Hi all,

Myself & my good lady are taking a week in Chicago this coming April, so I’d appreciate any advice on offer.

I guess my primary concern is safety & security. While we are both pretty “travel savvy” from many years of travel, in this day & age there is no harm in checking things out in advance. I guess my concerns have been raised after reading a couple of not so nice entries about Chicago in the “What is the scariest City you have travelled to?” forum in Travel Buzz.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=523089

I presume though that the central tourist areas of Chicago are no more or less dangerous than any other U.S. city, or for that matter anywhere else in the world.

FYI we are staying at the Fitzpatrick Hotel on East Superior & will probably entertain ourselves in that general area, so I wonder if anyone can enlighten me as to what that area is like ?

Also it would be great if someone could advise the best & most convenient way from ORD to our hotel. No doubt the usual shared ride shuttle bus run from ORD to downtown, but any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance…………..

Relax - Chicago is a great town. Follow basic common sense - if a neighborhood looks iffy, stay the hell out. Downtown Loop area/Museum campus/Michigan Ave is perfectly safe, espectially in daytime. Your hotel is in an area on Michigan Ave that is high traffic, congested with shoppers/diners/etc. If you feel awkward at night, plan what you want to do first and take cabs. Restaurants, bars, nightclubs, comedy clubs etc. will all be perfectly safe.

ORD - Loop. Fastest (and cheapest) will be the "L". Train to downtown then cab to hotel. For a more direct approach, especially if you have a lot of luggage, just go to the taxi stand and take a cab right to the hotel.

Many thanks for the reply & the reassurance.

I kinda knew that Chicago was like most other cities I’ve visited. But I guess the years are catching up on me, I used to travel the world with wild abandon in the past & always employed my sixth sense to keep me safe. But with advancing age I think I’m just more cautious now & like to check things out a little more.

Also travelling with “herself” these days I do have to think of more than just me !

Thanks again for the reassurance & also the advice on getting from ORD to the hotel........... ^

I agree. Chicago has some dicey areas just like any other city in the world, but be smart about where you go and how you travel and you should be just fine, especially during the day.
Have fun--Chicago is great!

Of course there have been a few "incidents" over the years, but for the tourist you will be ok if you don't go looking for drugs, don't flash wads of cash on the street and don't get drunk and wander the streets at 4:00 a.m.

The main tourist areas of Chicago are definitely fine. (I'm one of the people who's posted comments about one part of Chicago in the aforementioned thread, but I doubt you'll be anywhere near the area I was talking about.) Have a great trip!

It should not be a problem. If you're really concerned, stay within the following (starting at the NE corner and working around):

Lake Shore to Irving Park west
to Ashland south
to North Avenue east
to Wells south
to Chicago west
to Orleans south
to Grand west
to Halsted south
to Harrison east
to Michigan south
to Balbo east
to Columbus south
to Lake Shore Drive south
to McCormick Place.

The "good" areas of Chicago are, compared to most European cities, absolutely swamped with cops and cabs = very safe and convenient. Loop all the way north through Lakeview are uneventful safety wise, stay east of Ashland ave.

Taxi to downtown is only around $40 and that's by far the easiest. Usually faster than train/metra unless you arrive in rush-hour.

Thanks to you all for your input, very much appreciated.

That's quite true, I've always found the U.S. cities to be very well policed. Something we sure could learn from here in Europe !

Windy city, here we come

Agree with the above. Areas you are likely to be interested in will normally be very busy with people.

I personally wouldn't ride the "L" at night, especially with a female companion, but it is unlikely you'd have a problem. It's just that if something were going to happen, that would be one of the most likely places.

The main "touristy" areas for restaurants (except many of the more offbeat/ethnic ones), shopping, theater, museums, sights, are by and large a cheap cab ride apart, or a nice scenic walk. Not like London or NYC.

I would take the Blue Line downtown from O'Hare if you are at all close to rush hour and aren't dragging too much stuff. We've been stuck for 2+ hours in traffic before.

Looking at the "scariest city" thread it definitely leaves the wrong impression - I think to even mention Chicago in the same thread as a Rio or Sao Paulo or most of those other cities is plain ludicrous. It's nowhere near as dangerous, even if you were to wander too far off the beaten path, you would wind up in not so great neighborhoods, but most likely you would be left alone. Anecdotally, I don't know anyone that has ever been a victim of any kind of random violence in Chicago (I've lived here for 30 yrs) or crime worse than a pickpocket, which can happen in any city of the world.

But that being said, normal precautions you would take in any major city of course would apply, such as not flashing cash or leaving purses unzipped in crowds, or wandering too far outside of your comfort zone, which is of course more restricted than for a resident like myself. Like another poster mentioned, it would be very unlikely that any tourists would really wander that far off the beaten path.

Even the red line El late at night (after 10-11pm) I believe to be safe. Now, I don't necessarily think it's always pleasant, even at rush hour, but I don't hesitate to take it. There might be some not so nice odors and some people that aren't quite as clean-cut, but there are always enough people on board that are normal too. The biggest problem with the red line late at night frankly (particularly on weekends) are drunk yuppies leaving bars, but they're hardly threatening.

Cities like Rio make my pulse quicken just walking down the street, particularly alone or with my wife. I feel like there's a significantly greater chance of being a victim of random violence. In Chicago, at worst I worry about being robbed. Most murders in Chicago are still between people that know each other (i.e. crimes of passion) or gang-related (though in those less safe neighborhoods stray bullets can be a problem) but simply doesn't happen much in Chicago.

-Buena Parker living north of Irving Park Rd.

Oh - and I hesitate to post this because sometimes it can look far worse than it really is, but you can try checking out the Chicago Police ICAM which maps reported crimes by intersections over various time periods. Can be a fascinating site! Another place is www.chicagocrime.org that I believe simply repackages the CPD data from ICAM.

I live here in the city and ride the 'L' 24/7. Sure you can encounter some strange folks but that is part of the urban environment. I don't know where you are staying but if you are in the loop, it gets pretty quiet at night and sometimes people can be leary of that. If you are in the River North/Gold Coast area, there is more action.

Most of the crime you hear about in the city (murders) are gang and/or drug related and occur in certain areas in the city - none of which I am sure that you would venture into (as a side note, though, some of the near southside neighborhoods are rapidly gentrifying). Petty crime does exist - so don't look too much like a tourist - but I have seen more petty crime in Europe than Chicago.

I hope you enjoy your trip here - it is a great city - lots to see - great food (please try some local restaurants - not chains) - great people.

Good advice. My sister, from smalltown Michigan, had her wallet stolen from her purse while shopping near Water Tower. I am certain she was a good mark because she was preoccupied with three small children.

Even in the nice parts of town where you are staying, you will see homeless people panhandling outside the convenience stores and drug stores. They are relatively harmless but annoying.

Every once in a while a tourist gets himself in serious trouble by wandering into the seedy areas to score some drugs.

It's a very segregated city in many neighborhoods, but the area you are staying in is integrated. Anybody will fit in.

Rule of thumb in any large US city: if the neighborhood starts to look bad and you are uncomfortable, turn around. Don't keep going forward hoping it will get better because it usually doesn't....

If you travel alot, I think you'll find it comfortable and enjoyable. Most Chicagoans have that "midwestern" friendliness.

Steve

Not much has been said about the area - it's excellent. You're between the lake and Michigan Avenue, the primary shopping district. It can be a little quiet because Northwestern Hospital consumes a lot of the real estate right in that area, but it's a very good area.

As noted, the normal precautions apply, but if there's any risk, it's the same as those in any other big city in the world. Police coverage tends to be pretty good in that area, as well. Enjoy!!

Well thanks once again to you all for your input, greatly appreciated indeed. ^

I knew that Chicago would be like anywhere I’ve / We’ve, visited in the past, but I think as I get older I think things through a little more & like to check out the scene in advance.

You know there’s both an upside & a downside to forums such as this.

The upside is that I can get such wonderful feedback & reassurance like I have to my concerns. But the downside is I can get a slightly skewed first impression, by reading the entries about Chicago in the “Scary City” thread.

In the past before the advent of these forums, I would simply book my trip, arrive at the destination, switch on my sixth sense & get on with sussing out the city in my own way. This method has served me very well over the years I’m glad to say.

But that said if I hadn’t read this forum, I wouldn’t have the reassurance & advice I’ve got.

Thank you & I’m really looking forward to our visit to the “Windy city”