Transportation
Map/Guide | Places to Eat | Transportation | Housing
Walk times, distances, and directions
Metrodome Light Rail Station to the Loft (0.4 miles, 7-8 minutes)
- head north on Chicago Ave
- turn right on Washington Ave
- the Loft will be on your right
Cedar-Riverside Light Rail Station to Middlebrook Hall (0.6 miles, 12 minutes)
- head north on 15th Ave past Currie Park
- turn right on 4th St S
- continue past Cedar Ave, 4th St S turns into Riverside Ave
- cut slight left off Riverside after passing Mapp’s Coffee, take pedestrian walkway past 19th Ave S onto 4th St S into UMN campus
- Middlebrook will be on your right just past overhead pedestrian bridge – take walkway around to main entrance on the south side of the building
The Loft to MacPhail Center for Music (0.5 miles, 10 minutes)
- head west on Washington Ave
- turn right on 10th Ave S
- turn left on 2nd St S
- MacPhail will be on your left
Holiday Inn to the Loft (0.4 miles, 7-8 minutes)
- head west on Washington Ave
- keep right at the Seven Corners, continue on Washington Ave
- the Loft will be on your left
Middlebrook Hall to the Loft (0.9 miles, 17-18 minutes)
- head west on 4th St S
- cross 19th Ave S and keep straight on pedestrian walkway past Mapp’s Coffee
- slight right on Riverside Ave
- right on Cedar Ave
- veer left at the Seven Corners onto Washington Ave
- the Loft will be on your left
Metro Transit Buses and Light Rail
Fares for buses and light rail trains is typically $1.75 (which also gets you a 2 1/2 hour transfer), except weekdays during rush hour 6-9 am and 3-6:30 pm, when it is $2.25.
Handy buses to catch are the 7 and 22, which go right down Washington Ave and stop near the Loft. The 7 goes by every 30 minutes, the 22 every 15-20 minutes. Late at night they’re much less frequent, and they stop running at 2 am. You need exact fare for buses.
The light rail trains are a bit further away but also handy, especially to get to and from the airport. There is only one line – route 55, the Hiawatha Light Rail. (Although they’re building another along University Ave, which you’ll certainly see and hear more about on Community Day!) Fare is the same as buses – either $1.75 or $2.25, depending on when you board. They go by every 7-15 minutes, even late into the evening, and also stop running at 2 am. Fare can be paid with cash or credit card, at one of the light rail station fare machines.
More info can be found at metrotransit.org. They also have an automated hotline you can call 24 hours a day, at 612-373-3333.
Biking with NiceRide
Like to explore on a bike but don’t have one with you at the Summit? NiceRide can help! This is a new community program that encourages more bike use in the Twin Cities through a subscription-based bike-sharing service. At numerous locations (most in Minneapolis), you can grab a bike from a NiceRide station, take it wherever you’d like, and then deposit it at any other station when you’re done. A 24-hour subscription carries a $5 fee as well as a $50 deposit that can only be placed on a credit card; the deposit is removed after a few days. You can pay both the fee as well as the deposit at any NiceRide station. The first 30 minutes of bike use are free; anything over that incurs additional fees. If you want, you can jump from station to station in 30-minute bike ride increments all day and never pay more than the initial $5 fee!
You can find NiceRide stations near the Loft (9th Ave S and Washington Ave) and Middlebrook (at 4th St S and 19th Ave S). It’s a good option for a quick errand, free run-around time, or an organized tour of the city on Sunday with all your old and new Summit friends! More info can be found at niceridemn.org.
Parking
There are various ramps, paid lots, and some metered parking downtown. DO NOT PARK IN THE LOT BEHIND OPEN BOOK (which houses the Loft).
Taxis
Just a few of the many options:
Checker Cab: 612-340-1234
Yellow & White Cab: 612-343-3333
Rainbow Taxi: 612-332-1615
