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Workshop Location

The Workshop will be held at the NRAO Edgemount Road Facility on the grounds of the University of Virginia. This newly renovated building is the site of the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC).

Charlottesville is a city of about 45,000 located in Albemarle county in the eastern half of the state of Virginia. It is 70 miles west of the state capital in Richmond, 110 miles southwest of the nations capital in Washington D.C., 20 miles east of Staunton, and 70 miles north of Lynchburg. The NRAO has two facilities in Charlottesville: our Headquarters, located on the Grounds of the historic and picturesque University of Virginia (UVa), and the NRAO Technology Center (NTC), located about 1.5 miles west of UVa's Central Grounds. Charlottesville, at the heart of Jefferson Country, is a quaint historic city, and we cannot extol all of its virtues here. Instead, we point you to many local websites.

Weather

Early January is unpredictable. Recently we've had everything from weeks of 60deg temperatures, to weeks of rain, to about a foot of snow. Check wunderground for the forecast...

Travel Information

By Air

You can fly directly to Charlottesville via commercial air service into Charlottesvile Albemarle Airport (CHO, 434-973-8342), about 8 miles north of town, with direct service from Atlanta GA, Charlotte NC, Cincinnati OH, Detroit MI, New York LaGuardia NY, Philadelphia PA, and Washington Dulles. CHO is served by Northwest, Delta, United Express and US Airways Express. The Courtyard hotel provides a free courtesy shuttle service to and from the Charlottesville Airport. Call (434) 973-7100 to schedule a pickup.

You can also fly into either Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD, 703-572-2700, 2 hour drive), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA, 703-417-8000, 2.3 hour drive), or Richmond International Airport (RIC, 804-226-3000, 1.3 hour drive). If you do so, you should probably rent a car (all major brands are available) and drive to Charlottesville (see maps and driving instructions below). This is the U.S., so public transportation is pathetic. Specifically, there is no bus or train service directly from any of the above airports. Van service from the airport may be arranged with Van on the Go, although their prices are outrageous (several US$100 one way). If you are having problems with your ground transportation, please contact us at zmachines@nrao.edu.

  • MAP from CHO-Hotel.
  • MAP from IAD-Hotel.
  • MAP from DCA-Hotel.
  • MAP from RIC-Hotel.

By Car

Driving Directions to NRAO Headquarters from all directions (including from all nearby airports).

Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved at a special rate for conference attendees at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. Book your room by calling (434) 977-1700 or (800) 321-2211. Mention NRAO when making reservations to ensure that you receive the group rate of $82 plus tax per room per night. The hotel room block will expire Dec 21. The Courtyard is convenietly located a few blocks from "The Corner", a popular site of restaurants and bars just off of the grounds of the University of Virginia. The Courtyard provides a free courtesy shuttle service to and from the Charlottesville Airport. Call (434) 973-7100 to schedule a pickup.

Courtyard by Marriott Hotel
http://www.courtyardcharlottesville.com/
(434) 977-1700
(800) 321-2211
(434) 977-2600 (Fax)
1201 W Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Map to NRAO from Courtyard

NRAO will provide a free morning and evening shuttle from the Courtyard Marriott to transport meeting participants to and from NRAO. The morning shuttle departs from Courtyard by Marriott at 8:00am and 8:30am, while the evening shuttle will depart from NRAO at 5:45pm and 6:15pm

Restaurants

There are a plethora of great restaurants within walking distance from the Courtyard Marriott on Main street. To find a restaurant see our Restaurant Recommendation List. You may also want to ride the free Trolley to the downtown mall (about 1 mile from the Courtyard by Marriott) where there are a variety of restaurants within close proximity to each other (included in the above referenced list).

Local Information

You can find on-line information about Charlottesville, and things to do in Charlottesville, at the following websites:

Maps

  • Map of Charlottesville, with NRAO offices and local Hotels labelled
  • University of Virginia map of the NRAO vicinity (NRAO-Edgemont Road is building No.20)
  • Downtown Charlottesville
  • Scientific Program Information

    Reception and Registration

    There will be a reception at the Courtyard by Marriott Rivanna-Albemarle Room on Thursday, January 12 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. There will be a bar and Hors d'oeuvres served, and your registration material will include one drink ticket for the bar. Your abstract book and other registration materials will be available at the reception. Laurie Clark from NRAO will be there with these materials and to answer any questions you may have. You can also talk to any LOC member (look for the blue nametags) for help.

    Transportation to the Meeting

    Transportation has been arranged through the University of Virginia Transit Service to transport participants to and from the hotel to the evening. If you would like to participate in this free service, please board the bus on 12th Street (adjacent to the hotel) shortly before 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Friday, January 13, and Saturday, January 14. To board the bus, exit hotel through front door, turn left onto Main Street, turn left onto 12th Street.


    Lunch

    Box lunches will be provided on both days of the meeting.


    Oral Presentations

    Oral presenters: There will be a Machintosh and a PC computer for use. We may also provide a linux box if needed. You are encouraged to bring your talk on a memory stick or CD, or you may use our computers for upload. Please be prepared to give you presentation to the tech no later than the morning or break/lunch session before your presentation to load onto our computers.


    Poster Presentations

    You are encouraged to present a poster for viewing throughout the meeting. Posters will be set up in room 230 which is adjacent to the lecture room. Refreshments will also be provided here during the breaks. The poster dimensions should be no larger than 35" by 42". Posters may be put up starting at 8:00am and will be left up for the duration of the workshop.


    Computer Access

    Wireless connections are availible within the NRAO building. A few machines will be set up in a nearby room for web browsing and email access.








     

    Conference Photo by Jim Condon - Click to enlarge