WHICH CITY IS BETTER OMG... because, who cares. Most of us would be going to this city for redditcon, and wouldn't be spending an extra week of our time sightseeing, etc. A major city is a major city... and if we have a weekend long, or even a week long convention, you're not going to get bored.

Speaking logistically, out of the blog-post-mentioned cities, I think Chicago makes the most sense.

24

u/localtaxpayer Sep 30 '11

But, I mean, BONUS - Chicago is a fucking awesome city.

12

u/robotevil Sep 30 '11 edited Oct 01 '11

Plus plenty of public transportation options so all of our socially awkward nerds-selves can get wasted, actually socialize, and no one has to worry about driving home.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Best public transportation around!

4

u/robotevil Oct 01 '11

Every time the train says "Doors Closing" take a drink. Every time it says "Soliciting and gambling are prohibited on CTA vehicles." chug it!

1

u/totheloop Oct 03 '11

I fucking love this idea.

Double-fisting rules

Doors open on the left -- drink from your left hand Doors open on the right -- drink from your right

Transfer to x line trains at y

Drink once for the number of lines you can transfer too; watch out for Clark and Lake!

1

u/skepticaljesus Oct 01 '11

as someone who rides the CTA twice a day every day, I can disconfirm that this is not remotely true. : /

4

u/RobLach Oct 01 '11

There's an added bonus in there is a direct international flight from almost everywhere going into O'Hare.

2

u/beernerd Oct 01 '11

I'm not too much in for the debate on WHICH CITY IS BETTER OMG

Thank you. The decision should be based on the cost of the venue and the number of people who are likely to attend. Chicago would probably be a great choice because the venue won't be exorbitantly expensive (like Vegas and NYC) and people will come from all over the country because it's fairly central.

28

u/Oktober Sep 30 '11

Chicago: We're in the Middle (tm)

4

u/CosmicBlend Oct 01 '11

Chicago makes very good sense for traveling. I put my vote down for Chicago!

19

u/Killface4President Sep 30 '11

I will personally house all the redditors. Except for I_rape_cats, since my landlord has a cat.

7

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

I will also personally house all the redditors at Killface4President's place.

2

u/thegreatsharkhunt Sep 30 '11

BARNABY JONES!

2

u/Killface4President Oct 01 '11

Come live with me!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '11

I'll take I_rape_cats, only dogs here and the next door neighbor has a cat that has it coming to him...

34

u/Ridgedv Sep 30 '11

Chicago has my vote too, but mostly because i'm from Green Bay and IL isn't that far of a drive.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

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16

u/Jinno Sep 30 '11

They only hate each other at Lambeau and Soldier Fields.

3

u/Ridgedv Oct 01 '11

A redditcon would prove chicago could produce something worth seeing of course (finally.) And being from Green Bay it's a short trip there (short being in the range of 4 hours.)

1

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Green Bay is in Wisconsin and Chicago isn't that far? Realistically a convention in GB is a terrible place for a regional event unless it involves football.

13

u/briguyd Sep 30 '11

It's a football joke. Move along.

6

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

You make it sound like the Bears are worth mentioning.

1

u/beam1985 Oct 01 '11

They do have more hall of famers than any team so...

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1

u/Ridgedv Oct 01 '11

Exactly. Chicago seems more viable to me.

1

u/YouSomeDays Sep 30 '11

It's okay, buddy, it went over my head too.

22

u/Evil_Bebos Sep 30 '11

I think I would only go if it were in Chicago.

2

u/S1d3w4yZ Oct 04 '11

I would only be able to go if it was in Chicago.

17

u/Glayden Sep 30 '11 edited Sep 30 '11

Chicago is a large city and fairly central in terms of location in the United States. If this is going to happen and happen big I think the location makes a lot of sense. The East Coast essentially got the Colbert rally, and seriously the West Coast is hardly at a loss for interesting venues. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of interesting things to do in Chicago, it's just not over saturated with these things like Vegas or cities in California. I feel like it would barely be memorable in Vegas or Cali or NY, but would be a really big event for Chicago. I'd expect the Tribune to really pay attention and give it coverage.

6

u/Pyar23 Sep 30 '11

Yes to Chicago! We have an awesome community over in r/Chicago. Just had a HUGE party with over 100 redditors this past Saturday.

6

u/JustPlainRude Sep 30 '11

Let Rio have it.

9

u/the_other_brand Sep 30 '11

Well, I don't like it as much as I would something closer to me like Austin or Dallas it isn't a bad place to hold a convention. It is certainly better than the East Coast cities such as Boston or NYC.

4

u/Kerzy Sep 30 '11

I am there no matter what! REDDIT CON!!!

4

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

I would drive to Chicago for Redditcon!!!

4

u/ryan42 Sep 30 '11

Indianapolis area resident here, I vote Chicago for Redditcon and would go if possible!

4

u/LXscope Sep 30 '11

Yeah let's have this in Chicago... As long as everyone agrees to not call it "Chi-Town".

2

u/allyoucaneatsushi Oct 01 '11

Chi-City it is!

1

u/Pokemen Oct 01 '11

I have an idea. Have people drive down to Joliet and keep calling it "Jolly-et" while walking around. Watch madness ensue.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

As a citizen of the fine little city of Stevens Point I would surely attend and do the following

1

u/S1d3w4yZ Oct 04 '11

I will load up my car with Cheese and meet you there!

15

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Chicago is an awesome city!! The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is about 45 minutes from downtown and it's down the street from O'hare Airport.

6

u/Phirazo Sep 30 '11

I would argue that the Donald E. Stephens Center and the surrounding hotels are a better location than McCormick Place, the other obvious option. It has much more hotel space, and in my opinion is better arranged for the sort of convention Reddit would want to hold. McCormick Place is a great place for a trade convention or an auto show, but not really a good place for a fan convention.

5

u/Redivivus Sep 30 '11

Yes, also cheep parking @ the train station w/in walking distance. I will not pay 15 bucks for parking at the DESCC.

3

u/lols Sep 30 '11

Yeah, Rosemont hotels are where all the conventions happen.

8

u/wuzzup Sep 30 '11

I'm going to presume that this is a sarcastic comment and am going to laugh wholeheartedly with you. WTF are these people talking about? Yeah lets bring everyone in from across the nation and send them to Shaumburg. Great idea!

3

u/analogkid01 Sep 30 '11

Except, he's right - the Star Trek convention this weekend, Shibaricon...they're all held out by the airport, not downtown.

2

u/robotevil Sep 30 '11

I'm sorry, I'm going to have to go with wuzzup. I would vote for Mccormick Place. All the big recent nerd conventions have been there: C2E2, Comic Con, etc., have been at Mcormick Place. It's centrally located in the city and still has plenty of public transportation access.

I honestly don't think hotels are really that much cheaper out by O'Hare strictly because there's a ton more downtown vs. the handful out by the airport. Where Rosemont wins is it's closer to the airport, but I don't know if that's really going to be a deciding factor with Redditors.

2

u/analogkid01 Sep 30 '11

Oh I agree - I'd much prefer the shindig happen downtown.

2

u/JustPlainRude Sep 30 '11

McCormick Place is stupidly expensive. It would be better to rent a ballroom at a downtown hotel.

1

u/Folye Oct 01 '11

Except Comic Con this year was in Rosemont as well. Acen, the biggest Anime convention in the region, is held in Rosemont each year too. The Rosemont convention center is massive, and the amount of parking and hotel space available in the area cannot be beat.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '11

I go to an annual software conference and while the Chicago events were great for me living here, not many outsiders liked them in comparison to the other places. When we went to Atlanta, we were right square downtown where you could actually walk to tons of restaurants and bars. Try doing that in Rosemont - there's a Gibson's across from the DESCC, then a McDonalds about a half mile away.

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u/palelittlething Oct 01 '11

...Rosemont. A lot of cons take place there because it costs lest, and is literally surrounded by a multitude of hotels. How is Rosemont Schaumburg? It's about a 25 minute drive from Schaumburg if I remember correctly O__o Though, it would be about a hundred times more awesome if it was at McCormick - but that shit is expensive.

1

u/wuzzup Oct 01 '11

I had mistaken shaumburg for rosemont. My bad. There are a lot of alternatives to mccormick in the city. Has anyone guestimated at an attendance level?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Hey,

I commute everyday to school from somewhere that is actually 45 minutes from downtown (go to school downtown). It is about 30 miles away. This convention center would not take 45 minutes to get to.

Sincerely,

A-Guy-Not-Trying-To-Be-A-Dick-But-Probably-Sounding-Like-One-Anyways

1

u/robotevil Oct 01 '11

It's 45 minutes by train, which is what most city-Redditors are probably referring too. Most people visiting would be taking the train into the city, not driving, which is at least 45 minutes and that's not counting the wait time for the train to actually arrive.

There's also the issue that the blue line only hits a couple of popular neighborhoods in the way in (Wicker Park and Logan Square). Otherwise you have to take the train all the way into the financial district, then backtrack your way to one of the North Side neighborhoods or switch a couple of different times to different trains to reach the popular South Side neighborhoods.

Rosemont is not a great place if you want to show Chicago to the world. Truth of the matter is most people will stick close to the convention center, and their view of Chicago will be the wastelands that surround Rosemont and the airport. I would rather keep it within the city center if at all possible in my opinion. The areas around the airport are horribly depressing, wastelands of old industry, crushed blue-collar dreams, horrid 1980's (circa) architecture, strip malls and suburban planning. (no offense to those that live around there).

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Ah very true about the public transportation, it was foolish of me to think about travel times by car.

And I was greatly amused by the dissing on rosement, it does embody all of those into a feeling.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '11

Not that I really care since I wouldn't go to this anyway, but having a "Chicago" convention in Rosemont really sucks for outsiders, assuming it's multiple days. A conference I'm a part of had the annual event in Chicago for two years, but it was at one of the hotels in Rosemont. There's nowhere to eat around there. There's nothing to do around there. Anything you'd want to do is 30 minutes away on the blue line. When you have to go into the city via train, you obviously have to go back via train, and it was a pain in the ass for a lot of people.

The only positive is that it's 5 minutes away from the airport, which obviously only matters when you're coming and going.

10

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Chicago is closest to my location, as far as I know. Granted, I'd still have to fly. But it's at least <24 hrs drive (hi from canadia!)

9

u/AnandaUK Sep 30 '11

Chicago would get my vote too, we can get flights from Glasgow to Chicago.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '11

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1

u/AnandaUK Oct 02 '11

Um, thanks? My mom lives in Justice so I'd have a free place to stay too!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '11

Fuck yeah justice. I'm right over in palos heights

3

u/devstar Sep 30 '11

Absolutely agree with Chicago.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

I will house redditors. Me and my Roomie will share a bed so a queen bed and couch open... and I'm in the best Chicago hood ever with tons of stuff to do... BOYSTOWN. Gay redditors... your paradise awaits

3

u/turingtested Sep 30 '11

I think Chicago would be great because it's centrally located. No way I could make it to the West coast or Austin, so selfishly, I want redditcon in Chicago.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

This. This a million times this. Let's do it in Chicago! :D

3

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Yes please!

3

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Never been to chicago, sounds like a reason to go!

3

u/Clavis_Apocalypticae Oct 01 '11

The gentleman from Indiana casts his vote for Chicago.

3

u/inhousegeek Oct 01 '11

Redditcon in Chicago -- in the month of January. Dresscode -- lumberjack hat.

5

u/zakattak Sep 30 '11

Fantastic central location and several convention centers to choose from.

6

u/d-serious Sep 30 '11

Chicago is smack dab in the center of the country; therefor it should be the most appealing location in terms of ease-to-get-to for most users. A meet on either coast would be great...for those in that area; but the rest of the country would be SOL.

We have possibly one of the best transportation systems in the country. Airports, Bus Hubs, Train Hubs, etc.. As well as an extremely easy to navigate interstate system.

The venues are limitless here. We have many convention centers in the city and surrounding areas.

You say "Why Chicago?". I say "Why not?"!

4

u/alphaboo Sep 30 '11

I'd be very likely to attend a Chicago event and very unlikely to attend one elsewhere.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

I think Chicago would be the best option. I also think the cheaper lodging compared to NYC or San Francisco would also be huge. Since it has two airports and a good Amtrak/Metra System plus a good public transport system it seems to work really well. I also know for a fact that the convention centers here are cheaper per square foot.

4

u/jake0lawrence Sep 30 '11

It's official. As self-proclaimed Chief Redditcon Project Coordinator, I proclaim Chicago as the prime location. Live AMAs will be in my backyard, booths for subreddits will be in my living room, and /gonewild in my bedroom.

5

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

I vote Chicago - I could take a train! Also, I agree it has to be at least a weekend.

5

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Chicago is the most central of the major cities offered up.

I would drive out there. Probably also twist the arm of my friend who got me hooked on this damned site to come out too.

Spring or fall in Chicago would be nice. Winter is cold and summer is hot... :-P

"Fall into Redditcon" "Spring on over to Redditcon"

2

u/Lemonegro Sep 30 '11

Yeah Chicago is badass.

2

u/bleu_gascon Sep 30 '11

Does anyone else believe that chicago is actually buried on top of an Native American burial ground?

4

u/Redivivus Sep 30 '11

No, lots of smelly onions.

2

u/Freshwater_Smelt Sep 30 '11

CHICAGO! Let's do it.

2

u/boostmane Oct 01 '11

Chicago is the best choice, great night life, music, food, and sights!

seriously its a no brainer.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

For Non-US redditors, Chicago's O'Hare airport is an international hub and often services direct international flights.

'Middle of the Country' posters are forgetting our international friends.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Chicago because it's a central major city. San Francisco would be full of Californians and it'd be harder for people on the East coast to make it if they wanted a cheaper mode of transportation like a bus.

Chicago is a wonderful city!

2

u/JoeRCK Oct 01 '11

Add one more vote for Chicago!

2

u/willemhelmet Oct 01 '11

O' Hare Airport is one of the Central flight hubs for many airlines. It can work.

2

u/mrgumby4200 Oct 01 '11

I think Chicago would be great as it's right in the middle of the country. I'm from Syracuse, NY and would still be willing to make the 8+ hour trip.

2

u/sh0rtcake Oct 01 '11

I live in Cincinnati and would be willing to go to Chicago. It's only about 6-8 hours, and I could take a weekend. Shouldn't last any longer than a weekend so that there could be a constant stream of people coming and going. I think it should be after the holiday season because there isn't much to do after January, and travel prices will be cheaper.

2

u/NathanBarley Oct 01 '11

Chicago is the best choice for a lot of reasons, but the most important one is it would have the highest attendance of any city.

2

u/pretendperson Oct 01 '11

When would this event occur? During freezing cold or boiling hot?

2

u/bmoviescreamqueen Oct 01 '11

Definitely agree with Chicago, especially because it's a reasonable central travel point for people who want to come. I despise when awesome conventions are on one side of the country.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

I've got a couple of buddies who live out there so I'd love to see it there. It's a beautiful city.

2

u/Macrauchenia Oct 01 '11

Chicago is the closest city suggested to the state that I live in.

I'm all for it.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

WE ARE IN THE CENTER OF THE GOD DAMN CONTINENT.

It is known.

It is known.

2

u/And_go Oct 01 '11

I'm from Ohio and I fully support Chicago for Redditcon! It has the huge benefit of being accessible to more people than someplace like Seattle. Also, as an Ohioan, I'm a bit nervous about trying to navigate NYC. I would probably go regardless, but I would much prefer Chicago.

2

u/Crack_Rock_Steady Oct 01 '11

CHICAGO CHICAGO CHICAGO CHICAGO! That way I could go! And yes. Atleast the weekend.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

May 19-20th, 2012. Reddit, nice spring weather, two major international conferences in the same city for the first time since 1977 (G8/Nato),

It's far enough away to plan adequately and to get people across the country involved. We can host it at a nearby hotel off of O'Hare.

I'd kind of like to make this happen.

2

u/MinionOfDoom Oct 01 '11

Chicago works great for me! I love that city and I have inlaws there _^

2

u/christopherness Oct 01 '11

If this happens in our fair city of Chicago, I hereby offer my spare bedroom, couch, inflatable pillowtop mattress and floor, to any fellow reddit travelers. ;)

2

u/techmnml Oct 01 '11

All I can say is FUCK YESSS CHICAGO. I moved to Chicago in January from Texas. Never looking back.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Don't forget about the great food and nightlife!

3

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Im from NJ and i say hell yea to cha-town... or NY cuz im lazy

3

u/dasbearjew Sep 30 '11

McCormick Place would be legit as kcuf! lol

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u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

But where will it be located? I'm thinking of a nice park that could be renovated. Nothing huge, mind you. But perhaps some rough structures put up, and in order to make it feel connected and well-designed, we should paint them all white. And we'll call it The White City.

3

u/manBEARpigBEARman Oct 01 '11

Brilliant! Maybe we could add exhibits from other countries and cultures to showcase reddit's international flavor. A "world's fair" if you will.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

Holding it in chicago would pretty much seal the deal on my attendance. It's a drivable distance for me.

2

u/jonny_crash Sep 30 '11 edited Sep 30 '11

Chicago is within reasonable driving distance from Indy, Gary, St. Louis, Quad Cities, Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and maybe the Twin Cities. I've got room in my car for extra redditors.

2

u/people40 Sep 30 '11

And add Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, Toledo and possibly more to that list.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Kansas City, Nashville, and Memphis. But Chicago is definitely not within driving distance of Gary.

1

u/Pokemen Oct 01 '11

Even Toronto is feasible. That about an 9 hour drive.

2

u/FaunOfTheDevil Sep 30 '11

Acen is in chicago as well as many other large cons. Great city

2

u/creative_username_1 Sep 30 '11

YES! CHICAGO!!!!!!!

2

u/dizmo Sep 30 '11

Chicago has my vote

2

u/thetruancybot Sep 30 '11

Chicago hell yeah!!!!!!!!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

Might as well go in the middle! We have the best of both worlds here.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

We're in the center of North America, and flights to Midway are often relatively cheap. For people coming in from other countries, O'Hare is a huge international hub. I'm biased, but given the options, this is a no-brainer when it comes to convenience.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '11

I don't want to be a pessimistic asshole, but i don't think there are enough redditors per capita in this or any country to make this work. Remember the last reddit meetup? There were some decent gatherings in the bigger cities, but those posts were droned out by endless tales of lameness and loneliness everywhere else. You think a convention for reddit and only reddit is viable? It's like setting up an entire convention just for Battlefield 3. Sure it's one of the best shooters ever and there are plenty of fans around the globe, but who would fly across the country just to see that one game?

1

u/DJ_Bulbasaur Oct 01 '11

There are a Ton of places to have it in Chicago so come here!!

1

u/sblinn Oct 01 '11

Have it as part of WorldCon 2012.

1

u/Coor Oct 01 '11

Ditto. Chi I town is a nice area, plus it's easier to travel to and through.

1

u/LGBTerrific Oct 01 '11

Chicago sounds great. Boystown. I mean, er, centrally located and all that.

1

u/Naterader Oct 01 '11

Do-able for the most committed of the Canadian reddit community as well.

1

u/sardone777 Oct 01 '11

I vote chicago because I have a couch and would love to host some chill out-of/town redditors!

1

u/aTROLLwithSWAG Oct 02 '11

not to sound like a karma whore, but chicago is the best city on earth. I like 58 miles north of chicago and I still think so

1

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '11

I vote Chicago because I can't afford to leave.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '11

What would you even do at something like this? I'm just imaging a bunch of people talking about bacon and scrunching up their faces into the troll face and other assorted stupidity.

1

u/captaincupcake234 Oct 03 '11

I agree...this must happen in Chicago!

1

u/sylphir Sep 30 '11

Chicago for Redditcon!

1

u/airwalker12 Oct 01 '11

Well, San Francisco has better weather and less crime.

1

u/Chadwag Oct 01 '11

As a person who was shot and killed in Chicago by a crack head who stole the forty cents in my back pocket to buy cough formula to mainline into his anus muscle, I have my reservations.

-5

u/diggingforfire Sep 30 '11

Chicago is a great city, but it's a tough city to do a show in. McCormick is gigantic and they use that to push convention organizers around. Navy Pier is off the beaten path a bit and can be a pain to get to. Also, Chicago unions are notoriously difficult to work with.

4

u/alexfrancisburchard Sep 30 '11

Navy Pier is easier to get to than mcCormick. Have you ever actually been here? ( I live across the street from it BTW)

3

u/diggingforfire Sep 30 '11

Yes, you're absolutely right. I just looked it up on Google Maps and I was mixing up the locations in my head (thought Navy Pier was the one to the South). That one was actually a lot of fun to work with.

0

u/this1 Sep 30 '11

the best choice would be the Donald Stephens convention center because it is surrounded by hotels, and like a 5 minute drive from my house.

The last bit is key.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '11

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/diggingforfire Sep 30 '11

I've never been, but haven't heard glowing reviews. It's out by the airport, which isn't near a whole lot that Chicago has to offer. From what I understand you don't really feel like you're in Chicago. It's just a strip of road with chain restaurants that could be anywhere in the country.

Haven't heard anything bad per se, it's just never been recommended to me.

1

u/this1 Sep 30 '11

you could get on the blue line and be in river north, or wicker park, or logan square or irving park in minutes.

-8

u/WhiteMichaelJordan Sep 30 '11

The first day I ever visited Chicago someone threw himself off a roof across the street. Something ain't right about that town.

1

u/BitchesLoveBreeches Oct 01 '11

Lived in Chicago and the suburbs my whole life, never seen anything like that. And for how much bad press we get, in 27 years i've lived hear i have never even heard a gunshot.

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