Jaunted at Sundance: HOWTO Couchsurf Park City
January 21, 2008 at 4:16 PM |
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The road to our condo (for the night)
During Sundance, rooms at the Yarrow Hotel start at $400 a night. Given that the Yarrow is about as swank as some suburban Comfort Inns we've stayed at, that really sucks. So how did we beat the system? Couchsurfing Park City.
We'll admit, it wasn't easy to find a place to crash; lodging is tight when 50,000 people descend on a town of 8,000. But as the film fest continues this week, more and more people will be heading out, leaving floor space and couches--and maybe even some bedrooms--wide open. It's up to you to scam your way into those spots.
Our first few tries didn't pan out. One friend who was in town on business couldn't host us per company rules. Another pal was too busy working to even meet up for a drink, let alone put us up for the night. A few random emails to some random people we found on the Internet didn't even net replies.
Just when we were getting really nervous about finding a spot, a friend of a friend called up offering a couch at a condo on Deer Valley Drive. Perfect! The spot was on a few bus routes and provided some people to party with.
How we found our place to crash.
Couchsurfing lessons learned:
Email, call and text everyone you know. You won't find a place without casting a big net. So many people go to Sundance that you probably do know someone there.
Be cool. More important than where you're staying is fitting in with the crew that's doing you a favor. If they ask that you show up at 8:17 pm with a bouquet of tulips, find a flower shop. If they've got snowboards all over the house, don't tell them how much you prefer skiing.
Pack light. You aren't gonna dig up a spot to stay if you've got a ton of baggage. Being light on our feet helped us meet up with our hosts on time.
Go with the flow. Staying at a crash pad with eight other festival-goers isn't like shacking up at the Ritz. Just because someone pours a Tecate on you while you're sleeping doesn't mean you should get upset. Better plan: Grab a beer and join the fun!
Related Stories:
· Sundance Film Festival coverage [Jaunted]
· Sundance Field Trip [Jaunted]
· Sundance 2008 Map [Jaunted]
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pbb
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