Travel to Bloomington

The nearest commercial airport is the Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

The Indianapolis International Airport's Ground Transportation Center (GTC) is located on Level 1 of the Parking Garage.

To get from the airport to Bloomington (and back), you can

• Take a shuttle. This is the most popular option, by far. There are two competing companies: Go Express or Star of America. All of the shuttles to Bloomington stop at the Indiana Memorial Union Hotel. The walking distance from there to the Grant St Inn is .4 miles. Go Express stops at the Willkie Residence Center. If you take Star of America and need to go to Willkie, you should get off at Read Hall for a short walk.
• take a Classic Touch Limousine
• rent a car

It may be cheaper to rent for the whole period and return it to the airport than to rent one way x 2. Rental car companies charge a lot if they think you are going to take a car from a high use area and leave it in a low use area (IND to Bloomington one-way tends to be expensive).

If you are driving to Bloomington but not from the airport, you can plot a route using Google or use the gadget provided by the Indiana Memorial Union.

Parking at the Indiana Memorial Union in lots 1 and 2 is free for guests staying at the Biddle Hotel. Lot 1 is immediately to the east of the entrance to the hotel lobby, and lot 2 is across 7th street to the north. Park in lot 1 (check the map) when you arrive and request a parking pass at check-in.

You can walk most places you'd want to go in Bloomington. However, if you need to get further afield and don't have a car, City and campus bus service is available. There are also taxis in town.

Restaurants in Bloomington

Kirkwood Avenue is a main street leading from campus to downtown Bloomington. Along Kirkwood you will find many casual eating options, as well as around or on the square downtown (five blocks west of campus along Kirkwood). 4th Street is renowned for its unusual and unusually large selection of ethnic restaurants – Indian, Italian, Turkish, Thai, Burmese, Mexican, Cajun, Korean and Tibetan cuisine. Downtown Bloomington offers a variety of eateries ranging from California-style coffee shops to sports bars to cafes to a long-standing Greek restaurant.

A (long) list of restaurants (of all varieties) in Bloomington can be found here. A list of 25 local independent restaurants in the downtown area is available here and a longer list here.

Here are some more specific suggestions all within walking distance of the Student Building:

• Laughing Planet (burritos)
• Japonee Express (Japanese and Korean)
• Little Tibet (Tibetan/Indian/Thai)
• Runcible Spoon (good for breakfast especially)
• The Tudor Room at the IMU (lunch)
• The Owlery (completely vegetarian, on the square)

Here are some fancier places:

• Samira (Afghan, a favorite place to take seminar speakers)
• Finch's Brasserie (very close)
• Uptown Cafe
• Farm Bloomington

A bit further off but a favorite: Feast.

For espresso, chocolates, and macarons, Blu Boy is not to be missed. Other local coffee houses are SOMA and The Pourhouse. There is a Starbucks in the IMU but the nicer place to hang out is the Starbucks on Indiana Avenue.