Travel
Travel Note
Getting around
Welcome to Chicago! We love it a lot, and we hope you'll do some exploring while you're here. Public transit can get you all over the city (see CTA and Metra sections below for more info). Chicago's also pretty walkable and bikeable. If you don't have a personal bike here, you can use the Divvy bike share. Taxis, Uber, and Lyft are available, as well.
Travel Note
Where to stay
We haven’t reserved a room block anywhere, but if you would like to stay in a hotel, most major chains have options at a variety of price points in the Loop (downtown), River North, or the West Loop. All three of these neighborhoods have easy access to transit, museums, and other sightseeing destinations. If you’d prefer to stay in a more neighborhood-y spot, you can look for Vrbos or Airbnbs in Logan Square, Bucktown, Avondale, Wicker Park, or (slightly farther from us) in Roscoe Village, Ravenswood, Lakeview, Lincoln Square, Andersonville, etc. There are also a number of boutique hotels on the north and northwest sides, including the Robey (in Wicker Park), Ray's Bucktown B&B, the Wicker Park Inn, Longman & Eagle (in Logan Square), and the Guesthouse Hotel (in Lincoln Square). Feel free to text, call, or email if you want to run hotel or Airbnb ideas by us!
Train
CTA Trains & Buses
The CTA is low-cost, fairly frequent, and a mostly pleasant way to get around! Both local airports have direct access to CTA train lines (O’Hare - Blue Line, Midway - Orange Line). If you have a credit or debit card with contactless/tap-and-go payment, you can ride the CTA without purchasing a fare card. Otherwise, you can purchase a Ventra card at a train station before your first ride. We live on the northwest side in Logan Square, which has direct access to/from O’Hare via the CTA Blue Line. It’s a very cool neighborhood with loads of restaurants, bars, and local shops. Our venue, the Joinery, is right off the Blue Line and also accessible by bus: Western Ave (49), Milwaukee Ave (56), Armitage Ave (73).
Train
Metra (Commuter Rail)
Tom's employer!! Metra runs trains to the burbs and parts of the city. Weekend service is limited, but with a little planning, it could work out.