Some friends of mine are visiting Chicago this weekend. They’re staying at the Marriot downtown on North Michigan Avenue. Apparently parking there is like $45/day but you get in/out privileges. There also seems to be a parking garage nearby that is $25/day but no in/out.
Not having been to Chicago myself, my concern is if the motel itself charges that much, then I assume other places they may want to sightsee will also have expensive parking- making the in/out privs at hotel less attractive.
Is the parking expensive at most tourist places? (Art Institute, Cloud Gate, etc.). They have a baby in tow, so wondering if public transport is easily navigatable for strangers around that part of downtown and (really dumb question) do you need child seats, etc. to take a baby on buses/trams/whatever or do you just hold them/keep them strapped on you?
Yes, parking is expensive at all the downtown attractions (I’m thinking $20 and up). But most of them are easily reached by bus, el, or sometimes even a free trolley. (And from the Marriott, they can easily walk to the Cloud Gate and the Art Institute.) They should check into the CTA tourist passes which give you unlimited rides for a certain number of days.
If they are arriving by air and renting a car, I’d say forget the car and take a taxi (or even the CTA blue line) downtown - it will be cheaper in the long run.
I don’t think you need any special equipment to take a child on the train, but I’ve never tried it.
I lived in Chicago for a few years and have visited many, many times. It is very very easy to use public transportation in Chicago. Busses everywhere going everywhere, stops every two blocks or so. Using a car to get to stuff is definitely not worth it. Agree with Tim R. Morris, don’t bother renting a car if they’re flying in. CTA is so cheap (relative to a car) and easy to use. Don’t need a car seat for a baby. Busses and trains (IME) are only jammed during rush hour and tourist season (ie - summer).
Here’s a link to the CTA site. On the right-hand side you’ll see the Trip Planner. If you use the GOROO application, it will tell you which busses/trains to take, how long it will take, etc.
You can buy the tourist passes via the CTA machines at the airports, or other sites listed on the CTA website. Easy-peasy, and you only need one pass (everyone should be able to use the same card).
Taxis are also plentiful and actually willing to pick up a family with a baby for a short hop back to the hotel - unlike NYC!
Tim- thanks for the feedback! They are driving there, so the car is along regardless, but it sounds much cheaper to garage it and leave it. I don’t imagine they require child seats on the trains or buses, but if there’s any chance they do, that’s an important factor too in whether to drive or take public transportation about town.
Any must-try places to eat reccomendations right around that area?
If you’re referring to the free tourist trolleys run by the city, they were apparently discontinued last year. Kind of unfortunate.
As far as places to eat: if they’re foodies, they should go to the café at Fox & Obel, and browse the store full of fancy fancy foods while they’re there.
There are two Chicago visitor information centers. Both are on Michigan Avenue not from the Marriott, which is about midway between the two. The walk is pleasant in either direction, and they can grab some brochures about local attractions. For more info see:
If this is their first visit and they’ve only got the weekend, their best bet is to stick to things along Michigan Avenue and environs between Oak Street (1000 north) and the Art Institute (200 south). If nothing else they’ll want to see Millennium Park, the Bean, fountains, etc.; this is across the street from the Cultural Center Visitor Information Center at Randolph and Michigan, so that might be a good place to start. (I hope they’ve got a stroller and/or Snugli; in any case cabs and buses are readily available.) There are numerous restaurants in the area, but my kids are older so I’m not the best judge of baby-friendliness these days, and anyway it depends on the baby. (Our oldest mostly slept during his first year and we could cart him pretty much anywhere in his “baby bucket.”) I’m partial to outdoor dining; if your friends are as well they might try the Park Grill/Park Cafe in Millennium Park - the tables have umbrellas for sun protection. Saturday is going to be on the cool side (70), whereas Sunday and Monday will be around 80, so that’s something to keep in mind when planning. No rain, though.
ETA: Your friends will certainly want to see the Art Institute at some point, but if they’ve got time for just one museum visit, the Shedd Aquarium is probably their best bet if they’ve got a baby - it’s more noise tolerant. It’s maybe a mile and three-quarters from the Marriott; they can either cab it or take the 146 bus, which runs past their hotel. Here’s an online bus map, on the off chance they brought a laptop:
The Millenium Park Grill has the best bloody mary I’ve ever had in my… uh… bloody life! Food was good, too. Make a reservation, when we were there it was packed (Sunday morning, I think). Wait was… half an hour at least.
Thanks for the great feedback! I’ve sent them a link to the thread so they can check it out. I think they’re leaving soon but they’re very plugged in so if any further ideas occur to anyone, feel free to update as I’m sure they’ll be online from the hotel.
The only nice thing about the privatization of Chicago’s parking meters is that the company put up a website. As you can see, street parking isn’t cheap, and that’s reflected in parking lot prices, as well.
Fortunately for your friends, the entire downtown area (and by that I mean everything south and east of the river, as far south as Roosevelt Road) is flat and easy to walk. If the tour books says something is a mile away, it actually feels like less.
If they’re at the Marriott on Michigan, they’re a block from Pizzeria Uno. If they’re interested in trying Chicago-style pizza, might as well go to the source.
I definitely agree with everyone re: public transit. The only place I can think of that might be preferable to drive to is the Museum of Science and Industry. If you aren’t afraid to walk a bit, there’s usually free parking on the residential streets around there. (At least there was the last time I was there.)
I would just add that if they’re buying CTA passes, the multi-day ones can only be used by one person per trip. What I mean is, if you have a 7-day pass and three people who want to ride the train, each person is going to need his own pass - 3 people can’t get onto the train with only one pass.
On the other hand, if you buy a plain old farecard and put $20 on it, that can be used by as many people as you want until it runs out of money.
I wouldn’t drive to the Museum of Science and Industry.
*The #10 CTA bus runs half-hourly on weekends and holidays from the Water Tower (Michgan & Chicago) along Michigan Avenue north of the river and State Street south of it, then runs express along south Lake Shore Drive directly to the museum.
*The Metra Electric service runs relatively frequently (for commuter rail) from Millenium Station (Randolph & Michigan) down to 57th Street, a safe and very short walk to the museum.
Note that a CTA pass or farecard covers the #10 bus but not Metra, which has its own separate fare system. However, Metra has weekend unlimited passes for $7, so someone could go to the Museum of Science and Industry on a weekend and take a suburban trip on Metra on the other weekend day. Oak Park for Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, or Arlington Park for the horse races, or Ravinia for a concert. (The last two at the appropriate time of year, of course – Ravinia concert season ends today.)
