Chicago help needed!

[mom2binsd]

Hi Ladies!

Next week I'm staying with a cousin in Wheaton and attending a conference Thurs/Fri/Sat at McCormick Place. It seems my best bet is to drive and park there for 17.00 a day....my mapquest instructions say it's about 40 min...but I'll be driving downtown at about 7:30am (most sessions begin at 8:30 or 9:00)..how long will it really take? I considered the train but it's 3/4 mile walk to the train and then I'd still need to catch two buses once in the city and then the reverse at night...any other suggestions.

Any great little takeout places for dinner or nearby shopping in the evening? I live in Bloomington so am not too familiar with the area. I also cannot wait to spend three nights alone, away from DH and my two children who I love but who will be just fine without me for a few days!!!

[Momof3Labs]

I'm not intimately familiar with rush hour traffic from the west burbs, but you'd probably be coming in on 290 which is often a parking lot at noon. I can't imagine how congested it would be in the morning. You'll probably want to leave closer to 6 or 6:30 am on weekdays to get to McCormick Place by 8:30. Honestly, I'd just take the train and hop in a cab to get down there - you'll save a lot of time and won't have to pay the parking cost.

There's not a whole lot shopping or restaurant-wise within walking distance of McCormick Place, if I recall. If you are taking the train, you could take a cab up to Michigan Ave to shop, and then take a cab (or bus) back to the train station.

What time would you be commuting back? If driving, you'll probably hit heavy traffic between 4:30 and 6 or 6:30pm.

[crazydiamond]

At rush hour you could take 1.5 hours to get home driving. For all that trouble - time, gas, parking at at McCormick, etc -I would take the train downtown and a cab from the train station over to the convention center. Then take a cab back to the train station in the evening and catch some dinner/site seeing in the loop area (downtown) before catching a train home.

Is your meeting in the new McCormick West addition? It is one of the largest green certified buildings in the world.

[alexsmommy]

What they said. Friday rush hour is INSANE and can start as early as 3pm. Saturday should be fine though. I'd rely on public transportation.

[eliasmom]

I vote for public transportation - I find 290 to be a disaster at most hours. If you take the train in from Wheaton, you could easily cab to McCormick Place. Also, the Metra Electric line runs from Michigan Avenue to McCormick Place and back if you wanted to get to shopping & restaurants easily. I'm pretty sure McCormick is still in Zone A so it is pretty cheap.

[Fairy]

DO NOT DRIVE.
DO NOT DRIVE.
DO NOT DRIVE.

Not. Drive. Don't.

Take the Metra train in, and then take a cab or figure out which bus will get you there. You'll spend less money than gas and parking. Even if you spent a tiny bit more, it's not worth the hassle and hell you will be in on the highway. Plus, the construction is not pretty. From wheaton, you're talking 290 into the city (tho I'm from the North, so there may be another way to do it, too), but no matter what, "highway" and "Chicago rush hour traffic" means it doesn't matter which it is, I wouldn't do it.

There's nowhere to shop at McCormick Place. It's it's own small city. But if you take the metra (did I mention you should do this?), there is some shopping at the Chicago Northwestern Train Station (Ogilvy Transportation Center). Union Station does not have GOOD shopping, but there is a little bit.

Hope all this helps.

-- Fairy

[mom2binsd]

Sorry, I meant to say I was planning on shopping/eating near Wheaton at the end of the day...I'll be busy all 3 days at the Conference (there'll be over 5000 Speech Therapists in town)!

I guess I'm just worried about the 3/4 mile walk to the train (and back again at night)....and then then cost of cab fair from the train station to McCormick (I looked on a map but it was not clear to me where exactly Ogilvy station is). I know that McCormick is kinda an island/not near anything and wasn't planning on doing anything but "learning" while I was there.

There are shuttles to a number of official hotels in the Michigan Ave/Water Tower area (which I'm familiar with) so I'll probably take a stroll down the Ave just to window shop one day and if I meet up with some old college friends/faculty maybe catch dinner downtown.

I've been researching the transportation system but it's not super easy to navigate...I'll check that Metra Electric line to McCormick...thanks again so I guess I'm taking public transportation (my cousin never has to go into the city and didn't have too much info so thanks for the input!)

[gobadgers]

Just want to agree that driving on I-88/I-290 is ugly at any time of day, and rush hour is ridiculous...

I'm sure there are some good options in Wheaton for dinner. But if you take the Metra from Wheaton, you could also stop in a town called Elmhurst for dinner. It is about halfway between Ogilvie and Wheaton, and has a beautuiful little downtown right at the Metra Station. There are a ton of restaurants, one of my favorites is Francesca's Amici (part of a chain of Italian restaurants in the Chicago area).

Hope you have a great time!

[caheinz]

My husband has driven most of the way you would need to (we live further west, he works downtown), and says you'd be lucky to get there in an hour and a half.

Note that he's worked there for about 3 years now, and I think he can count the number of times he's driven in on one hand. (And it's not like he works next to the train station.)

The trains are so much easier. And there are pay-for-the-day (no permit) spots at many of the stations, but you need to get there early (probably before 7am) or late (after 9am) to get them. (And it depends on the station as to the hours... some are free after 5pm and on weekends.) The station we're closest to is only $2 per day for parking without a permit.

Two buses will be easy to handle. The morning traffic on the roads? Not so much...

[Fairy]

Do not even think about walking from McCormick Place to Ogilvy. It's not what it appears on paper. You'd have to cross Lake Shore Drive, which is a highway. Sure, there are bridges, it's techically doable. But it's going to be dark before 5pm at that point, and honestly, it's not safe to do this walk. And it's much father in reality that it appears on paper. It's kind of like walking from Avantis to Miller Park Zoo. And back. Do not do this. Just get in the cab and pay the seven or ten bucks. Or take the busses, that's not a problem at all. Shuttles will probably be in operation, too. I know it seems like alot of money to spend, but this is jsut the way it is in Chicago, and I just want you to be safe. Please don't try to walk this :nodno:

ETA --> Ok, I thought about it a little and said, is it really the distance of avantis to the zoo AND back? I google mapped it, and actually it's not there AND back. But it is the equivalent of goign there ONE way. And that's a good four miles.

[Lolabee]

The drive in from Wheaton to Chicago on a weekday morning is usually pretty terrible, close to two hours one way. I live about a mile or so north of McCormick Place, and I would also recommend taking the Metra to Ogilvie Station and taking a cab from there. The Metra Electric Line isn't the way to go though, it's a little over a mile due east from Ogilvie, so you would still have to either walk or cab it to make your transfer. The neighborhood surrounding McCormick Place has rapidly gentrified over the last few years and it's very safe these days to walk in the area, so that's not really much of an issue, but the cold this time of year would definitely be an impediment. (By the way, if you were to walk to McCormick Place the most direct route would be southbound on Michigan Avenue until you hit Cermak, and then go east about three blocks. A map of the convention center can be found here (http://www.mccormickplace.com/pdf/StreetMap.pdf).) Cab fare one way would probably run $7-$10 one way.

There are actually a lot of places to eat near McCormick Place (not across the street, but within half a mile or so.) Chinatown is about one mile due west, and there are lots of places in the South Loop as well. I'm not familiar at all with Wheaton dining options, but a great local online resource for restaurant information is LTHForum.com (http://www.lthforum.com/bb/index.php).

Good luck, and have a great time at your conference!

[DrSally]

I would take public transportation if you can. It's not as bad as it sounds to take 2 busses, just give yourself plenty of time. You can always take a cab from the train station if you want (maybe on the way home when it's dark).

ETA: if you call mta's phone number, someone will give you exact info on how to get from x to y, even which way to walk once you get off the bus/train. I would take that phone # with you in case you need it.

[Momof3Labs]

If you have a car, then why do you need to walk to the train station in Wheaton? If you go to www.metrarail.com and find the webpage for the station you'd use, there will be a phone number that you can call to inquire about parking. Some lots are permit only, some fill up super early in the AM, and some (like the one near my house) are $1 per day and never fill up.

Ogilvie Transportation Center is located on Madison St, just west of the river (about 1 block or so west of Wacker Drive), if you look at a map of the loop. I'd also estimate cab fare to McCormick Place at about $10 each way. I wouldn't try to take the Metra Electric line down to McCormick Place - then you also have to worry about that train schedule, plus the transit time between stations and between the station and McCormick Place.

Also, I assume that you are using transitchicago.com to figure out which bus to take. I suspect that you can do it with only one bus if you walk a couple of blocks after you get off of the train. Make sure that you check "fewest transfers" when routing your trip on that site.

[mom2binsd]

Thanks to everyone for ideas...I'll check out the parking situation in Wheaton to see if I can park....with the possible weather even a short walk could be brutal and I don't want to walk around a conference looking like a drowned rat...I plan to eat at McCormick as we only have about an hour or less for lunch, I understand there are a bunch of food courts.

I think I'll try to find the easiest way to get from Ogilvy to McCormick whether it's cab or walking a bit to catch a bus. I wish I were working for a company that paid for some of this...the conference was 360.00 alone and as I only work part time but need the CEU hours to remain certified I have to bite the bullet....but I think at least some of this can go on my tax return...

And I will enjoy people watching, am very spoiled here, it's about 15 min from one side of town to the other...rush hour consists of all the State Farm employees all leaving at once to eat at Chili's or some other place at lunch!

I've only driven in Chicago on a Sat or Sunday and we always go straight to the same garage on St.Clair just down from Nordstroms on Michigan...love that it's only 2 hours door to door on the weekend. I've driven past McCormick and know how isolated it is and how HUGE!

Again thanks for all the great suggestions!

[tiapam]

If you take the train in, you could probably walk to the nearest conference hotel downtown and then hopefully take a free shuttle. I have done that before. Can you drive to the Wheaton train station?

Thursday and Friday PM traffic will probably be the worst.

HTH.


Hi Ladies!

Next week I'm staying with a cousin in Wheaton and attending a conference Thurs/Fri/Sat at McCormick Place. It seems my best bet is to drive and park there for 17.00 a day....my mapquest instructions say it's about 40 min...but I'll be driving downtown at about 7:30am (most sessions begin at 8:30 or 9:00)..how long will it really take? I considered the train but it's 3/4 mile walk to the train and then I'd still need to catch two buses once in the city and then the reverse at night...any other suggestions.

Any great little takeout places for dinner or nearby shopping in the evening? I live in Bloomington so am not too familiar with the area. I also cannot wait to spend three nights alone, away from DH and my two children who I love but who will be just fine without me for a few days!!!

[C99]

Ogilvie Station is downtown, near the river. You can easily take a bus to McCormick Place; it will run you about $2 one-way. McCormick Place used to be in kind of a no-man's land, but the neighborhood around it (Bronzeville) has really boomed in recent years.

Metra Electric line will get you to McCormick Place, but you board the lines at Randolph & Michigan Avenue -- nowhere near Ogilvie Station. I recommend the CTA's Trip Planner -- It will tell you exactly how to get between two (or more) points and I find it to be pretty reliable.