How to walk to McCormick Place?
June 4, 2010 8:57 AM Subscribe
Chicago-transit-filter: I have to get to McCormick Place tomorrow at 7:15 AM. Best way to do this without a car?
I'm taking the IL-Basic Skills Test at McCormick Place West Hall. Call time is 7:15 AM, tomorrow. Not really worried about the test, but I don't want to be late! While I am a Chicagonaut, my transit knowledge South of the Loop is pretty dismal. I have access to CTA, bicycle/walking, and Zipcar.
My current plan is to take the 146 bus from my neighborhood to the Field Museum stop and walk or bike down to McCormick. I like this option the best, but can't tell if it's reliable. McCormick doesn't seem very pedestrian-friendly, and I don't want to get stuck on the wrong side of Lakeshore Drive.
Anyone walked to McCormick before? Once I get near the hall, will there be maps to guide me?
Other suggestions are welcome as well.
I'm taking the IL-Basic Skills Test at McCormick Place West Hall. Call time is 7:15 AM, tomorrow. Not really worried about the test, but I don't want to be late! While I am a Chicagonaut, my transit knowledge South of the Loop is pretty dismal. I have access to CTA, bicycle/walking, and Zipcar.
My current plan is to take the 146 bus from my neighborhood to the Field Museum stop and walk or bike down to McCormick. I like this option the best, but can't tell if it's reliable. McCormick doesn't seem very pedestrian-friendly, and I don't want to get stuck on the wrong side of Lakeshore Drive.
Anyone walked to McCormick before? Once I get near the hall, will there be maps to guide me?
Other suggestions are welcome as well.
If you want to go transit all the way, the #3 bus should get you there. It starts arriving there at 6:15ish AM, so you should be good for time.
I'm not all that familiar with McCormick Place inside (haven't been there in... oh, a decade or so), but you can get to it on the lake side from the lakefront bike path, though according to their web site then you'd have a hike of several blocks to get to the West building. If you did just take the bus to the Field Museum, you could backtrack across the park at Roosevelt and then go south on Michigan to Cermak, which would keep you on the right side of LSD, but that seems like more bother than just transferring to the 3.
posted by sldownard at 9:11 AM on June 4, 2010
I'm not all that familiar with McCormick Place inside (haven't been there in... oh, a decade or so), but you can get to it on the lake side from the lakefront bike path, though according to their web site then you'd have a hike of several blocks to get to the West building. If you did just take the bus to the Field Museum, you could backtrack across the park at Roosevelt and then go south on Michigan to Cermak, which would keep you on the right side of LSD, but that seems like more bother than just transferring to the 3.
posted by sldownard at 9:11 AM on June 4, 2010
Best answer: The two best buses to McCormack are #3 and even better is the #129 - both get you there directly.
As for bikes: their website says-
Are there bike racks available?
Bike racks are located at Gate 3 of the South Building (on Martin Luther King Drive), at Gate 40 of the West Building (on Indiana Avenue), at Gate 38 of Lakeside Center and on the walkway beside the sky bridge connecting the South Building and Lakeside Center (East Building).
and I'd print out one of their maps from here.
posted by zenon at 9:22 AM on June 4, 2010
As for bikes: their website says-
Are there bike racks available?
Bike racks are located at Gate 3 of the South Building (on Martin Luther King Drive), at Gate 40 of the West Building (on Indiana Avenue), at Gate 38 of Lakeside Center and on the walkway beside the sky bridge connecting the South Building and Lakeside Center (East Building).
and I'd print out one of their maps from here.
posted by zenon at 9:22 AM on June 4, 2010
...and I don't want to get stuck on the wrong side of Lakeshore Drive.
Just FYI, McCormick Place has buildings on both sides of Lakeshore Drive, with a bridge over LSD connecting them. So I wouldn't be concerned with that detail in particular.
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:20 AM on June 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
Just FYI, McCormick Place has buildings on both sides of Lakeshore Drive, with a bridge over LSD connecting them. So I wouldn't be concerned with that detail in particular.
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:20 AM on June 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
If being late is not an option, plan to get there around 6:45. McCormick is huge and confusing. The suggestion to print a map is a good one.
posted by misskaz at 11:42 AM on June 4, 2010
posted by misskaz at 11:42 AM on June 4, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks all. Google didn't seem to want to tell me about the #3, but that definitely looks like the best way. Hooray!
posted by Wulfhere at 12:24 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by Wulfhere at 12:24 PM on June 4, 2010
You could also take the Metra Electric line from Millenium Station, which stops in the bowels of McCormick Place.
posted by coppermoss at 2:07 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by coppermoss at 2:07 PM on June 4, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
But how about the 129? It goes from downtown to McCormick in the morning.
posted by jrockway at 9:07 AM on June 4, 2010