Title says it all.
I am going to Schaumburg Illonois for a Global Knlowledge course. I will be there from Saturday January 15th to Friday January 21st.
I believe Schaumburg is a suburb of Chicago, but how far away is it from downtown Chicago? What type of transit goes out to Schaumburg?
What are some sites to take in while in the area (my Sunday is completly free, and then Monday to Thursday I’ll be free after 5:00 PM)?
Thanks in advance!
MtM
Mmmm. Schaumburg.
Get Crab Rangoons at that Chinese Resteraunt. You know, the one in the Strip Mall there.
What?
Chicago is about 25 miles. There is no direct way to get to Chicago. You can take a train from Palatine or Roselle. I’d tell you more, but I have to go.
Well, you should be able to get a shuttle from Woodfield mall that will take you to the trains or you could just hop on 90 into the city. There’s acouple of night clubs around there, plenty of resturaunts and shopping. There’s a movie theater in the Streets of Woodfiled shopping complex, as is Gameworks. Medieval Times is there as well. There are also a couple of nice brew pubs, Ram and one other I can’t remember off of Roselle. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
I believe that Global Knowledge’s offices are within spittin’ distance of Woodfield Mall. The entire area is packed with shopping, drinking, entertainment and dining options. I’m not sure about available public transportation to get to Chicago…I used to live in the area and commute to the Loop, and the nearest train station was not very convenient.
Things will be much easier if you have a rental car.
In the immediate Schaumburg-ish area you can do some shopping. A lot of shopping. Among the more interesting:
Woodfield Mall is a ginormous indoor mall, with just about everything. It’s got a bunch of restaurants, including a all you can eat sushi buffett.
IKEA has a location in the area, and it can be a fun way to kill some time.
Next to Schaumburg is a Japanese grocery/general store called Mitsuwa. Folks actually drive in from Indiana, Ohio, Detroit, etc. for a weekend trip to get the stuff they need. It has a food court which is fun (they have okonomiyaki!) and they got that ‘Dance Dance Revolution’ game that all the teens come to play on the weekends.
Somewhere around Schaumburg is a … (wait for it)… Medieval Times. Please rewatch The Cable Guy to properly prepare for your trip.
All that being said, your best bet is to get into Chicago. Driving should be fairly easy (maybe a 40 minute trip), although parking will cost you. I think the commuter train (the Metra) makes the trip on the Milwaukee District West Line.
It’s typical suburban sprawl. You can’t really walk anywhere.
Another vote for going downtown if you have the time.
Woodfield to Chicago via transit: Take the #209 Pace bus to the end of the line at the Harlem “el” station and take a Blue Line train into Chicago.
The 209 leaves Woodfield twice an hour on Sundays at the :15 and :45. About a 50 minute ride between Woodfield and Harlem station.
The Blue Line el runs every 10 minutes and takes about 25 minutes to get to the Loop. So, plan on just about an hour and a half of riding, end to end.
I just found a nifty trip planner that gives times and fares.
Route 209 Info
[QUOTE=Illinois_Boy]
Ikea is never fun. Especially because it will take his entire trip to figure out how to get into the damn place. I do like the dollar hot dogs though.
If this is the place that used to be Johans, it is definitely worth a trip. I remember going there with my friend and thinking we had taken a wrong turn and ended up in the future.
I thin it would definitely be worth your time/money to rent a car (if you aren’t driving in the first place) as you won’t have to worry about the freakin’ bus/train schedules.
Gaylords has some decent Indian food, and there are other good Indian restaurants near as well.
Pishtosh, I used to make a yearly pilgrimage to Ikea before we opened one here. (And that was the reason I’d purposefully stay in Schaumburg. And yes, there should be a smiley face with the “L” on the forehead for me. 
)
I can’t remember the name of it, but there’s a really good Mongolian BBQ restaurant in a strip mall out there (Of course, saying the “strip mall in Schaumburg” is a bit redundant).
Well I will be without wheels (flying in). I’d be into renting a car on the Sunday if it was worth it.
I live a few hours away from an Ikea so Ikea isn’t a huge draw for me. I’ve been to Midevil times once in LA and twice in Las Vegas.
I’m glad I’ll be right by such a huge mall! And it sounds like there will be a large selection of restaraunts to choose from.
But what should I see in Chicago? What are “must see’s”? (hall of fames, museums, land marks, etc.)
MtM
Do NOT do this. The 209 takes a leisurely tour of the entire Northwest Suburbs. Take the 606 bus, which also stops at Woodfield and goes to the Rosemont Blue Line stop for a MUCH shorter trip.
Schaumburg is so lame that the Onion occasionally makes fun of it. (“Schaumburg Man Dimly Aware Of Shadowy, Non-Schaumburg World Out There”, etc.). If you like the Olive Garden, Baja Fresh, TGIFridays, Chilis, etc., you are SET, culinarily speaking.
Chicago, of course, has a plethora of things to do. The Art Institute, the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Field Museum are all world class institutions. If it’s not too cold, one of my favorite things to do is just walk around. Chicago is full of gorgeous architecture. Walk down Michigan Avenue, over the river, through Millennium Park down to the Lakeshore. The lake is beautiful in every weather and temperature.
Yeah, it’s lame in a bedroom-community, upper-middle-class, yuppie kind of way, but there’s better eats to be had than the usual Mall-Outlier Restaurant Chains…
I can’t recall the name of the Mongolian place, but I believe it’s at the corner of Golf and Roselle or the next major intersection south, a few miles west of the mall. There’s also a pretty good little Greek place at Golf and Plum Grove Road (Greek Village?). On the south side of the mall, there’s a pretty cool little Irish pub called The Curragh…very young-professional crowd, though. There’s also “Old Schaumburg”, the part that’s left from when it really was a village…south on Roselle Road. If you’ve never been to Chicago, there’s a Lou Malnati’s there - the definitive Chicago deep-dish pizza.
If you’re going into Chicago proper, I’d definitely recommend some of the museums…the Art Institute is fantastic. Normally, I’d say a walking tour of downtown Chicago in mid-January might be a bit much…but then I checked your location.
Mongolian Barbeque (or MongoBarb as my cow-orkers call it) and you’re right, it is on Golf and Roselle. I second Greek Village for local, non-chain fare. The Ram is a brew-pub just down the street from you. It is a fun place to drink and they have good food. Prarie Rock is the brew-pub across the street; the beer is good but the food is only so-so.
Also, a hearty second to the museums in Kyla’s post. My ideal day would be to take the train in to the city, walk around a bit, go to a museum, eat dinner downtown, and then head back out.
And finally, thank Og you aren’t taking the class now during Christmas shopping season.
I lived in Schaumburg when I was a teenager, and all I remember finding to do there was hang out in Jayson’s basement, experiment with herbs and drive to Chicago on weekends. And Jayson doesn’t even live there anymore! Lou Malnati’s pizza is pretty good, but “the definitive Chicago deep-dish pizza”? Naaah.
Go to the city. See the museums. Art Institute for sure, Science & Industry if you have time. There’s a couple great places to eat IN the Art Institute.
[raises hand] I’m a native Illinoisan who once lived in Shaumberg. Trust me, Shaumberg has no soul to speak of. Utterly strip-mall land. If you have any free time to speak of, go to downtown Chicago – it really is worth the trip. Otherwise, be ready for an experience that could be had in any suburb, anywhere. There are a few bright lights in restaurants (see previous posters), but nothing really unique.
I’ve been to Schaumburg a few times on business trips.
Bring a really good, long book to read in your hotel room. Bring stationary to write letters to a those friends you have been meaning to get in touch with. Go to the gym in the morning.
Well, I work in Schaumburg right near where you’ll be - will you have a lunch hour free? Perhaps we could get together for lunch one day…
CaveMike, you too. SORRY - I didn’t realize you worked around there too. 