NYGUY

Anyone stayed at the Comfort Inn Chicago on 601 W. Diversey street? I got a rate of $68 dollars a night and am wondering if anyone has any comments on the hotel. I am looking for a clean basic place to crash. How convenient is it to the EL? (i want to just take the EL from Ohare). Is it a safe area? I am primarily interested in going out to bars in Boystown..is it a good base for that?

Racy

It's a great location for Boystown, and should be OK at that price. I've heard it was (at one time, don't know any more) preferable to the Rock-N-Roll Days Inn across the street. It's a very safe area, as Chicago is concerned.

Here's the bad news: It is convenient to the El, but not terribly convenient to the El line that goes to O'Hare. You'll have to take the El from O'Hare into the Loop, to Clark and Lake, then you'll have to go up the escalators to the Ravenswood (brown) line, and take that to Diversey. So it'll take at least an hour from O'Hare to the hotel, including waiting for trains.
HTH,
Racy

DB

More like an hour and a half to the hotel.

NYGUY

I figured about an hour and a half on the subway..can anyone give me directions..i find the map a littel confusing. Is it an OK area to walk around late at night..say after the bars close? Also..how close to downtown is it for sightseeing during the day?

DB

Its as safe to work around in night as any area in Chicago.

The other poster gave pretty good directions.

Take the Blue line fron O'Hare to Clark and Lake. (40-45 minutes maybe)

Switch to the Ravenswood Brown line (ask someone there for directions.

Take the Ravenswood line to Diversey. (20 to 25 minutes)

Get off at Diversey and walk east (toward the lake) for about 10 to 15 minutes. Its on your right near a grocery store.

DB

I should add that there are busses you can take downtown to if you get sick of walking to the el station. Clark St. bus isn't too bad. I think there's another one near the lake that might even be faster. Ask at the hotel. You can get into the loop 20 minutes to half an hour on busses.

Racy

If you close the bars, you might not get in much sightseeing!

Seriously -- you should be fine walking around. I know I've stumbled around that area many times without anything happening.

Downtown is about 20 minutes away by El -- You'll need to switch to the Red Line (State Street Subway) for North Michigan Avenue, etc. There's not much in the Loop on weekends.

Have fun!

HTH,
Racy