For the record, this writer supports the idea of holding our JHS Reunion in NYC since it represents where our Alma Mater exists.  I was never opposed, as some suggested.

However, in my discussions with other alumni, I've found the added distance of any site in Suffolk County adds significantly to the overall cost.  That is particularly true of people living out-of-state. 

We are not aliens but realists..  We have to factor in these potential expenses:

1. Shuttle to our local airport or cars in long-term parking.
2. The actual airfare, including baggage costs and meals.
3. Taxicab from JFK or LaGuardia to our temp residence.
4. Either (a) another taxi to the LIRR to Melville or (b) car rental for up to a week and insurance and gasoline on LI, probably more costly than back home.
5. These same four expenses in reverse, on the return trip getting back. 

Let's not forget there's still the actual charges for the Reunion itself, still unknown.

And if we bring a spouse to the event, that's double-billing for ALL OF THE ABOVE.  It may too late to reconsider the site if we have a firm contract.  Some of us would wish for a Queens venue, one with better proximity to Jamaica High itself.  Is that being reasonable or not?  Is not the school environment a great memory prod?  

Many of us who plan to attend want to do more than parade credentials to impress others of our "success stories" since graduation...or to play show-and-tell with family photos.

Civil discussion and debate is healthy.  And it's definitely the American Way.

~Barry-Lee at notcoy@netzero.net.

I agree with Barry Coyne that it would have been nice to have reunion closer to Jamaica HS.  However problem is that there aren't many catering facilities in that neighborhood and Melville Marriott will probably be very nice.  Travel to Melville really isn't so bad from JFK.  There is a new free monorail that will take passengers from any one of the JFK terminals to the Jamaica LIRR Station.  From there, a train to Huntington takes about 45 minutes,  I think the Marriott is a short cab ride from the Huntington Station.  LIRR trains back into NYC run every half-hour or every hour until the last train at about 12:30 AM (based on current schedule, which may change by September).  The LIRR schedule is posted on their website http://lirr42.mta.info/sfweb/faces/index.jspx.  

Thank you for forwarding that helpful info on travel from JFK Airport.  We are at this stage trying to evaluate total costs of doing the r/t from here in Salem, OR, which probably is much further than that for the typical alumnus.

Here are our staggering costs in money (plus time component):

1. Shuttle from Salem to Portland Airport: $35 each way.
2. SW Airfare from Portland to Queens, NY: $750 r/t.
3. Monorail to LIRR Jamaica Station: Free service.
4. LIRR Fare to Farmingdale: $6.75 each way.
5. Taxicab to Marriott Melville Hotel: Uncertain.

To these expenses we must factor in the cost of the reunion itself.  It appears that the vast number of attendees will not be from our Class of 1959--contact appears lost.  At this point I've rounded up about five people that I actually knew well.

Holding our Class Reunion two counties to the east of our high school location seems not that prudent in terms of travel.  On catering, there are dozen of places in Forest Hills-Rego-Park-Kew Gardens that cater, and subway/bus access would prove ideal. Let's note that Manhattan holds more tourist attractions than Melville, and dragging us out to Suffolk pulls us "tourists" exactly in the opposite direction.  I say this not out of anger but from a desire for objectivity, that is, viewing the Big Picture.

The question I must answer: Is a roughly $1000 investment worth 4-5 hours of actual interaction with half a dozen people?   It's a slippery slope.  My wife declares she does not want to make that sort of investment with the economy is such a rough state, and us relying only on SS checks and a small annuity--no persion.  So I wonder and ponder, and quite a few others have registered similar concerns still to be resolved.

~Barry-Lee

Thanks for your feedback, Richard.

On catering facilities, the Queens Blvd area of Forest Hills/Rego Park has a cluster of not too costly catering services in the past when we lived there and likely still maintains a host. It's proximility to both the LIRR and E and F subway lines has an added adavantage so that the out-of-towners or non-car couples do not need to add "car rental" to airfare expenses.

Please consider that in this recession many of us have have budgets severely reduced.

Fortunately I'm opting to stay with an old friend in Manhattan and my non-jealous spouse has decided to skip the trip and save us money in the process.  She turns 75 in July and prefers to use our savings for needed household repairs as we hope to sell our place maybe next year.

I'm still planning to attend and cut expenses to the minimum if possible, not to be extra frugal but just as a matter of common sense practicality.  Neither of us receives pensions.

~~Barry-Lee and Carmela (on the West Coast)