A Brief Guide to All Points West

This weekend All Points West brings the summer festival circuit to our area (albeit to New Jersey), and if you plan on making the trek, here are some helpful tips.

Before You Go

• Coat yourself in sun tan lotion.
  
• Look over the list of things you can and cannot bring, it may surprise you! Some things you cannot bring include: stuffed animals, flags, blankets and instruments. You can, in an effort to reduce waste, bring in an empty Nalgene bottle!

Getting There

• Ferry: From the APW site: "The ferry will be leaving from Pier 11 in southern Manhattan beginning at noon, and will be ferrying people to and from the festival all day. At the end of the day, the ferry will bring attendees back to Pier 11, and will continue until everyone has left the grounds." Easy enough, but it's gonna cost you. "Ferry tickets are available from Ticketmaster and all tickets are round trip. Tickets are now $25 ('week of the show' price) and $30 if purchased at the ferry box office."
  
• Light Rail: An inexpensive way of getting there from Manhattan is to take the PATH to the Light Rail, which has a Liberty State Park stop. The Google Map walking directions indicate a 1.3 mile walk from the light rail stop to the festival gates, though there will be a shuttle (PDF).
  
• Bike: You could also take your bike on the PATH train and two-wheel it over to the festival (bike racks will be available!). The PATH does have some rules, however (read them here). "You may not enter a PATH station with a bicycle on weekdays between 6:30 am and 9:30 am and between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm. No more than two bicycles are permitted on a PATH car and bicycles are not permitted in the first railcar of a train." Here's one possible bike route, and while Google Maps won't let you do this, it is possible to follow Jersey Ave to the park via a pedestrian bridge. (The festival website says the most scenic route is along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.)

Once You Are (Finally!) There

• There are three stages (Brooklyn Vegan has a large version of the above map, here). Check out the online guide to the set times here, it may be a good idea to print it out.
  
• Enjoy the view (you'll have a nice one of Lady Liberty), try to forget about the journey home, and be sure to put some money aside for a commemorative Jack Johnson t-shirt.