Logistics

Venue

The main venue will be the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (1216 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125) on the campus of Caltech. Talks will occur in the Hameetman Auditorium, which is immediately to one’s left as one enters through the main entrance. A picture of the building (taken in front of the main entrance) is shown below.

The Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics is located south of California Blvd on the southern side of Caltech campus. Directions to the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics can be obtained using embedded Google map below. Alternatively you can view the map by following this link.

Travel

The L.A. Metro area is well served by numerous airlines operating into multiple airports. Airports to consider are

• L.A. International Airport (LAX) - a major international airport located 1 hour from Pasadena
• Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR) - located 30 minutes from Pasadena
• Ontario International Airport (ONT) - located 50 minutes from Pasadena

LAX is more distant from Pasadena and travel costs to Pasadena are likely to be higher, but there are more airlines operating more flights. BUR and ONT are both smaller airports, relatively close to Pasadena, but flight options may be more limited. Note that travel times to and from the airport can vary substantially throughout the day. Please budget your time accordingly.

Unfortunately, the L.A. Metro area is less well served by public transit. Options to travel from an airport to Pasadena include

• rent an automobile (so that you can feel like a local)
• taxi (expensive)
• Super Shuttle
• Uber/Lyft are both allowed to pick up passengers from LAX but other airports may have restrictions
• the LAX FlyAway Bus can take you from from LAX to L.A. Union Station, then transfer to one of the other options or to the Gold Line
• LA Metro provides bus and rail service throughout the greater L.A. Metro area, including Pasadena. Notable options include the Gold Line from Union Station to Pasadena.

Lodging

A number of hotels in the Pasadena area offer discounted rates (pdf) for visits associated with Caltech. Contact hotels directly and ask specifically for the “Caltech” or “California Institute of Technology” rate. It is possible to walk to the conference venue from most of the hotels listed below. For the more distant hotels Uber or Lyft can be used to get to and from the conference venue quickly.

• Vagabond Inn (15 minute walk to the conference venue)
• Saga Motor Hotel (20 minute walk)
• Hilton Pasadena (25 minute walk)
• Courtyard Pasadena ($5-7 Uber fare)
• Westin Pasadena ($5-6 Uber fare)
• Howard Johnson Pasadena (20 minute walk)

Local Map of Restaurants, Lodging, and Points of Interest

A map of Pasadena including local hotels and restaurants is embedded below. Click on an icon to obtain more information about the location. The two major Pasadena roads where most shops are located are Lake and Colorado. Lake runs north-south and Colorado run east-west. Old Pasadena (located about 1 mile west of Caltech along Colorado) has a host of excellent restaurant choices.

If the embedded map is not showing up. Please follow this link to open the map in a separate browser window.

• Caltech campus map (other Caltech maps)
• L.A. Metro (public transit)

Weather

Historically December features highs of 70 F (21 C) and lows of 50 F (10 C). Although Southern California is generally very dry, December is part of the rainy season. Pasadena averages about 3 inches of rain over the month of December.