Originally Posted by milepig

I know OP has solved his/her problem, but I have to disagree on this last point -- the Millenium Park garage is far from desolate after work hours. There's a lot going on in the Park these days, and even during the winter there are lots of (non-scary) people around, because of the Loop's night life. Quite a change from 20 years ago.

The layout of the garage, on the other hand, IS pretty grim (think mad scientists putting in concrete pillars every which-way to see how the lab rats will respond). But getting back to upper Wacker just involves taking the garage's North elevator to the street level (which is upper Randolph) and then walking north on upper Columbus a couple-three blocks to upper Wacker. The business skyscrapers quiet down after 6pm, but you pass the Fairmont and Hyatt Regency hotels, a new CVS (the only street-level retail, it's true), and the fire station, so it's never really deserted. "Grungy" as in too much concrete, perhaps, but not dangerous.