HI, ECU fan trying to do a little planning...

[hatchski]

...for football season. Any suggestions as to where to stay close to the stadium. Anyone know if the Radisson on North Central Expressway is within easy walking distance? Looking forward to visiting SMU for the first time. Thanks for any information you can share.

[GoRedGoBlue]

That is very much within walking distance. Also, there is a DART (the light rail) stop across the highway from SMU at Mockingbird and State Highway 75 (this is a freeway known as Central Expressway that is depressed 25 feet, so you can walk across on Mockinbird to SMU quite easily).

http://www.mockingbirdstation.com/home_location.html

So, you could stay Downtown and ride the DART up on GameDay (free if you have your ticket). Or stay anywhere located near the DART rail (North or South).

C u then

[GoRedGoBlue]

Probably the best places you could stay at Downtown with easy access to DART are:

the Westin and Adams Mark on the East side, and
the Hyatt Regency (The Big Ball Downtown) or Hampton Inn (a cheaper one) on the West Side, walking distance to West End restaurants/shops.

But Radisson on Central is plenty nice, pretty close to Mockingbird Station restaurants and shops...

[mrydel]

Does not matter where you stay if you can get transportation to the shuttle on Mockingbird near Central. If you are flying in you can rent a car for $20.00 a day and then find a hotel you would enjoy. Drive to the shuttle a couple of hours before game time, hop on a bus that takes you to the campus and follow the smell of tailgating to the boulevard. You can walk to the stadium from the Radison, but it is just about as close to walk to the shuttle buses from there. The key is, IF you have transportation you can more selective in where you wish to stay. If you are not planning to have transportation the Radison is probably your best bet for the location and money.

[KnuckleStang]

As an out-of-towner who has stayed there twice in recent years, I highly recommend the Radisson. Clean rooms, reasonable rates, decent bar, friendly staff (at least to me). And if you plan on doing any drinking whatsoever on gameday, there's no need to drive!

[Eddie P]

Definitely the Raddison.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Welcome, and please bring lot's of friends!

[hatchski]

...and looking forward to the trip there in Oct. Might even try some of that stuff you Texans try to pass off as barbecue

[ClassOf81]

Actually, I think every visiting fan is required by law to sample every entry on the PonyFans.com "Burger Wars" thread.

[PlanoStang]

Does not matter where you stay if you can get transportation to the shuttle on Mockingbird near Central. If you are flying in you can rent a car for $20.00 a day and then find a hotel you would enjoy. Drive to the shuttle a couple of hours before game time, hop on a bus that takes you to the campus and follow the smell of tailgating to the boulevard. You can walk to the stadium from the Radison, but it is just about as close to walk to the shuttle buses from there. The key is, IF you have transportation you can more selective in where you wish to stay. If you are not planning to have transportation the Radison is probably your best bet for the location and money.

If you're near a Dart train stop, take the train to Mockingbird Station. Climb the stairs, or take an elevator to street level, and you can probably see the shuttle buses to the game a couple hundred feet to the north. The shuttle is free, and wih an SMU game ticket the train ride to, and from Mockingbird is free too. A Dart day pass to ride the trains to, and from is $2.50 if you don't already have your game ticket. www.dart.org