41st International Association for Time Use Research Conference: Practical Information about Washington

Conference events will take place at American University, which is located in the Northwest section of Washington, DC. Conference sessions, meals, and receptions will be held in the Spring Valley Building (SVB), located at 4801 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE NW, 20016. Note that this is a few blocks Northwest, up Massachusetts Avenue, of the university's main campus. See a full campus map here.  

Washington, DC is served by two major airports: Reagan National (DCA) and Dulles International (IAD). Reagan is both easier to navigate and closer to downtown Washington, DC and American University. However, international visitors will likely to have to travel to Dulles.

From Reagan, you can take the Metro. From Dulles, you can take the Silver Line Express Bus to the Metro. In either case, you must transfer once to get on the Red Line, as American University is located on the Red Line (AU/Tenleytown stop) towards Shady Grove. From the AU/Tenleytown Metro stop, free shuttles are available to take you to campus. The Red Shuttle goes to the Spring Valley Building (SVB), which is where conference sessions and activities will take place. The Blue shuttle goes to main campus. The Gree shuttle goes from the main campus to SVB. 

Taxis and ride-share serives are also available at both airports; estimated costs of $25 (20 minutes) from Reagan or $50 (40 minutes) from Dulles. *Travel times depend on traffic and time of day.

Washington's Union Station is also served by Amtrak. Trains regularly arrive and depart for many destinations on the east coast and are quite comfortable and conveniet, especially to New York City. Should you wish to extend your stay in the states, Philadelphia is a 2 hour train ride from DC and New York City is 3.25 hours away. Union Station is on the Metro's Red Line, making it convenient from American University and Dupont Circle. 

Some non-travel info for your visit:

• Getting around town is realtively easy on the Metro. Taxis and rideshare services are also ubiquitious in most neighborhoods.
• Washington DC tends to be hot and humid in July. Consider this when packing clothes and when deciding when, where, and how far to walk.
• Washington DC has a vibrant restaraunt scene. Number 5 on the list, Thip Khao, is one of your humble conference organizer's favorites. There are many other lists of top restaurants, of course. Reservations are necessary at time dinner times, and can usually be made on Open Table.
• Washington DC has many excellent museums, including the Smithsonians, which are free to the public.
• There are many vibrant neighborhoods with plenty of bars and restaurants near the conference site, including Friendship Heights and Cleveland Park. A bit farther away, but still a short cab ride, are Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Foggy Bottom, and Dupont Circle. 
• The national zoo is also nearby, and free to the public.
• And of course, no visit to DC is complete without visiting the National Monuments. *Note, we'll see many of these on the Night-Time Trolley Tour.