From Deerfield to Downtown Chicago: Where to park ?? (Skokie, Glenview: hotel, house)

[hgoldi]

We are coming in september from abroad for a week and will stay at Deerfield . We will have a car and want to know about cheap or free parking places at Downtown Chicago. Or perhaps you will suggest us to park the car near a metro stop and continue by metro?
We will apprecciate your help , being our first time at Chicago area!

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by hgoldi

...cheap or free parking places at Downtown Chicago.

Does not exist.

[surlycue]

Park at a park-n-ride metra or red line stop and then take the train downtown.

[hgoldi]

Thank you for the response!
At which location (coming from Deerfield) , you could recommend us to park-n-ride the metra?

[reppin_the_847]

Hello hgoldi, the two closest Metra stops to Deerfield are the "Deerfield" stop & the "Lake-Cook" stops which are both on the Milwaukee North line to Chicago. The only problem is that I'm pretty sure the parking lots get quite full at both locations during the weekdays. I'm not really sure whether you'll find parking. The "Lake-Cook" stop probably has a little more space than the "Deerfield" one but it will still be packed. The next further south station that actually has some parking would probably be the "North Glenview" stop. North Glenview does get somewhat packed on weekdays, however, and if you do get parking, it may be a little bit of a walk from the station, although I could be wrong.

Personally, I'd drive further east along Lake-Cook road a few miles, and try to park at the "Braeside" station which is on the Union Pacific North line at the border of the towns of Highland Park & Glencoe. Parking should be a little easier to find & the area is less congested & busy than Deerfield can be during the weekday rush hour times. Paying at the Braeside station is quite simple. Walk into the station, purchase the parking ticket out of their vending machine, scratch off the date you are parking, and leave the parking ticket visible on the windshield of your vehicle. Travel times to downtown from any of these stops should be pretty comparable. I'd estimate about 40-45 minutes roughly. Definitely post any questions if you have any. Have fun in Chicago!

Originally Posted by hgoldi

Thank you for the response!
At which location (coming from Deerfield) , you could recommend us to park-n-ride the metra?

[Avengerfire]

If you are staying at a hotel check with them. They might have a shuttle bus that goes to a metra station.
Or perhaps you can leave your car at the hotel and take a taxi cab to and from the metra station.

[hgoldi]

Than you for all your responses and help!
First of all we are staying at a house (academic exchange program).
Checking at google , we prefere (if possible) to park the car at a red line stop loncation, any suggestions?
Moreover , I found a Parking at Downtown Chicago: "Park One" at 762 W Jackson Blvd. for 6$ a day.Could this be possible and if it is, is it a safe area ?
We will apprecciate any other idea.

[surlycue]

This is a safe area called West Loop/Greektown. It isn't exactly downtown though. It will be about a 15 block walk to Grant Park from there. But, you can always park at the garage and then walk to Wells street, about 4 blocks, and catch a brown line train that loops down and around to Wabash which is closer to the park and other downtown attractions like the Art Institute, Bean, etc. You can also transfer to the red line at State and Lake if you wanted to head up to Navy Pier or the River North/Mag Mile area.

Also, the $6 a day price might be an "early bird special" where you have to park before 8 or 9AM to get that rate. I am sure it sounds silly that the cars that are parked the longest get the best rates but the garages do this to fill up as much as possible.

[hgoldi]

Any red stop location with parking to recommend, comming from Deerfield?

[Avengerfire]

^I would park at Dempster on the Skokie Swift. It is much safer to leave your car there than at the Howard station on the Red Line. It is also very close to 94 and you can drive there way quicker than you can to the Howard stop on the Red Line^