Cab costs and safety around The Loop

[snoylekim]

Some additions for the pedestrian experience:

1.) Since you'll be in PT , add 5 to 10 minutes for the 'elevator' portion of the trip . There are 4 elevators per tower.. 1 is Freight/Maintenance/Move ..they're pretty good about restricting moves on this elevator during prime time, but maintenance didn't seem to care . If one of the regular elevators is down , makes the wait a bit worse..and , it might be full by the time it reaches a lower floor .. After work/dinner hours you'll see elevator lines in the lobby ..
2.) as you walk to or from work, you'll notice you're merging in with hundreds, maybe thousands of people heading in the same direction. They're from the train stations .. go with the flow , you'll learn defensive walking, when to pass, merge, etc .. On the walk home, be attentive for the 'runners' ..people who just HAVE to make the 5:40 to Wheaton .. It's a little unnerving until you get used to it ..
3.) If you have the day off , and need to head east to the loop during evening 'rush hour' , try to find a less travelled route, or you'll quickly experience what 'going against the flow' is really like .. it's a very strange sensation to have thousands of people walking toward and past you quickly as you struggle upstream..

Enjoy your experience here !!

[Chicago60614]

I really wouldn't freak out about walking through the loop at night. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. The media would LOVE to report some office worker getting mugged or attacked in the heart of the loop....but how often do you ever hear about that? There are shady people, but overall for personal safety you're more than likely just fine.

That said - if it's off hours and you're in a cab zooming from the east part of the loop to the west, your total bill will be like $6, and if it's that late normally the company will pick up the tab. Most companies do after 7pm if you're not doing anything crazy like going to Naperville.

The walk isn't far at all. It's exactly 1 mile. As other said though, you can easily do the bus if it's really cold out, walk otherwise, and enjoy a cheap cab ride door to door if it's not busy in the loop. If it's rush hour a cab would be silly, as it'd take just as long as walking really fast if you got stuck in traffic or caught at lights.

[muffincake]

I know I'm uselessly bumping my thread, but I just want to thank everyone for the feedback and tips. I really hope I like it. I have high hopes for Chicago and my stay in "The Loop!" If I'm gonna move to a big city, I want it to be a big city -- D.C. was not bad, the areas outside Boston proper are hellholes -- and I've never been to Chicago before. Feeling exciting and full of possibility!

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by muffincake

I am starting a job in The Loop near the Randolph/Wabash station and found an apartment at the Presidential Towers off West Madison. How safe are those areas if I end up working real late? And how much are cabs around there? Like for one mile, how much is a cab? Anything I need to know about this commute? Thanks in advance!

edit to fix location

If you can afford an apartment at the presidential towers surly you can afford a cab ride regardless of the costs

[rparz]

Those two stops are what I would still consider the loop. I think that door to door for you is about as safe as safe in the city is going to get.