Planning A First Time Trip to Chicago - Neighborhood Info. (Wilmette: car rental, rental)

[traveler36]

Im planning a first time trip to chicago and I need a little info about the area I might book my hotel at. The hotel is on 644 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL 60614 close to Lincoln park.

-Is this area safe ?

-How far is it from the tourist locations like the bean milineum park, restaurants, museums, bars/lounges/clubs or anything fun to do in the city?
(any suggestions of places to check out are appreciated.)

-How is the train system in the city, I would rather rent a car or stick with cabs only if its too complicated or detours into bad areas.

Any other info on ways to make my Chicago experience an awesome one is appreciated. Thanks

[richrf]

Hi,

The hotel is smack in the middle of a very vibrant, young professional community. Lots of shops, Trader Joe's, great walking, restaurants, and near Lincoln Park and the Zoo. Also, a golf driving range a few blocks away. The Red Line El/Subway is a very pleasant half mile walk away which will take you to the Downtown Loop area (about 15 minutes). You have the Broadway bus a block away that will also take you downtown but I would only use it to go down to Old Town (about 10 minutes). For Michigan Ave. Magnificent Mile you have the 151 bus a couple of blocks away through Lincoln Park that runs regularly (about 10 minutes).

Not sure about the hotel itself. They renovated a few years ago. It is busy so it is probably good and has its own parking. Depending where you want to visit, especially suburbs, you may or may not need a car. A visit to the Museum Campus would require a bus or train transfer while the Art Institute/Cultural Center, Bean, etc. would not ( a short walk from where the 151 stops).

Hope this helps.

[traveler36]

Originally Posted by richrf

Hi,

The hotel is smack in the middle of a very vibrant, young professional community. Lots of shops, Trader Joe's, great walking, restaurants, and near Lincoln Park and the Zoo. Also, a golf driving range a few blocks away. The Red Line El/Subway is a very pleasant half mile walk away which will take you to the Downtown Loop area (about 15 minutes). You have the Broadway bus a block away that will also take you downtown but I would only use it to go down to Old Town (about 10 minutes). For Michigan Ave. Magnificent Mile you have the 151 bus a couple of blocks away through Lincoln Park that runs regularly (about 10 minutes).

Not sure about the hotel itself. They renovated a few years ago. It is busy so it is probably good and has its own parking. Depending where you want to visit, especially suburbs, you may or may not need a car. A visit to the Museum Campus would require a bus or train transfer while the Art Institute/Cultural Center, Bean, etc. would not ( a short walk from where the 151 stops).

Hope this helps.

Thanks, it sounds like a good choice .. I wont be visiting the suburbs,, but i still would rather drive to control my schedule and feel a bit more secure since I dont know the city...Does Chicago have horrible parking and gridlock in that area?

[jsk1983]

Originally Posted by traveler36

Thanks, it sounds like a good choice .. I wont be visiting the suburbs,, but i still would rather drive to control my schedule and feel a bit more secure since I dont know the city...Does Chicago have horrible parking and gridlock in that area?

Yep. I'm sure the hotel has dedicated parking but I'd imagine you pay extra for it. Between that and car rental prices and parking at your destinations you can probably just take a cab door to door. Very abundant cabs in that area.

[Ace Rothstein]

Originally Posted by traveler36

Thanks, it sounds like a good choice .. I wont be visiting the suburbs,, but i still would rather drive to control my schedule and feel a bit more secure since I dont know the city...Does Chicago have horrible parking and gridlock in that area?

Traffic can be pretty bad in that area but it all depends what you are used to. If you are driving to all of your destinations you are going to rack up some pretty high parking fees pretty quickly.

[jwaiter]

You don't need a car, use the CTA and the taxi-cabs.

[Vlajos]

I agree with jwaiter and Ace Rothstein. You will end up paying a lot for parking. Use CTA and cabs.

[richrf]

It all depends upon how much a car will cost you per day but you will start racking up parking fees depending upon which areas you want to visit. If you are mainly going downtown, Old Town, or Lincoln Park, you are better off with the El. The Red Line over there can even bring you into Chinatown on the southside. The buses are safe in that area, so I wouldn't get a car unless you are definitely going to out of the way places, e.g. Baha'i Temple in Wilmette.

[traveler36]

Thanks for all the info I think that area is OK based on your recommendations to use public transportation. The car is about 80 dollars more for 5 days, but I didnt think about the hefty parking fees. I use the Subway in NYC all the time when I visit but I didnt know if Chicago has well defined neighborhoods like NYC. I do notice everything south of "The Loop"<--(I think thats what its called) seems to be places to avoid so I'll use that as a guide. I had a experience in Los Angeles Trying to use there subway/train system to get to a museum in downtown and I ended up somewhere in South Central LA because I got off the train too early..lol

[richrf]

The area South of the Loop is fine. It has tons of new condo hi-rises along Michigan, Wabash, etc. and some nice restaurants. You can go as far as S. 18th Street by foot with no problem. There is still a small area around Chinatown (22nd Street) that is a bit gritty, but the Red Line takes you right into Chinatown which is totally safe. Otherwise, almost all of the areas that you will be visiting in the city are totally OK. Only watch out for pickpockets on some of the buses (especially the Broadway) and don't go flaunting any iPhone or expensive jewelry that someone might want to grab. Just some basic precautions when visiting any big city. Enjoy!