National Mall will be open for Obama inauguration

[jefferson_dem]

Woo hoo... I'll be there. :woohoo: Who's with me?

National Mall will be open for Obama inauguration

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama's inaugural committee says, in a change from tradition, the entire length of the National Mall will be open to the public during his inauguration.

The announcement came Thursday from the committee, which has pledged to make Obama's inauguration "the most open and accessible in history."

People who can't get the 240,000 tickets to the swearing in on the Capitol grounds can fill the mall. In the past, parts of the mall have been closed off as a parade staging area.

The Park Service says it's expecting at least 1 million people for the inaugural, and the city has put the number as high as 5 million.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081204/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_mall_1/print

[WolverineDG]

1. Gotta love the Park Service

always the pessimists.....if only 1 million are attending the inauguration, why do you have to go to PA or WV to find a hotel?

dg

[Mike Daniels]

2. How many hotel rooms do you think are around DC?

I have a feeling that it's one hell of a lot less than 1 million so it's no surprise that one would have to go out a bit of a way to find a room. Also, rooms anywhere within the DC metro area are going at several hundred dollars a night with most hotels requiring multiple nights stays.

People who can't drop $1,000 for a 3 to 4 night hotel stay are going to have to look further away in order to find something they can afford.


Even the inaugural committee is saying 1 million attendees(give or take). The only source for the 4 to 5 million figure that people like to throw around is the mayor's office and I'm not sure what he's using to crunch these figures as I don't see him having access to hotel capacity information outside of DC.

[WolverineDG]

5. There were close to 1 million people at the march in DC Sept 05

The demand for rooms wasn't even close to this.

dg

[MiniMe]

3. If you are on the mall, you will be watching it on a Jumbo Tron

You won't be able to see anything.

[jefferson_dem]

4. True.

Of course, it would be a dream to get inside the gated event.

I'll be more than happy to join all my friends in front of the jumbotrons.

I made a personal commitment that, whatever it takes, my family will be "there" in DC on January 20...to breathe the same historic air together, as Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th POTUS. :)

[nutsnberries]

9. i feel exactly the same.

I want to be right at the center of the world while it's breathing a sigh of relief with loved ones all around. :)
I'll see you there!

[elizm]

11. Absolutely! I GET it! What a moment it will be...

I'm traveling up from SC and would not miss it for the world.

[jefferson_dem]

14. My dad joked that while 5 million people might actually show up...

20 years from now at least 50 million will *claim* to have been there.

This is history - a political Woodstock X 100.

[elizm]

15. I'm going to video the whole thing...starting with the train ride up...

I like to think of it as the 'Peace Train'. ;)

"Now I've been smiling lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun"...

Cat Stevens

[elizm]

12. But we will BE there! THAT is what matters! :) nt

[Captain Hilts]

6. ...and the bars open ALL NIGHT. nt

[firedupdem]

7. Wow! Please take pictures....I wish I could be anywhere close!

Just like you, I'd like to just breathe the air and be in the crowd!

[Maru Kitteh]

8. I predict 5 million and 2

:D

[ebdarcy]

10. Sweet. I booked my room two weeks before the election.

I requested tickets from my senator, but I'm not expecting to get them. But even if I can't see anything, at least I can say I was there.

[lunatica]

13. All the bars will be open 24 hours every day for the week before and after the inauguation too!