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Travel   |   Lodging

The lodging that one can sign up for via the registration form are singles in the Harvard Law School's Gropius dorms (see Dormitory rooms below). Some local wikipedians have crash space available in their rooms and houses. And there are also inns and hotels and other lodging available within 2 to 15 blocks of the venue, for those who would like to sleep 2 or 3 to a room, or would prefer a more peaceful and luxurious place to stay. If you're interested in roommates please leave a note on the talk page.

Dormitory rooms

MONDAY AUGUST 7 - Final checkout is 11 am - Please return your keys to Pound 203


Harvard Law School is providing single rooms in their Gropius dorms (the Ames and Dane buildings). These are small singles with shared baths on each floor and several shared kitchens and lounges. These are as close to the conference site as you can get; and available only during the conference. You have to reserve these rooms through us (via the registration form).

Please note that these are no-frills rooms. We will be providing attendees with a key and a set of bed linens and a pillow on your arrival to the conference. You will need to provide your own towels and soap. These can be easily purchased in Harvard Square (see Venue) The dorm rooms are without air conditioning, but all of the rooms we will use will each have a large electric fan. All dorm rooms are no smoking. However some relief from the heat is available at Harkness commons nearby. The dorm rooms have working phone jacks, but no telephones. If you do bring a telephone of your own (or purchase one at a nearby store), you will need to dial a 9 to get off-campus. Phones are restricted to local calls and toll-free calls to calling cards to make long-distance calls. Free and open wifi will be available through the Harvard campus network. Wifi instructions are at Accessing the Internet.

More information is available here. We have uploaded a handbook describing the specific dorm room amenities and policies regarding Wikimania here, which we strongly encourage you to read in advance. The handbook goes into greater detail about emergency contacts, facilities such as kitchens, etc.

Erica George of the Berkman Center is coordinating all Wikimania lodging at the HLS dorms. Please contact her directly if you have questions or if you will be arriving at HLS outside the hours listed for check-ins in the "Updated" section below. (Don't worry, we WILL be able to accomodate whatever time you need to arrive, we just need to know when to expect you to tell you where to go.) Erica can be reached at egeorge AT cyber.law.harvard.edu. Please email Erica rather than calling. Please be patient as it may take her a day to respond due to the volume of inquiries. Please do *not* contact the HLS dormitory office directly.

If you would like to add lodging to a pre-exisiting Wikimania registration, please email Austin Hair at ahair AT wikimedia.org.

HLS dorm rooms are unfortunately not available to anyone wishing to stay in Boston the night of August 7. The last Wikimania lodgers must check out of the dorms no later than 11 am on Monday August 7.

PLEASE CHECK OUT AT THE REGISTRATION DESK, POUND SECOND FLOOR, BY 11 AM ON THE DAY YOU ARE LEAVING THE DORMS.

Erica and Austin sent an information email to all attendees, including all lodgers at the HLS dorms, this past weekend. If you did not get this email, we may not have you listed as staying in the dorms, so please contact Austin ASAP. If you need further information and do not find it here, please email Erica.

The new official Berkman Center address, for those who need it for their paperwork on entering the US, is:

Berkman Center for Internet & Society
Harvard Law School
23 Everett Street, Second Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138

(note that this is not the actual street address of the dorms proper)

Ames Hall is located at 20 Everett Street. Dane Hall is located at 22 Everett Street. The buildings are connected through shared doorways. Make sure you go into the proper part before panicking that your room key does not work, since the rooms are numbered the same.

UPDATED INFO for those staying in DORMS ONLY (as of 8/1):

  • If you are arriving on Tuesday 8/1 or Wednesday 8/2 anytime between 9:00 am and 8:00 PM Boston time (Eastern Daylight Time):

-- Check in at the Berkman Center: 23 Everett St., Second Floor. (Directions & Map)

  • If you are arriving on Tuesday 8/1 or Wednesday 8/2 anytime after 8:00 PM or before 9:00 AM:

-- Please email Erica George at egeorge AT cyber.law.harvard.edu with your expected time of arrival and flight information. We'll contact you with more info about where to go when and what numbers to contact. Please include a mobile phone number if you have one so we can call you if you're already in transit.

  • If you are arriving on Thursday, 8/3, anytime between noon and 11:00 pm:

-- Please go to Pound Hall, second floor, registration area. There will be signs pointing you the way within the building. map

  • If you are arriving Friday, 8/4 or Saturday, 8/5, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm:

-- Please go to the registration area, Pound Hall second floor.

  • If you will be arriving on Thursday, Friday or Saturday outside the hours listed above:

-- Please email Erica at egeorge AT cyber.law.harvard.edu with your expected time of arrival and flight information. We'll contact you with more info about where to go when and what numbers to contact. Please include a mobile phone number if you have one so we can call you if you're already in transit.

Please contact us by phone as a last resort only - if we are swamped by phone calls, we will not be able to finish the other organizing tasks needed to prepare for the conference! However, if you do need to contact us by phone, you may try the Berkman Center main line, 617-495-7547, from 9 am through 8 pm Tuesday, Wednesday or 9 am to 5 pm Thursday. Email to Erica is still the best way to contact us about lodging logistics, though please be patient as she is fielding a very large number of inquiries. (Erica is dealing with the most urgent requests first; if your inquiry is about Thursday, she will get back to you Wednesday morning)

If you need to add days to your dorm registration, or add lodging to your conference pass, you must contact Austin at ahair AT wikimedia.org.


IF YOU ARE STAYING IN DOUBLES, THE ABOVE CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT GUIDELINES ALSO APPLY TO YOU.

The Double Rooms

The double rooms are located at Lesley University. Lesley is right next to Harvard Law School. The dorms are a short distance from Pound Hall, Dane and Ames Halls, and other Wikimania venues.

Check-in for double rooms is at 23 Mellen St., Cambridge. You're welcome to get your room and stow your luggage before checking in for the conference at Pound Hall.

Other dorms and hostels

Hostels: all hostels are 4-5 miles from the site, and 45 min by public transit.

  • The Prescott International Hotel and Hostel
    $30/night for shared rooms
  • YMCA of Greater Boston
    $22+/night for shared rooms
  • H.I. Boston & H.I. Fenway
    Two Hostelling International hostels, $31+/night, in downtown Boston

Crash space

If you will be in town outside of the normal conference days (Thursday night through Sunday night), and need somewhere to crash, leave a note below. If you have crash space to provide, likewise.

General crash space options :

  • Hospitality Club - international, friendly, and loving it
  • Couchsurfing - a network of couches, all yours to surf. International, multilingual; started in the US with a good Boston network.

Crash space available

  • 1-2 - Sj; booked!
  • 3 guest bedrooms in Newton, and a car - PZFUN
  • 3 (Couch space), Languages: es/id - Tobacman booked!
  • 1 guest room, live about 20 miles away - NMeditor
  • 2 people on a sofa bed; my roommate recently hosted 5 for a dance competition but many slept on the floor. I live a 30 min walk or 5 min walk + 3 min subway ride or 10 min bus ride from Harvard. I don't own a car. moink 21:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC) -- booked.[reply]
  • Possibly, speak fair amount of French - Gozar
  • 2 people on a sofa bed and maybe 3 or 4 more may sleep on the floor if they bring a sleeping bag. Speak fr/en/sp. My place is just 5 minutes walking to the next Harvard station. NON SMOKERS. Write me as soon as possible>hzenilc[egalois]
  • 1 guest room (double bed) & second bed on screened porch (one person) in town next to Cambridge-- good bus service to Harvard Square (15 minutes; .90 cents). German speaker, French speaker, and cats live in house; NON SMOKERS ONLY PLEASE (ok to smoke outside, of course) patrice_moskow@harvard.edu BOOKED
  • Female needed to split hotel room: I've got a hotel room (Marriott Residence Inn at 6 Cambridge Center, Kendall T Stop, near MIT/Hacking Days venue) booked from Wednesday night through Sunday morning. If you're attending the conference and might be interested in room sharing (half of $229/night) contact me any time during the conference. ( callie at cc.gatech.edu )

Crash space needed

  • Two people from Iceland, Friðrik Bragi Dýrfjörð & Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason. Need crashingspace somewhere between 27 July - 8 Agust or for all the days. --Friðrik Bragi Dýrfjörð 07:06, 5 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • A student from the Netherlands, Lodewijk Gelauff aka effeietsanders. Speak dutch, fair amount of english, and a little german and french. Need somewhere to sleep for 3-10 august. effe iets anders
  • For 1 or 2 nights I need crash space either. Preferably near university campus and/or public transportation system. Thank you! - Space
    • Please help: still needed a bed or matrass for Saturday on Sunday and Sunday on Monday; had no replies yet - Space
  • I am a cancel who then readded... I need crash space for Fri and Sat nites only, I have a lead or two which I am following and am trying to get into the dorm if there is room, but failing that, would appreciate a couch or at worst, even a floor. I am a non smoker, can tolerate smokers if I must although would rather not, but I snore. (er, was that TMI? :) ) I'll remove this if I find some. Lar 22:01, 30 July 2006 (UTC) Sorted. I'm in the dorms. thanks to all who helped me suss out what to do. See you soon! Lar 10:53, 2 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Hi, looking for a place for fri/sat. Speak English (near-native) & Russian (used-to-be-native). Thanks! --Yurik 14:17, 3 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hotels

Contact information to come, costs given are non-discounted, per night per room

Other Local (Cambridge Area) Hotel Options

For information about public transportation between hotels & guest houses outside Harvard Square, see the MBTA Trip Planner, http://trip.mbta.com/cgi-bin/index.pl)

  • Cambridge Marriott (in Kendall Square, 2 subway stops from Harvard Square)
    2 Cambridge Center, (Broadway & 3rd Street)
    Cambridge, MA 02142
    617-494-6600
  • Hotel at MIT, Cambridge (near Central Square, 1 subway stop from Harvard Square)
    20 Sidney St
    Cambridge, MA 02139
    617-577-0200
    ttp://www.hotelatmit.com
  • DoubleTree Guest Suites (a short cab ride from Harvard)
    400 Soldiers Fld.
    Boston, MA 02134
    617-783-0090
  • Days Inn
    1800 Soldiers Fld.
    Boston, MA 02135
    617-254-0200
  • Days Inn
    1234 Soldiers Fld.
    Brighton, MA 02135
    617-254-1234


Bed & Breakfasts

Contact information to come

  • A Friendly Inn (6 blocks East/ 10 minutes walk) :
    17 rooms, most available; $150 doubles w/priv bath, 8/1-7
    contact - afi.now@verizon.net Susan (mgr)
    中文 (Chinese) spoken; public swimming pool across the street
    1673 Cambridge St
    Cambridge, MA 02138
    617-547-7851
  • Prentiss Inn, Prentiss St (5 blocks North) :
    4 rooms, 1-2 beds, $205-$250 (You can book with Expedia for $134/night, much less than calling the desk)
  • Harding House (15+ blocks SE) :
    *: 10 doubles, private bath : $155 (with tax?) 8/1-7
  • Irving House (15+ blocks SE, next to Harding House) :
    2 doubles, shared bath : $155 (with tax) 8/3-6
    24 Irving Street
    Cambridge, MA 02138
    800-854-8249
  • A Cambridge House (10 minutes bus ride to conference site on #77 mbta bus)
    2218 Mass. Avenue
    Cambridge, MA 02138
    617-491-6300
    http://www.acambridgehouse.com
  • Hawthorn Suites (15 minutes bus ride to conference site on #77 mbta bus)
    1 Massachusetts Avenue
    Arlington, MA 02474
    (781) 643-7258