eileenleft

I got my sister & niece tickets for LionKing but sister is afraid to drive into the city.

I can't tell from the CTA map-is there a way she can come in on I90, park the car and take the El into the loop? Coming from the north I park at Cumberland and take the blue line in for the day. Does such a place exist when coming from Indiana?

Yikes. Tickets are for next Wednesday. Thanks in advance.

Citylghts

Is she going to the matinee or evening show? There are several park and ride lots along the orange line. She could take the L to Washington and only have a 1 blk walk to the theatre.

Would the Metra Electric line work for her? She would exit the train at Randolph and Michigan, only 5 blocks from the Palace. Because it has a reputation as being unreliable, I'll mention the South Shore Line from IN as a last possibility if all else fails.

flamingomonkey

The Metra Electric would be the best option. She can enter Illinois via U.S. 30, and avoid the traffic nightmare that is 80/94. If she takes U.S. 30 to Matteson, less than 10 miles west of the state line, she can park there and take the train into the city. There's no overnight parking though. If it's an evening show, and they are planning to spend the night, there are several hotels in Matteson.

check

www.metrarail.com

for details on Metra Electric service.

JJ5

There was a thread on this eileenleft just recently. In it, I and several other disagreed, but Chesterton was the point in question. If you park and took the train from Chesterton IN, exiled princess said it was easily doable. Look into that system, of that I have no personal knowledge.

I myself would not use any park n ride from the South running els in question. Crime is much better than it was, but to my mind I would not suggest red line or green line, at least not parking from the south ends.

Someone here suggested orange, but if you take that you are in for a 2 hour drive to get to it BEFORE you get on a train or subway.

The truth is that with construction at the IL/IN border what it is, it is just easier to drive down and park downtown from that direction. Some said to park near the Greyhound station on 95th St. I wouldn't and those cars have just been drilled, popped and vandalized two weeks ago.

I've studied this, since I am far SW and I have a whole troup of young ones going to Wicked in Oct on a weekend. And on a weekday it would be a piece of cake. The only train that runs on the weekends is the Chicago/Joliet line. If you drive down I-80 and take the Tinley Park exit and drive to the Tinley Park 80th Ave. station (there are TWO stations in T.Park)you will have to pay a $1.00 parking fee and an extra fee on the train for buying a ticket from the conductor. BUT the up side is that you will have easy access to the show (LA SALLE ST. STATION)and you will have an intact car and safe surroundings when you return. Another down side is that the train only runs every couple of hours each way on the week ends, whereas on weekdays it's through about every 12 to 20 minutes. That means I myself would be waiting for 1-1/2 hours minimum with 3 kids under 10 who have already been out for 10 hours. I don't know if I want to do that after such a long day.

But I DO KNOW that the Metra Chicago-Joliet is very, very reliable. $5.00 entire weekend special fare for all directions (plus $2.00 fee for buying it on the train if you don't pay at an attended station). The trouble for you is that the station itself may be hard for you to access from I-80. The skyway into the city by car is a whole lot easier, especially right now.

Check out the Metra Chicago-Joliet weekend schedule and see if any of its stops appeal to you for a park or to access from where you are.

Sorry for the length of this. There is no easy way to get through with most of the roads torn up. Actually you ask about CTA maps, but in the direction you are concerned with by the time you get to CTA territory you are past all the worst driving already.

JJ5

Be very careful about using ANY of the Metra lines unless you check the schedules online.

JJ5

Matteson is ok, but be aware that Rt. 30 as suggested has been under construction too, is bumper to bumper from all the trucks leaving I-80.

And in Tinley if you pay the very small parking fee ahead $1 per day, I'm sure you could leave it all night if you wanted to.

There are excellent hotels on I-80 & Harlem or I-80 and LaGrange Rd. as well with free parking.

JJ5

NOW, I notice that you said WEDNESDAY.

Use the Metra and study their schedules for the easiest access station to you.

But it still will be easier for her to just take the Chicago skyway and avoid the construction.

wsoxrebel

Although far far east, Chesterton IN has always been a safe option for a Metra stop going back to Chicago.

Recently, I had a good experience taking the Metra from the newly remodeled Hammond IN station (free parking, clean and safe)

eileenleft

Hey, thanks alot everyone! My computer is going up and down and I am just now able to access it again. I am going to look into your suggestions.
They are coming from South Bend and I am meeting them for the matinee.
I will figure out their plan and email it to them. Your help makes it possible.
Lion King will be worth it!

tomboy

I thought the South Shore Line had 2 routes into Chicago: via Michigan City, and via South Bend. Do they now call that the Metra, or are we talking about two different services?

JJ5

That's the big discussion that went on last week. Some trains are totally unreliable and are Amtrak, not the same as Metra at all. Metra was deemed the answer.

tomboy

So, what is Metra? Is it the same or different than the "South Shore Line" which I have ridden approx once/twice a year from Michigan City?

Citylghts

JJ, Eileen didn't initially say from which part of IN her sister was coming. Since she mentioned CTA, it was possible that her sister was comfortable driving in the less-congested areas but not downtown (she also didn't say). Were that the case, the orange line may have suited her needs. Granted the stations are farther than the Metra Electric line, but it also runs more frequently. While it probably wasn't the best option for her, it was one of the options available.

TB, Metra is the agency that operates commuter trains within the six counties of NE Illinois. The South Shore operates trains between Chicago and Northern Indiana.

JJ5

If you google Metra South Shore you will get the answer, it's too complicated for me to explain and that was what all the "discussion/disagreement" went on about last week. And I wasn't in on it, but was told the South Bend line and the Kalamazoo line both are quite different from the Metra Electric from Chesterton.

The Metra Electric from Chesterton was the one highly suggested.

When you read their (South Shore) explanation it says it "merges" and shares station with Metra Electric.

eileenleft

Wish I could find last week's post-even hitting JJs name doesn't bring it up.
I did forget to say South Bend but appreciate all the info. It looks like they can leave from Chesterton or Hammond and get there easily and not have terribly difficult driving.
Whoohoo Lion King!

JJ5

Yes, I tried to find it too. exiled princess gave the most definitive Chesterton information.

I notice that lots of posts are not indexing correctly on this page/site.

You will have a ball! Loved Lion King too.

exiledprincess

Eileenleft, your sister and niece can pick up the South Shore in South Bend too. The only thing to keep in mind is that not all South Shore trains go as far as South Bend from Chicago, so check the schedules carefully, especially if you have an evening performance. Quite a few more trains go as far as Chesterton. (ALL trains go as far as Gary.)

The website you need for the time table and prices is for the NICTD.

Citylghts, you mentioned that South Shore has a "reputation" for unreliability. This is something which I have not heard nor experienced. Not to discredit that comment, but I have to ask: Have you ever taken the South Shore?

Just as a brief explanation, the South Shore (which is different than Metra) is an electric train which travels from South Bend (certain trains) to Chicago with stops at many places in Indiana many times a day. Because the trains get their power from plates which float under overhead lines, extremely hot or extremely cold temperatures affects those overhead lines. So if you aren't traveling at either of those times, you shouldn't worry any about their on-time record (unless there is track work going on, obviously--check their website to see if anything is going on).

Anyway, as I mentioned in the previous post, the South Shore is a reliable, normally on-time alternative to driving into Chicago from the east - which I feel visitors should know about.

Hope this information helps a bit!

exiledprincess

Eileenleft, by the way, the Chesterton station is called "Dune Park". It's really about 2 miles north of Chesterton on US12.

Citylghts

I've never taken the South Shore myself but worked with someone who rode it regularly. She was often late and always blamed the train. When I asked others, including some who rode Metra Electric, they told me that the SS line had frequent problems. Since I'd heard this from several people, it seemed to be a widely-held opinion. When I was planning to take the SS, the same people discouraged me from doing so.

Since she left the office about 3 yrs ago, things could have changed at the SS. Of course, things could have been fine all along and everyone may have been covering for her with the new boss.

exiledprincess

Citylghts, I've personally been using the South Shore for 25+ years. I used to live out that way and commuted into Chicago daily, but even now that I'm living in Chicago, I still often go out to visit friends in Indiana (very minimum being a couple times a month) and they me, using the South Shore. In addition, about 15 people in my office commute in on the South Shore everyday.

After I saw your earlier post, I asked a few of them if there were any delays or problems with the SS service and they indicated their experience was the same as mine.

Not to doubt your co-worker, but the South Shore has morning trains spaced approximately every 20 minutes apart (unless she was traveling from some spot east of Michigan City). There was the time where a lot of work was being done at the Michigan/Randolph station because of Millennium Park - and the South Shore and Metra trains were all using different tracks because of the construction - but riders were advised of the delays in advance. Also, when track work was being performed and there was an area where individuals were being transported by bus vs. train for a short while - again, the riders were warned in advance.

What I'd suggest is that if you want a nice one-day get-a-way, try taking the South Shore out to the Indiana Dunes National Park ("Dune Park" station), the Lighthouse Outlet Mall in Michigan City ("11th Street" stop) or even to a Notre Dame home football game ("South Bend"). I think you'll enjoy the ride.

Eileenleft, after your sister's and niece's trip in, please post a little note to let us know their experience!

By the way, the South Shore station at Randolph/Michigan is directly across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park and right at the Chicago Cultural Center - so if they came in a little early, they could enjoy some sights before heading to the show.

P.S. The Dune Park lots gets REALLY full with cars of those commuting into Chicago for work. If the Dune Park lot is completely filled, the next stop west is Ogden Dunes, but I think it's a flagstop. Check the South Shore schedule to confirm.