Ansett767 From Australia, joined May 1999, 1021 posts, RR: 2 Posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 10033 times:
Hi All,
Sorry if this sounds naive but I have never been to Chicago
My questions are as follows:
1. From NY I can ctake a flight either to MDW or ORD - which is better for me in terms of less delays and ease of access to city (and price of cab / subway)?
3. If you've been to Chicago as a tourist, or live there, how long would you recommend I stay?
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31119 posts, RR: 74 Reply 1, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 10033 times:
Quoting Ansett767 (Thread starter):
1. From NY I can ctake a flight either to MDW or ORD - which is better for me in terms of less delays and ease of access to city (and price of cab / subway)?
Midway is closer and quicker to the Loop. Subway price is the same from either; cab will be $10-$15 cheaper from Midway. If you don't have a lot of luggage, take the subway. It's usually quicker anyway.
Quoting Ansett767 (Thread starter): If you've been to Chicago as a tourist, or live there, how long would you recommend I stay?
A week or so is a good amount of time if you want to see the major museums, shop, etc.
Mycrj17 From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 269 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 10028 times:
MDW would be your best bet..
Train from ORD to downtown about 60 min...1.75
Train from MDW to downtown about 30 min..1.75
Cab from ORD to downtown. depending on traffic... around 50.00
Cab from MDW to downtown. depending on traffic...around 30.00
And you can use a good week in Chicago to see everything for your first time..
PanAm747 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4242 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 9882 times:
Whichever airport you fly into - and see if you could fly into one and fly out of the other - use public transportation. It's cheap, it's easy, it's reliable, and it goes everywhere you might want. Cabs are ridiculously expensive and the L is GREAT!!
You'll need a few days to see everything - if you can hold off and wait until April when baseball season starts, go see a Cubs or White Sox game! Again, public transit is the key. Don't forget also to do the top of the Sears Tower AND the Hancock Building - you'll know why when you do!!
Is Gino's East Pizza still in downtown Chicago? Best pizza I have ever had in my life - the line was a mile long, but it was well worth the wait!!
You'll understand why Chicagoans say, "this city would have 50 million residents - if it wasn't for the winter!!"
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Mycrj17 From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 269 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 9852 times:
Quoting PanAm747 (Reply 3): Is Gino's East Pizza still in downtown Chicago? Best pizza I have ever had in my life - the line was a mile long, but it was well worth the wait!!
You'll understand why Chicagoans say, "this city would have 50 million residents - if it wasn't for the winter!!"
Yes Gino's is still there and still good.. And I think we have enough people in Chicago thank god we do have winter...
Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 1): A week or so is a good amount of time if you want to see the major museums, shop, etc.
Well if you are into this kind of stuff do it, but now the city have raised the prices to the museumes and the sales tax is on the rise as well...But if you got the cash do it......
EWRandMDW From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 379 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 9814 times:
I moved from metro NYC to Chicacoland almost 15 years ago. I love it here and would not think of ever going back.
ORD has much more selection of flights to NYC: there's AA and UA to LGA and B6 to JFK. I believe only DL flies between LGA and MDW. If you use EWR then AA, UA and CO go to ORD and CO to MDW. MDW was recently rebuilt and expanded and is much easier to maneuver through.
A couple of things to remember: natives never call the trains "subways", even though there is some underground trackage. They're called the "L". A subway is somewhere you eat. Natives tend to hate the name Macy's -- it'll always be Marshall Fields. Politics -- especially local, county and state -- is a major spectator sport and people spend a lot of time trying to figure out which politician will fall and which will be next to end up in prison. Some of the best restaurants in the world are here as is world class theater. There's plenty to see and do in the city. Prices and taxes and user fees are going up, but it's amazing how much you can find to do that's either totally free or low cost. Even the museums had (maybe still have) one day/week where admission is FREE. If you come in late spring or summer spend time on the lakefront and do some serious people watching. There are plenty of gorgeous people to watch! And there are FREE festivals you can attend pretty much every weekend (Blues fest, Taste of Chicago (OK, not free if you want to eat, but worth spending some $$), the annual Air and Water show, etc. Some last into the workweek.
MTSUATC From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 120 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 9805 times:
Well MDW has way less delays. The approach is also very fun. I personally like ORD. It's one of my fave airport. So many airlines, and different people from all over the world. I agree the sears tower, and the hancock observatory at night are simply amazing. If its warm head down to Navy Pier, and take a boat ride at sunset. Absolutly beautiful. It's been a while since I've done that but if memory serves me correctly it was only like 5 or 6 bucks for the boat ride. Enjoy your trip its one hell of a city.
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