Chicago Noobs x 3 day visit (Evanston, Oak Park: crime, hotel, neighborhoods)

[Ohioun]

Hi there, I'm meeting my Idaho brother and sister in Chicago for a 3 day weekend. I've done a lot of research on the interwebs about Chicago, but I was hoping y'all could help us noobies out by clearing up a few things.

First, the plan is to drive a minivan into the city and stay at a hotel on S Plymouth street. Folks on the web recommend against trying to drive everywhere and they also recommend getting out to see the neighborhoods. So that's what we'll do (the van will stay parked), but how do we "visit" the neighborhoods. It looks like these neighborhoods are pretty good sized, so how exactly should we get to them and 'experience' them?

And...which neighborhoods are your favorites and why?

On our last night, we plan to go to a concert at Wrigley. Would it be smart for us to take the subway or uber? And how should we get back into the city after the concert?

Sorry to ask the usual lame tourist questions, but we're pumped to see Chicago. Despite the press, we know it is going to be amazing city. We like to think we're pretty savvy and respectful tourists, but we'd appreciate any advice on how to avoid making really dumb decisions. THanks all!

[chet everett]

CTA is pretty much the way to go. Depending on just how far from a station your hotel is you may find the walking excessive / not time efficient, so the option of using taxis (which have wised up with online apps and more transparent costs...) or Lyft /Uber is a solid back-up plan. When it comes to venues like Wrigley the traffic / crowd control kicks in during games / concerts are you are forced to be dropped off further than the EL will get you.


The only time it might really make sense to drive is if you decide to head locations that are kind of geared to cars -- the biggie for that is probably Museum of Science and Industry, where the whole experience is focused on folks entering through the very costly underground parking garage.


Dumb decisions? Heading into an area "to see how bad the crime is". The cops will likely think you are there to buy drugs. The local drug dealers will think you are either cops or people that are stupid and easy to rob. Stick to where the crowds and recommended restaurants in guides like Zagat are concentrated and you will be fine. Certainly there are lots of great options in neighborhoods like Pilsen, Logan Square, Bridgeport, and other developing areas. There are plenty of spots for live music too, good resource to plan that out remains the solid listing in the Chicago Reader https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicag...ion?oid=846991 Illinois Entertainer is also good though somewhat more confusing as they often post reviews of acts / events that are not likely to show up in the same venues for some time, it is however a good cross reference for when making of list of local and regional performers.


To get around you should do a bit of preplanning to get a sense for where the various EL lines go and the stops are in relation to the venues you want to visit. For the most part if you rely on the routing from your cell phone that includes the various EL lines you won't walk more than half a mile or so. If it seems like their is nobody else heading the direction you are odds are you going the wrong way...


I'd also suggest that depending on your budget you really can plan on enjoying an excellent variety of food at pretty much any time of the day / night BUT it makes sense to try to plan out the spots that might be overcrowded and have alternatives. This is especially true on Thursday / Friday / Saturday as some places are just swamped with locals and tourists. If you want to have less crowds head into the neighborhoods closer to lunch or very early dinner as opposed to the evening when folks are back from work.

[illstate89]

The El is definitely the way to go for visiting most neighborhoods if possible. As stated, Uber/Lyft are a solid backup..


I recommend visiting Chinatown, if you're staying downtown you can take the water taxi down the river if the weather is nice. There is also an El stop on the red line. Wicker Park is another neighborhood worth visiting, shops, bars, restaurants etc. I also think West Loop gets overlooked by tourists, somewhat. Other good neighborhoods to explore IMO would be Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville(which you mentioned), Bridgeport.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Ohioun

Hi there, I'm meeting my Idaho brother and sister in Chicago for a 3 day weekend. I've done a lot of research on the interwebs about Chicago, but I was hoping y'all could help us noobies out by clearing up a few things.

First, the plan is to drive a minivan into the city and stay at a hotel on S Plymouth street. Folks on the web recommend against trying to drive everywhere and they also recommend getting out to see the neighborhoods. So that's what we'll do (the van will stay parked), but how do we "visit" the neighborhoods. It looks like these neighborhoods are pretty good sized, so how exactly should we get to them and 'experience' them?

And...which neighborhoods are your favorites and why?

On our last night, we plan to go to a concert at Wrigley. Would it be smart for us to take the subway or uber? And how should we get back into the city after the concert?

Sorry to ask the usual lame tourist questions, but we're pumped to see Chicago. Despite the press, we know it is going to be amazing city. We like to think we're pretty savvy and respectful tourists, but we'd appreciate any advice on how to avoid making really dumb decisions. THanks all!

Wrigley is in the city. It's not outside the city. You should check what "el" line is near your hotel. The red line goes to Wrigley field (you exit at the Addison station and walk over).

[ToriaT]

I'd recommend visiting near Armitage and Sheffield, that is a nice area near the L stop. Take the brown line and get off at Armitage.

then I would recommend visiting Wicker Park. https://www.choosechicago.com/neighb.../getting-here/ You take the blue line to get there.

You can continue on to the pleasant area of Lincoln Square further north if you would like. Nice little area. Take the brown line to western.

You can walk the streets around these areas and pick a little restaurant to grab a bite. I would also recommend seeing Michigan avenue area by taking a bus north from downtown on Michigan and also exploring Millenium Park.

[MassVt]

Wrigley Field, Second City comedy, Lake Michigan, Evanston, Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute, restaurants everywhere. Leave your car in the hotel garage, and use the subway, or even walk...

[eureka1]

Check out the Art Institute of Chicago, a world class museum , and the bus tours they offer. They are great!

[TheTimidBlueBars]

If you guys are into architecture or literature, Oak Park has the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district (with tours) and the Ernest Hemingway museum; both of those people lived and developed their careers in the village. The Green Line of the L goes there.

[OKParker]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

If you guys are into architecture or literature, Oak Park has the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district (with tours) and the Ernest Hemingway museum; both of those people lived and developed their careers in the village. The Green Line of the L goes there.

Highly recommend the FLW tour. It’s the main thing Ill take a group of tourists too.

[Ohioun]

Great response, thank you!