South Bend, Indiana

[John Kasaian]

I need to (yeah, need to) go to South Bend asap to do some research at the Notre Dame University Archives. It will probably take a couple of days work, but maybe not so I'm thinking of taking the 5x7 Speeder along. I'll be dependant on public transportation while I'm there and I know absolutely nothing of the area except from what I've seen on the Knute Rockne movie, soooooooo----
are there:

Any interesting locations to shoot near Notre Dame?
Any good places to drink beer near Notre Dame?
Any good places to stay near Notre Dame?
Any good places to eat near Notre Dame?
Any labs that will develop sheet film near Notre Dame?

Thanks!

[panchro-press]

The Chicago South Shore electric interurban has it's terminal in South Bend. Might be interesting to you.

[Joe Lipka]

South Bend is fairly small. There is public transportation from the downtown area to campus. The campus itself is beautiful. (Disclaimer - I am an alum.) The older part of the campus is picturesque. The Basilica has been restored and if you like old fashioned European style large churches it is a good thing to photograph.

Food? Damned if I know. It's been ages since I have had to eat in a restaurant there. There are some that say CJ's downtown is the best burger and beer place. LaFortune Student center has a variety of franchise fast food.

Morris Inn is right on campus. Jameson Inn is close to campus. I have no idea what the prices for either would be.

The spring football scrimmage game is this weekend, so there will be some extra people on campus and in town.

I believe the archives are located in the Library. Look for tall building with "Touchdown Jesus" on the front.

[Bill_1856]

South Bend is Holy Ground -- they made Studebakers there.

[MIke Sherck]

Probably the most interesting location for you would be the Notre Dame campus itself. It's a very wealthy university and when they build they do it in style. No anonymous modern box architecture for them! Lots of statues, outdoor "spaces" with sculpture, etc. They have a very nice rustic lake with what is reputedly the original founders' cabin and the "grotto" nearby. Easily a full day's worth of stuff for you right there. The campus itself is located a couple miles north of downtown South Bend, surrounded by middle class neighborhoods and 70's suburban retail, so unless irony and kitsch are of interest you wouldn't bother. The last time I checked (a couple of years ago) there were no restrictions on photography on campus for personal use; commercial needs a permit. You can call campus public relations and check to see if there's been any change. Get the name of the person you speak to in case campus security notices you but they've never bothered me.

Busses go downtown (boring and pretty much rolls up at 5:00 PM,) and to the University Park shopping district. On campus housing is the Morris Inn (expensive, along with most on-campus public food,) and the Inn at St. Mary's (also expensive.) There are inexpensive hotels along US 933 west of campus (lousy bus connections there, though,) downtown, and near the University Park shopping district which I believe will get you the better bus connections. Keep in mind though that South Bend is a small Midwestern city: public transportation is not one of their strengths and does not begin to compare with an eastern city. You will do considerable walking. Just off-campus food tends toward either student bars (a dying breed,) or small local places trying to get some extra cash out of presumed wealthy students. Better and cheaper food is to be found, again, in the University Park shopping district (accessible by bus, about 1.2 5 - 2 miles north-east of campus.)

Good luck and remember that this is a four-season climate (sometimes all four on the same day in spring and fall!) Prepare for the worst and with luck you'll get perfect temperate weather.

Film developing: there's Gene's Camera in downtown South Bend. They carry a little 4x5 film, B&W and color, but nothing larger in stock. I don't think they do sheet film developing on site any more. When I have color 4x5 I take it to Lighthouse Imaging, on the east edge of Mishawaka (the town abutting South Bend to the East.) They're fast and cheap. If you need contact info for them let me know. Their hours are inconvenient, though: typically 8-5 and no weekends.

Mike (I live in Elkhart, about 13 miles east of South Bend.)

[Scott --]

Lighthouse in St.Joseph. Pretty...

[Jim Jirka]

Contact Danny Burk. He is located in South Bend and could give you some good areas.

http://www.dannyburk.com/

[John Schneider]

There's a decent brewpub in Mishawaka; they make a very hoppy IPA.

This may be a little far, but the Indiana Dunes in Michigan are picturesque.

[John Kasaian]

Thanks for all the advice! I think I'll leave the speeder at home and just concentrate on the research---if I can finish up early I'd be better off heading home than spending another expen$ive night at a hotel.
I am looking foreward to exploring the student pub scene though! :)

BTW, the research is LF related--the archives there have a collection of watercolors, diaries, and sketches of some particular western locations circa 1891 I'm going to try to shoot these locations with the 8x10 just to see how things have changed.

[MIke Sherck]

BTW, the research is LF related--the archives there have a collection of watercolors, diaries, and sketches of some particular western locations circa 1891 I'm going to try to shoot these locations with the 8x10 just to see how things have changed.

Sounds like a proposal for a show at the Snite! You ought to talk to them about it, that's the sort of thing they ought to appreciate.

Mike

[John Kasaian]

Sounds like a proposal for a show at the Snite! You ought to talk to them about it, that's the sort of thing they ought to appreciate.

Mike

Snite?

[aduncanson]

Snite Museum of Art on the Notre Dame campus.

http://www.nd.edu/~sniteart/

[John Kasaian]

Thanks for the suggestion! :)

[Charles Hohenstein]

Snite?

The Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame.