From: Andy Gallo <gallo@asel.udel.edu>
Subject: The Bob Carpenter FAQ 
Reply-To: gallo@asel.udel.edu
Organization: The Internet
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 16:09:47 GMT

Phish-heads,

	I've been asked to post some information about the area around
the University of Delaware's Bob Carpenter Arena.  As you know, Phish
will be playing there February 13th.  

					Andy Gallo
					gallo@asel.udel.edu

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| How do I get there?

	Directions to "The Bob" - the Bob Carpenter Arena at the
University of Delaware:
	Take I95 into Delaware.  Get off at the route 896 north exit.
Follow 896 north to the arena, on your right.


|Is there anything in the neighborhood (a coffee shop or something?) that
|I should check out if I get there early?  

	I'm not real familiar with local coffee shops (see #6 below)
in the "Cafe Lena" sense, but as for general eatieries.  Hmmm...off
the top of my head...

	1) On 896 coming north there is a Ground Round, a McDeath, a
Scottish bakery.  
	2) If you go south on 896 maybe 5 miles at most you will come
to the town of Glascow and "People's Plaza" which is sure to have an
assortment of eateries.  
	3) On I95 south you will pass an exit for Christiana Mall
(about 5 miles before the 896 exit) - there is a big "food court"
here.
	4) If you go north on 896 and turn left at the junction of 4,
you can follow this road (which is actually still 896 at this point)
all the way to the end.  In front of you will be an Acme grocery store
and a few other places.  A right hand turn puts you on Elkton Road
north.  There is a Friendly's, El Loco (Mexican), the Crab Trap, and
god knows what else.
	5) Making a left turn at the Acme sends you towards the
Maryland border (great spirits store called "State Line" that has a
nice wide array of beers).
	6) You can get to Main Street Newark from Elkton road, but
Main Street is one way the wrong way at this point (ie. you're at the
end of it), so you have to cut over and loop back.  On Main Street is
a cafeteria style place, Hardies, a few pizza places, Space II
(Italian and Greek food, a bit pricy but very good stromboli and
gyros), and a really great sandwich shop called (I think) 90 East
Main.  This is probably the only "coffee shop" around with a nice
assortment of exotic sandwiches and deserts, probably some kind of
coffee "flavor of the day".  I'm not sure they're open for supper hour
however, but they do a hell of a lunch business.  On Main Street
(almost to the end at Elkton Road) is THE big hangout in town - the
Deer Park.  This place is a landmark.  Food is bar food (I usually go
on half price Nacho night), drinks are moderately priced.  Never a
cover charge and there will be a band there most nights of the week,
but especially Thursday-Sunday (Sunday is their so called "jazz
night").  Everybody is carded at the door but they do let in underage
people tagged appropriately.  Also on Main Street is the Stone
Balloon.  If there is a "big name" in town, other than the Bob, the
show will be at the Balloon (Blues Traveler, Joe Walsh, Warren Zevon,
Peter Frampton, just to name a few recent ones).  When there isn't a
big show, there's lots of local music there.  There is a cover.  Also
on Main Street (near the beginning) is the Newark Co-Op.  Lots of nice
whole foods here, including some nice baked goods for snacking
purposes.
	7) Off I95, if you take the route 273 west exit (coming from
the north, bear right off the ramp for west) you can hit Main Street a
bit easier.  Follow 273 past MBNA to a big intersection.  Take a left
onto route 4 and then get over to the right lane for a right turn back
onto 273.  Follow this past an industrial area (Avon, a chemical
company, a Saturn car dealer, etc).  On your right you will see a hole
in the wall called Jake's - awesome hamburgers guaranteed to flush
your bowels.  Very inexpensive - great selection of free toppings.  As
you continue on 273 you will see the main post office on your left and
you will be at a big intersection.  There is a Bennigan's and (I
think) a KFC here.  In front of you the road becomes one way - this is
the beginning of Main Street.  A left turn here puts you on route 72
south.  There is a shopping center on the left with a variety of food
places in it.  Continue down 72 south to route 4 and take a right and
you will be back at the Bob.
	8) At the post office, a right hand turn puts you on Kirkwood
Highway.  This is Miracle Mile - a major commercial strip with lots of
food places.  

	As an aside, almost at the end of Main Street is a left hand
turn onto South College Avenue.  You can follow this thru the campus,
over a bridge, down to the arena, which will now be on your left.

| What's the arena like?

	I don't have a map on me.  I have a hand-drawn map at home I
made while at the Dylan show last fall, but I didn't draw in the floor
sections (not as easy to tell what's what).  I just checked the DE
phone book - no map in there either (The Bob probably wasn't open when
it went to press).
	As for the place itself, its rather small (its a 5,000 seat
capacity arena, but for concerts its down around 4,000).  They pull
the front bleachers in to make room for the stage, so people sit along
the length of the basketball court on both sides and along with width
in the back.  The floor is also wide open for chairs and the sound
board.  You have to figure if you are on the floor you are no more
than about 3/4 of a basketball court from the stage at worst.  The
place is so small the soundboard is practically all the way in the
back.  There are bad seats - along the sides close to the stage.  View
to the stage is usually blocked here by the band's stage monitors and
PA.  Lately they've been not using the nearest sections to avoid this
problem, but it still could be better.  For me, the best place to be
is either on the floor anywhere or in the back section of bleachers,
which is nice because it gives you a clear shot over the audience to
the stage (and you can sit down and still see).  Sound is probably
best towards the back of the floor and this back section of beachers.

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