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| Too rich for the otaku blood... |
This past New York Comic Con and the upcoming Anime USA in November has gotten me thinking about all of these Mid-Atlantic anime conventions that happen throughout the year - and why they are avoiding Washington, DC like the plague. There are conventions located within every major city the US, but DC seems to be consistently neglected.
There are handful of conventions that have labeled themselves as DC cons, but aren't actually in DC:
- There's Anime USA which has always been in Crystal City, VA for as long as I've known it. Crystal City is not actually a city but a large hotel/mall/tourist-catcher complex that's part of Arlington, VA.
- And T-Mode, a small, everything geek con, is always in Northern Virginia.
- MAG Fest - a gaming con - is also in Northern Virginia (Alexandria)
- Katuscon was the exception to this a few years ago since they were location in Woodley Park - a very affluent neighborhood in the outskirts of DC. They were hosted at the Omni Shorem Hotel for a couple of years until they suddenly moved the convention to the suburbs of Maryland. More on that in a minute...
An outsider looking in may not get it: DC has The Washington Convention Center - 2x the size of the Baltimore Convention Center (BCC), there's a stupid amount of hotels in the city to the point you're tripping over them, and a clean, (relatively) safe train and bus system that's a lot less complicated than NYC. So what's the deal?
As someone who has lived in DC for about 10 years, I understand why this would be a very difficult city to host a gathering of otaku.
'Hostile' Hotels:
Otaku are not rich business travelers. We are also not diplomats, politicians, and foreign nationals, which are exactly who the hotels in the city are accustomed to accommodating. Even tourists who are bused in for a day of protesting, generally jump right back on the bus and leave. The majority of the places, which aren't chain hotels, are very ornate with HIGH nightly rates. Late night otaku room parties with Dick Chaney possibly sleeping next door to you won't be tolerated. The other usual anime con norms of sitting in the hallway reading manga, cramming 10 people to a room, hooking up Guitar Hero to the hotel TV, and other random hallway hi jinx will result in hotel management proclaiming, "NEVER AGAIN".
This isn't fact and I have never worked with Katsucon in any capacity, but the rumor mill a few years ago was filled with talk of the above mentioned geek hi jinx being a factor in the convention packing up and moving elsewhere. The Omni Shorem is a fancy, fancy hotel in a rich neighborhood in DC. In fact, it's too fancy for an anime con. The Omni has hosted RNC events with guest speakers like Sarah Palin and some of Obama's inaugural galas. I would love to know how Katsucon's then con-chair pitched the idea of bringing an anime con to this kind of hotel....
As numerous as they are, DC hotels are not going to be friendly to a swarm of otaku - not with pricing or rules.
Starve
... You will if you want to eat something other than McDonalds but don't have the money for it. DC is a gourmet food city, with every kind of ethnic cuisine restaurant imaginable. As cool as that is, it doesn't equal affordable eating when you're an otaku.
The area surround the Omni during Katsucon had mostly expensive cafes and restaurants that were priced high enough to keep most otaku out. This resulted in the one McDonalds and the one Chipotle being FLOODED by con-goers. You know something is wrong when there's a 40min wait at McDonalds...
The same scenario will occur if an anime con were to come to DC. If you don't wanna pay $10 and up per meal each day, then bringing a stock of Ramen and pocky would be the way to prevent starvation.
Parking Nazis
Back when Katsucon was in DC, they had posted on their site in bold letters: Do Not Drive To This Convention. You can pretty much apply that advice to anywhere in the city. If you don't listen and drive anyway, you'll find that there's NO street parking available, parking garage rates will rape your wallet, and you'll discover the vultures known as parking enforcement. These guys gleefully hand out parking tickets like they're Christmas cards - and in some parts of the city they'll actually circle the block trying to catch someone. And don't forget about the red light and speeding cameras.
If you are not from this city and you attempt to dive in, your road rage will be that of the Incredible Hulk. The Metro system is your best friend.
Are You Lost?
DC is like any major city along the East Coast that has its fair share of crime and crazy hobos. If a cosplayer were to walk around with some common sense, the worst that'll happen will be a hobo asking to share some change. Not a big deal..... it certainly doesn't discourage 30,000 people from attending Otakon in Baltimore, MD each year. But DC, especially around the convention center area, is a bit different than other cities. The economic levels of the neighborhoods change drastically by just walking a block or two. Walk in the wrong direction and you'll be glad you had your Keyblade on you.
The areas in Manhattan around the Javits Center are pretty consistent and con-goers don't stray away from the Inner Harbor area in Baltimore. In DC, it's easy to stumble upon some scariness. City geeks may be used to that sort of thing, but others may not be able (or willing) to adjust.
Otakon's New Home?
Nah... but there has been some talk about where Otakon, the largest Anime con on the east coast, could move to if they out-grow the Baltimore Convention Center. NYC and Philly wouldn't work for logistical reasons so DC would logically be the next best option. Some fans, who seem to hate Baltimore, have mentioned in different message boards and podcasts about DC being a good option for Otakon's new home. This gossip mostly occurred around the time the new Hilton hotel was built - which added on additional space for the con. Despite this, with steady population growth each year, I wonder if Otakon will start looking for another home?
I hope not. Some of us may grumble at Baltimore for it's hellish summer heat, crazy locals, and over-priced hotels - but it'still Otakon's home. Baltimore has been influenced by Otakon economically and socially to the point were the city introduced legislation to build a convention hotel! The con has a good relation with the city and I don't think they'll move to DC unless they're in a desperate situation. If they do it'll be their demise. DC is Baltimore x10.
