My girlfriend and I are going to Chicago, DePaul University specifically, to visit her best friend from high school. We'll be making the 7 hour drive from Athens, Ohio. Whenever I go to Cincinnati I always drive around no problem, no big deal. I haven't been to Chicago in years and with it being a much bigger city and much more crowded on the streets should I ditch my car and utilize some form of public transportation?

I would drop off your car near the Addison brown line stop (Addison/Lincoln/Paulina) Take the Kennedy Expressway, which is 90/94 to the Damen exit, turn right at the street and follow it for about a mile.  When you get to Addison turn right and you should see the brown line station.  Find a parking spot in that neighborhood, lock er up, and enjoy the weekend.  Roscoe Village is a safe neighborhood and it does not require special parking permits.

 

Take the brown line to Fullerton, and you will be in the heart of the DePaul campus.

^Good advice.  Ditch the car for sure. 

 

Not sure which way you'll be coming, but I 65 from Indy where it meets I 94 and I 80 I 90 (Indiana Tollway/Chicago Skyway) is a complete construction mess.  Do some research and don't come through during rush hour.  Rush hour starts around 3:00 pm on Fridays.  I don't have any advice since I don't drive it, but I was through there on Megabus a couple weekends ago from Ann Arbor on a Sunday night and the delay was 2 hours.  I have heard that 94 is worse than 90.  I have also heard that there is a freeway like spur that runs close to the Steel plants and casino's around Gary that will breeze you right around the delays to the Skyway.  90 and 94 eventually merge and become 90/94 and are called the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago in case this sounds confusing.

 

On Parking, plan to arrive in the afternoon when everyone is still at work, and parking should be ok, might even be able to park closer to DePaul.....however I think they start class this week, so maybe not.

 

Watch out for permit only streets.  On permit only streets, there are usually a couple of (secret) non permit spots with no parking meter on side streets close to commercial corridors (near Halsted St or Clark by DePaul for example).  Watch for temporary street cleaning signs tied to trees.  Watch all signage when parking and make sure the curb is not yellow.  Don't park your car into a yellow curb area even a little bit.  You will get ticketed if you park at all illegally.  Your car will be a target for parking tickets because it will have out of state plates, and no city sticker.

 

If you are coming in the weekend of the 19th, 20, 21....watch for special Cubs parking restrictions in the hood that Punch recommended.  There is a game each of those days, and Wrigley is down the street.  If you are coming this weekend, no worries, they are out of town.

 

Also, fold in your mirror on the street facing side if possible.  On some of the narrow streets, a kid and a U-Haul = no mirror.  Do not leave ANYTHING visible in the car...make the interior look like the cleanest car on the block....no sunglasses, bags...nothing. 

 

Bumping bumpers is completely normal and acceptable when parallel parking.  If you are anal about your car and are shocked when you see this happen....find a garage and pay to park.  It will be expensive though.

 

Not trying to scare you, but the parking police are ruthless on the north side.  If you follow this advice, and are certain that your spot is legal, you should have no problem and not find any surprises after your car-free weekend.

 

 

 

 

Oh yeah, when you get about 50 miles or so from Chicago, tune into AM 780 WBBM.  They do traffic every 10 minutes on the "8's". Taking 90 or 94 is a tossup, they both get you to the same place (though 90 has tolls and the skyway toll bridge).  The traffic report can help you decide.

I see that you like abandoned buildings too due to some of your threads.  Check out these "future" homes in Beverly Shores Indiana if you have time.

 

http://www.northwestindiana.com/traveler_fair_homes.htm

 

They are from the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, and were moved by barge on lake Michigan to Beverly Shores after the fair by a devoloper that was promoting his land subdivision there.  It failed, and the houses sit rotting.  They are cool, but be careful about going inside, they are now on Federal Land (Indiana Dunes National Park) and owned by the US govt.  You can easily walk around them though, and I went in the Cypress House through an unlocked window.

^Thanks for the heads up, those look awesome! We'll be kind of pressed for time coming back so I don't know if Brooke and I will be able to stop, but these definitely looking promising if Seicer and I get some friends together in the upcoming future, thanks metrocity!

my girlfriend goes to Depaul and I am there once a month.  Definitely use the CTA to get around once you ditch your car.  Lincoln Park is a blast.  If you are a sports fan, there are many OSu bars, and im unsure if the cubs are in town when you are there or not.  If you like arts go see blue man group, wicked, or see improv acting at second city in old town.  My personal favorite restaurant is on the corner of webster and halsted called the athenian room....great greek.