(Mouse through the pics or pause it and use your arrow keys on the keyboard!)
Adventure. Destiny. Romance.
You can still find these things, right here in New York.
All it takes is a single day.
And that day is coming soon.
Imagine an odyssey through the streets of Manhattan, in search of lost artifacts. Little-known plaques. Hard-to-find narrow thoroughfares. These are the out-of-the-way places you always suspected were here. Now you have to find them. Of course, you’ll see your old favorites too – the monuments to leaders past, the museums we all love, the delis, the taverns.
We’re talking about the be-all end-all scavenger hunt, and all of Manhattan south of 110th Street, from the Hudson to the East River, is fair game.
For one Saturday this fall, when it’s cool outside but not too cold yet, you can race against other teams to discover all the great stuff there is in this town.
You’ll form teams of three. Maybe you’ll choose teammates who know the city inside and out. Or tireless subway travelers. Or good problem solvers.
The three of you will be given an orientation packet, with maps and stuff to get you started. The rest is up to you. You can bring anything else that you think you’ll need—whatever will help you in navigating the city but also unraveling riddles.
Often you’ll be required to prove that you found something, and that something will be too big to move, like a courthouse or Al Roker. That’s why each team’ll be carrying disposable cameras, provided in your packet.
At the end of the day, you’ll turn everything in and we’ll tally the results. That’ll give you a chance to take a snooze or go grab a beverage. Later that night all participants are invited to a huge party to hear the results, look at pictures of the day’s exploits, and yes, have some drinks. Prizes will be awarded to the most dauntless explorers.
So put aside November 9th, 2002. Could be you feel like you’ve been in this city forever and you need to rediscover why it totally rocks. Or maybe you’re new here and want to learn all about it. Manhattan, the center of the universe, is your playground.
List of Registered Teams
Team Girl!
Heather Stephenson
Molly What's-her-face
Rebecca Something-or-other
The Mockneys
Andrew Slack
DooHickey
Netty
Badunkadunk
Lauren Morrow
Rachel Young
Laura Goldblatt
WE JAV EATON (Do You Want Her?)
The Bloodhound Gang
Convenient Straw Hole
Endeavor
Encyclopedia Brown
Davey & Goliath
The Scrappers
F7
Queens Finest
The Denim Brigade
Sergeantfaces
The Sirens
Charlie's Angels
WeNeedACoolName
Rodney
Shackelton
Less Than Anything
The B Girls
Team Mother Trucker
Zebra
Badunkadunk
Hollaa
Stella Bella and her Bitch Boys
The Lawn Wranglers
Coconut Run
Teams
Teams must consist of exactly 3 members, with one member designated as the team captain. Each team must have a name by which it can be uniquely identified. The deadline for submitting a team is Friday, October 18th at 5:00pm.
Boundaries
All of Manhattan from the top of Central Park (110th Street) to Battery Park, from the Hudson River to the East River, is included in the playing field. This includes 110th Street itself. While all of this territory is fair game, not all of it will be used. Please note, this is Manhattan, New York, not Manhattan, Kansas.
Entry Fee
A $15.00 (U.S.) entry fee is required per person to cover the cost of materials (such as maps, camera, etc.), prizes, and the after-odyssey party. This fee must be collected by Saturday, November 2. Manhattan Below 110: *A Metropolitan Odyssey* is a not-for-profit endeavour. We're doing this because we think it's fun. That being said, all collected money will go toward making this the best and coolest event possible.
Playing
Teams may check in at the registration table beginning at 8:00am EST (7:00 Central - for those at our Chicago Satellite Monitoring HQ), Saturday, November 9th, 2002. The registration booth will be located on the North edge of Columbus Circle (8th Avenue at 59th Street) at the Southwest entrance to Central Park. Each team member must sign in and have paid the $15.00 fee in order to participate. Each team will be given an orientation packet at this time, which will include several items that may help along the way.
At exactly 9:00am EST (8:00 Central), the day's list of tasks will be distributed to each team captain. It is strongly advised that the team thoroughly review the complete list of tasks before embarking on the odyssey.
The task list will be made up of a large number of activities, with each task being assigned a certain number of points based on its difficulty. In general, it is up to the team to decide which tasks they want to try and complete within the allotted time. However, there will be a list of COMPULSORY tasks that MUST be completed by each team. You see, that's what "compulsory" means. These tasks will be clearly identified on the list and CANNOT be skipped. Any team which does not complete the COMPULSORY tasks will be penalized.
Teams may split up to cover more territory if they desire, but keep in mind that there will be times when this is not prudent. Equally imprudent is working with another team, as this is illegal. As is having secret additional members on your team. As is arson. We know what you're thinking - "How will they know if we are using extra help?" We will. The three of us and a cadre of helpers will be slyly observing you throughout the day. So, just don't cheat.
All tasks have been designed such to be both SAFE and LEGAL. If you feel as though you or a teammate is engaging in unsafe or illegal activity, STOP! You are off-track and this activity is not helping your cause. We cannot be held responsible for participants' behavior. We can barely be held responsible for ourselves as it is - we probably floss less than 3 times a week.
All materials must be turned in no later than 5:00pm EST (4:00 Central), Saturday, November 9th, 2002. Late materials will result in the team being penalized on a points-per-minute basis. No materials will be accepted after 5:30pm EST (3:30 Mountain Time). Please note that film development is the responsibility of the team. Be sure to get the film developed early enough to have the pictures in by 5:00pm! Remember, a place that claims to have one-hour development doesn't necessarily say which hour that will be. This is not our fault. Not really.
Judging
Bo Bigelow, Will Sakran, and Brady Richards will be responsible for judging you. We mean, judging each team's material set. Points will be tallied according to the tasks successfully completed. The team which accumulates the most points wins. In the event that there is a tie, the winning team will be the team that turns in their material set earliest. There is no official bribing structure in place. The judges' ruling is final. Whining will not be tolerated.
Other Notes
It will be helpful for each participant to bring a backpack or messenger bag in which to carry around collected materials, as well as any small gifts you might want to get separately for the judges. Gifts probably have no bearing on a team's final score.
You will be doing a lot of walking, probably more than you've ever done on a single day in Manhattan. Therefore, wear good shoes or sneakers and bring water with you or be prepared to buy it along the way. It is also perfectly okay to wear a hat.
If you do not already have an unlimited ride Metrocard, we suggest that you buy one first thing Saturday morning. A One Day Fun Pass Metrocard is $4.00 and is good from the time that you buy it until 3:00am the following morning. It's good on subways and buses, and includes transfers.
The show will go on regardless of the weather. Please dress appropriately.
Refunds
Before November 1, we will be able to return a percentage of a team's registration fee if they drop out. After November 1, we will be able to return a percentage of a team's registration fee, and that percentage is zero.
