2024 MIT STAMP Workshop
In-person workshop:
- June 3-6, 2024
- At the MIT Campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cost: Free to all
Virtual workshop:
- August 2024 (dates to be announced)
- Cost: Free to all
2024 STAMP Workshop quick links:
- What is the annual MIT STAMP Workshop?
- 2024 Workshop General Info
- Program
- Registration
- Video Tutorials on STAMP, STPA, and CAST
- FAQ
- Accommodations and Logistics
Location
The in-person STAMP Workshop will be held in the Stata building on the MIT campus, which is near Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There are several hotels within a short walking distance, but hotels near MIT are very expensive. In general, hotels in Boston are expensive. If you want to save some money or can’t find a nearby hotel with availability, there is a metro (subway) stop in Kendall Square on the MBTA Red Line. Any hotel near the Red Line will be an easy trip to MIT. See the MBTA subway maps.
Hotels
We are not reserving hotel room blocks because better prices can be found on the Internet than the hotels are willing to give us. Some nearby hotels:
Within a block or two of the workshop:
The Kendall Hotel
Boston Marriott Cambridge
Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge
About 5 blocks away:
Le Meridien Cambridge
Hyatt Regency Cambridge (they provide free shuttle service to Kendall Square. There is also a free campus Shuttle from the dormitories a couple of blocks away)
About a mile away, but with no transportation to MIT:
Hotel Marlowe
Royal Sonesta Boston
Holiday Inn and Suites (about the cheapest you will find, but a long walk to MIT and no transportation. There is also a Hampton Inn, etc. in the same area, all with good prices but a long walk),
Others:
Liberty Hotel (about a mile away and one stop on the Red Line)
Best Western Hotel Tria (usually the best prices you will find, but about 5 stops on the Red Line. They provide a free Shuttle to the near Red Line station (Alewife) and also to Harvard Square)
A list of nearby hotels is also maintained by MIT.
The Internet will have information about other hotels. There is also Airbnb/VRBO.
Logistics
Note all information below (and more) also available at http://web.mit.edu/visit/
There is a free iPhone/Android App called “MIT Mobile” with maps and campus information. You can also find an interactive map of campus at http://whereis.mit.edu
Wifi: You can access free wifi throughout the MIT campus by connecting to the network “MIT Guest”
Getting to MIT from Logan Airport
TAXI - Taxi fare from the airport to MIT is about $35. During non-rush hour, the taxi ride will take about 15 minutes. During rush hour, the ride could take 30 minutes or more.
SHARED SHUTTLE VANS – There are various shared shuttle vans from Logan Airport to and from hotels in Boston and Cambridge
PUBLIC TRANSPORT - From any terminal at Logan Airport follow “Silver Line T” signs, and take the Silver Line bus to South Station (end of the line). At South Station, change to the Red Line inbound toward Alewife. Exit at Kendall/MIT for the campus buildings or the Marriott or Kendall hotel. Under normal conditions the ride will take about 45 minutes. The ride from Logan to South Station is free. To ride the T anywhere else, the fare is $2.00 (if you have a plastic Charlie Card already) or $2.50 (cash). You can also purchase multiple-day passes if you anticipate using the T frequently (if you are staying in Kendall or Central Square areas, you likely will not need the T). More information is available at http://www.mbta.com.
Parking Information
Public Parking Facilities - The 5 Cambridge Center (Orange marker on the map below; Entrance on Ames St.) may be used by vendors, visitors and others who have business with MIT, but who do not have an MIT parking permit. There is a charge.
Parking On Campus – Due to major construction on campus, we have limited space available, 139 Mass Ave Lot (see Campus Map) is an options. However, it is free after 5pm unless you buy parking tickets ($26/day) at Parking & Transportation Office in W-20 (Yellow marker on the map below).
Getting Around MIT
An interactive map of campus can be found at http://whereis.mit.edu
Getting Around Cambridge
The easiest way to get from Kendall Square/Red Line Stop and Building 32, is to walk. It is about 2 blocks. Although there is an EZRide shuttle for $2 and the Tech Shuttle for free, but it’s a long, roundabout ride. The shuttles run different schedules and routes at different times of day. Information is available at: http://www.charlesrivertma.org/documents/EZRsch013012web.pdf
The best way to find out about the shuttles (routes, what times they will arrive) is to use the “MIT Mobile” phone app mentioned above.
Food Options
The easiest option for the sessions in the Stata Center (Building 32) or Building 34 is the café located in the Stata Center (Building 32) lobby (sandwiches, salads, sushi, a hot entre). There are also a few quick restaurants on Main St at Kendall Square—Cosi, Rebecca’s Café, Mariott Food Court, and Au Bon Pain plus some new ones that I don’t know the names of. The Stratton Student Center (W-20) food court is slightly farther away, but it has a variety of food court options. There are also a bunch of restaurants in Kendall Square.
A buffet dinner (mediterranean food) is typically provided on one of the workshop days.
One of the best seafood restaurants in Boston (some would say the U.S.) is Legal Seafood in Kendall Square, right across the street from the Kendall Hotel. The local hotels also have restaurants and there are some new upscale restaurants near MIT but I cannot vouch for them. The concierge at your hotel should be able to help.
Coffee Options
The Café in the Stata Center (Building 32) lobby serves coffee and tea and pastries. The Student Center has a Dunkin Donuts on the first floor. There is also one in Kendall Square in the “food court” next to the Mariott Hotel. Additionally there is a Starbucks in the lobby of the Marriott hotel in Kendall Square and an Au Bon Pain on the corner of Main Street.
Tourism and Evening Options
Boston is Massachusetts’ capital and largest city. Founded in 1630, it’s one of the oldest cities in the U.S. The key role it played in the American Revolution is highlighted on the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking route of historic sites that tells the story of the nation’s founding. One stop, former meeting house Faneuil Hall, is a popular marketplace. Another is the tavern where Paul Revere and the other revolutionaries met. There are hop-on/hop-off tour buses that leave from Kendall Square so you can ride between the historic sites and don’t have to walk the whole 2.5 miles.
The Kendall Square (MIT) area is filled with large Pharma office buildings so there are a few upscale restaurants, but not much else. However, Harvard Square is just two stops on the Red Line (subway) and that’s where all the students hang out. Harvard Square has nightlife, restaurants, book and craft stores, boutiques, etc. right around the Harvard Square subway stop. Harvard University (also right there) is a very beautiful campus to visit. The Passim nightclub in Harvard Square is where the folk revolution started and still has pretty good folk music (and I noticed chamber music one night next week). Look on the web to see what is playing—the concerts are in the basement in an intimate setting.
You should visit Harvard Square for at least one evening. That’s the gathering place for university students in Cambridge (Harvard Square is located right next to Harvard University, which is one of the most beautiful universities in the world). Harvard Square has a vast array of restaurants, stores, and some evening entertainment options. It’s a great place to wander around and enjoy the ambiance. The Passim nightclub in Harvard Square is where the 1960s folk revolution started and still has pretty good folk music. Look on the web to see what is playing—the concerts are in the basement in an intimate setting. Harvard Square can most easily be reached (unless you want some exercise after sitting all day) by taking the “T” (the Boston metro/subway) outbound (toward Alewife) two stops from Kendall Square. If you prefer walking, Harvard Square is about a mile and a half from Kendall Square. For those staying at the Best Western Tria in Alewife, your hotel provides a free Shuttle to Harvard Square (as well as to the Alewife T stop). You might also enjoy browsing in the Harvard Coop (bookstore) in Harvard Square and in the MIT Coop in Kendall Square.
Check the internet for a large array of Boston evening activities, including the Boston Symphony, theater, and the famous Blue Man Group. If you have extra days, Boston guided tours as well as “on and off” tour buses (you can spend as much time as you want at each location) leave from Kendall Square.