Transit
Buy L and bus passes online through the Ventra App (they have daily, weekly etc, can also for Metra trains here) or buy in person at any L station
Around Union Park:
Reminder we are meeting here for both Monday + Thursdays marches! ⬇️
BUS: 20: Stop Madison & Austin Terminal, 9: Stop Vincennes & 104th Street, X9: Stop Ashland & 74th Street,
TRAIN: Blue Line: Chicago Stop, Green Line: Ashland Stop, Pink Line: Ashland Stop
Around McCormick Place:
BUS: 3: McCormick Place Stop (walk about 4 min) 4: Michigan & 24th Street Stop (walk about 4 min) 21: McCormick Place Stop (walk about 5 min)
TRAIN: Green Line: Cermak-McCormick Place Stop (walk about 15 min), Red line: Cermak-Chinatown (walk about 21 min)
Loop: All “L” lines go through the loop
Best apps for loop travel: Transit App, Chicago Transit Authority Tracker
Housing
Hotel Chicago West Loop: prices range around $170 per night
Ray's Bucktown Bed and Breakfast: prices range around $185 per night
Chicago South Loop Hotel: prices range around $105 per night
Eating
CODEPINK Favorites
Greek Islands: mildy priced greek food in Greek Islands
Redhot Ranch: amazing hot dogs, burgers and fries in Wicker Park
MingHin Cuisine: Dim sum in Chinatown!
Soju BBQ: delicious Korean food in West Loop!
Around Union Park:
Taqueria Traspasada 2: affordable tacos, burritos and tortas
Crave Kabob: gyros and kabobs, mostly halal
Harold's Chicken Shack West Loop
Bari Foods: Italian American grocery store features a deli and sub shop
Around McCormick Place:
My Place South Loop Restaurant: Chinese Restaurant
Ken Kee Restaurant Hong Kong: Chinese Restaurant
Reggies Chicago: pub food with live music
Loop:
Cafecito: Cuban Restaurant
Maharaj Indian Grill: Indian food
Luke's Italian Beef: Hotdogs, burgers, Italian Beef
Dog Haus: hot dogs, burgers, etc
Other
Take the L to and from the airport! Much cheaper than taking an uber/lyft! The Blue Line for O’Hare and Orange Line for Midway International Airport.
If you do drive, download the ParkChicago app. Useful for all public street parking payment.
Chicago is a grid! Here’s the quick-and-dirty version: The intersection of State and Madison Streets, smack in the middle of the Loop, is the zero point of the grid. Street numbers fan out from there on north-south and east-west axes, and every eight blocks (outside of the Loop, at least) equals a mile. There are angle streets and river branches and historical quirks here and there to create confusion and six-corner intersections, but the grid is a solid foundation for getting around. Also, if you remember nothing else, east is always towards the Lake.