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ASK AARON - March 2006 Answer

Last Month's Column:

I live in Atlanta, but am planning on working with an agent in TN. If I get calls for auditions or go-sees in Tennessee, would I be responsible for my travel expenses?

Next Month's Column:

I want to find out what I can do to "beef up" my resume. There are certain sections of my resume that are blank. Can you offer any advice?

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Tags: travel

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From Julia, DC

How do you get from the DC area to NY?

Dear Julia:

It is pretty tough. Before I give you the specifics, let me tell you that NY agents expect you to attend all of the go-sees or auditions they call you for. Certainly, they understand that sometimes you are already booked, or have committed to another audition, but generally, if you say you can’t attend enough times, they will stop calling. It is hard getting a NY agent to work with someone who lives far away from NY.

Having said that, there are a number of ways to get to NY from the DC area. I was told about a Chinese bus company that is extremely inexpensive.

There is a Greyhound Bus that is pretty reasonable. Amtrak has gotten very expensive, but is also a possibility.

Here are some of the latest ways I have been getting to NY. I use to drive to Princeton Junction (NJ) and take the New Jersey Transit train into Manhattan. That train costs around $18 round trip (depending on the time of day). It will drop you off at Penn Station in Mid Town. Parking is around $3.00.

Then I started driving straight into NY, and found a parking lot on 10th Avenue around 40th Street. Since my auditions and go-sees don’t take very long, it would only cost me around $12 for parking.

Here is my newest method. You never know what delays can take place at the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, and the tolls there are pretty pricey, so now, I drive into Jersey City and take the PATH train into NY. The PATH train is only $1.50 each way, and if you park at the train parking lot, it is only around $6.00 for a 2-3 hour stay.

By the way, from Baltimore, driving straight into NY can take around 3.5-4 hours each way. The regular Amtrak train is about 2 hours and 40 minutes (but that does not include the time you spend traveling to and from the train station). The bus can take about 4 hours. The trip from Princeton Junction is about 4 hours, and the Jersey City route can take around 4 hours.

If you thought this was helpful, imagine how much you will learn from reading "How to Become a Successful Commercial Model." and by attending my Acting/Modeling Boot Camp.