re: Chicago...staying around Miracle Mile. Still a good idea?

quote:

---

Arrive midday at Ohare, leave luggage at hotel (in Rosemont), take either blue line or Uber to downtown. Visit the Art Institute and Maggie Daley Park area, walk the river walk, take the red line to Fullerton(?) to see Lincoln Park. Afterwards, walk Fullerton up to Halsted just to see the neighborhood, take a cab (still have those?) to ZaZas pizzeria on Clark (we don’t want Chicago style pizza and have seen good reviews of ZaZas, but open to suggestion). I think that would leave us with finding one more thing to do at about 6 before we Uber back to Rosemont, so what would you hypothetically do at that time of the day with your teenage kids who have never been to Chicago? We were thinking of a tour of Wrigley but there doesn’t seem to be enough time.

---

Unless it's early morning (before sunrise) or late night, don't even bother with Lyft/Uber. Southbound on the Kennedy is a mess right now - big construction project just started and there are two lane closures. There is a Blue Line station at Rosemont. No idea what hotel you're at, but there are a few within a 10-minute walk.

You can take the Red Line to Fullerton, yes. Alternatively, you can take the Brown or Purple Line, too. All stop at Fullerton, basically right on DePaul's campus.

I wouldn't walk up Halsted... It's fine, and completely safe, but there's just a lot more if you walk north on Clark from Fullerton (if you choose to pop over to Lakeshore Trail or Zoo). Also, the stretch of Fullerton between Halsted and Clark is beautiful - you'll see with the trees.

Haven't been to Zazas, but another couple options in that area are Roebuck (DryHop brewpub) and Pat's Pizza (if you want a tavern-style cut).

Someone with kids might be more help on one last activity, but I'd just be prepared for traffic leaving the city. You'd hope traffic lets up by 7pm, but it's never predictable. In general, going East/West, which you need to do get to the Kennedy, isn't easy and who knows if the interstate will have more traffic.

quote:

---

Would you be worried about the safety of the blue line from Ohare to downtown in midday?

---

No. I live along the Blue Line and, personally, have never feared for my safety. At worst, I've seen people smoke cigarettes - gross, but not common and just switch cars at the next station. Other than that, you'll see a homeless person sleeping or walking through cars asking for money. In general, Blue Line is a crowded train - not only do you get a lot of travelers coming from ORD, but it runs through some of the fastest-growing / popular neighborhoods in the city (i.e. Logan Square and Wicker Park).

quote:

---

Is there a particular section of the river walk you recommend?

---

Would start at Clark Street bridge and walk east - there are a number of patios along that stretch, including Tiny Tapp, Chicago Brewhouse, The Northman, etc.

quote:

---

ETA: I guess I left off walking the Mag Mile. Could take the Riverwalk to Michigan and walk north, to loop that in before going to LP.

---

If you go this route, take the Red Line at Chicago or Clark/Division (preferred station if you'd like to walk through Gold Coast - very nice neighborhood w/ high-end shopping) to Fullerton.