Boston it is! 2014 Nationals

[SkateFan66]

All of them?
Usually, senior skaters also practice at the practice rink until the final weekend, don't they?
Besides, I love to watch novice/junior level skaters if possible...

Per the event website:

"All senior-level competitions and practices will be held at the TD Garden, home to the Boston Bruins and Celtics professional sports teams. Other competitive events and official practice sessions will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), a dynamic multifunction space in the lively Seaport District."

[YukiNieve]

Thanks, Boston 2014! That is very imformative.

Thanks also SkateFan66! I overlooked it.

[acraven]

Per the event website:

"All senior-level competitions and practices will be held at the TD Garden, home to the Boston Bruins and Celtics professional sports teams. Other competitive events and official practice sessions will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), a dynamic multifunction space in the lively Seaport District."

However, I remember reading (perhaps here, perhaps elsewhere on the Boston2014 website) that some of the junior events will also be at the TD Garden. So if that has changed, I wonder if some of the senior practices may have to be at BCEC. It might come down to that or holding some of the senior practices at unattractive hours.

[SkateFan66]

However, I remember reading (perhaps here, perhaps elsewhere on the Boston2014 website) that some of the junior events will also be at the TD Garden. So if that has changed, I wonder if some of the senior practices may have to be at BCEC. It might come down to that or holding some of the senior practices at unattractive hours.

Both the event website, and the information that was distributed in Omaha, specifically states that ALL senior practices will be at TD Garden. It is my understanding that the "practice ice" at TD Garden will be separate from the "competition ice."

[Boston2014]

Based on what we have been told by U.S. Figure Skating at this point, the plan is to hold all senior events, including practices, at the TD Garden. However, the schedule is not within our control and is subject to change, as we have noted previously. Ultimately, the event referee owns the schedule and if changes need to be made to better accommodate the athletes, they will be.

If event history is any indication, spectators should expect at least some schedule changes of some sort, but we have no way of knowing what they will be. The good news is that the BCEC and the TD Garden are within two miles of each other, so if an event or practice does end up getting moved from one venue to another, it will still all be in the same general neighborhood.

[Boston2014]

It is my understanding that the "practice ice" at TD Garden will be separate from the "competition ice."

The TD Garden can only house a single sheet of ice, so whether for the actual competition or practice, it will be the same ice surface.

[Sylvia]

Re-posting this question from elsewhere:

I would like to go to the 2014 Boston Nationals.

If I just wanted to see the Ladies short and long programs, how much would the cheapest ticket be?

It's not known yet. From the Tickets FAQ: http://www.boston2014.com/tickets/

Single Session Tickets

Single session tickets will go on sale in Fall 2013 at all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com and the TD Garden box office. An announcement of the date will be made on the home page of boston2014.com, as well as by email to everyone who has registered for official event information updates.

Other Ticket Options

There are no other ticket options or packages planned at this time.

[TheIronLady]

Will tickets for practices be sold separately from other package or single event tickets?

[SkateFan66]

Will tickets for practices be sold separately from other package or single event tickets?

Per the "Frequently Asked Question" section of the official website, www.Boston2014.com:

"Practice passes will not be sold separately from an all-event ticket."

[nicecardshark]

Can any Boston-area residents suggest reasonably-priced hotels or other lodging in suburban Boston, easily accessible utilizing MBTA?

This has probably been addressed earlier in this thread but there are likely others wondering what good housing options might be available during next year's Nationals.

Thanks.

[Tammi]

Can any Boston-area residents suggest reasonably-priced hotels or other lodging in suburban Boston, easily accessible utilizing MBTA?

There are options, it really depends on what you're looking for. In all honesty, the official hotel rates are fantastic and you have to go pretty far outside of Boston to find anything comparable to the price. For example, Salem Mass. is a lovely suburb about 30 minutes north of Boston. The Hawthorne Hotel there is beautiful and historic. For $109 per night, you can get a 100 square foot room with a full size bed, within walking distance to the MBTA which will take you right to North Station/TD Garden (scheduled times, not a continuous loop). That part of Salem is walk-able to some nice restaurants. You could also look in Revere Mass, which is about 10 minutes from Boston. There's a stretch of roadway leading into the airport that has a Four Points by Sheraton and a Hampton Inn. It's an industrial area, you wouldn't be walking to anything. I believe both offer free parking and a free shuttle to the airport for around $100 per night. Getting to the event would mean taking the shuttle to the airport and transfering to the Silver Line. If you are going to the Convention Center, you'd exit at the World Trade Center. If you're going to TD Garden, you'd need to stay on until South Station, where you'd then switch to the Red Line, then a few stops down where you'd make the switch to the Green Line.

I can tell you that I live in a suburb about 20 minutes north of Boston. We have a Holiday Inn Express, Red Roof Inn, Marriott Courtyard and those rates average in the $170 range per night. Basically, you might be saving a little bit, but then you have to factor in that there is a schedule for the commuter rail from many of the Boston suburbs or multiple bus and subway changes, which could cost you more in time and aggravation.

[CoyoteChris]

I am not from Boston but I talked with people at Omaha from Boston2014 and it is my belief that the area is very safe. Plus you will be around a bunch of crazy skating fans and players on the streets with you. I worried about the mile walk from the arena to my Hotel in LA at Worlds 2009, but I was with 1,000 of my best friends....no worries...

Thinking of staying closer to Convention Center since I love to watch practices.
Is the area around the Convention Center fine to walk at night?

[wit's end]

Chris, Do you think that it's important to buy into the shuttle bus service? I've been to Boston before but never to the US Championships so I appreciate the information you've been providing.

[Tammi]

The convention center area has seen a lot of growth over the past 10 years. There are new hotels, new private residences, corporate businesses, Art Museum, shops and restaurants. That being said, you are still in the city and should always be aware of your surroundings.

The shuttle will certainly be a convenience for many of those staying in the host hotels, especially if it's cold. Whether or not it's important, is really dependent on your own personal plans. The MBTA is available and fairly easy to navigate. I believe the current charge is $18 for a week of unlimited usage. There has been talk of bringing back late night service, but as of right now, the last trains on the subway are at about 12:30am (commuter rail out of North Station is about an hour earlier). If you are only attending events at the TD Garden, you could look at area accommodations and most likely walk back and forth. Of course taxi service is readily available as well.

[UMBS Go Blue]

Tammi is right on the money. If Boston isn't perfectly safe, let alone super-convenient from a public transit, or even a walking, perspective, then I don't know what is.

[wit's end]

I'm looking forward to my first ever nationals. My thanks to all for the information.

[acraven]

Chris, Do you think that it's important to buy into the shuttle bus service? I've been to Boston before but never to the US Championships so I appreciate the information you've been providing.

I attended the last Boston Nationals and used public transportation to get to main venue, then called the Fleet Center. I had no problems at all, though (I think I mentioned this in an earlier post) someone else found the T not as handicapped-accessible as she had been told it was.

Major plus for me: There used to be at least one good pizza-by-the-slice place located near the T stop nearest the main venue. Hope it's still there.

[danceronice]

Except for certain aspects of the green line (make sure you're on the right train or you will wind up not where you intended) the T is not that difficult. It's not as clean or pretty or easily laid-out or, as acraven says, accessible as the DC Metro but it's reasonably safe (be smart, like any big city.) North Station is RIGHT at the center if it's at TD Banknorth (or whatever they call it these days) so it's easy access. If the weather is kind, it's an easy walk to the North End and lots of good Italian food. The place I can see shuttles being good is if the weather is crap, as it has been known to be.

[Boston2014]

I attended the last Boston Nationals and used public transportation to get to main venue, then called the Fleet Center. I had no problems at all, though (I think I mentioned this in an earlier post) someone else found the T not as handicapped-accessible as she had been told it was.

If you stayed in one of the official hotels the last time then you would have been on a direct line to North Station, which also houses the TD Garden, formerly the Fleet Center. Although the Seaport is physically closer to the TD Garden (less than 2 miles, so walkable for those without mobility issues), it is not on a direct line so using the T will require changing lines at least once. Spectators can play around with their T options by using the "Trip Planner" feature on the MBTA's web site. Choose the "Landmarks" feature and then use either the Boston Convention Center or the World Trade Center as your origination point if you're staying in the Seaport distric, and TD Garden as your end point. The trip is about 30 minutes with a transfer - about the same amount of time it would take to walk. You could cab it in less than 10 minutes and $10.

There used to be at least one good pizza-by-the-slice place located near the T stop nearest the main venue. Hope it's still there.

The TD Garden is in Boston's North End, which was heavily settled by Italian immigrants (those of us of a certain age may remember the Prince Spaghetti commercial focusing on the North end) so there is no shortage of great pizza and other tasty food.

You can read more about the North End on our web site. For those of you who may not have returned to our site since you bought tickets, we'd encourage you to do so as we are regularly adding articles about Boston neighborhoods as well as potential competitors for the event.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Major plus for me: There used to be at least one good pizza-by-the-slice place located near the T stop nearest the main venue. Hope it's still there.

The Garden is right in the North End. There are about a zillion good pizza shops nearby.