Priceline Hotel: Need Advice on College Trip

[southwickhull]

My daughter and I are going to Chicago for a couple of days in August to explore University of Chicago as a possible college option for her. Never been to Chicago before, I'm nervous about where to stay, how to get around, etc. We fly into OHare...

What area would you suggest staying in...

1. Near airport?

2. Near the campus?

3. Downtown?

And how do we get to and from via public transportation?

Thanks.

[thereuare]

What are the actual date(s) of your stay? How much time will be spent at the college vs. seeing other parts of the ctiy?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[AaronJB]

A few thoughts:

Before anything else, I definitely have to emphasize - if your daughter chooses UIC - finding a place to live where things are convenient and your daughter feels safe. Location, location, location should be a top consideration. I lived in the city for a few years and lived in a fantastic location that was cheap because it was a very basic studio. Everything was right there - the only reason I moved is because I wanted some peace and quiet (some people may love living in the city and I did too, at first, but after a while, the near-constant noise became a bit tiring) and rent was going up too much year/over/year. Otherwise, the location could not have been any better.

However, I have relatives who moved to the city and wound up in an out-of-the-way area that required a bus ride for groceries and was otherwise pretty inconvenient. They moved away not that much later, and I don't think they had a very good experience. So, location definitely counts big when living in the city - there are places in great areas that may not be slick or offer a ton of amenities, but they are superbly located.

1. Don't stay by the airport. It is a lengthy trip into the city (55 minutes) and to have to go back and forth each day rather than at the beginning and end will take away valuable time.

2. Don't stay by UIC because...well, aside from a Marriott, there really aren't any options. Definitely stay downtown and then take the short trip to UIC.

3. Do get a sense of Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast, as there are options in these areas - and these are very nice, convenient areas - that are probably comparable to the cost of a dorm. Personally, if presented with the option of a studio space in Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast versus a UIC dorm, I'd pick basic studio space in LP or the Gold Coast every time.

Edited to add - now that I looked up dorm cost at UIC and searched on apartments.com, there are definitely some cheaper/comparable apartments.

4. Definitely don't be nervous about getting around; Chicago is very easy to get around and I'd be happy to offer more detailed directions once you get a hotel locked in.

5. Personally, if you only have a couple of days, I'd certainly spend some time on campus, but spend a good portion of the other time browsing around the city as if you lived there; experience getting around on public transit, see where the basic day-to-day stuff is, explore possible neighborhoods for housing, etc.

[LWS-NYC]

I am also heading to Chicago for a look at UIC with my son. We will only be in Chicago proper for one night (8/31). There is a 9:30 am session that we need to get to in the morning. Also trying to figure out the best way to get to UIC from downtown. We will have a car for the drive in from Evanston and will be flying out that afternoon (9/1). It looks like public transportation to UIC takes about an hour so driving seems like it will take less time - but I am not sure about traffic or finding parking at UIC - do the garages fill up? Does it matter which of the downtown areas we stay in for the commute to UIC in the morning? e.g North Michigan, Greater Chicago, the Loop?

Thanks in advance for any help and thoughts.

[AaronJB]

LWS,

If you are staying in Evanston, please post the details of your hotel purchase in a new thread. Evanston's also a really nice city, with a lot of restaurant options.

That said, if you are unfamiliar with the public transit in the city, it's not a bad idea to try it, as it's a pretty straightforward trip in and the Metra train trip downtown is nice. If you're going in the morning, there's definitely potential for traffic on i-94 headed in, especially if you are heading in around 8-8:30a.

I don't know what the parking situation is in detail at UIC, but I actually thought they might have free parking (which unfortunately is not the case.)

Flat Rate Parking Facilities

Days $10.75 Pavilion $10.00 - $15.00

Nights $7.00 Meters/hr .25/10 min. - 2 Hour Max

Pay Stations

(located at HTPS) .30/10 min. - 2 Hour Max

(http://www.uic.edu/depts/avcad/parking/rates.html)

I'm guessing many spaces require pre-paid stickers/tags, and there appears to be cash lots for those visiting. There is a phone number on: http://www.uic.edu/depts/avcad/parking/welcome.html where you can call to find out further details. If you do decide to drive, it would certainly be an advantage to be able to drive direct rather than drive downtown and then take public transit the remainder of the distance.

If you do decide to park downtown, I'd park in the Loop and then take the CTA or grab a taxi, although the latter would be more expensive.

While I'm a fan of Metra trains and think they are worth paying a bit extra for a longer trip (Metra trains stop at downtown Evanston), there is the Evanston Express during the weekday rush hour, which is a CTA train that runs through Evanston and then doesn't make any stops until nearly downtown. These trains are definitely faster, but may be pretty crowded. Some Metra trains during the morning/evening rush are also express, but the amount of stops vary.

Please let us know the details of your hotel purchase, and if you have any other questions.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[normthe]

AaronJB

I live in Chicago and grew up around the University of Chicago. It is no where near UIC. It is located in Hyde Park about 30 minute from Downtown. Getting there is fairly easy. The Illinois Central train runs from Randolph and Michigan Ave practically to the campus. Another option is renting a car for the day since not knowing your way around the city by public transportation can get a little scary if you get on the wrong train and end up in the wrong neighborhood. Car rentals are fairly inexpensive for daily rentals. Chicago is a grid city so driving around is pretty simple.

[AaronJB]

Thanks for the reminder, Norm - sometimes I mix-up UIC with UOC.

[LWS-NYC]

I may have created some confusion by using the wrong inititals UIC (which I now think stands for Univ of Illinois Chicago Circle) for the Univ of Chicago. We are visiting the University of Chicago. We are visiting Northwestern on 8/31 (staying in Skokie on 8/30). After visiting Northwestern we will be driving into Chicago to stay the night of 8/31 and visiting Univ of Chi on 9/1.

Sounds like we should drive to Univ of Chi on the morning of 9/1. So I know what area(s) to bid on Princeline, does it matter which of the downtown areas we stay in for the commute to Univ of Chi in the morning? e.g North Michigan or Greater Chicago or the Loop? or will the drive take about the same amount of time from any of them.

Thanks for the info on the garages.

I realy apprecaite the help.

[AaronJB]

I wouldn't recommend staying in the Greater Chicago area, but the NMA-River North zone

or Millennium Park-Loop-Grant Park zone are fine. The Loop zone would be closer, but the difference

between the zones in terms of distance is not great enough to really matter very much.

Evanston's certainly a great city if you choose NW. Always something to do and a lot of

options in the nearby areas, as well (Old Orchard Mall in Skokie is a very nice/upscale outdoor mall if you stay in Skokie.)

Please let us know if you use PRICELINE for Skokie and downtown, and if you have further questions.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.