how to ride the "L" train

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

All of the solutions listed above sound reasonable to me... Though I'd probably just take the Blue Line to Clark/Lake, and walk north across the River to the Mag Mile. It's really not that far.

Actually that is a bit far, at least for someone who presumably will have luggage. Which gets me to asking the OP: where will you be staying? Do you have a precise hotel/address?

[Lookout Kid]

Yeah, good point. There's a huge cluster of hotels near Grand, and if that's where the OP is staying, I'd say walk it even with luggage--depending on the health and strength of the person in question, that is. But a cab will get you anywhere you want quickly, and they are plentiful anywhere downtown at pretty much any time of the day.

[rforbes1981]

I am coming in to chicago for a few days on a business trip but would like to see some of the city after my conferences which over around 5pm. Is it safe to take the "l" at this time to downtown? From what i read online that is where all of the bars and hangout spots are. I will be staying near OHara airport. help

[Drover]

Originally Posted by rforbes1981

I am coming in to chicago for a few days on a business trip but would like to see some of the city after my conferences which over around 5pm. Is it safe to take the "l" at this time to downtown? From what i read online that is where all of the bars and hangout spots are. I will be staying near OHara airport. help

Eh -- a very small percentage of Chicago's nightlife happens in or around downtown, though for what it's worth, a good chunk of the "tourist"-oriented nightlife happens there (mostly in the near North side) simply due to the critical mass of hotels. Certainly nothing happens out by O'Hare, so yeah, you'll need to travel if you want to partake in the city's nightlife. I'm just not sure downtown is where I'd go unless I wanted to catch a major broadway-type production. Speaking of which, what are you looking to do?

The Blue Line from O'Hare to downtown is generally safe at all hours, but of course common-sense precautions are in order as the night wears on -- such as don't look or act obviously intoxicated, especially if riding by yourself. The O'Hare branch of the Blue Line runs through only one marginally sketchy area (Avondale/Logan Square, i.e. the Belmont and Logan Square stops) so it's usually not a creep shuttle up by there, even late at night. The Blue Line runs 24/7 but as the evening gets later their frequency dwindles to about one train every half-hour during late hours. What's more, we have no system to alert riders of the next train's arrival time, so during late hours you're left standing there on the platform and guessing if the damn thing is going to arrive in 2 minutes or 30 minutes.

[ladysovereign]

Originally Posted by rforbes1981

I am coming in to chicago for a few days on a business trip but would like to see some of the city after my conferences which over around 5pm. Is it safe to take the "l" at this time to downtown? From what i read online that is where all of the bars and hangout spots are. I will be staying near OHara airport. help

I think it's important to ask if you're Male or Female and will be traveling alone or not.

Personally, I've been told that traveling alone and Female on the "L" after rush hour is just asking for trouble. And if you're not Female, well, I've still heard bad stories, but it's up to you on your comfort level waiting on an empty platform alone at night when coming back from the city. Plus all the walking and transferring you'd have to do to get to your destination can be a hassle when you don't know your way around the city.

I would advise renting a car from where you're at and driving towards downtown and parking in one of the open (pay) lots. The best areas to be are around the Rush street area as that's where the bars and nightlife usually are. Unless you're planning on a lot of drinking, in which maybe a taxi is a better idea.

[dewthedru]

take the blue line to the damen stop. walking along milwaukee is great and there will be ton's of bar options as long as you don't mind hipsters. safe as well.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

The O'Hare branch of the Blue Line runs through only one marginally sketchy area (Avondale/Logan Square, i.e. the Belmont and Logan Square stops)

ha! long have we Logandalians yearned to reach marginal sketchitude.

seriously, the Logan stop actually has a good deal of nightlife in very close/safe proximity. Belmont, um, maybe not so much (although the 24/7 diner on Belmont just west of Kimball is right out of a David Lynch movie).

Quite a few nightspots at the California & Damen stops as well. What's your idea of nightlife? A club with dj/dancing, just a bar, restaurants, all of these, etc.?