cloudboy

I am doing a weekend trip to Chicago. A couple of the sights I want to see is the Garfield Park Conservatory and Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oak Park, and the museum of Science and Industry. As i understand it those are slightly sketchy areas, and in the case of Oak Park the houses ar enot right near the Metro line.

Is it worth it to rent a car to see those areas? I know parking downtown is a royal pain and expensive, but I could get a halfway decent package deal at a hotel with parking, it just isn't my ideal choice otherwise. But maybe it makes more sense to have a car for those areas?

DebitNM

I can't answer specifically for Chicago, but we had similar issues in San Francisco, where hotel parking can be almost as much as a room [only kidding, well almost only kidding].

What worked for us - we rented a car for 1 day. We picked the car up first thing in morning {7:30} used it the entire day and then had it back by 5 pm. No hotel parking to worry about and we got a great rate from Dollar for the day's rental.

Just a thought..
Deb

kelliebellie

You could easily take a bus to Science and Industry. It would really be no problem at all and would cost just a few dollars, if that. And it would be perfectly safe.

Oak Park will be more of a problem using public transportation. Renting a car for that day would make sense like Debit suggests.

Citylghts

You can reach Oak Park and the Garfield Park Conservatory on the CTA's Green Line. While the neighborhood around Garfield can be a bit sketchy, the L station is within a block and you'll be fine in the daytime.

You can also Metra's Union Pacific-West Line from Ogilvie Station in the West Loop neighborhood. Check www.metrarail.com for schedules and fare info. While Metra is faster than the Green Line, trains run less frequently. On Saturdays, there is only 1 train per hour and Sundays it's one train every 2 hours.

For MSI, take the Number 10 bus. If you're north of the river, catch it along Michigan Avenue. If you're south of the river catch it on State Street. After it leaves The Loop, it will stop at the Museum Campus, then run express to the entrance of MSI.

You may want to look into transit passes. They allow unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses (not Pace buses or Metra trains). A 1-day pass is $5.75 and is available online at www.transitchicago.com or at several stores throughout the city. Check the CTA site for a list as well as maps and a trip planner.

doug_stallings

Is Oak Park considered sketchy? When I visited the Frank Lloyd Wright houses there, I did it by the Green Line, and I didn't really experience any problems at all. It was a pretty pleasant walk of a few blocks; granted, the houses aren't right as you step off the train, but it can't be more than a 5- to 10-minute walk. Then they are all clustered fairly conveniently together.

I've done all the museums by public transit and never experienced any problems. I have not visited Garfield Park.

kelliebellie

I don't think Oak Park itself is sketchy, but the way to Oak Park is sketchy. But then I guess that would mean you are safer on the train than the car. But really, even the sketchy areas in that neck of the woods aren't bad and would be fine to walk through during the day. But I'm from Detroit, so my sense of sketchy is a bit skewed.

CAPH52

I lived in Oak Park for three years, Berwyn (next suburb over) for 11 and, though now farther west, still live in the western suburbs. Oak Park is not sketchy. And getting there on either Metra (from Ogilvie Transportation Center) or the EL during the day isn't dangerous. (My husband takes that line of Metra every day, at varying hours, and has never had a problem. My kids and I have often taken it home late at night after a Cubs game. And I've never worried about them being on it late after a game, Lollapalooza or whatever.) IMHO, getting to Oak Park from the city either of those two ways makes a lot more sense than driving.

Obviously, this is a major metropolitan area, you have to use common sense and things do happen. But I certainly wouldn't worry about taking the train or the EL to Oak Park.

exiledprincess

No. Please don't get a rental car. No need for it - just an unnecessary expense, IMHO.

Is this your first trip to Chicago? Are you planning on visiting other places and attractions as well?

You have mentioned some very interesting places to explore; however, getting to each *will* entail quite a bit of time. So, if you already have a fairly full schedule for that weekend, IMHO, it might be best to leave these for another time - or at least only pick one of them.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation has several tours of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, including the Frank Lloyd Wright bus tour on Saturday (www.architecture.org/tour_view.aspx?TourID=86); and one on Sunday (www.architecture.org/tour_view.aspx?TourID=3). You can see the meeting places of each.

You know that there are several places in the downtown area where you can view the craft of FLW. The Rookery, for example. So if you cannot spare the time for the above tours, you might be interested in one of the other CAF tours downtown.

You might also consider the free Chicago Greeter service if and when you are going down to Hyde Park for the Museum of Science & Industry. (www.chicagogreeter.com) This is a very interesting neighborhood to explore (with much more than the MSI) and it sure helps if you have a local guiding you around. As mentioned above, the #10 bus will take you there. Please note that the hours are pretty limited on Sundays, since the museum doesn't open until 11:00 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. on that day.

Lastly, if you are going to the Garfield Park Conservatory, you might just want to join one of the free tours (free with the $1 paid admission to the conservatory, that is) given by their master gardener. Only held on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at 3:30 p.m.

Hope this information helps you a bit.

cloudboy

I am not a huge organized tour type of person - I prefer to wander and explore a lot. Which is why I was a bit concerned with Oak Park - while it itself I heard wasn't so bad, some of what I have read said that the neighboring areas get bad very quickly. That, and I heard that the Garfield area was pretty questionable too. But this may be out of date or make be a bit overly cautious.

I fly in Friday and fly out Sunday morning, so my thought was to hit Oak Park and the Garfield on my way into the city, then Saturday do the Museum of Science and Industry, and then maybe explore north or south along the coast. But I was thinking of staying downtown because I want to see Millennium Park and the riverfront at night.

exiledprincess

FYI, with respect to your interest in FLW, if you go inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio (museum) or the Robie House, you'll have to be in a guided tour.

happytrailstoyou

We spent ten days in Chicago without a car seeing everything you mention and much more by excellent public transport.

<FYI, with respect to your interest in FLW, if you go inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio (museum) or the Robie House, you'll have to be in a guided tour.>

And the tour is very much worth taking--especially for the office he built in his house to dazzle potential clients.