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FCCM 2014

The 22nd IEEE International Symposium on
Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines
May 11-13, Boston, Massachusetts



FCCM 2014: The 22nd Annual IEEE International Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Conference Venue: Photonics Center, Boston University
Conference Dates: May 11-13, 2014

Activities Accessible with Mass Transit

Boston proper is very small--most of what you do downtown is walkable--but mass transit supports much of the area within the Rt128 beltway (that’s I95 for non-natives).

Historic

Boston is one of the earliest European settlements in USA.  It is also the birthplace of American independence, a center of the abolitionists before the civil war, and leaders of various intellectual movements such as the transcendentalists.  Basically Boston has supported rabble rousers and non-conformists for hundreds of years.

  • The Freedom Trail is a walking tour including Faneuil Hall, historic cemeteries, North End, etc.
  • Charlestown Navy Yard - The USS Constitution “Old Ironsides”  -- This ship, still active in the US Navy is a veteran of the war of 1812.  You can tour it, there is also a museum, other (more recent) ships
  • Tea Party Ship and Museum
  • North End -- including Paul Revere House, Old North Church (one if by land, two if by sea …), cemetery
  • Beacon Hill (Louisburg Square) -- how the wealthy of Boston have lived (See John Kerry’s house) for 150 years
  • Bunker Hill (First real battle of the War of Independence)
Cultural
  • Museum of Fine Arts - One of the world’s great art museums, with many great collections from Ancient Egyptians to Impressionists.  See especially the new wing:  American Art.  Also, special exhibit “Boston Loves Impressionism.”
  • Isabelle Stuart Gardner Museum -- One of Boston’s gems.  “Palace” of wealthy art lover houses her collection
  • Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Harvard Museums -- Several museums devoted to art (ancient and modern), anthropology, natural history, etc.
Other sites
  • Boston Science Museum -- One of the best.  IMAX, Planetarium, indoor lightning
  • Public Gardens --  (“Make Way For Ducklings,” Swan Boats, etc.)
  • Boston Common (Cheers!)
  • Kennedy Library
  • New England Aquarium -- A very good one.  IMAX
  • Children’s Museum

Other things to do
  • Duck boat tour -- If you’ve never been to Boston, this is a great way to get started.  After driving around Boston you end up on the Charles River.  Kids get to drive.
  • Boston Harbor Islands State Park -- You can take a boat out to the harbor islands.  George’s Island, dominated by Fort Warren, is especially worth the trip. 
  • Whale Watch cruise
  • North End -- Little Italy (Great cannolis!)
  • Harvard Square
  • MIT -- Kendall Square, Infinite Corridor, etc.
  • Copley Square -- Boston Public Library (Murals, Map Collection), Trinity Church
  • Christian Science Center - Home of the church.  Walk inside a stained glass earth (Maparium)
  • Provincetown by ferry -- Yes, you can get to the tip of Cape Cod in a little over an hour by fast catamaran. 

Activities farther afield

< 45 minutes by car, commuter rail possible to some
  • Lexington and Concord -- Minuteman National Park, Lexington Green, Concord North Bridge
  • Quincy -- Adams National Park -- Homes of John and John Q. Adams
  • Walden Pond -- Where Henry David Thoreau lived “alone” for two years (when he wasn’t hanging out at the local pub) and wrote Walden.
  • Concord -- Visit homes of authors Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Edith Wharton.  Antiquing.
  • Plimouth Plantation -- historic reconstruction and reenactment
  • Mayflower -- historic reconstruction
  • Rockport, Gloucester -- on the coast, beautiful towns
  • Salem -- Maritime National Historic Site, Witch Museum, Peabody-Essex Museum, historic district

< 2 hours by car
  • Cape Cod National Sea Shore - 30 miles of ocean beach
  • Newport RI -- Historic mansions (tours), especially “The Breakers”
  • Outdoors (Owdowahs) -- Mountains:  Berkshires (Western Massachusetts), White Mountains (New Hampshire), Green Mountains (Vermont) - too late for skiing, but fine hiking and camping.
Shopping
  • Faneuil Hall Marketplace
  • Newbury Street -- High-end shopping, Antiquing
  • Prudential Center

Entertainment

Lots to do especially music and theatre.  Some highlights:
  • Boston Symphony -- Boston Pops
  • Boston Lyric Opera -- I Puritani (fitting!)
  • Boston Ballet -- Pricked
  • American Repertory Theatre -- The Tempest
  • Red Sox -- On the road ☹, but if you are a die-hard fan you can take a tour of Fenway park (visible from the conference).
  • Bruins -- hopefully in the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs ☺

For specifics on any particular day, check out the web sites:
  • ArtsBoston.org
  • Boston.com/thingstodo
Reminders - you might want to take advantage of being in the area …

Local universities active in FPGA computing research:
  • Boston University
  • Harvard
  • MIT
  • Northeastern
  • University of Massachusetts
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Major corporate research labs and development facilities:
  • Akamai
  • Atomic Rules
  • Bluespec
  • HP
  • IBM
  • Intel
  • Microsoft
  • Oracle
  • The Mathworks
  • VMWare