Wedding

UPDATE: To join us via webcast, CLICK HERE.  Live feed begins at 4:45pm Eastern time, Sat. June 23, with ceremony beginning around 5pm!

Juan Pablo and I are thrilled you’re  joining us for the celebration of our nuptials—the one year anniversary of the legalization of gay marriage in New York!  Here are the quick details as a reminder:

Saturday, June 23, 2012, New York City
5 o’clock, vows in Ft. Tryon Park, Linden Terrace
entrance at 741 Ft. Washington Ave
party immediately following at 657 West 183rd Street

Following is some helpful planning information.  Please don’t hesitate to email me with any further questions: jpb@poptimistic.com

Location
The wedding will take place on the Linden Terrace in Ft. Tryon Park in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.  The link above takes you to the city parks page that has options for Google maps, a downloadable map, etc.

Enter the park at 190^th street and Margaret Corbin Dr. which is a large roundabout.  Walk down a long, straight pathway through the Heather Garden.  At the end of the path, stairs on the left will lead up to the Linden Terrace.  Please plan to arrive in time for vows at 5pm.  There are bathroom facilities adjacent to the nearby New Leaf Café (take a right down the path instead of a left up the Linden Terrace stairs).

Immediately following, there is a party at our home 657 West 183^rd Street between Broadway and Wadsworth.  It is a lovely and easy 15-minute walk to our house.  We will also have several car services on hand to ferry people to the house should you prefer.

Transportation
If you take the subway, take the A-train to 190^th Street.  Take the elevator to the top, and you’ll be at the roundabout entrance to the park.

If you drive, there are a few parking garages along Ft. Washington street on the way to the park.  But we suggest that you park at the Staples parking lot on 184^th street just off Broadway.  This garage is a block from our house and will be easy for your departure.  You can either walk to the park or hail a gypsy cab and ask them to take you to 190^th and Ft. Washington.

If you take a taxi, direct the driver to 190^th Street and Ft. Washington.

photo by Jamie Beck

Celebration
The party will happen in the front and back garden, and on multiple floors of our house. Be ready to move around!  A light meal will be available, as well as some of our more famous dips, and of course, beverages.  Kids of all ages are welcome, though the house may be crowded at times!

Dress
This is a wedding in the park and celebration at our home—we want you to feel comfortable.  Fancy dress is certainly not required!

Gift & Registry
In lieu of traditional gifts, we ask that you consider a donation in our honor to Freedom To Marry, an organization working to secure marriage equality for all.

UPDATE Other Activities
Food Trucks are not happening!  Here’s what is:
Friday June 22, 5pm-ish: Central Park Picnic—come one, come all, there is shade, playground, willow trees, Whole Foods nearby, good times
Enter at 100th Street and Central Park West on the North side, and take steps down (or down the sloping path), cross the path to the lawn and look for us under the willow tree.  Before you come, stop in at Whole Foods on 97th Street & Columbus (one avenue away) for supplies.  There’s also a Whole Foods wine store next to the grocery store to pick up drinks.  It’s BYOE – bring your own everything – we’ve got enough on our hands for the next day!  Text or call us and let us know you’re coming!

Note: in case of rain, meet at Harlem Tavern, 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 116th St.  Also kid-friendly!

For those arriving by Friday June 22, we will be gathering around 5pm for a casual dinner at a collection of Food Trucks underneath the Highline Park—one of our favorite new landmarks and spaces in New York.  The food truck with a beer garden from Tom Colicchio is located near 30^th Street and 11^th Avenue.  Let Jon Paul know if you’re interested so we can keep you up to date on those plans.
Sunday June 24 is the Gay Pride Parade in New York City—the perfect gay wedding after-party with pier dance that evening.

Accommodations
While there are no hotels in the Washington Heights area, we have investigated  and can recommend several reasonable options:

Nearby 1-bedroom apartment rentals
Jon Paul has toured these apartments that are nice, clean, large, and approximately 10 blocks from our house, and rent for approximately $120/night + tax and a cleaning fee.  Contact the owner representative Fabiana either through VRBO or directly: valentineapts@gmail.com or 917-553-7144.  She lives in Argentina, speaks Spanish and English, and let her know it’s along with Jon Paul Buchmeyer’s wedding party.  There are several one bedroom apartments in the building that are very large, with full kitchens, wireless internet, and sleep up to 6 people with fold out couches.  There is a playground next door to the building.  The nearest subway is the 1-train, but it is just a 10 minute walk to Jon Paul & Juan Pablo’s house.  You can also check on other apartment rentals on VRBO.com.

Aloft Harlem
This affordable boutique hotel offering from Starwood has an option in Harlem.  As of January, for the dates of the wedding, they are running a special with a prepaid rate of $119/night with no cancellations or changes.  Regular rates start at approximately $179/night.  The hotel is near the A-train subway stop, and would take approximately 10-15 minutes to reach the wedding and/or our home.  This is probably the nearest and most affordable Manhattan property.

Hilton Garden Inn Chelsea
This hotel has current January specials for under $200 and is on 28^th street in Chelsea area.  The subway from this area to wedding/house is anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes.

Doubletree by Hilton Ft. Lee/George Washington Bridge
This hotel is right across the George Washington Bridge from us in New Jersey.  There is no direct mass transit access, but a good option for those with cars, or the hotel can arrange transportation to the city/wedding.  Special weekend rates starting at $119/night.