Travel & Lodging

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The event center, Douglass Clubhouse, is little known even among locals, so don't try to talk about it with your travel agent. It is in the neighborhood of Noe Valley and nestled against Diamond Heights, both of which are well-known neighborhoods. It is also very close to the neighborhoods of Castro, Twin Peaks, and Glen Park, and not that far from the Mission District and the Haight. It is 2-4 miles from the major San Francisco tourist attractions.

Airports

Both San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK) are convenient to the event center. SFO is a little more convenient to public transit, as the local subway system, BART, stops there. (From Oakland you need to take the AirBART shuttle for $2; AirBART stops running well before midnight.) The San Jose airport is not as convenient: about an hour's drive, with airport shuttles and CalTrain also available.

Local Transit

Within San Francisco there is a pretty decent bus and streetcar system called Muni. For specific routes that service the event center, click on Directions & Parking. Also, 511 is a good general site for transit trip planning throughout the Bay Area.

Lodging

There are a lot of bed and breakfast establishments in the area. I am not personally familiar with any of them, but I suspect that many of them are very nice. Check out the listings in The Lavender Pages, About.com, or the Noe Valley Voice (caution, this one is 8 years old).

If you want to go cheaper, you can try Hostelling International, with three hostels near downtown and Fisherman's Wharf (click the links in the upper right corner of the web site). These are all 2-4 miles from the event center; you can take a cab or BART/Muni, though with BART/Muni you will need to make one or two transfers for door-to-door service.

In the same areas are numerous hotels ranging from moderate to very pricey. You may wish to check Priceline for good deals. However I suspect the pickings are slim to none within a mile of the event center; if you want to stay close in, a bed and breakfast might be your best choice.

We don't recommend staying near either airport. Those areas are dreary and are not close to anything interesting.