Chigo O'Hare layover
Mar 5th, 2014, 10:18 AM
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Chigo O'Hare layover
Thanks to American changing an awards ticket itinerary and giving us a 6:00am starting flight, now have an 8 hour layover at O'Hare prior to transatlantic connection.
Using a mindset that bags will be checked thru to Europe and only have backpack carry-ons, thinking of going into city from airport. Figuring 1 hour transit time into downtown, and 1 hour back, plus 1 hour to re-process thru security (no luggage to check), this should give us 4-5 hours in city.
Suggestions for how to use up the time ?? This will be early April so weather most probably will be a factor.
Using a mindset that bags will be checked thru to Europe and only have backpack carry-ons, thinking of going into city from airport. Figuring 1 hour transit time into downtown, and 1 hour back, plus 1 hour to re-process thru security (no luggage to check), this should give us 4-5 hours in city.
Suggestions for how to use up the time ?? This will be early April so weather most probably will be a factor.
Mar 5th, 2014, 11:37 AM
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Lunch, definitely. 
Have you been to Chicago before? If so, what have you done?
If the weather cooperates, one of the CAF boat tours would be fun, but early April may stand a good chance of being too chilly even if the times work with your schedule.
http://www.architecture.org/tours/boat-tours
Have you been to Chicago before? If so, what have you done?If the weather cooperates, one of the CAF boat tours would be fun, but early April may stand a good chance of being too chilly even if the times work with your schedule.
http://www.architecture.org/tours/boat-tours
Mar 9th, 2014, 09:22 AM
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Hi, nygvic0326.
Around what time of day will you have the 4-5 hours in the city? With a 6 am flight, sounds like you'll not have daylight hours. But assuming you do, I would...
...take the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) blue line train from O'Hare into the city. (You can buy the Ventra ticket at the vending machines there at the airport. You should be able to buy the ventra 1-day pass at O'Hare for $10, and as rides are $5 from airport to downtown, you may as well buy the pass. If the pass isn't available, you have to buy a pay per use ventra card.)
This train (after it leaves the O'Hare terminal) is above-ground to the city, then becomes a subway. I would ride the Blue Line/O'Hare train to the WASHINGTON stop, and transfer to the Red Line (take the pedestrian underpass to the red line). Take the Red Line northbound a couple stops to GRAND.
At Grand, take the southeast escalator exit up to street level. (You'll be in the courtyard of the AMA building, designed by Kenzo Tange-with the feng shui "cut out" on its top stories). Walk east (toward the Nordstrom or the Eataly banners on the buildings a block away.)
Go to Eataly for an espresso and to buy some snacks, like the gourmet chocolates, to keep your energy up as you walk. A nice place to wander around.
Kitty corner to Eataly, is the Medinah Temple building (now a Bloomingdale's Home store). Not worth going in, just an unusual example of Middle Eastern architecture in Chicago. If you look south from EAtaly (while standing on Wabash), you'll see the silver/glass Trump Tower.
After Eataly, walk 2 blocks east to Michigan Avenue.
While standing on Michigan Ave, looking left/north, you'll see lots of chain stores, maybe a glimpse of the historic Water Tower. But with so little time, I'd walk southbound toward the Chicago river, Millenium Park and the Loop. Lots of photo ops by the Wrigley Building, the Chicago Tribune Building, the skyscrapers that line the river. Cross the river, going south still on Michigan. Between the river/Wacker Drive and RAndolph, the sights are a bit ho-hum. Keep going. At the intersection with Randolph, there is the Chicago Cultural CEnter on the right (with a Tiffany Dome mosaic which is very impressive), and on the left is the start of Millenium Park.
Walk south through the park to see the Gehry auditorium, the "bean" or Cloud Gate sculpture, the Crown Fountain and the courtyards of the Art Institute. Around Monroe, or Jackson, walk west into the Loop (the downtown, business district that is "looped" by the elevated train). Pass Wabash, go to State Street, and take a right or go north.
The Target store on STate has a gorgeous Louis Sullivan iron facade. Further north, there's Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's), above the Walgreen's there's the floor to ceiling windows of the Joffrey Ballet dancers, and the Chicago Theatre.
Assuming you've stopped for coffees and lunch somewhere along the way, you might be about ready to catch the blue line train back to O'Hare. (Blue line station entrances along Dearborn Street, or by taking the pedestrian underpass from the shopping center on STate STreet (between RAndolph and Washington; where the Anthropologie, Eileen Fisher, Magnolia Baker, Disney store, is. Just take the escalator to pedestrian underpass to Blue line train).
You can download a CTA train and bus map here:
http://www.transitchicago.com/
The architecture cruise is very nice, too, but if timing doesn't work out, you can see many of the riverside buildings as you walk across the Michigan Ave. bridge.
As for lunch restaurants, you might like The Gage on Michigan Avenue, or getting a sandwich/salad at Pret a Manger (also on Michigan) and having a picnic in Millenium Park or the gorgeous, south garden of the Art Institute with the hawthorne trees and the Lorado TAft fountain. A casual pizza/pasta/salad place that is nice is the Vapiano on Wabash.
Hope it all works out for you and you have nice weather!
Around what time of day will you have the 4-5 hours in the city? With a 6 am flight, sounds like you'll not have daylight hours. But assuming you do, I would...
...take the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) blue line train from O'Hare into the city. (You can buy the Ventra ticket at the vending machines there at the airport. You should be able to buy the ventra 1-day pass at O'Hare for $10, and as rides are $5 from airport to downtown, you may as well buy the pass. If the pass isn't available, you have to buy a pay per use ventra card.)
This train (after it leaves the O'Hare terminal) is above-ground to the city, then becomes a subway. I would ride the Blue Line/O'Hare train to the WASHINGTON stop, and transfer to the Red Line (take the pedestrian underpass to the red line). Take the Red Line northbound a couple stops to GRAND.
At Grand, take the southeast escalator exit up to street level. (You'll be in the courtyard of the AMA building, designed by Kenzo Tange-with the feng shui "cut out" on its top stories). Walk east (toward the Nordstrom or the Eataly banners on the buildings a block away.)
Go to Eataly for an espresso and to buy some snacks, like the gourmet chocolates, to keep your energy up as you walk. A nice place to wander around.
Kitty corner to Eataly, is the Medinah Temple building (now a Bloomingdale's Home store). Not worth going in, just an unusual example of Middle Eastern architecture in Chicago. If you look south from EAtaly (while standing on Wabash), you'll see the silver/glass Trump Tower.
After Eataly, walk 2 blocks east to Michigan Avenue.
While standing on Michigan Ave, looking left/north, you'll see lots of chain stores, maybe a glimpse of the historic Water Tower. But with so little time, I'd walk southbound toward the Chicago river, Millenium Park and the Loop. Lots of photo ops by the Wrigley Building, the Chicago Tribune Building, the skyscrapers that line the river. Cross the river, going south still on Michigan. Between the river/Wacker Drive and RAndolph, the sights are a bit ho-hum. Keep going. At the intersection with Randolph, there is the Chicago Cultural CEnter on the right (with a Tiffany Dome mosaic which is very impressive), and on the left is the start of Millenium Park.
Walk south through the park to see the Gehry auditorium, the "bean" or Cloud Gate sculpture, the Crown Fountain and the courtyards of the Art Institute. Around Monroe, or Jackson, walk west into the Loop (the downtown, business district that is "looped" by the elevated train). Pass Wabash, go to State Street, and take a right or go north.
The Target store on STate has a gorgeous Louis Sullivan iron facade. Further north, there's Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's), above the Walgreen's there's the floor to ceiling windows of the Joffrey Ballet dancers, and the Chicago Theatre.
Assuming you've stopped for coffees and lunch somewhere along the way, you might be about ready to catch the blue line train back to O'Hare. (Blue line station entrances along Dearborn Street, or by taking the pedestrian underpass from the shopping center on STate STreet (between RAndolph and Washington; where the Anthropologie, Eileen Fisher, Magnolia Baker, Disney store, is. Just take the escalator to pedestrian underpass to Blue line train).
You can download a CTA train and bus map here:
http://www.transitchicago.com/
The architecture cruise is very nice, too, but if timing doesn't work out, you can see many of the riverside buildings as you walk across the Michigan Ave. bridge.
As for lunch restaurants, you might like The Gage on Michigan Avenue, or getting a sandwich/salad at Pret a Manger (also on Michigan) and having a picnic in Millenium Park or the gorgeous, south garden of the Art Institute with the hawthorne trees and the Lorado TAft fountain. A casual pizza/pasta/salad place that is nice is the Vapiano on Wabash.
Hope it all works out for you and you have nice weather!
Mar 9th, 2014, 06:17 PM
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Here are the restaurant links, if curious.
The Gage (a gastro-pub)
http://www.thegagechicago.com
Pret a Manger on S. Michigan Ave.
http://www.pret.com/us/find_a_pret/shops/US0057.shtm
Vapiano at 44 S Wabash
http://www.vapianointernational.com/...locations.html
The Gage (a gastro-pub)
http://www.thegagechicago.com
Pret a Manger on S. Michigan Ave.
http://www.pret.com/us/find_a_pret/shops/US0057.shtm
Vapiano at 44 S Wabash
http://www.vapianointernational.com/...locations.html
Mar 10th, 2014, 05:35 AM
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Don't mean to raise false issues, but make sure that you can leave and re-enter through security without triggering some TSA monitoring of baggage-with-passenger status.
That said, ChGo did a great job of sketching (carefully drawing) an itinerary! Think you're really pressed for time (esp. if you arrive late) but would second the architecture boat tour as a good way to see the city-panorama from some angles you couldn't possibly get on land.
That said, ChGo did a great job of sketching (carefully drawing) an itinerary! Think you're really pressed for time (esp. if you arrive late) but would second the architecture boat tour as a good way to see the city-panorama from some angles you couldn't possibly get on land.
