Visiting Chicago

In reply to Cooter :

Not  necessarily.   I'm just a lot more familiar with the NW suburbs than I am with the SW, or Southern burbs. (I lived in Glendale Heights and Crystal Lake)   Chicagoland is a pretty safe place overall, as long as you avoid Englewood, and other battle-ground areas.   For someone not familiar with those areas......they ARE to be avoided.

I remember driving through the Robert Taylor projects as a kid.  (directly across from the old Comiskey Park)  That area was like a bombed-out 3rd world country.  You absolutely did NOT stop at stoplights, or signs, and you got your ass out of there as soon as possible.   I just remember being around the adults in our group.......and they were scared, for good reason.   There were parts of the near West side that were similarly dangerous.   

I'm sure there are plenty of decent places South or SW of the city......I just haven't spent much time down there.    

Thanks everyone so far.  I have never been to Chicago and it's good to know the in's and out's before we go.

I will agree with the Rosemont area. We live on the northwest side, still in the city. They have build up Rosemont will a great entertainment area.  Restaurants, movies, bars, stores,  minor league baseball and hockey.  Jump on the blue line at River road and get off at block 39, you are on State street just west of Michigan ave Drive over to the Norwood Park metra station, leave your car for free, take the train downtown. Kids ride for free on the weekends.  You can walk east from Ogilvie train station to state street or Michigan ave. The Kennedy (90) is torn up west of nagle Ave and will double your time. Stay with the trains. Being from out of town stay with the blue line train or metra. 

Cooter, I think it is more to do with the availability of hotels close to public transportation. Hotels are near Ohare. So is the blue line. Although I really think he needs to look at staying in the city. Maybe even do a park and ride—leave your car in a suburb, stay in the city.

FWIW, I’m originally from the northern suburbs  (Libertyville, with lots of time in Park Ridge, Mt Prospect, Arlington heights), currently live in Elmhurst, I spent the last two weeks 24/7 in Oak Lawn, used to live in Bucktown/Humboldt, and I ref hockey everywhere from Joliet to Kenosha. Including Johnny’s ice house and Morgan Park. Only place I’ve ever had anything happen was having a knife pulled on me in Logan Square.

mtn said:

Cooter, I think it is more to do with the availability of hotels close to public transportation. Hotels are near Ohare. So is the blue line. Although I really think he needs to look at staying in the city. Maybe even do a park and ride—leave your car in a suburb, stay in the city.

 

FWIW, I’m originally from the northern suburbs  (Libertyville, with lots of time in Park Ridge, Mt Prospect, Arlington heights), currently live in Elmhurst, I spent the last two weeks 24/7 in Oak Lawn, used to live in Bucktown/Humboldt, and I ref hockey everywhere from Joliet to Kenosha. Including Johnny’s ice house and Morgan Park. Only place I’ve ever had anything happen was having a knife pulled on me in Logan Square.

 

Agree with mtn here on trying to find a hotel inside the city. Especially when you're only going to be there for a long weekend - losing ~2h of each of your days commuting into the city is going to be a huge drag.