Noreascon 4 Information Desk Suggestions

Now that Noreascon 4 is over, we will not be updating this blog any longer. For current information about Noreascon 4, see our home page or our main news weblog.

Boston at a discount

Boston Properties, which owns the Prudential Mall has a discount card (good for a bunch of their shops) for sale, and N4 members can get a discount on it, since they're visitors. For more info go to:
http://www.prudentialcenter.com/visitor/

Other discount offers:

Boston restaurant, museum, etc., discounts using the Boston USA Specials:
http://www.bostonusa.com/visitor/resdet.php?cat=&cat_seqnum=&type=event&seqnum=7931

Boston Visitors kit:
http://www.bostonusa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=GBCVB&Category_Code=visitor

Go Boston Card:
http://www.gobostoncard.com/

Infrequently Asked Questions

Need to know something offbeat about Boston? This is the place to ask it.

N4 Bulletin Board Open

We now have a bulletin/discussion board open at http://noreascon.org/discuss/

Hotel policies

This is the topic for questions pertaining to our hotels and their policies.

WiFi at Worldcon

We expect (this may change, but at the moment, it looks good!) to have wireless access available to convention-goers throughout the Hynes.

For free wireless access wherever you happen to be, take a look at the Wi-Fi Free Spot Directory. Their list of free hotspots around the N4 sites can be found at http://www.noreascon.org/facilities/free-wifi.html

Other things to see and do

This is the place to ask questions about things in and around Boston that are not related to the convention. Are you interested in genealogy, museums, whale watching, walking tours, shopping ....

Travel - around Boston

This is the place to ask questions about traveling within Boston and its surrounding area, including questions about using the T, Boston's public transportation and subway system.

Public transportation in and around Boston
The MBTA has an extensive web site at http://www.mbta.com/ including a number of trip planning tools at http://trip.mbta.com/cgi-bin/index.pl

Their general site index is at http://www.mbta.com/footer/sitemap/index.asp

Their “Tips for T-riders” is at http://www.mbta.com/traveling_t/usingthet_tips.asp

Each of the terminal stations has its own site and offers economical parking. Although long-term parking (a week or more) is not generally available, many do offer overnight parking for up to six days.

To get to the station information follow these links: "Traveling on the T" to "Schedules, Maps & Station Info" to "Subway," click on the line you want, then click on the individual stations for station information including parking rates and accessibility.

The T stations closest to the hotel and convention center
You can take any branch of the Green line to reach the convention area. The Copley stop is the one closest to the Marriott hotel, and is served by all of the branches. To get to the Hynes and Sheraton, which is just after the branch, you can go to either the Prudential stop (on line E) or the Hynes/CA stop (on lines B, C, and D). (There is no line A.)

Getting to/from Logan Airport
For information on using buses, accessible vans, limos, Logan Express, Logan Shuttle, MBTA subway and bus, rental cars, shared vans, trains, taxi, or water transportation, see Logan's transportation page at http://www.massport.com/logan/getti.html

Travel - getting to Boston

This is the place to ask questions about getting to Boston from where ever you are.

New York to Boston for $10
People in NYC may want to consider taking the Fung Wah bus from the Big Apple’s Chinatown to Bean town’s Chinatown. Schedules are online and tickets can be purchased online at http://www.fungwahbus.com/

Using bus lines and commuter rail
Many bus and commuter rail services will get you to Boston's North or South Stations. At North Station, you can get directly onto the subway's Green Line. At South Station, you can take the Red Line to the Park Street Station to pick up the Green Line.

Some bus services
MASSPORT's "Getting to Logan by bus" page: http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_buses.html

Bonanza Bus Line (from Southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island): http://www.bonanzabus.com/

C & J Trailways (from Northern New England Areas): http://www.cjtrailways.com/

Concord Trailways (from Northern New England Areas): http://www.concordtrailways.com/

Peabody Logan Express: http://www.p-b.com/Peabody.htm

Peter Pan (from the Northeast, including Albany, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD, and Manchester, NH): http://www.peterpanbus.com/

Plymouth & Brockton Bus (from the Cape, Southern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island): http://www.p-b.com/index.htm

Vermont Transit Bus Lines (from destinations in Maine, NH, VT, & Canada): http://www.vermonttransit.com/

Note: These companies are not associated with N4 and we have no control over them. It's probably a good idea to verify this information by calling the companies directly prior to making your final arrangements.

Kaffeklatsches and literary beers

This is the place for questions about kaffeeklatsches and literary beers. (Sign-ups for these will be available at con at the Information Desk.)

Meet your favorite author, artist, editor
Kaffeeklatsches and literary beers are the perfect opportunity for you to join in a lively conversation with your favorite pro. Spaces are limited, so be sure to sign up at the Information Desk at con to save your spot.

Group activities

We're planning to get group tickets to a Red Sox game and to the Lord of the Rings exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science (contact tourism@noreascon.org if you are interested in joining these groups).

Are there other group activities you'd like us to look into?

Filking and Fanzines

Filking with be in the Sheraton.

The Fanzine lounge will probably be part of the Mended Drum in the Concourse of the Sheraton.

We'll have schedule information when we get a little closer to the convention.

Do you know stuff?

Information is expecting to be open from 9 am to 10 pm for the majority of the convention and will need lots of people to run smoothly.

What we need primarily are people who are good at handling information (i.e. know how to look things up) and good at dealing with people (i.e. won't kill the tenth person who looks at the clock and asks: "Is that the right time?")

We plan to have lots of "cheat sheets" for people working the information desk so that even people who are unfamiliar with Boston can help.

If you are interested in helping please email Sheila Perry.

N4 Bulletin Board

Our web team is currently working on adding a BBS to our site. We expect to have it up and running in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, our Boston-Buzz email list is available to N4 members and prospective members. To subscribe go to http://www.noreascon4.org/contact/emaillists.html and fill in the form for the "Discussion List".

Film and anime

This is the place to ask questions about our film and anime programs.

Autographing

This is the place to ask questions about autographing.

FAQs and general information

This is the incubator for new topics: if you don't see a topic that applies to the information you're seeking, ask here and we'll create one. It's also the home for miscellaneous suggestions, questions and comments.