Where is Stanford?
Stanford University is located in Northern California between San Francisco and San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley. => More information

About Stanford:
Stanford University is recognized as one of the world's leading research and teaching institutions. It enrolls about 6,700 undergraduates from all over the United States and the world, as well as about 8,000 graduate students. => More information

What kind of weather will you expect at Stanford in February?
Winter daytime temperatures are usually in the 50s and 60s. The “rainy season” usually begins in the late fall and continues into the spring. => NWS Forecast

Key:

Local Entertainment

Cantor Arts Center
Cantor Arts Center’s docent-led weekend tours feature a sampling of objects from various eras and cultures. Every tour is different. Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm. For more information: view collections and exhibitions
Address: 328 Lomita Drive, Stanford (off Palm Drive at Museum Way)
Time to destination from conference hotel: 5 minute walk

Stanford Theatre
This movie house screens vintage Hollywood gems and international classics. The Stanford Theatre Foundation is run by David Woodley Packard (son of one of the co-founders of Hewlett-Packard). The theatre has a goal of having the finest theatre organ in the world and is progressively enhancing the organ.
Address: 221 University Avenue, Palo Alto
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Stanford Lively Arts
Stanford Lively Arts curates experiences that engage artists’ and audiences’ imagination, creativity, and sense of adventure. They produce and present music, theater, dance, spoken word, and multi-media events. => The event calendar
Address: 537 Lomita Mall, Stanford
Time to destination from conference hotel: 30 minute walk; 15 minute Marguerite Shuttle Ride


Further Entertainment:

Fisherman's Wharf
At the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf lies San Francisco’s waterfront culture: including its food, events, and shopping. Whether you wish to visit the Fishermen and Seamen’s Memorial Chapel, or take a trip to Alcatraz Island an infamous federal penitentiary Fisherman’s Wharf is the place you should go.
Directions: To get to Fisherman’s Wharf, take the CalTrain to San Francisco, then walk to Townsend and 4th St. to take the #10 bus to North Point and Mason St. Take a short walk toward Taylor street, turning right when you hit Pier 45, and you’ve arrived at Fisherman’s Wharf.
Address: Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, CA 94133
Time to destination from conference hotel: 1 hour and 50 minutes by public transit.

Shopping

Gilroy Premium Outlets
Drive or take CalTrain to Gilroy Premium Outlets located South of San Jose and find impressive savings at Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Gap Outlet, Hugo Boss, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sony, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger and more.
Address: 681 Leavesley Road, Gilroy, CA 95020
Time to destination from conference hotel: 53 minutes by car; 2 hours 30 minutes by public transit.

Great Mall
Great Mall is located at the Intersection of Montague Expressway, Great Mall Parkway and Main Street in Milpitas, California. Great Mall features the best names in manufacturers’ and retail outlets. There is no direct public transportation between Palo Alto and the Great Mall.
Address: 447 Great Mall Dr, Milpitas, CA 95035
Time to destination from conference hotel: 26 minutes by car; 1 hour 30 minutes by public transit.

Stanford Shopping Center
Discover an array of world class stores and services at Stanford Shopping Center, located in Palo Alto, adjacent to Stanford University. On weekdays, the free Stanford Marguerite "A" shuttle starts from Palo Alto Transit Center (CalTrain center) every 15 minutes and will take you directly to the Shopping Center. Address: Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Time to destination from conference hotel: 15 minute walk; 3 minutes by car; 15 minutes by public transit.

University Avenue
University Avenue is home to many quaint boutiques and other specialty stores. Take a look at chic fashion, venture in exotic rug stores, or peer inside an old-fashioned bookstore  University Avenue has a pleasant surprise for you in every corner.
Address: University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Union Square
Since 1906, Union Square has been San Francisco’s premiere shopping district. Stores range from specialty shops like Geary Street’s Britex Fabrics to popular department stores like Nordstrom’s at Market Street.
Directions: Take the CalTrain to San Francisco, walk to Townsend St. and 4th St, then take the #30 bus, arriving at 3rd St. and Market St., walk to 333 Post St. and you’ve arrived at Union Square Park.
Address: 333 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Time to destination from conference hotel: 45 minutes by car; 1 hour 30 minutes by public transit.

Restaurants and Cafes in Palo Alto

Cool Tip: You can book reservations and find out more about many Bay Area restaurants through www.opentable.com. If you go to opentable.com, select San Francisco as the city, and then narrow the search to Peninsula, you'll get a list of restaurants around Stanford. You can also search within San Francisco, San Jose, and other Bay Area locations.

Buca di Beppo $$
Nondesigner Italian-American. Like a Sicilian Christmas carnival in the '50s, this party spot blends clutter, joy, high spirits and, oh yes, huge portions.
Address: 643 Emerson St, Palo Alto
Phone: 650 329 0665
Time to destination from conference hotel: 15 minute walk

Coupa Cafe $
Venezuelan Cafe. Gleaming display cases are filled with wonderful-looking pastries, various salads and the cafe's signature chocolates.
Address: 538 Ramona St., Palo Alto
Phone: 650 322 6872
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Mantra Restaurant and Lounge $$$
One of the SF Chronicle Top 100 Bay Area restaurants for 2007, Mantra offers a unique dining experience featuring Sachin Chopra, a modern day chef with sensibilities of modern cuisines of California and India.
Address: 632 Emerson St, Palo Alto
Phone: 650 322 3500
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Nola $$
Nola has been nominated for the best margarita and the best trendy spot for salty tequila mixes and the beautiful people that drink them. Cajun, Creole, Southwest cuisine.
Address: 535 Ramona Street, Palo Alto
Phone: 650 328 2722
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Tamarine $$$
Palo Alto’s most beautiful restaurant is this contemporary Vietnamese place. The dishes have a slight seafood bias and are finely prepared in the style of California Cuisine.
Address: 546 University Avenue, Palo Alto
Phone: 650 325 8500
Time to destination from conference hotel: 20 minute walk

The Cheesecake Factory $$
The Cheesecake Factory is a unique, upscale casual dining restaurant offering more than 200 menu selections including Appetizers, Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steaks, Salads, Sandwiches, and more.
Address: 375 University Ave, Palo Alto
Phone: 650 473 9622
Time to destination from conference hotel: 15 minute walk

University Cafe $$
Much more than just a coffee shop, University Coffee Cafe offers a full range of lunch and dinner options including appetizers, soups, salads and desserts. The focus here is on Nouveau American cuisine, including burgers, steaks and seafood.
Address: 271 University Ave, Palo Alto
Phone: 631.632.6027
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Fuki Sushi $$$
One of the top sushi places in the area, Fuki Sushi offers the best of traditional Japanese cuisine from the rotating sushi bar, to its tatami rooms. The service is great, with waitresses decked out in kimonos. As for the sushi selection, there’s over 50 delicious varieties to choose from.
Address: 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Phone: 650 494 9383
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute car ride

St. Michael's Alley $$$
St. Michael’s Alley is great if you want a small, cozy dining experience. With a great wine selection and dinner entrees ranging from simple pan roasted chicken to an exotic seared sesame encrusted ahi tuna, St. Michael’s Alley is an excellent choice for dining.
Address: 806 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301
Phone: 650 326 2530
Time to destination from conference hotel: 15 minute walk

Bistro Elan $$$$
A smart, trendy bistro, Bistro Elan lures Silicon Valley’s “jet set.” Recommendable dishes include the restaurant’s tiny crab cakes, mussels in tomato and Niman Ranch steaks. The wine selection at Bistro Elan is as exquisite as its food is.
Address: 448 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Phone: 650 327 0284
Time to destination from conference hotel: 6 minutes by car

Kaygetsu $$$$
Rated as the top Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area, Kaygetsu is proud to showcase the classic, simple allure of Japanese cuisine. Kaygetsu has a unique Kaiseki (tea ceremony) menu which presents small dishes to compliment the serving of tea. Kaygetsu presents a whole new dimension of Japanese cuisine.
Address: 325 Sharon Park Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: 650 234 1084
Time to destination from conference hotel: 8 minutes by car

Quattro $$$$
Quattro features Northern Italian seasonal and light cuisine with a fresh Cal-Italian twist at breakfast and lunch. The dinner menu features contemporary Italian cuisine by its Executive Chef Alessandro Cartumini - a native of Lago Maggiore in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. An extensive wine list features predominantly California wines with many boutique offerings as well as an extensive Italian selection.
Address: Quattro Restaurant and Bar - Four Seasons Hotel 2050 University Ave @ University Circle, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone: 650 470 2889
Time to destination from conference hotel: 6 minutes by car

La Strada $$$
This exquisite Italian restaurant welcomes you to the Northern Italian home-style kitchen and dinner table. The wine list is adorned by classic Italian wines and the food is made using the finest imported Italian ingredients. The restaurant is incredibly inviting, and some visitors even have the pleasure of eating with the chef at the open kitchen counter!
Address: 335 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: 650 324 8300
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Pubs in Palo Alto

Gordon Biersch $$
The Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto is the local bar and brewery that started it all off for the two enterprising, beer loving owners and is still going extremely strong today. You can come in and sit under the reflective gaze of the huge silver beer tanks that tell you the beer is produced on-site and sample one of their classic, German inspired microbrews or seasonal specialty beers. The pub also cooks some of its food with beer!
Address: 640 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301
Phone; 650 323 7223
Time to destination from conference hotel: 10 minute walk

Miyake $$
By day, Miyake’s is a normal sushi bar. By night, Miyake’s turns into a wild, sake-bomb-downing pub, offering techno beats, multicolored lights and dancing. Fridays at Miyake’s is always an event to go to.
Address: 140 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94301
Phone: 650 323 9449
Time to destination from conference hotel: 6 minute walk

Rudy's Pub $$
Rudy's Pub in Palo Alto is a local bar haven for lovers of imported European beer. DJ dancing on the weekends, accordion playing and dominoes are all regular features at this popular Palo Alto bar.
Address: 117 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94301
Phone: 650 329 0922
Time to destination from conference hotel: 6 minute walk


Tipping Tips:
Generally, a tip in US may vary between 15% to 20% or it can be a flat amount that is near the appropriate percent. The tip, gratuity, is in addition to the bill. Ideally, tips are given to a person who performs good service. But in some situations, tipping is so common that if you don't leave one, people will frown upon it. Therefore, you should consider a tip mandatory in those situations. If you are paying by credit card, you can either include the tip in the credit card slip itself or you can pay separately by cash. Of course, if no service is provided or if everything is self-serve, there is no need to tip.

For information on car-rentals, public transportation, and maps, visit the Transportation section of the website.