Chicago

[Buddy]

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I've never been to Chicago and am planning an interview there at U Chicago in Hyde Park. If someone familiar with the area could tell me, do I want to fly into Ohare or is there another airport that would be better? Also, how long would it take to get from the campus to the airport and can i use the L or will I need a car? Thanks in advance!

 

[ruthmd]

If you can, you might want to fly to Midway- it's closer, and depending on where you're coming from, may be cheaper since it's Southwest's big airport here. I'm not familiar with Hyde Park, if I were you, though, I'd take a cab- it would be much easier/more economical (depending on your hotel) than renting a car. Good luck!

 

[90oPulse]

Subway will take you to Hyde Park from both Midway or Ohare.

Midway is much closer so that should be your first choice.

http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/systemmaps.html

 

[mosche]

Also, parking in Chicago is terribly expensive and can be very inconvenient.

 

[earmuffs]

Midway's fine, as a lot of low budget carriers fly there. But I would STRONGLY DISCOURAGE you from taking the Green Line to U of C. It's only about a 4-5 block walk from the Garfield stop to U of C, but it's not a walk I would want to make alone, particularly in my interview suit (aka slowly moving target). Parts of Hyde Park are very nice. Lots of U of C professors live there, there's relatively low rent (for Chicago), and the HP actually does have some of the best police response times in the city (last I'd read, it was #2 to either Bridgeport or Lincoln Park, don't remember for sure). However, anything to the South or West of U of C is a little less safe.

From Midway, I have seen what look to be a number of U of C students on the X55 bus (thick glasses, lots of books in hand, afraid of making eye contact, you know the type 😉 ). There are a lot of nice old houses down Garfield Boulevard, but it's not the safest of neighborhoods between the airport and HP. For whatever it's worth, all CTA buses do have video cameras installed...whether they're actually recording or not is another story.

From downtown, most people going to U of C take the Metra Electric line (be careful...Randolph Street Station is a bit confusing, and you could easily end up on the South Shore, with no stops until Indiana!! 😱 ), or the old Jeffrey Express bus (they changed the name of the route...maybe Jackson express now?). It's a longer walk to the hospital, but through safer areas.

I'm a lifetime south sider who's visited U of C many times, and made some bad decisions in that part of town before ( allegedly sitting at the back of a south side green line train enjoying paper-bagged OE), but probably hasn't spent as much time getting back and forth from there as a current student escaping to the city or airports has. Any Maroon students have other input or transportation suggestions?


PS-to all U of C students who may have been offended by my description of them...before the hatemail starts, I was just kidding, my ladyfriend is one of your alums. Thus, all my visits to HP.