Hotel help/Soldier Field in Chicago, 9/12-14
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Hotel help/Soldier Field in Chicago, 9/12-14
I've been trying to Priceline a hotel for my upcoming trip to see U2 at Soldier Field. (Even if we end up "homeless" for the weekend, I'm not sure I'll care as long as I get to see Edge. But you know, a shower would still be helpful.) I'm going with a friend, and we've both gotten good deals in Chicago (under $100/night in the Streeterville area) using Hotwire in the past, but none are showing up for that weekend. So I decided to try Priceline, but so far no luck. So far I've only allowed the North Michigan/River North area, because I know that will be close to a lot of things and it's where I've liked staying before. (It'll be my third trip.)
However, I'm thinking about expanding the zones in hopes of getting a room for around $100-$120. Any thoughts about the Lincoln Park or Millennium Park/Loop areas for this trip? My main concerns are safety (though I don't think that'll be an issue with either), proximity to touristy things and public transportation, and how easy it will be to get back to the area from Soldier Field after the show on a Sunday night. Neither of us are familiar with the Lincoln Park area; so far I think both of us have stuck to mostly downtown sightseeing. I did stay at the Essex Inn on my first trip to Chicago, which is in the Millennium Park zone. It was OK, but the area felt kind of deserted at night. That was three years ago, though. I'm pretty OK with staying in any of the three areas, as long as we'll feel safe, there are things to do/places to eat/etc close by, and we can get back pretty easily after the show. My plan was to just catch a cab from the stadium, but my friend is wondering if cabs will be in short supply with thousands of people leaving at once!
Anyway, hopefully that isn't too detailed, but any advice you can give would be great! I did look at the calendar of wins on betterbidding.com; one lucky person got a 3* in the NMA/River North zone for that weekend, but the others listed are all in the Millennium Park/Loop area.
However, I'm thinking about expanding the zones in hopes of getting a room for around $100-$120. Any thoughts about the Lincoln Park or Millennium Park/Loop areas for this trip? My main concerns are safety (though I don't think that'll be an issue with either), proximity to touristy things and public transportation, and how easy it will be to get back to the area from Soldier Field after the show on a Sunday night. Neither of us are familiar with the Lincoln Park area; so far I think both of us have stuck to mostly downtown sightseeing. I did stay at the Essex Inn on my first trip to Chicago, which is in the Millennium Park zone. It was OK, but the area felt kind of deserted at night. That was three years ago, though. I'm pretty OK with staying in any of the three areas, as long as we'll feel safe, there are things to do/places to eat/etc close by, and we can get back pretty easily after the show. My plan was to just catch a cab from the stadium, but my friend is wondering if cabs will be in short supply with thousands of people leaving at once!
Anyway, hopefully that isn't too detailed, but any advice you can give would be great! I did look at the calendar of wins on betterbidding.com; one lucky person got a 3* in the NMA/River North zone for that weekend, but the others listed are all in the Millennium Park/Loop area.
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The likely reason you're having difficulty finding an inexpensive hotel is that weekend there is a printers' convention with 75,000 attendees expected and the Chicago Half Marathon. That's in addition to another 7,200 people who are expected for other meetings between Sept 10 and 18.
The Loop and Millennium Park area aren't as lively after 5 pm as River North and the Mag Mile as they have more offices and banks. However, they're safe and a quick bus, cab ride or walk to North Michigan Ave.
The Lincoln Park area is also good and you'd be able to reach The Loop and Soldier Field via the Red or Brown Line L or the Number 22, 36 or 151 buses. I should mention that within the last couple weeks, there have been a number of high-profile muggings around Lincoln Park, however all have occurred in the wee hours and were men walking alone. In any case, exercise common sense wherever you choose.
To leave Soldier Field, you can walk a block north to the Field Museum and catch the Number 146 bus. It will travel up State Street through The Loop, then head to Michigan Avenue before running express to the Lakeview Neighborhood.
For complete transit info and a trip planner, check www.transitchicago.com.
The Loop and Millennium Park area aren't as lively after 5 pm as River North and the Mag Mile as they have more offices and banks. However, they're safe and a quick bus, cab ride or walk to North Michigan Ave.
The Lincoln Park area is also good and you'd be able to reach The Loop and Soldier Field via the Red or Brown Line L or the Number 22, 36 or 151 buses. I should mention that within the last couple weeks, there have been a number of high-profile muggings around Lincoln Park, however all have occurred in the wee hours and were men walking alone. In any case, exercise common sense wherever you choose.
To leave Soldier Field, you can walk a block north to the Field Museum and catch the Number 146 bus. It will travel up State Street through The Loop, then head to Michigan Avenue before running express to the Lakeview Neighborhood.
For complete transit info and a trip planner, check www.transitchicago.com.
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Oh, wow... yep, that would explain it. I knew there was a convention (though I'd heard 50,000) and the Cubs and U2 are both in town, but didn't realize the half marathon was that weekend as well! It sounds like any of those areas would work. I didn't know if the bus routes would be running by Soldier Field as late as we'd probably need them Sunday, but as far as I can tell the 146 runs till after midnight. For some reason I had the impression (even after looking at a map) that the L didn't go very close to Soldier Field, but it doesn't look like a bad walk to the Roosevelt stop.
Thanks for mentioning the muggings. We're not likely to be out terribly late and have been in big cities before, but it's definitely worth a reminder. Thanks so much for your help!
Thanks for mentioning the muggings. We're not likely to be out terribly late and have been in big cities before, but it's definitely worth a reminder. Thanks so much for your help!
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Just wanted to give "closure" in case anyone else doing a search is having a similar experience. Though originally we weren't planning on spending a ton (based on our previous successes), we eventually decided we were going to have to either stay near the airport or suck it up and pay more. We tried lots of Priceline bids, and looked at Hotwire and Quikbook, and finally got a room at the Westin River North on Hotwire for $234/night. That's substantially more than our original plans but, I think, a decent deal for that hotel at this time of year. By this morning we were both ready to call it a "vacation splurge" and just find somewhere already. And I'm really excited about staying there - besides the hotel itself, the location looks great. Thanks to Citylghts for the input! Even though we ended up in the area we were planning on originally, you definitely helped me feel better about getting "home" after the show.
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