Chicago: Dangerous Area
 

We arrived late at night in the midst of a Ghetto. :eek: We got actually off at 47th street on the green line, and that area was scariest place that I ever went to. The Bronxx are nothing compared to that! What is that area called? I just wonder...

More info please! Why, why, why, would you get off the green line at 47th street late at night? Was this a random event or was this on purpose? Were you lost? Where were you coming from? Where were you trying to go? Details!

I and my spouse arrived from the Ohara airport. We went to the Ramada at Oakshore Drive and 49th (near the UoC). The guy at the airport told us to get off at 47th and take the bus. And as any Chicagoer probably know, 47th South is in the midst of the worst ghetto. :eek:

As we were told in the hotel, no one shall take the green line to the south. That's the first thing. However, one stop more, and we would have arrived at 51st, which is a safe place. Furthermore, there is one very safe way to travel between 49th and downtown: There is an express bus.

What in the hell was the ORD CTA rep thinking? Believe me, I've been in worse parts of the city, you can read about those neighborhoods on the frontpage of the past couple weeks of the Chicago Tribune. I can think of worse places to get off the L afterdark, but that's certainly on the list of bad ideas...

Better off in Bahgdad.

Steve

Thanks for the information. The 47th street stop is certainly a fairly direct hop from O'hare. However, other posters are correct that there are safer routes late at night. I work in Hyde Park and wouldn't take the El to 47th, even though I'd probably be perfectly safe doing so. Even the next stop at 55th/Garfield is a bit dicey at night, but is fine in the daytime when many University folk are commuting back and forth and there is a lot of activity at/near the station. There is indeed an express bus that would drop you very close to the Ramada, as would the South Shore line. I suspect the CTA person didn't send you to either of those since that would have involved a bit of a walk in the loop to get to your connection.

Just curious
 

Are you from outside the U.S.? Chicago has SUCH a bad rap as a dangerous place that is often unjustified, but to even attempt the CTA to that location at night is naive in the extreme. Just going to the loop on the train and then taking a cab would be so much safer. What were you thinking?

This reminds me of when I took the red line to the "University" stop (63rd and University) when I was checking out the U of C as a visiting high school senior back in '89.

I decided to get back on the L and try another route the next day. :)

I would rather take my chances on the South Side than on the West Side (or as some say, the NEW South Side). Because of all the murders on the West Side, Chicago beat NY in homicides in 2005.