Arrival Information
The following announcement was sent to registrants on June 21st:
The sections are:
Announcements
We will be having an auction during the convention to raise money for ELNA! If you would like to donate an item or service to the auction, bring it with you and present it at the registration booth when you sign in. You can also mail an item by sending it to the following address:
Jacob Schwartz, 41 Windsor Rd, Somerville, MA 02144
Please let members of your local club know about the auction. Donated items from those not attending the auction are also greated appreciately.
Esperanto-related items would be most appropriate -- for example, used books, music, clothing, etc, or Esperanto collectables such as photos, signatures by famous Esperantists, rare or difficult to find publications, etc. But other items and services are also welcome!
Thanks for your help!
Arrival
If you have reserved housing at MIT and will arrive before the start of the convention, you can go directly to the dorm and check in. See the section on "MIT Housing" below.
Starting Thursday afternoon, there will be a registration and information booth in the first floor lobby of the Stratton Student Center. There you can sign in and receive your convention materials. The student center is located at 84 Massachusetts Ave and is indicated in red on this online map.
If you arrive on Thursday before the registration booth is open, you can go directly to the ELNA board meeting (see the section under "Locations"). If you arrive later, and want to go directly to the reception or to whatever event is happening at the time, information about those locations is also in the section "Locations".
Locations
The ELNA board meeting will be from 8am to 5pm in room 400 of the Stratton Student Center. Room 400 is on the 4th floor, in the very center of the building. It is a wooden room straight ahead of you as you step out of the elevator. The door itself is also wooden, so it may not be immediately recognizeable.
Starting Thursday afternoon, a registration and information booth will set up in the first floor lobby of the student center.
The student center is located at 84 Massachusetts Ave and is indicated in red on this online map.
The reception Thursday evening will be at 7pm (feel free to arrive as early as 6pm) in the Lobdell dining hall on the second floor of the Stratton Student Center. Around 9pm, we will move to the student-run Thirsty Ear Pub, in the basement of Ashdown House, where the musicians have been invited to perform in the pub's weekly concert series. Ashdown House is in red on this online map.
During the day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning, presentations will be on the main campus in building 4, second floor, rooms 231, 237, and 249. Building 4 is indicated in red on this online map.
Transportation
The following information comes directly from the convention website:
Attendees arriving at Boston's Logan International Airport can arrive at MIT or the University Park Hotel by taxi or subway. Unfortunately, the convention hotel does not offer a shuttle. Taxi rides from the airport to Cambridge cost about $20 plus tip. The subway costs $1 per ride for most of the stations. For information on public transportation in Boston, visit the web page of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Rental cars from a variety of companies are also available at the airport.
The Boston subway has four lines, indicated by the four colors Red, Blue, Green, and Orange. The MIT campus is located between the two subway stations Kendall and Central on the Red Line of the subway. The University Park Hotel is near the Central station. Logan Airport is on the Blue Line. To reach MIT, one has to ride along the Blue Line until the Government Center station, transfer to the Green Line and ride one stop to the Park Street station, and from there ride the Red Line until the Kendall or Central station. If you would prefer to reduce the walking, you can take bus #1 from Central station to MIT.
MIT is also fairly accessible by car. The campus is located on Massachusetts Avenue, a main street that runs through Cambridge and Boston.
Parking
The following information comes directly from the convention website:
Parking in MIT parking lots generally requires a parking permit. However, on weekends, employee holidays (which includes July 4th), and after hours (between 5:30 P.M. and 7:30 A.M.), MIT affiliated people may park their vehicles in specific parking lots around MIT without a permit. (See the conference web page for more information.)
This means that if you arrive after 5:30pm on Thursday, you can park your car on campus through 7:30am Monday morning for free. We recommend the following parking lots: Kresge Lot, West Annex, East Garage. While Kresge Lot is the closest, it is likely to be full, so we recommend the East Garage lot (and garage) or the West Annex.
Parking during other hours is a bit difficult. There is some free on-street parking on Vassar Street. There are also parking facilities nearby that charge a fee: the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Vassar Street ($9), University Park garage on the corner of Green and Landsdowne Streets ($11), Cambridge Center garage on the corner of Broadway and Ames Streets ($13). (Prices are for 8-hour stays.)
MIT Housing
This section is for those who reserved a room in the MIT dorms.
All rooms are in the dorm New House which is located at 471-476 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139. The dorm is indicated in red on this online map.
If you are arriving by car, you can drive along Amherst alley (indicated on the map) and stop the car right in front of the dorm to unload your bags. However, there is no parking on Amherst. You will have to park in one of the lots mentioned in the section "Parking".
New House has a front desk which is open most hours, except the very middle of the night. During the night, there is a night watchman who patrols the dorm and can let you in if you are ever locked out.
When you arrive, you can go directly to the front desk, give them your name and receive a key to the dorm. You will receive a keycard to get in to the front door and a regular key to your room.
The phone number of the front desk is 617-253-6561. You can give that number to your family and friends to call, in order to reach you. Each room will have its own phone, but you won't know the phone number until you check in. Anyone who calls the front desk can be connected to your room.
Linens and towels will be provided, so you do not need to bring your own.
What To Bring (And Not To Bring)
Don't forget to bring items for the convention auction! (See the "Announcements" section.)
If you are staying in the MIT dorms, linens and towels will be provided so you do NOT need to bring your own.
Activities such as the picnic and excursion will be outdoors. Bring appropriate hats, clothing, sun block, etc, as you feel necessary.
Questions
If you have any questions that are not addressed here, feel free to contact the local organizers by email at elna_congress_2003_questions@yahoogroups.com