Chicago Tips

Chicago:  Our kind of town

To download a Local's Guide to Cheap Eats in the Chicago area created by Chicago Host Committee click here.  They have also created a Local's Guide to Blues, Jazz, and Rock Clubs which you can download here.

Chicago welcomes all with its contagious friendliness and energy, an unequaled setting on Lake Michigan, world famous architecture and landscaped parks, a variety of not-to-be-missed cultural institutions and opportunities, and shopping that tempts even the most jaded.

The conference site, the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park Hotel, is conveniently central to many of Chicago's must-see/do sites:

Just one block south of it are Millennium Park and Grant Park. Here you'll find the dramatic Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion, admire the iconic Cloud Gate Sculpture, enjoy the eye-catching Crown Fountain with its many faces of Chicago, or enjoy a leisurely stroll through serenely beautiful gardens and landscape.

If art is your thing, Chicago has much to offer here, too.  The Art Institute of Chicago is a national treasure with great collections by Georges Seurat, Grant Wood, Ed Hopper, Claude Monet, and other noteworthy artists.  Thought-provoking modern art is on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, including photography, video, film, paintings, and sculpture. 

Big thinkers should visit the Field Museum of Natural Science and take a look at Sue, the world's largest, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex.  Over 32,600 animals - everything from whales to snails - are exhibited at the Shedd Aquarium/Oceanarium.  And if you're seeing stars you're likely at the Adler Planetarium with the world's most complete and complex view of the Milky Way.

The dining scene, too, spans from local specialties to diverse and innovative world class cuisine.  Chicago now has a reputation for some of the best, most innovative cuisine in the country, with a record seven three-star restaurants!  Foodies will tell you to go for more than Chicago style pizza, hot dogs, and steak – but if you're on a strict budget, pull out your smart phone and check for apps like iPhone's Chicago Cheap Eats.

There's much you'll enjoy at nearby Navy Pier.  Fifty acres of attractions are sure to catch your interest:  gardens, restaurants, fun shops, Chicago's largest flat screen IMAX 3D Theatre, and - if you're not afraid of heights - give the sky-high 150 foot Ferris Wheel a spin.  Kids, even grownups, will enjoy the Children's Museum's hands-on exhibits, the dinosaur expedition, and the tree house trail.  And, as you'd expect on a waterfront pier, sightseeing and dinner cruises sail off from the dock.

For much more on enjoying your visit to Chicago, look at sites such as www.choosechicago.com.

Transportation and Directions

Fly

The Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park Hotel at 200 North Columbus Drive is conveniently located to the Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW). Visit www.transitchicago.com for more details.

Train, Bus, or Car

The Greyhound Bus Terminal is located just a few minutes from the hotel. The AMTRAK Train Station is two miles from the hotel.

City Transportation

Chicago's “L” public transit system is an affordable and effective way to move around the city. A one-way ticket is $2.25 per ride.

From the Airport: 

From O’Hare International Airport your L train ride will be approximately 45 minutes to downtown Chicago via the Blue Line Train. From the Blue Line’s Washington Station it is a 5 minute cab ride or a 15 minute walk to the hotel. From Midway Airport take the Orange Line Train and it will take approximately 25 minutes to downtown Chicago. From the Orange Line’s Randolph/Wabash Station it is a 7 minute walk to the hotel.

Taxi service from the O’Hare International Airport to the hotel is estimated at $40 each way, depending on the time of day. Taxi service from Midway Airport is $30 each way. (Prices are based on rates in effect May 2011.)

Shuttle

From O’Hare International Airport:

Airport Express/Continental Air Transport is $29 one-way or $39 roundtrip per person. Reservations are not needed and frequency is approximately every 20-30 minutes. The service is located outside baggage claims 1E, 2D, & 3E. (Prices and info in effect May 2011).

From Midway Airport:

Airport Express/Continental Air Transport is $23 one-way or $42 roundtrip per person. It is located outside baggage claim. Reservations are not needed and frequency is approximately every 20-30 minutes. (Prices and info in effect May 2011).

Driving Directions and Parking Information

Driving directions to the hotel and parking rates are posted here.

Photo:  Oak Street Beach in the evening. Photo courtesy of the City of Chicago.