For ICO students OR those who interviewed at ICO

[hopeful_opt]

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Hi,

I have an interview at ICO, and the Applicant Host Program is not available. So, I have to stay in a hotel, which is ok because I will be staying an extra few nights to visit Chicago (a mini-vacation!). The school has recommended Hyatt McCormick (2233 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr), is this within walking distance, or would it be better to take a cab for the interview? Would it be a better idea to stay in a hotel downtown near the tourist attractions and then take a cab for the interview?

Thanks for the help!

p.s. I'm from Canada - is there a cab etiquette in Chicago? can you call ahead of time and reserve a cab or do you have to flag one down?

 

[jefguth]

Hi,

I have an interview at ICO, and the Applicant Host Program is not available. So, I have to stay in a hotel, which is ok because I will be staying an extra few nights to visit Chicago (a mini-vacation!). The school has recommended Hyatt McCormick (2233 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr), is this within walking distance, or would it be better to take a cab for the interview? Would it be a better idea to stay in a hotel downtown near the tourist attractions and then take a cab for the interview?

Thanks for the help!

p.s. I'm from Canada - is there a cab etiquette in Chicago? can you call ahead of time and reserve a cab or do you have to flag one down?

Anywhere you stay you'll have to take a cab, even the Hyatt at McCormick placeis just outside of walking distance. The Hyatt is also a convention centre so it shouldn't be too hard to find a cab the morning of your interview. If there isn't too much of a cost difference I would just find a hotel in Downtown Chicago, it will be more convenient for your mini vacation - there really isn't anything located around the Hyatt, but they do have a shuttle to downtown.

 

[JeffChou]

Hi,

I have an interview at ICO, and the Applicant Host Program is not available. So, I have to stay in a hotel, which is ok because I will be staying an extra few nights to visit Chicago (a mini-vacation!). The school has recommended Hyatt McCormick (2233 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr), is this within walking distance, or would it be better to take a cab for the interview? Would it be a better idea to stay in a hotel downtown near the tourist attractions and then take a cab for the interview?

Thanks for the help!

p.s. I'm from Canada - is there a cab etiquette in Chicago? can you call ahead of time and reserve a cab or do you have to flag one down?

Theres also a nice clean hostel in the middle of the downtown Loop (http://www.hichicago.org/) that might be cheaper and closer to the city. You can catch a bus outside 2 blocks away on Michigan Ave down 32 blocks to ICO for $2.25 and 15 minutes. If you're cutting it close you can always find a cab on Michigan Ave in the loop and the cab will take like 10 minutes (about 10 dollars?). Unless you're going with some friends and splitting the hotel, I think this would be a very budget conscious choice (~$30-35 a night in a shared room) if you can handle having other people in the same room with you. It's also much closer to everything else in the city than McCormick place, which is a giant convention center in the South Loop.

If you need a cab, you can flag one down almost anywhere downtown, especially on the main roads. If it's an odd hour or you're somewhere empty, or just want to be safe, you can call one 312 taxi-cab and they'll send a close one over (but no guarantees about how long it might take).

Good Luck

 

[hopeful_opt]

thanks for the tips! i'm travelling alone - but it seems like you can't have a room to yourself in the hostel, so that wouldn't work, i guess i'll just stay in a hotel near the magnificient mile (do you know how much it would be to take a cab from there to ICO?).

Also, do you have any suggestions for fun things to do by yourself in Chicago?

 

[ykim637]

I definitely wanted to make the most out of my stay in Chicago as well so I did plan quite a bit for my mini-trip. My brother came along because he wanted to check out some schools in Chicago as well.

I stayed at Silversmith Hotel in the Downtown Loop area when I went for my interview at ICO. It was walking distance to the Millenium Park, Art Institute of Chicago (Museum), great restaurants, Sears Tower, the Lake, CSA, and of course, shopping along State St!

Luckily, I did get to stay at the RC the night before the interview, but I did take a cab the night before to ICO from the Downtown Loop area and it cost less than $10 including tip. The cab ride took only ~7 minutes or so but that's because I traveled at night..not sure about the morning.

I didn't get to go the shopping area in Mag. Mile, but I heard they have everything there. Have fun, and good luck with your interview!

 

[prettygreeneyes]

When I interviewed at ICO (almost 4 years ago... eek!) I stayed at the Hyatt McCormick. It is a nice hotel, but like everyone else says, it is not within walking distance of the school, and is a ways from downtown. If you are going to have to take a cab to get to the school anyway, may as well do it from a hotel in downtown, where you can walk to other attractions for the rest of your mini-vacation.

Catching a cab shouldn't be a problem. Almost every hotel I saw had a line of them waiting for the next fare.

Good luck!

PGE