Howard Park and Ride (Chicago, Skokie: credit card, hotel, home)

[nwguy]

I am visiting Chicago for a week with my family (2 kids below 8 yrs) and staying in Skokie. Since we will be doing all the touristy stuff, I was planning to parking at the Howard park and ride daily and take the Red train to downtown.
How is the parking situation at Howard Park and Ride on weekdays as well as weekends ? We won't be leaving the hotel before 8:30 AM on any day. Can we still find parking spots at those times.

Thanks
San Antonian

[xavier xerxes]

Originally Posted by nwguy

I am visiting Chicago for a week with my family (2 kids below 8 yrs) and staying in Skokie. Since we will be doing all the touristy stuff, I was planning to parking at the Howard park and ride daily and take the Red train to downtown.
How is the parking situation at Howard Park and Ride on weekdays as well as weekends ? We won't be leaving the hotel before 8:30 AM on any day. Can we still find parking spots at those times.

Thanks
San Antonian

why not just take the skokie park and ride
at dempster?

you take the yellow line to howard
and transfer there.

[nwguy]

But the question still remains. How is the parking situation at Dempster Park and Ride since they have lesser lots ? I open to any sugggestions. Thanks.

[cubssoxfan]

Does the hotel offer a hotel shuttle van to and from the train station? Perhaps it a simple phone call when you are near the Dempster station for them to drive 15 minutes and pick you up.

[slow_nerve_action]

The security at the parking garage is good.
The neighborhood around Howard is very sketchy though, despite a lot of $$, time, and effort that has gone towards improving it.

I will have to second the opinion of others here for skokie on weekdays if you get home before dark, though its not really a viable option on weekends.

[reppin_the_847]

If I were you, I would avoid parking at the Howard lot like the plague (much stronger likelihood of vehicle break-ins & generally shady characters out here), and utilize the NORTH lot at the Skokie Swift station. This lot is half the price of the main lot, and always has free spaces, but is just a longer walk from the station. To get here, just take Gross Point Road north of Dempster for a little bit and you'll find the entrance to the lot on the right side. Remember your parking space, and then use your credit card or cash I believe to purchase tokens at the station, and insert tokens into the slot that corresponds with your parking spot. I think the parking in the North lot costs about $2 for the day. The Skokie Swift provides an almost seamless connection to the Howard Stop and to the Red Line. And it's generally faster than driving to Howard. Good luck!

Originally Posted by nwguy

I am visiting Chicago for a week with my family (2 kids below 8 yrs) and staying in Skokie. Since we will be doing all the touristy stuff, I was planning to parking at the Howard park and ride daily and take the Red train to downtown.
How is the parking situation at Howard Park and Ride on weekdays as well as weekends ? We won't be leaving the hotel before 8:30 AM on any day. Can we still find parking spots at those times.

Thanks
San Antonian

[nwguy]

OK. Point taken. Will use the Skokie Park and Ride. I was unsure of an earlier poster that this park and ride is not a viable option on weekends. I still see the yellow and red line schedule for weekends.

regards

[reppin_the_847]

Your other option if you're heading straight into the Loop area on a Saturday or Sunday (not on crowded weekdays) would be to park & ride at either the Wilmette Metra station (on the UP-North line), the Golf Station (Milwaukee North line), the Morton Grove station (Milwaukee North line), or the Edgebrook Metra station (Milwaukee North line). The ride into downtown would be a lot quicker and smoother than the el train, but obviously the departures are less frequent, and you still need to switch to the CTA system, taxis, or do a lot of walking once you reach downtown. Their website is www.metrarail.com

Originally Posted by nwguy

OK. Point taken. Will use the Skokie Park and Ride. I was unsure of an earlier poster that this park and ride is not a viable option on weekends. I still see the yellow and red line schedule for weekends.

regards

[nwguy]

Thank you all. My hotel provides intermittent service to Skokie park and ride. In case it doesn't work out, do you think I will find empty parking spots in the main parking lot at 9:00 AM on weekdays ? Or is my only option to go over to the North lot ? Just checking with the regular commuters from Skokie.

regards

[It'sAutomatic]

One note: I recommend the purple line express if you're traveling during the rush hour periods. It's faster and you get a nice view of downtown from the elevated trains, instead of being buried in the red line subway.