Chicago - 5 Hours at ORD-What to do in Chicago?

I have a rather long layover this Thursday night at ORD. While I could relax in the skyclub, I have never been to Chicago and would love to explore and maybe grab a good "Chicago" dinner. Any ideas?

I was thinking of taking the "L" into downtown.

I have a rather long layover this Thursday night at ORD. While I could relax in the skyclub, I have never been to Chicago and would love to explore and maybe grab a good "Chicago" dinner. Any ideas?

I was thinking of taking the "L" into downtown.

You probably have time to go downtown. Train ride from ORD to downtown is fairly lengthy (45-60 minutes), you'll need to allow plenty of time to get back to ensure you can get through TSA, etc. From the train stations where the blue line delivers you into downtown, you're relatively close to a lot of stuff and cabs are relatively cheap to go from the L stations to, oh say, the Willis (Sears) Tower, the Art Institute, the Field Museum, etc. Also, plenty of good food down there!

With 5 hours, you've probably got about 2 to play with once you take into account train rides and re-clearing security. No shortage of options for a good meal.

If you have five hours to devote to the task, you can try to find a seat near a power plug in the Sky Club. :D

I have never been to Chicago and would love to explore and maybe grab a good "Chicago" dinner. Any ideas?

I was thinking of taking the "L" into downtown.

There are lots of good food options - depends what kind of food you like. A good bet if you want to take the "L", see a bit of the city, and have a good dinner is to take it to Lake Street and then head a few blocks north into the River North neighborhood. You can walk across the river and get some nice views of "skyscraper canyon" down the river and River North has some of the best restaurants in the city.

That is really a tough decision. Personally, I would not try to go downtown. What with the travel time plus the possibility of delays, you really wouldn't have that much time in the city.

If you do want to get out of the airport, there is a Nick's Fishmarket in Rosemont (last time I checked; suggest that you verify) so you could take a cab over there.

But if I were you I would just hang out at ORD. The DL club and people are great, and IIRC there is a nationally known restaurant at the end of the AA terminal.

Don't get me wrong. Chicago is a wonderful town, and you should find a chance to spend at least a few days there sometime. But for a 5 hour layover, dealing with security and luggage, as well as transpotation, I would just chill out at ORD.

Go for it, OP. Lots to see and do in Chicago but you will have only a couple hours. Best to first decide what kind of food you want, then look for a restaurant. Many many choices but time will be a bit tight, especially if you need to ride the L back up to ORD when locals are getting off work. Have fun, it's a great city.

That is really a tough decision. Personally, I would not try to go downtown. What with the travel time plus the possibility of delays, you really wouldn't have that much time in the city.....
Don't get me wrong. Chicago is a wonderful town, and you should find a chance to spend at least a few days there sometime. But for a 5 hour layover, dealing with security and luggage, as well as transpotation, I would just chill out at ORD.I agree - even without the luggage issue, with all of the variables (for example, the walk from the gate to the CTA station takes time), the "five hours" evaporates quickly. My personal minimum for ORD to Chicigo would be six hours.

If it were me, I'd make my way to the Tortas Frontera outlet in the B Concourse of T1 (a second location, in T3, is opening in a few months), then return to the SC to enjoy the rest of your layover (you can walk airside between T1-T2-T3):

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tortas-frontera-chicago

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2011/02/first-bite-tortas-frontera-at-ohare.html

Downtown on the el is a long ride. If you don't want to go all the way downtown there are a bunch of restaurants very near the Damen-O'Hare stop of the el. This is the Wicker Park neighborhood. I was at a meeting at the Ohare Hilton a few weeks ago and took the el to the Blue Line Bar and Grille. http://www.bluelineloungeandgrill.com/ Pretty good food, and quite reasonably priced.

If you are serious about going into the city, I definitely wouldn't take the L and take a cab instead. All of this is also heavily dependent on what time of the day you'll be arriving and departing ORD. If either the trip from or to the airport is likely to be around rush hour, then I'd stay put at the Sky Club. However, if it's middle of the day or late at night, then I say you go for it. There's so much good food in Chicago it seems impossible to make a specific recommendation but my personal favorite is Cafe Ba-ba-reeba for tapas in Lincoln Park (Halsted & Division).

Have a safe trip.

It's worth a trip to Chicago just to have a burger at Kuma's Corner near the Blue Line stop on West Belmont. It's about a 30 minute ride from ORD and is easily walked (less than a mile) to from the Belmont Blue Line stop or you can take the eastbound Belmont bus.

Service at Kuma's is good, the heavy metal music is blaring, the beer selection is top notch and the burgers are served on a pretzel roll. There are many topping and combo options on the menu.

One caveat - the lines to get a table can be long. One trip I made on an early Sunday afternoon had a two hour wait. I was lucky enough to grab the solo bar seat available on this visit. Other visits were not so bad for the wait and were mid-week mid-afternoon stops. I often plan my trip from downtown to ORD with a stop at Kuma's for a burger, beer and a dose of heavy metal (the heavy metal is really not my style but it fits this place perfectly).

New Rivers casino opened about 10 minutes away by cab in Des Plaines if you have money in your pocket you want to burn thru.

If you have five hours to devote to the task, you can try to find a seat near a power plug in the Sky Club. :D

I've had good luck finding power plugs at the ORD SC, especially if you sit along the bar next to the windows with a view of the gates and taxi way. The ORD SC is one of the few in the system that I have never seen packed. Though, I'm sure it's more a function of when I fly through ORD than what it's like on a daily basis!

The ORD SC is one of the few in the system that I have never seen packed. Though, I'm sure it's more a function of when I fly through ORD than what it's like on a daily basis!

Got to be a function of when you fly. Back when it was shared by NW and CO it was frequently SRO. Of course they have opened up the old conference room and made more space.

Got to be a function of when you fly. Back when it was shared by NW and CO it was frequently SRO. Of course they have opened up the old conference room and made more space.

Fortunately, with ATL being my home airport, I am only at ORD a few times per year but was there last month, granted on a Sunday morning, but the place was a ghost town. There were literally more employees working in the SC than there were guests in there!

I have a rather long layover this Thursday night at ORD. While I could relax in the skyclub, I have never been to Chicago and would love to explore and maybe grab a good "Chicago" dinner. Any ideas?

I was thinking of taking the "L" into downtown.

On a Thursday the blue line shouldn't have many service delays, but it might be worth checking to see if any scheduled work will lead to a delay.
http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/service_changes/weekday.aspx

As others have said, plan the round trip to take at least 2 hours. If your flight leaves ORD after 8pm I think you shouldn't have a problem with security.

I used to live in Chicago. What kind of real Chicago dinner are you looking for? I love the stuffed pizza at Giordano's. There are a few locations downtown and you can get downtown and walk around for a while before or after the meal. Definitely allow an hour each way on the L. Someone suggested a cab but it depends on the time of day, a cab can take just as long or longer.

my personal favorite is Cafe Ba-ba-reeba for tapas in Lincoln Park (Halsted & Division).

It's actually Halsted and a touch north of Armitage, but it's very good food!! ;) :D

Dave

Thanks, Dave. My bad. :)

I used to live in Chicago. What kind of real Chicago dinner are you looking for? I love the stuffed pizza at Giordano's. There are a few locations downtown and you can get downtown and walk around for a while before or after the meal. Definitely allow an hour each way on the L. Someone suggested a cab but it depends on the time of day, a cab can take just as long or longer.

This. The inbound Kennedy can be a real cluster. Around dinner time (5-ish) on a weekday, forget it... a 40 minute ride on the Blue Line is the way to go.

But I have to disagree about the pizza... if you're going to come to Chicago and eat pizza, it should be Gino's East or Lou Malnati's.

This. The inbound Kennedy can be a real cluster. Around dinner time (5-ish) on a weekday, forget it... a 40 minute ride on the Blue Line is the way to go.

But I have to disagree about the pizza... if you're going to come to Chicago and eat pizza, it should be Gino's East or Lou Malnati's.

Both are excellent pizzas.

If you land before 4, take a cab to the loop. Between 430 and 7, train. After 7, cab is best but cab lines are long.

If you're there 5 hrs, you probably land before 4. Hop in a cab, head to downtown, and walk around. If youve never been there, have them take you to Michigan and the river and just start walking north. Maybe happy hour in the signature room @hancock before you had back to the airport.

This. The inbound Kennedy can be a real cluster. Around dinner time (5-ish) on a weekday, forget it... a 40 minute ride on the Blue Line is the way to go.

But I have to disagree about the pizza... if you're going to come to Chicago and eat pizza, it should be Gino's East or Lou Malnati's.

While I like Lou Malnati's and Gino's East...I LOVE Giordano's! Plus, they are in bankruptcy, so might as well eat it up as long as you can. Before long, Gino's East and Lou Malnati's may be all that's left!

If you land before 4, take a cab to the loop. Between 430 and 7, train. After 7, cab is best but cab lines are long.

If you're there 5 hrs, you probably land before 4. Hop in a cab, head to downtown, and walk around. If youve never been there, have them take you to Michigan and the river and just start walking north. Maybe happy hour in the signature room @hancock before you had back to the airport.
I spend a lot of time there, and this sounds like the best and most memorable choices given the time restraints.^

To the OP - if you do decide to go into the city, please do come back to this thread and let us know how it went - (where you went, timings, whether you felt it was worth it, etc).

This question gets asked with some frequency, and a first-hand report would be very helpful to future visitors who are considering a similar layover - thanks!!

I have a rather long layover this Thursday night at ORD. While I could relax in the skyclub, I have never been to Chicago and would love to explore and maybe grab a good "Chicago" dinner. Any ideas?

I was thinking of taking the "L" into downtown.

Yes, there is Blue Line from ORD to Downtown Chicago. If you get off the train at Clark/Lake station. If you paid $2.25 fare. If you go into the tunnels to pay the fare is at vending machine.

Chicago needs a sampler plate. Half a Jumbo Char-Dog, half an Italian Beef sandwich, and a slice of Deep Dish!

If you land before 4, take a cab to the loop. Between 430 and 7, train. After 7, cab is best but cab lines are long.

If you're there 5 hrs, you probably land before 4. Hop in a cab, head to downtown, and walk around. If youve never been there, have them take you to Michigan and the river and just start walking north. Maybe happy hour in the signature room @hancock before you had back to the airport.

Don't take on cab! It's too extremely expensive! There is very good walking around the street in downtown Chicago. Just try to take a walk or take on the CTA bus. If you get a all-day pass. Ask for the guys who for CTA near vending machine. If you want to talk with him. He will help you to pay the fare. Go to www.transitchicago.com.

Go to DTW (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-skymiles/1268373-5-hours-detroit.html). :p

I live in the Loop (downtown Chicago). Definately can take the Blue Line ("L") downtown. If you're looking for great deep dish pizza, def check out Giordanos.

THe train ride takes 45 minutes from the loop to Clark & Lake (1st stop in the downtown area). Get off at Clark and Lake, walk up the stairs and on the street, walk in the direction the cars are going (East). Keep walking, you'll get to Michigan Avenue in a couple of blocks. Cross Michigan Avenue, and on the right side is a Giordanos. Get yourself a small deep dish, a beer, and enjoy. If you have a few minutes to spare, you could walk south along Michigan Avenue to Millennium Park, its only 2 blocks from there. Walk around, see the Cloud Gate, the fountain faces, and then once you're due back, walk west on Randolph or Washington. There's a blue line stop at Washington & Dearborne, and you can take this back to Ohare.

Enjoy!

If hellyea lives in the loop, then two things should be true:

(1) he's probably one of my neighbors, as there are few condos actually inside the loop.

(2). He should know better than to refer you to giordanos - esp thurs/fri/sat evenings, as you'll wait at least an hour.

As the OP never said pizza, I'm still sticking with the signature lounge @ Hancock. It's a sight to see if you're from out of town- watching the sunset out west while sipping a martini or whatever...

As for the cab vs train, toss up (again, cab if before 4pm). As for cost, cab is $50/way, but cheaper than missing your connection.

Chicago needs a sampler plate. Half a Jumbo Char-Dog, half an Italian Beef sandwich, and a slice of Deep Dish!

+100 ^

Both are excellent pizzas.

Its been a long time since I lived in Chicago and when I did it was Rogers Park and South Evanston, but my choice for pizza is Gullivers on Howard Ave. Not accessible on the el from Ohare, though.

Actually, scratch the signature room idea. Raining. Overcast.

Actually, scratch the signature room idea. Raining. Overcast.

Yeah... though it definitely is a good suggestion. Lots of my friends want to go up in the Sears Tower (no, it's not the Willis Tower, and it never will be... I still watch my baseball games at Comiskey Park), but this is a far better experience.

NOTHING. It simply takes too long to get to the city from ORD. You'd be better off going to the skyclub.

NOTHING. It simply takes too long to get to the city from ORD.

Then I guarantee you've only tried car transportation and not the Blue Line. It's a 40 minute ride.

Then I guarantee you've only tried car transportation and not the Blue Line. It's a 40 minute ride.

I've tried both cabs and the train (in total over 100 times), and actually prefer the train during the day. The problem is that it's a bit of a walk to the train at ORD, and then it may be 10-15 minutes before the train shows up, and vice versa going back. Cabs can easily run into traffic. So a visitor should allow at least 3 hours for walking and sitting on the train (or cab) round trip to downtown. Again, Chicago is a great place, but a 5 hour excursion from ORD to Downtown is asking for trouble.

Actually, scratch the signature room idea. Raining. Overcast.

Frankly I like that kind of weather when on an observation deck. I'd make extra sure to fit in the Hancock if it's raining and overcast.

Actually, scratch the signature room idea. Raining. Overcast.

Yes, it was raining little bit but, it wasn't too bad at all. I was there in Chicago last month. It's so much easy for me to get there. I didn't want to take on taxicab. It will costs $50. It's too expensive. I didn't want to spent the money.

You can take on Blue Line from O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago to get off at Clark/Lake Station. Just go there. You don't have to take on taxicab anymore. It's very easy access to go on the streets.

I believe the OP will be well-served by my moving this Thread to the FT Chicago Forum.
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

Got to be a function of when you fly. Back when it was shared by NW and CO it was frequently SRO. Of course they have opened up the old conference room and made more space.

Having been in the club a number of times the past couple years, I have only seen it what I would call packed once and that was a day that there were IROPs galore. It is very often a peaceful club (by SC standards nowadays) and not a bad place to get away from the masses at ORD. Maybe more a function of the airport and how tired and old and crammed the ORD airport is but the ORD SC is one of my favorite in the DL system purely because it actually does feel like a "getaway" compared to any other one in the US.

Personally on the layover if I were the OP, I would probably find a Chicago style jumbo hot dog or maybe some deep dish pizza somewhere in the airport or take the L a few stops if you really want to get away. Then spend some time in the Skyclub which normally isn't too busy in the evenings before the later flights from my experience. Have a drink, surf the web, enjoy some FT and have a snack.

Had it been MDW, you could have easily made a 5 hr layover possible for a lot of time in the city as MDW is about 25 mins from downtown by way of the CTA L train. Plus no SC at MDW making it an easier decision.

I use the Blue Line from the O'Hare area frequently. I don't go from ORD, but use the park & ride at the River Rd stop (2 away from ORD). I agree with the other advice here, if everything runs on time, you can get an hour or two in downtown ... tops.

I don't know what the OP would want to see or do. A lot of the good stuff in Chicago isn't really near the Blue Line. So 5 hours is a little too short.

If the OP wants to get out of the airport for a while and wants something classically Chicago to eat, I would go for either a hot dog or pizza.

There is a really great burger and hot dog place in Des Plaines, Paradise Pup. It is only open to 5:00 PM. Just a little place with limited indoor seating.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/paradise-pup-des-plaines

For pizza, I would go to Lou Malnati's in Elk Grove Village.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-malnatis-pizzeria-elk-grove-village

Either place is a 15 - 20 minute cab ride from ORD. There are good suburban cab companies that will get you around the area for a competitive fixed price.

Downtown on the el is a long ride. If you don't want to go all the way downtown there are a bunch of restaurants very near the Damen-O'Hare stop of the el. This is the Wicker Park neighborhood. I was at a meeting at the Ohare Hilton a few weeks ago and took the el to the Blue Line Bar and Grille. http://www.bluelineloungeandgrill.com/ Pretty good food, and quite reasonably priced.

Blue Line is fine I suppose. In that neighborhood my absolute favorites are:


Big Star - fantastic cantina. Excellent tacos - get the pork belly one definitely. Great beer/tequila selection, fun atmosphere. There's usually a wait for a table. Try to find an open spot at the bar.
Hot Chocolate - fantastic restaurant. The entrees are great, new American, etc. But the desserts are the stars of the show. They have several kinds of hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. All the other desserts are great too.