It appears I’m going to be at a conference in Chicago at the McCormick Place Concention Center, July 24-25. Hotel options include the Best Western at 162 E. Ohio. The brochure says that the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, so my question is: Are there restaurants near this hotel? Is there a CTA stop nearby, and would I want to consider taking a train to another part of town for dinner? (Duh! This is Chicago where there’s lots of good food - what I mean is a part of town I can get to easily and not spend a fortune, not knowing the city at all)
There should be any number of decent restaurants between McCormick Place and your hotel. Including those on Navy Pier at the foot of Ohio St. You should be able to find pretty much anything you’d want within walking distance. The hotel is just a touch more than a mile from McCormick. Walk south from your hotel down Columbus (which is east towards the lake) or Michigan (which is west away from the lake). The closer you get to McCormick, the more you’ll find; particularly after you get south of the Chicago River.
Shit. That’s not right. The hotel at 162 E. Ohio is a bit more than three miles from McCormick. Mebbe a bit far to walk unless you got time to kill. You should still be able to find lots of restaurants nearby either the hotel, or especially the convention center. I suggest walking to/from the restaurant and cabbing the remainder. Cabs are plentiful and relatively inexpensive.
Well, there’s Riva’s at Navy Pier and of course there are several restaurants in Water Tower Place. Basically you’ll be in a fairly heavily served area.
Just don’t make the mistake I made several years ago when my father was in town for a conference. I met him at his hotel and we were going to go to Riva’s to meet some of his coworkers for dinner. He was staying the the Swisshotel and asked me how far it was. I pointed out his window at the Ferris Wheel and said “it’s right over there.” He asked me if it was walking distance and I said yes.
Technically, it is. If you have a half an hour. If not it’s a cab ride.
There are approximately half a billion restaurants near that hotel. Are you staying there for sure? And if so, what kind of food do you like? Alternately, Chinatown and Little Italy are both a few mminutes’ cab ride from McCormick Place, but there isn’t much in the way of restaurants within walking distance of McCormick Place (depending, of course, on how you define “within walking distance;” se above).
Ohio is 600 N. Find where the river hits Lake Michigan, and look about 3 streets north. See Ohio Street Beach? You’re a bit west. See the Red Line Grand station at Grand and State? That’s the closest El stop (subway, actually). State Street is the East-West address grid baseline (0 E, 0 W. You’re 162 E, which works out to a few blocks.)
Also note all of the bus lines on Michigan Avenue.
You can easily get to the majority of the better restaurants in the city.
By the way, McCormick Place is just off the south edge of the CTA map I linked to (above), right on the lake. Click on the Central/South Map link-button on that map to see it.
As far as Red Line safety, you’re completely fine* any time before, say, 10 p.m., between Harrison on the south and Sheridan/Irving Park on the north, and probably okay** at any time before midnight (later on weekends) between Harrison on the south and the end of the line on the north.***
*“completely fine”, as in: I’d have no problem suggesting that an out-of-town 60 year-old female relative take it.
** “probably okay”, as in: I’d take it myself, with no worries.
*** Few worries at any time, within these limits. (I don’t mean to suggest that all of the South Side is unsafe, but some stations are, at least at night, and I’m not familiar enough with this part of the line to give advice.)
Thank you, Random, for the map. That’s perfect. I assume that the area west of Halstead and around Adams labeled “Greektown” is where I’d find Greek food, right? Thanks to everyone else, too for the responses. I assume I’ll be staying at that hotel, provided I can get an advance to reserve a room. I love Chinese as well as Greek food, Italian, French, whatever. I’m not too picky, and enjoy good food.