help me pick from these CHI hotels

[yankee]

thanks louieB cant wait .. I will visit a couple CHICAGO FIRE stations as I am a LA county fireman..

 

looking very forward to the shows .. I hear nothing but great things about CHICAGO..

 

I hope you have fun and won't be too put off by our Feb. weather. That's the time of year I always start to think about moving someplace warmer. then spring comes just in time and Chicago is awesome again.

[Chris_H_2]

I hope you have fun and won't be too put off by our Feb. weather. That's the time of year I always start to think about moving someplace warmer. then spring comes just in time and Chicago is awesome again.

 

It was 65 degrees here yesterday!

[yankee]

It was 65 degrees here yesterday!

 

true, but who knows what it will be like in Feb.

[renic]

true, but who knows what it will be like in Feb.

 

15 degrees.

[Chris_H_2]

15 degrees.

 

Nah, that's April . . .

[Edie]

Like last year's tweedy show at the VIC -- CRAZY cold that night

[barnyard pimp]

Sorry to cover old ground but I've been searching and searching online and it seems like most hotels close to the Riv don't actually have websites online where you can book (which is probably a sign...), so I'd really like to know if somebody could tell me:

 

- where is a relatively affordable ($70-100 a night) place to stay either within a 5-minute cab ride from the Riv, or on some type of foreigner-friendly public transit route that will be running after the show?

 

- any comments on the closest listed hotels: Aragon Arms Hotel, Darlington Hotel, Lorali Hotel, Northmere the SRO Hotel, and Wilson Men's Hotel ? (I can make inferences about a few...)

 

Any help would be appreciated, I'm getting anxious to book my rooms...

 

THANKS

[LouieB]

Sorry to cover old ground but I've been searching and searching online and it seems like most hotels close to the Riv don't actually have websites online where you can book (which is probably a sign...), so I'd really like to know if somebody could tell me:

 

- where is a relatively affordable ($70-100 a night) place to stay either within a 5-minute cab ride from the Riv, or on some type of foreigner-friendly public transit route that will be running after the show?

 

- any comments on the closest listed hotels: Aragon Arms Hotel, Darlington Hotel, Lorali Hotel, Northmere the SRO Hotel, and Wilson Men's Hotel ? (I can make inferences about a few...)

 

Any help would be appreciated, I'm getting anxious to book my rooms...

 

THANKS

Read the thread more carefully. Do NOT try ANY of the hotels that you have listed, unless you are a very intrepid traveler or just simply like squalor. I won't say these places are bad, I have not been in any of them, but I am going to guess they are not so great. I worked in Uptown for years and frankly it is NOT the place to stay unless you want some adventure dealing with the homeless, possible drug addicts and hookers. You do NOT have to be a 5 minute ride to the Riv. It is near the El and as long as you are near that you are no more than half an hour from downtown (even with the CTA running like shit). Go for something near north or downtown or Evanston. The Margaretta Inn in Evanston is sort of European.

 

I am not trying to scare you about any of this, but remember Chicago is a big city and while Uptown has cleaned up in recent years, it can still be a VERY difficult neighborhood. I know there are folks here who live there and I have friends that live there too, but it is not for tourists. Stay downtown or near north. If you have to stay somewhere cheap, try a motel out by the Bend, an area on Lincoln Avenue. (rt 41). While many of those places are sort of sleezy, they may not be as sleezy as the ones in Uptown. The Heart of Chicago Motel (not on the Bend) is actually an okay place think and not far from the Riv. I have not mentioned that before, but it is on Ridge Ave near Peterson.

 

edit- A few years ago we had a long and contentious discussion about what is safe and what is not safe about Chicago. I am not trying to scare a soul here or make Chicago sound forboding, but let's be honest it is a big city. One of my coworkers who lives in Lakeview had his car broken into yesterday. Shit happens and rather than ruin a wonderful Wilco weekend, don't do something stupid and leave your care unattended for long periods of time. Leave that to the natives like us who have to park on the street (I have had four cars stolen, so I know what I am talking about including one or was it two from right in front of my house and I live in a pretty good neighborhood.) (I had one stolen in broad daylight in Uptown outside the office where I worked which had window over looking the parking lot.) Dont stay places that aren't reputable, spend the extra dough. The CTA is perfectly safe if you have your wits about you, but don't take it at 3 AM half in the bag. Don't wander the side streets of Uptown late at night either and please please realize it can be gawd awful cold here in February, so bring lots of warm clothes if you are doing the Wilco Wait in Line (see you there in one piece okay.)

 

LouieB

 

LouieB

[LouieB]

Rant number 2.....

 

I just went and took a shower and thought about this some more. I don't want to spoil anyone's good time, because I don't know what is a good time to you. If you are a great admirer of Jack Kerouac or William Burroughs or perhaps more to the point Charles Bukowski, the Uptown SROs might just be your thing (cavorting with hookers, partying with the down and out, hanging with the junkies), otherwise stick to the tried and true; if there are reviews on the internet (and I know everyone knows how to find them) then read the reviews and if they seem reasonable go there. The reason the Wilson Mens Hotel and the Northmere are NOT on there is that tourists don't stay those places.

 

Uptown is an historic and interesting neighborhood. I was just there yesterday at the Unique Thrift Shop which I recommend highly if you are looking for cheap clothes. There are books (lots of them) written about Uptown and it has been the port of entry for many groups looking to get a foothold in both Chicago and the USA. I worked there for 10 years with the Vietnamese and highly recommend a look around during the day (there are great Asian restaurants, Mexican restaurants and some rather upscale joints a couple yards from the Riv actually). But it was also the neighborhood where when the state hospitals were cleared out in the early 70s they dumped a bunch of unsuspecting folks and it is still home to a wide variety of homeless shelters and soup kitchens, so you can find a place to stay and eat if you are so inclined. So while the real estate folks have had their eye on the place for years and have turned multi family apartments into yuppie pads, there is still plenty of interesting stuff going on out on the streets.

 

But if you are a regular traveler or just a rock tourist wanting to see Wilco, go with the crowd, stay off the side streets late at night alone and hang with the regulars on the sidewalk. Be smart and be safe. If you want a tour of Uptown and want to know some interesting areas to go to, PM me. But frankly I would be wary of the Wilson El stop (the Riv is by the Lawrence stop), Wilson and Sheridan and Argyle and Sheridan areas. There used to be some very rough bars in Uptown (Sharon's Hillbilly Heaven and the Wooden Nickel are gone I believe) so pick your drinking locations carefully too. Don't go smoking a joint in a dark alley unless you want to share with the neighbors. You will be hit up for spare change in Uptown, so go with your concience on this. But don't miss checking out the Green Mill, if only to stop in and see the place some afternoon, check out Shake, Rattle and Read half a block up on Broadway, which has some interesting stuff, nearby Andersonville has super great restaurants, bars (the Hopleaf is particularly fine) and shops. And don't hestitate to walk around the area during the afternoons at all. The area between Lawrence and the Wilson el stop is very interesting (south on Broadway, and there is a great and very sleezy pizza joint that has great slices for cheap just a block from the Riv on the opposite side of the street. The Army Navy store nearby has cool stuff too. I know some pho joints up the street near Aryle Street that are excellent and there are some great Hong Kong style Chinese delis on Aryle if you like Chinese noodle soup, duck or pork. The corner of Lawrence and Broadway was somewhere I worked for many years and I love it there. The Riv, the Aragon Ballroom, the Uptown Theater (sadly closed for decades) and the Green Mill make this one of the most historic corners in all of Chicago. (Did I mention I worked there???)

 

For all those who care, there is a Starbucks immediately across the street in the Uptown Bank building (now called something else, but used to house Wilco's manager and my checking account). Anyway, this entire weekend is shaping up to be really really great, so do enjoy Uptown and don't be scared, just be street wise (which is also the name of a newspaper the homeless sell, so buy one if you like.) And leave the Uptown SRO's to the sociologists and Bukowski fans. Find somewhere with fewer roaches and bedbugs okay??

 

LouieB

[tangara]

barnyard, book the Days Inn Lincoln Park and you should be fine. It's a very safe area, close to the train and about a 7-10 minute cab to the Riv.

[Chris_H_2]

barnyard, book the Days Inn Lincoln Park and you should be fine. It's a very safe area, close to the train and about a 7-10 minute cab to the Riv.

 

That's exactly what I suggested. It's cheap (relatively speaking), and it's nice. I send my parents there when the wife and I don't want them staying with us. The one problem is that the Diversey el stop is closed for repairs. It's a healthy walk to the next closest red-line stop at Belmont, or the brown line at Wellington (at which case you'll have to transfer at Belmont anyway).

[VenusStopsTrain2]

That does look like a great recommendation for a hotel! I've been looking for somewhere to stay as well and that one is affordable and appears clean and definately close to the Riv.

[tangara]

That's exactly what I suggested. It's cheap (relatively speaking), and it's nice. I send my parents there when the wife and I don't want them staying with us. The one problem is that the Diversey el stop is closed for repairs. It's a healthy walk to the next closest red-line stop at Belmont, or the brown line at Wellington (at which case you'll have to transfer at Belmont anyway).

 

True that. One could also take the Broadway bus, too, which stops less than a block away.

 

And, for reals, it would be a $10 cab. Totally worth it, IMO. Taking the train to/from a Riv show is kind of overrated (unless you're from out of town and just want to have the experience of riding the El).

[replacements75]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Hyatt Regency on East Wacker Drive?

[Drinky Crow]

That's exactly what I suggested. It's cheap (relatively speaking), and it's nice. I send my parents there when the wife and I don't want them staying with us. The one problem is that the Diversey el stop is closed for repairs. It's a healthy walk to the next closest red-line stop at Belmont, or the brown line at Wellington (at which case you'll have to transfer at Belmont anyway).

And it's a block from Jake's Pub, one of the greatest bars in the city.

[yankee]

And leave the Uptown SRO's to the sociologists and Bukowski fans. Find somewhere with fewer roaches and bedbugs okay??

 

LouieB

 

Yes, I think we locals are trying to say that the single room occupancy hotels near the Riv are used mainly by people who would otherwise be in homeless shelters. The SROs aren't for tourists or travelers. People LIVE there, and some of the residents are probably homeless between their stays at the SROs. Or they're in jail. Or they're in a mental institution.

 

If that's not your scene, definitely stay somewhere else. And really, I don't know of any decent, normal hotels in the area immediately around the Riv.

 

If you're really on the cheap, a youth hostel would be a better, cleaner, and safer bet. There's a big international hostel downtown near the Art Institute. Otherwise, that Lincoln Park Days Inn is a good idea too.

[LouieB]

barnyard, book the Days Inn Lincoln Park and you should be fine. It's a very safe area, close to the train and about a 7-10 minute cab to the Riv.

That is where I would stay...

 

That's exactly what I suggested. It's cheap (relatively speaking), and it's nice. I send my parents there when the wife and I don't want them staying with us. The one problem is that the Diversey el stop is closed for repairs. It's a healthy walk to the next closest red-line stop at Belmont, or the brown line at Wellington (at which case you'll have to transfer at Belmont anyway).

Good call. The Brown line has some issues at the moment. It is still a pretty close cab ride.

 

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the Hyatt Regency on East Wacker Drive?

Totally groovy place to stay....not so close to the el, but nice.

 

.

 

If you're really on the cheap, a youth hostel would be a better, cleaner, and safer bet. There's a big international hostel downtown near the Art Institute. Otherwise, that Lincoln Park Days Inn is a good idea too.

Actually I had one more thought....there is an Uptown youth hostel I think up on Winthrop or Kenmore. Some reviews are mixed, but compared to the SROs it would be okay I think. Again it will not be as nice as the one downtown, but I suspect at least the Uptown one is relatively clean, very close and reasonably safe.

 

LouieB

[replacements75]

Hey,

 

LouieB thanks for the heads up on the proximity to the El. I thought it didn't look too far on the map, like a few blocks away or something. I got my hotel there through Priceline. I bid 60 bucks a night for a 4 or 5 star hotel in the Loop and thats what they gave me. Not bad I figured even if its not incredibly close to the Riv. I'll be there for the Residency and will be doing some touristy stuff during the days. I was going to do the Hostel thing but then I figured for not too much more I could have my own room. Not a bad deal. I would suggest Priceline to everyone. I never used it before and I think it got me a nice hotel. Of course I'll have to see what kind of room I get.

 

Luke

[cryptique]

Actually I had one more thought....there is an Uptown youth hostel I think up on Winthrop or Kenmore. Some reviews are mixed, but compared to the SROs it would be okay I think. Again it will not be as nice as the one downtown, but I suspect at least the Uptown one is relatively clean, very close and reasonably safe.

It's on Winthrop, in the 6300 block I believe (I used to live in the 6200 block). Might be OK, but security would be an issue. Don't leave anything there unattended, even for a few minutes (I'm basing that on my experiences in European hostels nearly twenty years ago, so your mileage may vary).

[barnyard pimp]

Wow, thank you everybody, LouieB in particular -- I definitely had no desire to stay anywhere seedy and was only interested in staying within the area for convenience, but not at the cost of safety. I've spent about 6 hours of my life in the Chicago bus depot area and it definitely left an impression on me...I've travelled a lot, I'm sure I'll adapt after the first night. I booked the week @ the Day's Inn, thanks for the suggestions, all! I'm so excited about this, it's unbelievable...

[LouieB]

Hey,

 

LouieB thanks for the heads up on the proximity to the El. Of course I'll have to see what kind of room I get.

 

Luke

It should be a fine hotel, although you may not see much out the window if the room is that cheap. And it is not terribly far from the el, just not roll out of bed close or anything.

 

 

It's on Winthrop, in the 6300 block I believe (I used to live in the 6200 block). Might be OK, but security would be an issue. Don't leave anything there unattended, even for a few minutes (I'm basing that on my experiences in European hostels nearly twenty years ago, so your mileage may vary).

Uh yea....I totally agree on this. That area of Wintrop and Kenmore used to be called "the corridor", but it has improved in recent years, though frankly I am not sure how much. That far north is near Loyola and therefore is in Edgewater, not Uptown, but there were many not so savory buildings around there years ago. As I said I think it has gotten better, but the parking is probably just as horrible and unavailable there as before.

 

Again, I re-ranted so that everyone can see Uptown is a fun and historic neighborhood, but one whiere you do have to watch your back a bit. Don't hesitate to walk around (the post office up the street has some fun WPA era murals also) and check out the hood.

 

LouieB

[cryptique]

Wow, thank you everybody, LouieB in particular -- I definitely had no desire to stay anywhere seedy and was only interested in staying within the area for convenience, but not at the cost of safety. I've spent about 6 hours of my life in the Chicago bus depot area and it definitely left an impression on me...I've travelled a lot, I'm sure I'll adapt after the first night. I booked the week @ the Day's Inn, thanks for the suggestions, all! I'm so excited about this, it's unbelievable...

There's plenty of cool stuff reasonably near that hotel, by the way. If you walk up Broadway a few blocks you'll hit Reckless Records, which is a great place to shop for music. There are also some shops south of Diversey on Clark for that purpose (though I haven't been there in a few years and things may have changed a bit).

 

I'm sure you'll have fun exploring ... I just hope the weather's nice enough to permit lots of wandering.

[leatherman]

I used cheaptickets.com and got a pretty good deal on round-trip airfare for two and 7 nights at the Inn of Chicago Magnificent Mile on Ohio. I've read mixed reviews about the hotel itself but it's 3 blocks from a red line stop so it should be pretty easy traveling to and from the show every day and really I'll mostly just be using the room for sleeping, showering, etc. so I'm not too concerned if it's small.

[replacements75]

It should be a fine hotel, although you may not see much out the window if the room is that cheap. And it is not terribly far from the el, just not roll out of bed close or anything.

 

 

 

Hey LouieB

 

For that price I'll be happy to just have a clean room with working plumbing, heat, a bed and most of all a lock. That was what concerned me about the hostels. I might be getting too old or too unadventurous for that sort of thing. The one time I stayed at a hostel in Berlin was fantastic but that was with three friends and we had a room to ourselves. There was one that in Chicago that sounded great. I think it was the the Chicago Hostel at Congress and Wabash 24 East Congress Parkway. It seemed to get the best reviews. Anyone thinking about a hostel might want to check it out.

 

Luke

[tangara]

Again, I re-ranted so that everyone can see Uptown is a fun and historic neighborhood, but one where you do have to watch your back a bit. Don't hesitate to walk around (the post office up the street has some fun WPA era murals also) and check out the hood.

 

LouieB

 

Louie, thank you for reiterating that point. I used to work in Uptown too, and it really is an interesting and diverse area, and fun to explore in the daytime. The architecture is really cool, and while it's sort of sad to see that part of town gentrifying and becoming another stainless appliance/marble countertop condo-land, hopefully some of those great old terra cotta facades can be saved and renovated.

 

And, great eats in the area too. I've been meaning to try the curry puffs at Thai Grocery; Time Out Chicago just rated them among the 100 best dishes of the past year.