stupid questions, Chicago trip

[kbutton]

We are going to a conference in Chicago, and I am not city-literate for any city. At all. We're driving in and will be staying at the conference hotel (Palmer House Hilton).

Is there a way to know whether a route into our out of the city is safe? 

We're also looking for a good Polish restaurant that we could try on our way out of town (headed east) that offers a take-out option and ideally doesn't cost the earth.

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by kbutton

[YaelAldrich]

The routes around,  to,  and through  Chicago will be crowded but not dangerous. 

I know nothing about Polish food but they're is a large Polish contingent in the area so you should get lucky!

[Ting Tang]

Chicago does have a lot of crime, but if you are driving, the main roads will be the safest for you.  (I'm not trying to scare you, but some think because it has a lot of crime that you should not go there---still a great city.)

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Ting Tang

[catz]

We've been to Chicago 3X in the past 9 months.  My kid is attending college there in the fall.  We drove in twice and flew in once.  We used the el/trains excluseively for transportation, didn't need to uber once.  You can buy a 3 day pass for $15 - amazing deal.  Just use your urban smarts.  Stick to busy areas, stay together, etc.  We had only wonderful experiences, people were super helpful and friendly.  

I would just google map in, you should be fine.  Looks like you are right in the loop.  I have no advice on Polish restaurants.  But we did enjoy eating in the restaurant under The Bean, there is patio option there in the summer.  That's a fun place to walk around and explore close to where you are staying.  They have good wood fired pizzas and great people watching.   We also really enjoyed doing a river boat tour in good weather.  

Have a great trip!  I am excited to have tons of reason to visit the next 4 years, such a great city!

[skimomma]

Any route Google takes you by car to the Palmer House will be as safe as driving anywhere in a car will be.  I highly recommend using public transit once you arrive.  Getting around and parking in the city can be a real PITA.  The public transit is a great deal if you get a 3-day pass.

[MercyA]

You're more likely to get shot anywhere in Texas than in Chicago. 🙂

I love Chicago and hope you have a great time. We've been there many, many times by car and by train and never had any problems with crime. 

ETA: Some of my ancestors were Polish AND from Chicago. I'll ask my mom if she knows of any restaurants. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by MercyA

[Katy]

One of our kids has bio family who just moved out of there to a safer suburb after a few shooting incidents. We’ve never had a problem downtown or along the water, and neither have they. They have mentioned to NOT stand around a large crowd outside near a street.

Apple or Google maps will take you through relatively safe areas. I wouldn’t stay out past midnight downtown (who am I kidding, I wouldn’t stay out past dark in summer) or get off the highway on the South side of town.

You’re much more likely to get frustrated by traffic than see violence IME, but I would be cautious, keep situational awareness, and pay attention to sounds. Loud pops are more likely to be gun fire than fireworks or backfiring engines. 
 

ETA: and guns sound different in a city than they do in the country or the woods. They sound more like firecrackers than that deep unmistakable sound of guns in the country. I don’t know why. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Katy

[BeachGal]

Crime has been pretty bad in Chicago for a few years now, including the Loop. It began to change a year or so before Covid. I have kids who live and work in the city and as a family we’ve lived in many of the neighborhoods and know them well. I don’t mean to scare you but it’s best to play it safe there unless you know the area. We live in Evanston now and drive into the city at least twice a week. I follow the crime on the CWB site because it tends to trend.

If you are arriving during the day, you should be fine around the Palmer House. Night is when most of the crime in the city occurs but it does occur during the day even in “safe” areas.

There have been quite a few carjackings even in parking garages, so when you arrive, get your belongings, lock your car and get in to the hotel. The individuals doing the carjacking often are lurking in or around cars. It’s unlikely you’ll be carjacked but it does happen.

If you take the CTA trains, rush hours are usually safest but I would stay off of them after 7-8 pm. Brown, Purple and Red lines tend to be safer. Buses are also safer usually. Metra train is as well depending where you get on and off. Just be aware of your surroundings while waiting and while in the train or bus. Uber or Lyft are also good choices, especially at night.

The Eater Chicago site might have Polish restaurant recommendations.

 

[BeachGal]

Podhalanka 

Polombia

Kasia’s Deli

Kimski is south around Bridgeport, sort of near the roads going east.

 

I haven’t eaten at any of these and don’t know if they’re still in business but they would be somewhat close to where you are staying or going.

 

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, catz said:

Just use your urban smarts.  

I have none. None at all. 

2 hours ago, skimomma said:

Any route Google takes you by car to the Palmer House will be as safe as driving anywhere in a car will be.  I highly recommend using public transit once you arrive.  Getting around and parking in the city can be a real PITA.  The public transit is a great deal if you get a 3-day pass.

We are going to a conference and will be in the hotel the whole time; meals are included, and everyone will utilize them for meals because this is for networking with other people who have rare disorders.

We'll be parking at the hotel's garage.

1 hour ago, MercyA said:

ETA: Some of my ancestors were Polish AND from Chicago. I'll ask my mom if she knows of any restaurants. 

I am 1/4 Polish, but other than kielbasa and pierogi, I am not sure what all we eat that might have Polish routes. No Chicago connection that I know of--my ancestors worked in coal country. I would love recommendations! 

7 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

Crime has been pretty bad in Chicago for a few years now, including the Loop. It began to change a year or so before Covid. I have kids who live and work in the city and as a family we’ve lived in many of the neighborhoods and know them well. I don’t mean to scare you but it’s best to play it safe there unless you know the area. We live in Evanston now and drive into the city at least twice a week. I follow the crime on the CWB site because it tends to trend.

If you are arriving during the day, you should be fine around the Palmer House. Night is when most of the crime in the city occurs but it does occur during the day even in “safe” areas.

There have been quite a few carjackings even in parking garages, so when you arrive, get your belongings, lock your car and get in to the hotel. The individuals doing the carjacking often are lurking in or around cars. It’s unlikely you’ll be carjacked but it does happen.

If you take the CTA trains, rush hours are usually safest but I would stay off of them after 7-8 pm. Brown, Purple and Red lines tend to be safer. Buses are also safer usually. Metra train is as well depending where you get on and off. Just be aware of your surroundings while waiting and while in the train or bus. Uber or Lyft are also good choices, especially at night.

The Eater Chicago site might have Polish restaurant recommendations.

Is the CWB site some kind of local news? I don't know what that refers to.

This is consistent with what I've been told. 

I am not at all public transportation literate. I couldn't read a transit map if my life depended on it. We used Uber when we went to conference in Houston. One driver was fine. The other driver drove like a bat out of hades, and he insisted we rate him on a provided tablet while we were still driving down the road. It was very uncomfortable. I don't know how to avoid getting a driver like that again.

We were hoping to stay an extra night, but the conference hotel is $$ (we're not paying for our own stay), it ends on a Sunday afternoon, and anything that might be open Monday seems to require fussy timed tickets, etc. Traveling is not what it used to be (and I hate what it's become). We have the additional problem of having to figure out what to do with a car if we stay extra.

It just doesn't seem worth the hassle for less than a day and probably having to waste time all Sunday afternoon. We don't have extra cash either. 

 

[catz]

20 minutes ago, kbutton said:

I have none. None at all. 

Sorry!  We live urban so visiting urban doesn't particularly phase us.  And we live some place people are constantly saying is super unsafe.  Yes - crime happens but there are obvious situations to avoid.   Crime was up pretty much everywhere during early covid.  If you see a crime, don't interrupt it, walk away and report when safe.  Don't close out bars.  Don't walk toward sirens.  Ignore weirdos and keep walking.  

You have gotten good advice here.  We were all over where you were staying during daylight hours, it was my daughter and I alone, and really had no problem.  We went to a show in the theater district and walked like 5 blocks back to our hotel at 10 pm - it was fine, we just stuck to the main routes other theater patrons and tourist types were using.  Just stay together and be responsive.  If you have no need to use transit, that is great.  I wouldn't plan on driving anywhere though.  If your conference is in the loop, there is plenty to do and see and places to eat within easy walking distance of where you will be.  Don't head to the south end generally is a good bet.

Google maps does do a good job with transit in Chicago if you switch to transit mode if you are feeling adventurous.  We got all over buses, trains, etc.  It was pretty great.  

An urban driving trick I use at home and hasn't failed me is make sure when you hand off your car to the valet or park it make sure NOTHING of interest can be seen from the windows - change, chargers, bags, etc.  Ideally leave nothing of value in there at all but also make it look like nothing is in there.  Make the interior of your car look as boring and vanilla as possible and set it up to be that way when you arrive because opportunists do watch if you are shuffling things around.  I do that everywhere now actually.  I drive a Kia so I feel extra vulnerable lol.  So far so good.

[kbutton]

8 minutes ago, catz said:

An urban driving trick I use at home and hasn't failed me is make sure when you hand off your car to the valet or park it make sure NOTHING of interest can be seen from the windows - change, chargers, bags, etc.  Ideally leave nothing of value in there at all but also make it look like nothing is in there.  Make the interior of your car look as boring and vanilla as possible and set it up to be that way when you arrive because opportunists do watch if you are shuffling things around.  I do that everywhere now actually.  I drive a Kia so I feel extra vulnerable lol.  So far so good.

I'm not always great at the not shuffling at the last minute part, but we do aim for this even in non-urban areas. It's ridiculous what people will break into a car for.

Your whole post makes me feel better and more like common sense goes a long way vs. needing insider information. 

[Kidlit]

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

I have none. None at all. 

 

 

I have maybe two baby steps above no urban smarts and managed to navigate sightseeing alone once a few summers ago in Chicago and once with one of my teenagers the next year.   I don't necessarily recommend big city sightseeing alone, but I stayed on the main thoroughfares and only felt remotely nervous one time.   In every city we've ever visited, we've always found someone who has kindly helped us navigate the subway system when we were at a loss.  

[kbutton]

8 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

I don't necessarily recommend big city sightseeing alone, but I stayed on the main thoroughfares and only felt remotely nervous one time.

I don't know how you know what is a main thoroughfare until you are there, lol! (But this is overall reassuring.) 

We aren't really sightseeing this trip. It was our plan, but not being able to swing the conference hotel price for an extra night plus their not having rooms available an extra night has really made that difficult. We don't know where we would be leaving a car if we left the city to find a less $$ hotel and took a bus back in, for instance, plus that would chew up the siteseeing time.

My husband has a whole day ahead of not working that will go to waste due to the conference starting in the afternoon (we had to ask off months ahead when we wouldn't know about hotel rates, etc. since the conference block of rooms was not available at that point). If we come a day early, we are paying to stay overnight to see very little, and we don't know what to do with the car since we wouldn't be parking in the conference hotel lot until we check in. We can't really afford two garages in one day (it's really expensive to park at the conference hotel too). Leaving, we have another half day and the same where to put the car issue as well.

It's maddening, and we already feel a lot of financial stress about going and my DH missing work (he gets zero paid vacation because healthcare benefits generally stink).

I wish we could travel with ease, but it NEVER works that way. It's always a huge stressor. Post-Covid with everyone making up for lost time has just made it so.much.worse. Everything requires more planning than it should, and on the websites for the various tourist stuff, nothing is at all flexible (can't come and go, have to have pre-timed tickets, can't get information about what to eat, which is a must with food allergies, but you can't bring anything in...). Then there are the medical issues where someone might have tickets to a museum but not be up to walking that day. I just give up.

[BeachGal]

@kbutton

CWB was started by a group of friends who wanted to provide more information about crime events so that people could get more info about their neighborhoods and try to protect themselves. If serial armed robberies have been occurring, CWB finds out the details from police reports and publishes it on their site. For example, the criminals might have been hiding in alleys and pulling up in a white sedan to commit armed robberies. It’s information not published in newspapers or by tv news outlets.

The hotel parking prices are completely ridiculous, however, there are places where you could safely park your car and then take a bus or train back to the Loop that wouldn’t take too long. 

Is it just you and your hubby or are others coming along? I think you should try to do some fun and unique things because there’s loads to do and it doesn’t have to cost you much time or money. Some of it is even free.

eta: The Palmer House is in a great location where you can see some beautiful sites such as the Lurie Garden designed by Piet Oudolf. Millenium Park might have some free concerts or movies. The Art Institute might not be free but you could check out the store for free. If you are okay walking a little more than 1.5 miles, you could eat at Velvet Taco on State Street where the second floor has excellent people watching views onto what is jokingly called Viagra Triangle (Mariano Park). Their tacos, tots and drinks aren’t too pricey and it’s a fun place. I can give you more recommendations and detailed directions if you like. Revival Food Hall is a few blocks away but is not open Saturday and Sunday.

Edited June 24, 2023 by BeachGal

[zimom]

My daughter and I took a road trip to Chicago a week ago.  We had a fantastic time.  We were the typical tourists but we just dove right in.   Yes, we saw some homeless and panhandlers but just kept walking and did not feel unsafe at all.   The only 'rule' we followed was to be in our hotel by dark.   We stayed right downtown on the river.   We took buses, the 'el', the subway, one Uber and even a pedicab.    Due to the distance from our hotel, we did drive to/from the Museum of Science and Industry (my absolute favorite!!).   We have never had or use mass transit when we live.  

I realized it had been about 18 years since I had last visited Chicago as I had taken my older two children to visit before but my youngest had never been.   

 

 

 

[Kidlit]

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

I don't know how you know what is a main thoroughfare until you are there, lol! (But this is overall reassuring.) 

We aren't really sightseeing this trip. It was our plan, but not being able to swing the conference hotel price for an extra night plus their not having rooms available an extra night has really made that difficult. We don't know where we would be leaving a car if we left the city to find a less $$ hotel and took a bus back in, for instance, plus that would chew up the siteseeing time.

My husband has a whole day ahead of not working that will go to waste due to the conference starting in the afternoon (we had to ask off months ahead when we wouldn't know about hotel rates, etc. since the conference block of rooms was not available at that point). If we come a day early, we are paying to stay overnight to see very little, and we don't know what to do with the car since we wouldn't be parking in the conference hotel lot until we check in. We can't really afford two garages in one day (it's really expensive to park at the conference hotel too). Leaving, we have another half day and the same where to put the car issue as well.

It's maddening, and we already feel a lot of financial stress about going and my DH missing work (he gets zero paid vacation because healthcare benefits generally stink).

I wish we could travel with ease, but it NEVER works that way. It's always a huge stressor. Post-Covid with everyone making up for lost time has just made it so.much.worse. Everything requires more planning than it should, and on the websites for the various tourist stuff, nothing is at all flexible (can't come and go, have to have pre-timed tickets, can't get information about what to eat, which is a must with food allergies, but you can't bring anything in...). Then there are the medical issues where someone might have tickets to a museum but not be up to walking that day. I just give up.

In terms of major thoroughfares, what I guess I mean is where the crowds were walking.  
 

My favorite places to visit were the Chicago Art Institute and the big science museum (Science and Industry?). We also saw Hamilton there, so that's a great memory.  it was neat to go to navy pier, too.  
 

I realize none of that is really helpful if you're limited on time and funds.  
 

it really is a great place to visit!

[katilac]

15 hours ago, kbutton said:

Is there a way to know whether a route into our out of the city is safe?

You'll likely be on the interstate until the final ten minutes, there's not much of a 'route' to be concerned with. I would just use my gps, or, if you're really worried, go to the hotel site and you can put in your starting address and they will give you directions. They're not going to give their guests anything but the very safest directions (and I'm not kidding when I say I doubt you'll be off of the interstate for more than ten minutes, that hotel is right in the middle of things). 

Chicago has crime, like any big city (and any small city, proportionally). I can say that we've been several times and have never hesitated to walk on main streets in the downtown area, including at night. Could something happen? Sure, but something could happen anywhere.  You're much more likely to get hurt in a car accident driving there. 

Ask the hotel about parking the car in the lot before checking in, that might solve part of your problem. 

You're a 7-minute walk from the Chicago Cultural Center, which is free and also often has free special events. 4-minute walk from Millennial Park, home of The Bean, Crown Fountain, Luring Gardens, Boeing Galleries - all free. 

There's tons of interesting architecture in the area, tons of history, and it's easy enough to look up some of the info ahead of time and just walk around observing. 

That hotel is in the middle of everything, and you could occupy yourself for days with free stuff in Chicago. It's easy to look up all the free stuff online. 

I've never stayed there, but, going by photos, I could probably spend a solid hour just walking around the hotel, lol. 

For food, I'm going to have to say that I'd go with classic Chicago pizza over Polish food, lol. 

See if the hotel will let you park before your check-in time; there's a good chance you can, as it's usually just an overnight rate. Look up all the free things that are right in the immediate area (there are tons, you're right in the middle of things). And then scrape the money together for an extra night  in a different hotel if you can; the Palmer House looks lovely, but it would be a shame not to see anything else if you're already going to be in Chicago. 

None of the hotels in the general area are likely to be inexpensive, but you don't necessarily have to leave the city entirely. Go to a travel site and look up hotels by area (you don't need to book at a travel site, but it helps narrow down possibilities more easily than trying to figure out where hotels are at on your own).

A travel book from the library might also be helpful. 

Edited June 24, 2023 by katilac

[kbutton]

6 hours ago, katilac said:

You're a 7-minute walk from the Chicago Cultural Center, which is free and also often has free special events. 4-minute walk from Millennial Park, home of The Bean, Crown Fountain, Luring Gardens, Boeing Galleries - all free. 

This might be helpful if we can solve parking.

I don’t see us guessing about other hotels in Chicago, and if the conference hotel is any indication, they will be booked already. Have you traveled lately? Things seem to be booked out months in advance every time we try to do anything.

[BeachGal]

If you want to stay a second day, the smaller boutique hotels in the Gold Coast often have good deals. Same with some of the Airbnbs and vrbos. The parking is cheaper there as well and if you park just north in Lincoln Park, it gets even cheaper. There are ways to park so that it's free.

Some hotel options for a second night:

• Ohio House Motel in River North -- free parking onsite. Older, midcentury modern but very clean. In a noisier, bustling area on LaSalle Street but close to good restaurants, many reasonable especially at happy hour, and not far from Michigan. There's also a small Target right by.

Other hotels that have good deals in the area River North, Streeterville, Gold Coast, Near North -- all decent areas:

• The Freehand
• The Acme
• The Whitehall
• The Talbott
• The Knickerbocker
• The Allerton
• Claridge House

If you did a second day, you could explore the Gold Coast and surrounding neighborhoods. The Gold Coast is especially pretty with lots of brownstones, restaurants and the Lighthouse ArtSpace, a light-art exhibit. Gold Coast also has a Renovation Hardware showroom store which has an amazing rooftop bar where you can just sit and relax or have a cup of coffee, wine, whatever. The place is an urban oasis, no pressure and very chill. If you'll be visiting in fall, the walk to the zoo through Lincoln Park would be beautiful.

There are ways to park in the Gold Coast along the streets so that you'd pay very little. It's a safe area, probably the safest in Chicago. There are also parking garages such as the one right on LaSalle and Stockton south of the zoo where you could park. You'd want to use an app like SpotHero which would give you the lowest rate.

Edited June 24, 2023 by BeachGal

[BeachGal]

An itinerary for your stay in the Loop could go something like this, starting south near the Palmer House and moving north.

• Buckingham Fountain if you want to see it. The Rose Garden just north of it is pretty.
• Art Institute gardens on the south side
• Art Institute store on the north side
• Millennium Park: Crown Fountain / Lurie Garden / outdoor Boeing Gallery / The Bean
• Millennium Park: free outdoor concerts, movies at the Pritzker Pavillion. Harris Theater for Music and Dance has events, too.
• Continue walking along either the east or west side of Michigan Avenue over the river. Lots of stores.
• Hancock Center, or 875 N Michigan now. Visit the Signature Lounge on the 95th floor only when it's not busy so you can get a spot by a window. You enter the Hancock on Chestnut Street to access those elevators. Minimum one drink or one app per person. Coffee, tea count. Check out the Ladies Bathroom for more great views.
• Bloomies and Water Tower Place malls are across the street. They also have decent dining options.
• Walk along Michigan to Walton Street which is the northern street of Bloomies. This is a two block stretch of ittle boutique stores and also a Sprinkles Cupcake vending machine if you want one.
• Head north on Rush Street about 3-4 blocks and you'll reach Mariano Park (Viagra Triangle). This area is Restaurant Row, the area that makes the most money restaurant-wise. Velvet Taco is on State Street where Rush and State meet. So is a Lou Malnati's Pizza. Goddess and the Grocer across the street gives away baked goods late afternoon but you have to ask if they have any. (I do because I have no shame!) Lots of people watching here if weather is warmer.
• Walk back the same way, except walk on Oak Street toward Michigan. Oak has lots of boutique stores, too.
• Then, walk back toward Palmer House on the other side of Michigan.
• After you cross the river, walk toward the Chicago Athletic Association, a Hyatt hotel. This is a really cool place and, yes, you can come in and explore the first two floors. They are open to the public. The first floor has a Shake Shack, coffe/donut place, etc. The second floor has the huge lounge area with comfy seats, dark wood, high windows and fireplaces. You can just sit and take it in. A lot of students come here to study. They also sell coffee and snacks. Toward the back is a game room and you can do that, too. There might be a small fee but I'm not sure. My husband and I go here sometimes and it's always been fun. Everyone who works there is really nice.
• Then head back to the Palmer House.

Edited June 24, 2023 by BeachGal

[MrsMommy]

16 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

An itinerary for your stay in the Loop could go something like this, starting south near the Palmer House and moving north.

• Buckingham Fountain if you want to see it. The Rose Garden just north of it is pretty.
• Art Institute gardens on the south side
• Art Institute store on the north side
• Millennium Park: Crown Fountain / Lurie Garden / outdoor Boeing Gallery / The Bean
• Millennium Park: free outdoor concerts, movies at the Pritzker Pavillion. Harris Theater for Music and Dance has events, too.
• Continue walking along either the east or west side of Michigan Avenue over the river. Lots of stores.
• Hancock Center, or 875 N Michigan now. Visit the Signature Lounge on the 95th floor only when it's not busy so you can get a spot by a window. You enter the Hancock on Chestnut Street to access those elevators. Minimum one drink or one app per person. Coffee, tea count. Check out the Ladies Bathroom for more great views.
• Bloomies and Water Tower Place malls are across the street. They also have decent dining options.
• Walk along Michigan to Walton Street which is the northern street of Bloomies. This is a two block stretch of ittle boutique stores and also a Sprinkles Cupcake vending machine if you want one.
• Head north on Rush Street about 3-4 blocks and you'll reach Mariano Park (Viagra Triangle). This area is Restaurant Row, the area that makes the most money restaurant-wise. Velvet Taco is on State Street where Rush and State meet. So is a Lou Malnati's Pizza. Goddess and the Grocer across the street gives away baked goods late afternoon but you have to ask if they have any. (I do because I have no shame!) Lots of people watching here if weather is warmer.
• Walk back the same way, except walk on Oak Street toward Michigan. Oak has lots of boutique stores, too.
• Then, walk back toward Palmer House on the other side of Michigan.
• After you cross the river, walk toward the Chicago Athletic Association, a Hyatt hotel. This is a really cool place and, yes, you can come in and explore the first two floors. They are open to the public. The first floor has a Shake Shack, coffe/donut place, etc. The second floor has the huge lounge area with comfy seats, dark wood, high windows and fireplaces. You can just sit and take it in. A lot of students come here to study. They also sell coffee and snacks. Toward the back is a game room and you can do that, too. There might be a small fee but I'm not sure. My husband and I go here sometimes and it's always been fun. Everyone who works there is really nice.
• Then head back to the Palmer House.

This is a fabulous itinerary! I was in Chicago just last month, and you're making me miss it already!!!

[BeachGal]

7 minutes ago, MrsMommy said:

This is a fabulous itinerary! I was in Chicago just last month, and you're making me miss it already!!!

I'm glad you like it! I can add "short excursions" going east or west as well because there are a lot of great places to see. It is a great city in so many ways. There are other neighborhoods to explore as well but for a first visit, the museums, parks and major attractions are a good starting point.

[YaelAldrich]

If you are a member of some science museums you might have a reciprocal museum entry for many of the museums in Chicago. In fact depending on how you can stay in the area you might find it cheaper to buy one in your area specifically so you can go to the museums in Chicago.

If you have food allergies I recommend  Milt's BBQ. It's kosher,  but also does an amazing job with food allergies. 

[kbutton]

11 hours ago, YaelAldrich said:

If you are a member of some science museums you might have a reciprocal museum entry for many of the museums in Chicago. In fact depending on how you can stay in the area you might find it cheaper to buy one in your area specifically so you can go to the museums in Chicago.

If you have food allergies I recommend  Milt's BBQ. It's kosher,  but also does an amazing job with food allergies. 

Thanks for the food recommendation.

We can’t really afford museum passes right now. 

[kbutton]

On 6/24/2023 at 11:46 AM, BeachGal said:

An itinerary for your stay in the Loop could go something like this, starting south near the Palmer House and moving north.

• Buckingham Fountain if you want to see it. The Rose Garden just north of it is pretty.
• Art Institute gardens on the south side
• Art Institute store on the north side
• Millennium Park: Crown Fountain / Lurie Garden / outdoor Boeing Gallery / The Bean
• Millennium Park: free outdoor concerts, movies at the Pritzker Pavillion. Harris Theater for Music and Dance has events, too.
• Continue walking along either the east or west side of Michigan Avenue over the river. Lots of stores.
• Hancock Center, or 875 N Michigan now. Visit the Signature Lounge on the 95th floor only when it's not busy so you can get a spot by a window. You enter the Hancock on Chestnut Street to access those elevators. Minimum one drink or one app per person. Coffee, tea count. Check out the Ladies Bathroom for more great views.
• Bloomies and Water Tower Place malls are across the street. They also have decent dining options.
• Walk along Michigan to Walton Street which is the northern street of Bloomies. This is a two block stretch of ittle boutique stores and also a Sprinkles Cupcake vending machine if you want one.
• Head north on Rush Street about 3-4 blocks and you'll reach Mariano Park (Viagra Triangle). This area is Restaurant Row, the area that makes the most money restaurant-wise. Velvet Taco is on State Street where Rush and State meet. So is a Lou Malnati's Pizza. Goddess and the Grocer across the street gives away baked goods late afternoon but you have to ask if they have any. (I do because I have no shame!) Lots of people watching here if weather is warmer.
• Walk back the same way, except walk on Oak Street toward Michigan. Oak has lots of boutique stores, too.
• Then, walk back toward Palmer House on the other side of Michigan.
• After you cross the river, walk toward the Chicago Athletic Association, a Hyatt hotel. This is a really cool place and, yes, you can come in and explore the first two floors. They are open to the public. The first floor has a Shake Shack, coffe/donut place, etc. The second floor has the huge lounge area with comfy seats, dark wood, high windows and fireplaces. You can just sit and take it in. A lot of students come here to study. They also sell coffee and snacks. Toward the back is a game room and you can do that, too. There might be a small fee but I'm not sure. My husband and I go here sometimes and it's always been fun. Everyone who works there is really nice.
• Then head back to the Palmer House.

This is very kind of you. This level of site-seeing would require multiple extra nights because of the drive plus the conference starting and ending on partial days. We do not have the possibility of an intact extra day if we just stayed one more night or arrived a night early, and that seems to be a point of confusion in this thread. 

I will run the list by my DH to see if any of this sounds good to him and could be done (by us—we’re not high energy) in the timeframe we have. 

I am going to keep this for future reference though as this is the level of detail I need to know if we were to go back in the future! 

[domestic_engineer]

I’m trying to think more out-of-the-box ……. Could you drive to a city in southern/central Illinois, park your car there, and then take Amtrak into the city?  Likewise, years ago there used to be a train that would take northwest Indiana citizens into Chicago.   This blog post might be helpful for researching this idea. 
 

 

[Miss Tick]

Another possibility for parking is the app Spothero. Dh uses it every time he stays in Chicago. Once he found a cheaper rate for parking at the hotel we were staying at than the hotel itself was offering. 🙄 It is still not "cheap" but it has always beaten the hotel rates for parking.

[kbutton]

10 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

Another possibility for parking is the app Spothero. Dh uses it every time he stays in Chicago. Once he found a cheaper rate for parking at the hotel we were staying at than the hotel itself was offering. 🙄 It is still not "cheap" but it has always beaten the hotel rates for parking.

Ah, this was mentioned upthread, but it was new to me.

[kbutton]

43 minutes ago, domestic_engineer said:

I’m trying to think more out-of-the-box ……. Could you drive to a city in southern/central Illinois, park your car there, and then take Amtrak into the city?  Likewise, years ago there used to be a train that would take northwest Indiana citizens into Chicago.   This blog post might be helpful for researching this idea. 
 

 

That was something we considered, but it doesn’t solve our partial day problems requiring a full extra day and a full extra night.

When we polled friends, they all pretty much did the train thing.

[domestic_engineer]

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

That was something we considered, but it doesn’t solve our partial day problems requiring a full extra day and a full extra night.

When we polled friends, they all pretty much did the train thing.

You are correct that I’m not understanding your goals.  Are you looking to squeeze sightseeing into the partial days before and after without any additional lodging/parking expense?  Or are you looking for cheaper ways to add on an extra night or extra full day?

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, domestic_engineer said:

You are correct that I’m not understanding your goals.  Are you looking to squeeze sightseeing into the partial days before and after without any additional lodging/parking expense?  Or are you looking for cheaper ways to add on an extra night or extra full day?

I asked two specific questions in the first post. Polish food and how to know if any particular route into the city is safe to drive. 

[BeachGal]

There is a Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana, so probably good Polish food in that area. Whiting is not far from I-90 just before Gary as you’re leaving Chicago going east.

******

For anyone thinking of taking trains, the South Shore Line travels from the South Bend Indiana Airport to Millenium (Park) Station making stops along the south shore of Lake Michigan, including Michigan City, Ogden Dunes, Hyde Park (UChicago), Museum Campus, etc. Some of those areas are vacation and camping destinations for Chicagoans. I’ve never parked and taken the train in but I’d think you could, especially for a day trip. I have taken the South Shore, though. It’s easy to take and is a pleasant ride.

You could also park in Evanston, a suburb just north of Chicago where I live, in a parking garage which might be cheaper than Chicago’s garages. The 1800 Maple parking garage is just a block north of both the Metra, which takes you to Ogilvie Station in the Loop, and also the CTA Purple Line which is a morning/evening rush hour express train to Belmont and Fullerton around Lincoln Park in Chicago, then makes local stops down to the Loop and circles back up north. Expresses run only weekday morning and evening rush hours but they’re several hours each. For non-rush hours the Purple goes south to Howard, the dividing street between Chicago and Evanston. At Howard, you would then get off the Purple and wait for the southbound Red Line which will make local stops. Red Lines run frequently and are pretty fast, though.

If you take either Metra or CTA train, just make sure you get on the platform going in the right direction or you could find yourself going the opposite way!

Edited June 26, 2023 by BeachGal

[skimomma]

On 6/24/2023 at 11:13 AM, BeachGal said:

 

Some hotel options for a second night:

• Ohio House Motel in River North -- free parking onsite. Older, midcentury modern but very clean. In a noisier, bustling area on LaSalle Street but close to good restaurants, many reasonable especially at happy hour, and not far from Michigan. There's also a small Target right by.

 

In case anyone else is interested, we have stayed there and it is a great deal!

[BeachGal]

1 hour ago, skimomma said:

In case anyone else is interested, we have stayed there and it is a great deal!

Yep. Nice and clean, I hear. Parking is included.

I walked by it yesterday and it’s right across from the flagship McDonald's, the old Rock n Roll one.

[OH_Homeschooler]

I'm from near Chicago. I usually parked at Midway and took a train into the city, rather than having to drive into the city and fight for parking. 

I had several conferences at the Palmer House. It's been a decade or two, but IIRC that was a nice area with lots of shopping. 

I have a pretty big phobia of driving just about anywhere in Chicagoland these days. Even the interstates out by the suburbs are crazy. People drive like maniacs, crazy lane switches, and they don't think twice about cutting you off at 80 mph. So just have your defensive driving hat on, go with the flow (be prepared to drive well over the speed limit), and stay calm. 

And the following is just QFT, because more people need to accept this fact. 

On 6/23/2023 at 1:28 PM, MercyA said:

Y ou're more likely to get shot anywhere in Texas than in Chicago. 🙂

[kbutton]

40 minutes ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

And the following is just QFT, because more people need to accept this fact. 

Well, we know what the news reports and then ask for context.

I live near a major interstate where once a year or so, someone is shot while driving down the road, and it's all over the news, and people ask what's up. We never really find out what happened. We still drive all over. 

[popmom]

On 6/23/2023 at 7:44 PM, zimom said:

My daughter and I took a road trip to Chicago a week ago.  We had a fantastic time.  We were the typical tourists but we just dove right in.   Yes, we saw some homeless and panhandlers but just kept walking and did not feel unsafe at all.   The only 'rule' we followed was to be in our hotel by dark.   We stayed right downtown on the river.   We took buses, the 'el', the subway, one Uber and even a pedicab.    Due to the distance from our hotel, we did drive to/from the Museum of Science and Industry (my absolute favorite!!).   We have never had or use mass transit when we live.  

I realized it had been about 18 years since I had last visited Chicago as I had taken my older two children to visit before but my youngest had never been.   

 

 

 

I’m following this thread because I’d love to take my daughters, too. I haven’t been to Chicago in 20 years. The Art Institute has my all time favorite painting by my favorite artist. Dh doesn’t want to go back because of the crime. 
 

Yesterday we were planning another road trip which will involve going through and staying in St Louis or Kansas City. He brought up crime again. So we started looking up stats and rankings. My own city ranks as one of the most dangerous! and I take my dds downtown fairly often—at night, too. The irony. 😉 But I know my own city and what areas to avoid. 

City data and TripAdvisor have decent forums for info on visiting these areas. 
 

 

[BeachGal]

2 hours ago, popmom said:

I’m following this thread because I’d love to take my daughters, too. I haven’t been to Chicago in 20 years. The Art Institute has my all time favorite painting by my favorite artist. Dh doesn’t want to go back because of the crime. 
 

Yesterday we were planning another road trip which will involve going through and staying in St Louis or Kansas City. He brought up crime again. So we started looking up stats and rankings. My own city ranks as one of the most dangerous! and I take my dds downtown fairly often—at night, too. The irony. 😉 But I know my own city and what areas to avoid. 

City data and TripAdvisor have decent forums for info on visiting these areas. 
 

 

You should go! Chicago has so much to do and amazing restaurants.

I tend to lean toward the “be safe” side of things. Just ask my kids about cone snails and bears. lol

If you ever want to go, I can give you some suggestions to consider and tell you how to get there, where to park, etc. Take it or leave it. Whatever suits you. It really is a fun city worth visiting and there are ways to do it while keeping costs down. That’s what most people do here, too! We certainly do.

[catz]

On 6/24/2023 at 10:13 AM, BeachGal said:

Ohio House Motel in River North -- free parking onsite. Older, midcentury modern but very clean. In a noisier, bustling area on LaSalle Street but close to good restaurants, many reasonable especially at happy hour, and not far from Michigan. There's also a small Target right by.

Oh my gosh, thank you for this!  Definitely book marking this hotel!  Great location too.

The Lincoln Hotel in Lincoln Park can be reasonable and they sometimes have a park for a penny deal but that is hit or miss when I've looked.

[BeachGal]

1 hour ago, catz said:

Oh my gosh, thank you for this!  Definitely book marking this hotel!  Great location too.

The Lincoln Hotel in Lincoln Park can be reasonable and they sometimes have a park for a penny deal but that is hit or miss when I've looked.

I did not know about their park for a penny deal! That’s a very smart idea.

Lincoln Hotel also has a rooftop bar that might still be popular.