This thread will contain information about lodging and transportation for NSC. Any questions should be directed to me at [email protected] or to Gautam Kandlikar at [email protected].
Tournament information
What? PACE NSC
When? June 4 and 5, 2011
Where? Northwestern Campus
Which halls? Kresge, Harris, and University Halls (located on the south end of campus near the intersection of Sheridan Road and Chicago Avenue)
What time? To be announced.
Getting to Chicago
I. Driving
Most teams will either fly or drive to Chicago. I encourage all teams that can possibly drive to consider the possibility, because it saves money and affords players lots of question-reading time for practice while en route. It's also a lot easier to get around Chicago with a vehicle, and driving your own will save the cost of renting.
II. Flying
For those who are flying, there are two main airports in Chicago: O'Hare and Midway. O'Hare is located in the northwest corner of the metro area. Midway is to the southeast of the city center. There are three main advantages to flying into O'Hare: it is closer to the tournament site and thus more accessible via taxi and public transit, the hotels nearby are on the whole nicer and cheaper, and the area around O'Hare is generally safer than the area around Midway. I recommend that teams flying into Chicago use O'Hare unless the cost of doing so is prohibitive.
2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
Andrew Hart
Minnesota alum
Minnesota alum
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
Getting to your hotel
I've split up the general topic of "getting around Chicago" into two generic categories: getting from an airport to your hotel (for teams that are flying), and getting from your hotel to the tournament site. I did this for three reasons. First, teams that are driving don't really need to read this section, because Google Maps is going to tell you how to get to your hotel better than I can (well, exactly the same as I can, since that's what I'd use to tell you how to get there if you asked me). Second, getting to the tournament requires traveling in the morning in order to get to the tournament on time; getting from the airport to your hotel is more leisurely, so you have more options. Finally, getting from your hotel to the tournament is probably best organized by hotel site, so I've included it in the relevant areas in the "lodging" section below.
O'Hare
There are four ways to get from O'Hare to your hotel.
A. If your hotel is in the O'Hare area, there is probably a free shuttle to take you from the airport to the hotel. Call the hotel ahead of time and ask them how to get there.
B. If your hotel is in the Evanston or Chicago Loop (downtown) areas, you've got three options: taxi, public transit, and car rental.
Taxi: This is what I recommend if you're staying in the Evanston area. There is no El line directly from O'Hare to Evanston (more on that below). There are fixed rate taxis from O'Hare to Evanston that should run in the $40 range (you will want to call to arrange a pickup time and make sure that you get a van taxi since most teams will need to transport more than four people). A taxi will take you directly where you need to go, and it's only about $6-8 per person, which is not that much more than public transit. American Taxi has flat-rate cabs to anywhere in the metro; a van from O'Hare to Evanston will cost $37. The ride lasts 30-40 minutes.
If you're staying in the Loop area, don't use a taxi; the Blue Line is right there in O'Hare and will take you directly into the Loop area. Flat-rate taxis typically do not allow "Chicago to Chicago" fares, which include O'Hare to Loop fares.
Public transit: Here is the El route map. Keep in mind that Google Maps has a fine public transit directions option that will give you more options than what I have listed.
How to get to the Loop on the El train (takes a little more than an hour):
1. Get to the Blue Line stop at O'Hare.
2. Take the Blue Line to the Chicago Loop (Washington, Monroe, and Jackson stops).
How to continue from the Loop to Evanston on the El (takes about an additional hour, including transfers):
1. Get off the Blue Line at Jackson.
2. Board the Purple Line train at the La Salle/Van Buren stop.
3. Get off in Evanston (may be Foster, Noyes, or Central stop, depending on where your hotel is).
A more direct route from O'Hare to Evanston (includes bus and El and should cut around 20 minutes off of the trip):
1. Get to the Blue Line stop at O'Hare.
2. Take the Blue line to the Irving Park station.
3. Board the eastbound 80 bus at Irving Park.
4. Board the northbound Red Line at Sheridan (the Purple Line has limited stops between the Loop and the northern suburbs).
5. Get off the Red Line at Howard.
6. Board the northbound Purple Line at Howard.
7. Get off in Evanston (Foster, Noyes, or Central).
All of the hotels that are within walkable distance of Northwestern (see below) are also walkable from either the Foster or Noyes stop (actually, the Davis stop may be a bit closer if your hotel is south of Northwestern; check Google maps to make sure). You should consult Google maps if you're planning to stay at a hotel in Evanston that is not one of the walkable hotels just to make sure that it is walkable from the El, and if not, make arrangements for transportation to the hotel.
Car Rental: Renting a minivan will cost about $60 to $70 a day; renting a car will cost $40 to $50. I would consult Priceline to find the best deals; it appears that Budget is best for renting vans, which may be useful info for quizbowl teams.
This is a good place to put general driving directions from O'Hare to downtown and to Evanston, so here they are.
To downtown:
1. Go east on I-190 E; continue for about two miles.
2. Exit onto I-90 E; continue for about six miles.
3. Merge onto I-94 E; continue for about eight miles.
4. 94/90 will take you just west of the Loop area; you must exit the highway and go east at Monroe St or Jackson Dr to get to the Loop.
To Evanston:
1. Get on I-294 North
2. After about four miles, exit onto US-14/Dempster, and go west. Proceed for about ten miles.
3. Turn left (north) onto Chicago Avenue (becomes Sheridan Rd). Northwestern is about a mile north of Dempster on Sheridan.
Midway
If you're staying at a hotel near Midway (which I do not recommend; more below), call your hotel to find out if there is a shuttle (and if not, how people usually get from Midway to the hotel).
Taxi: There are fixed rate taxis from Midway to Evanston that should run in the $60 range (you will want to call to arrange a pickup time and make sure that you get a van taxi since most teams will need to transport more than four people). A taxi from Midway to Evanston is American Taxi has flat-rate cabs to anywhere in the metro; a van from O'Hare to Evanston will cost $57. The ride lasts 50-60 minutes.
If you're staying in the Loop area, don't use a taxi; the Orange Line is right there in Midway and will take you directly into the Loop area. Flat-rate taxis typically do not allow "Chicago to Chicago" fares, which include Midway to Loop fares.
Public transit:
To the Loop area (50 minutes):
1. Get to the Orange Line stop at Midway.
2. Take the Orange Line to the Loop (La Salle/Van Buren is the first Loop stop).
Continuing to Evanston (1 hour 50 minutes total):
3. Exit the Orange Line at La Salle/Van Buren
4. Take the Purple Line at La Salle/Van Buren
5. Exit the Purple line in Evanston (Foster, Noyes, or Central stops)
All of the hotels that are within walkable distance of Northwestern (see below) are also walkable from either the Foster or Noyes stop (actually, the Davis stop may be a bit closer if your hotel is south of Northwestern; check Google maps to make sure). You should consult Google maps if you're planning to stay at a hotel in Evanston that is not one of the walkable hotels just to make sure that it is walkable from the El, and if not, make arrangements for transportation to the hotel.
Car Rental: Renting a minivan will cost about $60 to $70 a day; renting a car will cost $40 to $50. I would consult Priceline to find the best deals; it appears that Budget is best for renting vans, which may be useful info for quizbowl teams.
Driving directions from Midway to the Loop:
1. Go north on S Cicero/50 about 1.5 miles
2. Get onto I-55N/Stevenson Expressway going north; continue for about seven miles.
3. Follow the signs for US-41/Lake Shore Drive north; exit onto US-41/Lake Shore Drive; continue for about 2.5 miles
4. Turn let at E Jackson Drive towards the Chicago Loop
Driving directions from Midway to Evanston:
1. Go north on S Cicero/50 about 1.5 miles
2. Get onto I-55N/Stevenson Expressway going north; continue for about seven miles.
3. Follow the signs for US-41/Lake Shore Drive north; exit onto US-41/Lake Shore Drive; continue for about ten miles.
4. Lake Shore Dr ends and becomes Hollywood Ave. Go east on Hollywood.
5. Hollywood Ave ends at N Ridge Ave/14. Turn (slight) right onto N Ridge Ave.
6. Turn right on N Clark St (the fourth right). After about 1.5 miles, Clark becomes Chicago Ave.
7. Continue on Chicago Ave for about 2 miles until it becomes Sheridan Ave.
8. Continue to Northwestern campus or your hotel.
I've split up the general topic of "getting around Chicago" into two generic categories: getting from an airport to your hotel (for teams that are flying), and getting from your hotel to the tournament site. I did this for three reasons. First, teams that are driving don't really need to read this section, because Google Maps is going to tell you how to get to your hotel better than I can (well, exactly the same as I can, since that's what I'd use to tell you how to get there if you asked me). Second, getting to the tournament requires traveling in the morning in order to get to the tournament on time; getting from the airport to your hotel is more leisurely, so you have more options. Finally, getting from your hotel to the tournament is probably best organized by hotel site, so I've included it in the relevant areas in the "lodging" section below.
O'Hare
There are four ways to get from O'Hare to your hotel.
A. If your hotel is in the O'Hare area, there is probably a free shuttle to take you from the airport to the hotel. Call the hotel ahead of time and ask them how to get there.
B. If your hotel is in the Evanston or Chicago Loop (downtown) areas, you've got three options: taxi, public transit, and car rental.
Taxi: This is what I recommend if you're staying in the Evanston area. There is no El line directly from O'Hare to Evanston (more on that below). There are fixed rate taxis from O'Hare to Evanston that should run in the $40 range (you will want to call to arrange a pickup time and make sure that you get a van taxi since most teams will need to transport more than four people). A taxi will take you directly where you need to go, and it's only about $6-8 per person, which is not that much more than public transit. American Taxi has flat-rate cabs to anywhere in the metro; a van from O'Hare to Evanston will cost $37. The ride lasts 30-40 minutes.
If you're staying in the Loop area, don't use a taxi; the Blue Line is right there in O'Hare and will take you directly into the Loop area. Flat-rate taxis typically do not allow "Chicago to Chicago" fares, which include O'Hare to Loop fares.
Public transit: Here is the El route map. Keep in mind that Google Maps has a fine public transit directions option that will give you more options than what I have listed.
How to get to the Loop on the El train (takes a little more than an hour):
1. Get to the Blue Line stop at O'Hare.
2. Take the Blue Line to the Chicago Loop (Washington, Monroe, and Jackson stops).
How to continue from the Loop to Evanston on the El (takes about an additional hour, including transfers):
1. Get off the Blue Line at Jackson.
2. Board the Purple Line train at the La Salle/Van Buren stop.
3. Get off in Evanston (may be Foster, Noyes, or Central stop, depending on where your hotel is).
A more direct route from O'Hare to Evanston (includes bus and El and should cut around 20 minutes off of the trip):
1. Get to the Blue Line stop at O'Hare.
2. Take the Blue line to the Irving Park station.
3. Board the eastbound 80 bus at Irving Park.
4. Board the northbound Red Line at Sheridan (the Purple Line has limited stops between the Loop and the northern suburbs).
5. Get off the Red Line at Howard.
6. Board the northbound Purple Line at Howard.
7. Get off in Evanston (Foster, Noyes, or Central).
All of the hotels that are within walkable distance of Northwestern (see below) are also walkable from either the Foster or Noyes stop (actually, the Davis stop may be a bit closer if your hotel is south of Northwestern; check Google maps to make sure). You should consult Google maps if you're planning to stay at a hotel in Evanston that is not one of the walkable hotels just to make sure that it is walkable from the El, and if not, make arrangements for transportation to the hotel.
Car Rental: Renting a minivan will cost about $60 to $70 a day; renting a car will cost $40 to $50. I would consult Priceline to find the best deals; it appears that Budget is best for renting vans, which may be useful info for quizbowl teams.
This is a good place to put general driving directions from O'Hare to downtown and to Evanston, so here they are.
To downtown:
1. Go east on I-190 E; continue for about two miles.
2. Exit onto I-90 E; continue for about six miles.
3. Merge onto I-94 E; continue for about eight miles.
4. 94/90 will take you just west of the Loop area; you must exit the highway and go east at Monroe St or Jackson Dr to get to the Loop.
To Evanston:
1. Get on I-294 North
2. After about four miles, exit onto US-14/Dempster, and go west. Proceed for about ten miles.
3. Turn left (north) onto Chicago Avenue (becomes Sheridan Rd). Northwestern is about a mile north of Dempster on Sheridan.
Midway
If you're staying at a hotel near Midway (which I do not recommend; more below), call your hotel to find out if there is a shuttle (and if not, how people usually get from Midway to the hotel).
Taxi: There are fixed rate taxis from Midway to Evanston that should run in the $60 range (you will want to call to arrange a pickup time and make sure that you get a van taxi since most teams will need to transport more than four people). A taxi from Midway to Evanston is American Taxi has flat-rate cabs to anywhere in the metro; a van from O'Hare to Evanston will cost $57. The ride lasts 50-60 minutes.
If you're staying in the Loop area, don't use a taxi; the Orange Line is right there in Midway and will take you directly into the Loop area. Flat-rate taxis typically do not allow "Chicago to Chicago" fares, which include Midway to Loop fares.
Public transit:
To the Loop area (50 minutes):
1. Get to the Orange Line stop at Midway.
2. Take the Orange Line to the Loop (La Salle/Van Buren is the first Loop stop).
Continuing to Evanston (1 hour 50 minutes total):
3. Exit the Orange Line at La Salle/Van Buren
4. Take the Purple Line at La Salle/Van Buren
5. Exit the Purple line in Evanston (Foster, Noyes, or Central stops)
All of the hotels that are within walkable distance of Northwestern (see below) are also walkable from either the Foster or Noyes stop (actually, the Davis stop may be a bit closer if your hotel is south of Northwestern; check Google maps to make sure). You should consult Google maps if you're planning to stay at a hotel in Evanston that is not one of the walkable hotels just to make sure that it is walkable from the El, and if not, make arrangements for transportation to the hotel.
Car Rental: Renting a minivan will cost about $60 to $70 a day; renting a car will cost $40 to $50. I would consult Priceline to find the best deals; it appears that Budget is best for renting vans, which may be useful info for quizbowl teams.
Driving directions from Midway to the Loop:
1. Go north on S Cicero/50 about 1.5 miles
2. Get onto I-55N/Stevenson Expressway going north; continue for about seven miles.
3. Follow the signs for US-41/Lake Shore Drive north; exit onto US-41/Lake Shore Drive; continue for about 2.5 miles
4. Turn let at E Jackson Drive towards the Chicago Loop
Driving directions from Midway to Evanston:
1. Go north on S Cicero/50 about 1.5 miles
2. Get onto I-55N/Stevenson Expressway going north; continue for about seven miles.
3. Follow the signs for US-41/Lake Shore Drive north; exit onto US-41/Lake Shore Drive; continue for about ten miles.
4. Lake Shore Dr ends and becomes Hollywood Ave. Go east on Hollywood.
5. Hollywood Ave ends at N Ridge Ave/14. Turn (slight) right onto N Ridge Ave.
6. Turn right on N Clark St (the fourth right). After about 1.5 miles, Clark becomes Chicago Ave.
7. Continue on Chicago Ave for about 2 miles until it becomes Sheridan Ave.
8. Continue to Northwestern campus or your hotel.
Andrew Hart
Minnesota alum
Minnesota alum
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
Lodging
A preface: My recommendation for booking hotels is to call the hotel directly. You may wish to find the best deals by running Priceline searches, but Priceline's "name your price" feature does not allow you to request rooms with two beds in them, which is often a requirement of quizbowl teams. I've had mixed success in making reservations by naming my price and later calling the hotel to request rooms with two beds; it works more often than not, but you may not want to take that chance.
I would recommend running a Priceline search in your desired area (more on that below), sorting by lowest quoted rate, and writing down a list of hotels and their phone numbers that appear both reasonably priced and not seedy. Call the hotels directly, making sure to let them know what kind of rooms you want (non-smoking, two beds, etc.). Especially in the Evanston area, you should ask if they have discounts for students visiting Northwestern. If the price they give you over the phone is higher than on Priceline, you can always mention it and try to get a lower rate.
I. Official hotel
PACE is in the process of contacting nearby hotels about the possibility of being the official NSC hotel with a group discount. However, it is unclear whether any of these will actually be a good deal for teams, so there may not be an official hotel. We will update you on this as the tournament nears.
II. Hotels within walking distance
Some teams flying into Chicago may want to save money by using public transportation and not renting a car. These teams will need to make transportation arrangements to and from the tournament on Saturday and Sunday, and one way to do that is to stay at a hotel within walkable distance of the tournament. Other teams might want to stay close even though they are driving. This is probably a good place to note that while the area around Northwestern is generally very safe, coaches and chaperones should make sure that students are always supervised.
There are five hotels within walking distance. Their names, addresses, phone numbers, and price ranges are listed below:
1. Hilton Garden Inn of Evanston, 1818 Maple Avenue, 847-475-6400 (all rooms $177 or $184 on Priceline; two double bed rooms are $184)
2. Best Western: University Plaza, 1501 Sherman Avenue, 800-EVANSTON (all rooms $167 or $180 on Priceline; rooms with two double beds available for $167)
3. Margarita European Inn (Evanston), 1566 Oak Avenue, 847-869-2273 (rooms are $79 or $134; cheaper ones have shared bathrooms but some have two beds; call early to request two beds)
4. Hotel Orrington, 1710 Orrington Avenue, 847-866-8700 (rooms with two beds are either $189 or $229; one king bed rooms are the same)
5. The Homestead, 1625 Hinman Avenue, 847-475-3300 (it appears that rooms are only available for one or two people at $130 or $140, respectively)
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: Walk! The halls are Kresge, Harris, and University on the south of campus near the intersection of Sheridan Rd and Chicago Ave.
III. Other hotels near Evanston
Some teams may wish to stay near Evanston but don't require their hotel to be walkable. A list of Evanston-area hotels is available at this website (look under "other hotels in the area"). You may also wish to run a Priceline search to find the best local rates; in order to localize your search results to nearby areas, type "Evanston IL" as your desired city, then filter the results under the dropdown menu called "Hotel Area" to "Skokie - Niles - Evanston." You may also want to look at hotels in other northern Chicago suburbs.
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: You will need to drive or take a taxi (make sure to order ahead of time if you're doing the latter). Use Google maps to find the best route.
IV. O'Hare hotels
The best deals are likely to be found in the O'Hare airport area, which is also where many teams will be flying in. O'Hare is located to the north and west of Chicago; Northwestern is somewhat counterintuitively located in the northeast of the Chicago metro area. So you don't need to drive through downtown to get from O'Hare to Evanston, which is a good selling point for the O'Hare area. You also don't have to worry much about grubby hotels or seedy areas near O'Hare since almost everything is geared to air travelers. I would recommend using a Priceline search of the O'Hare area (type "O'Hare airport" as your desired city and filter the "Hotel Area" to be O'Hare).
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: You will likely need to take a drive or taxi (budget an hour for contingencies, though it should probably take 40 minutes at max). If you are taxiing, make sure to reserve your cab ahead of time. Public transit will take at least two hours; if you're taking the El from O'Hare on the day of the tournament, make sure to allow ample time for contingencies.
Quick driving directions from the O'Hare area to Northwestern (about 30 minutes):
1. Get on I-294 North
2. After about four miles, exit onto US-14/Dempster, and go west. Proceed for about ten miles.
3. Turn left (north) onto Chicago Avenue (becomes Sheridan Rd). Northwestern is about a mile north of Dempster on Sheridan.
V. Chicago Loop hotels
Some teams may wish to stay in the "Chicago Loop" area, which is accessible via the El and is closer to various downtown attractions. Teams should be more wary of hotels in the Loop area; most are safe and decent, but some are sketchy. This page contains a list of good Loop hotels (look under "hotels in Chicago").
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: Public transit, taxi, and driving are all viable options. The El will take about an hour, but budget more time for contingencies and check schedules closely. Taxi and driving will take about a half-hour, but you should budget an hour in case there are issues. As always, make sure to reserve taxis ahead of time.
Quick driving directions from the Loop to Northwestern (about 30 minutes):
1. Go north on 41/Lake Shore Drive.
2. Lake Shore Dr ends and becomes Hollywood Ave. Go east on Hollywood.
3. Hollywood Ave ends at N Ridge Ave/14. Turn (slight) right onto N Ridge Ave.
4. Turn right on N Clark St (the fourth right). After about 1.5 miles, Clark becomes Chicago Ave.
5. Continue on Chicago Ave for about 2 miles until it becomes Sheridan Ave.
6. Continue to Northwestern campus.
Quick El directions from the Loop to Northwestern (reverse to go to the Loop for sightseeing purposes):
1. Get to a Purple Line stop.
2. Take the Purple Line north to the Foster stop.
3. Walk east on Foster street towards campus (about three blocks).
VI. Midway-area hotels
I do not recommend staying near Midway unless you are flying into that airport and there are no other cost-effective options. There are two primary reasons: 1) Midway is further away than both the Loop and O'Hare from the tournament site and across downtown, so it will take a lot longer to get there; and 2) Midway is generally a less safe area than O'Hare, the Loop, or Evanston, and there are lots of awful hotels in the area. If you are staying near Midway, I would make sure to pick a recognizable hotel and to call ahead to make sure that it's nice.
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: Taxi, driving, and El are all possibilities. For taxi info, driving directions, and El route information, see the Midway section of "getting to your hotel" above. You should budget at least an hour and a half for driving or taxi, and the El ride lasts about two hours, but you should allow more time for emergencies.
Other areas for hotels
I do not recommend staying anywhere other than Evanston/other northern suburbs, O'Hare, the Loop, or Midway.
A preface: My recommendation for booking hotels is to call the hotel directly. You may wish to find the best deals by running Priceline searches, but Priceline's "name your price" feature does not allow you to request rooms with two beds in them, which is often a requirement of quizbowl teams. I've had mixed success in making reservations by naming my price and later calling the hotel to request rooms with two beds; it works more often than not, but you may not want to take that chance.
I would recommend running a Priceline search in your desired area (more on that below), sorting by lowest quoted rate, and writing down a list of hotels and their phone numbers that appear both reasonably priced and not seedy. Call the hotels directly, making sure to let them know what kind of rooms you want (non-smoking, two beds, etc.). Especially in the Evanston area, you should ask if they have discounts for students visiting Northwestern. If the price they give you over the phone is higher than on Priceline, you can always mention it and try to get a lower rate.
I. Official hotel
PACE is in the process of contacting nearby hotels about the possibility of being the official NSC hotel with a group discount. However, it is unclear whether any of these will actually be a good deal for teams, so there may not be an official hotel. We will update you on this as the tournament nears.
II. Hotels within walking distance
Some teams flying into Chicago may want to save money by using public transportation and not renting a car. These teams will need to make transportation arrangements to and from the tournament on Saturday and Sunday, and one way to do that is to stay at a hotel within walkable distance of the tournament. Other teams might want to stay close even though they are driving. This is probably a good place to note that while the area around Northwestern is generally very safe, coaches and chaperones should make sure that students are always supervised.
There are five hotels within walking distance. Their names, addresses, phone numbers, and price ranges are listed below:
1. Hilton Garden Inn of Evanston, 1818 Maple Avenue, 847-475-6400 (all rooms $177 or $184 on Priceline; two double bed rooms are $184)
2. Best Western: University Plaza, 1501 Sherman Avenue, 800-EVANSTON (all rooms $167 or $180 on Priceline; rooms with two double beds available for $167)
3. Margarita European Inn (Evanston), 1566 Oak Avenue, 847-869-2273 (rooms are $79 or $134; cheaper ones have shared bathrooms but some have two beds; call early to request two beds)
4. Hotel Orrington, 1710 Orrington Avenue, 847-866-8700 (rooms with two beds are either $189 or $229; one king bed rooms are the same)
5. The Homestead, 1625 Hinman Avenue, 847-475-3300 (it appears that rooms are only available for one or two people at $130 or $140, respectively)
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: Walk! The halls are Kresge, Harris, and University on the south of campus near the intersection of Sheridan Rd and Chicago Ave.
III. Other hotels near Evanston
Some teams may wish to stay near Evanston but don't require their hotel to be walkable. A list of Evanston-area hotels is available at this website (look under "other hotels in the area"). You may also wish to run a Priceline search to find the best local rates; in order to localize your search results to nearby areas, type "Evanston IL" as your desired city, then filter the results under the dropdown menu called "Hotel Area" to "Skokie - Niles - Evanston." You may also want to look at hotels in other northern Chicago suburbs.
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: You will need to drive or take a taxi (make sure to order ahead of time if you're doing the latter). Use Google maps to find the best route.
IV. O'Hare hotels
The best deals are likely to be found in the O'Hare airport area, which is also where many teams will be flying in. O'Hare is located to the north and west of Chicago; Northwestern is somewhat counterintuitively located in the northeast of the Chicago metro area. So you don't need to drive through downtown to get from O'Hare to Evanston, which is a good selling point for the O'Hare area. You also don't have to worry much about grubby hotels or seedy areas near O'Hare since almost everything is geared to air travelers. I would recommend using a Priceline search of the O'Hare area (type "O'Hare airport" as your desired city and filter the "Hotel Area" to be O'Hare).
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: You will likely need to take a drive or taxi (budget an hour for contingencies, though it should probably take 40 minutes at max). If you are taxiing, make sure to reserve your cab ahead of time. Public transit will take at least two hours; if you're taking the El from O'Hare on the day of the tournament, make sure to allow ample time for contingencies.
Quick driving directions from the O'Hare area to Northwestern (about 30 minutes):
1. Get on I-294 North
2. After about four miles, exit onto US-14/Dempster, and go west. Proceed for about ten miles.
3. Turn left (north) onto Chicago Avenue (becomes Sheridan Rd). Northwestern is about a mile north of Dempster on Sheridan.
V. Chicago Loop hotels
Some teams may wish to stay in the "Chicago Loop" area, which is accessible via the El and is closer to various downtown attractions. Teams should be more wary of hotels in the Loop area; most are safe and decent, but some are sketchy. This page contains a list of good Loop hotels (look under "hotels in Chicago").
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: Public transit, taxi, and driving are all viable options. The El will take about an hour, but budget more time for contingencies and check schedules closely. Taxi and driving will take about a half-hour, but you should budget an hour in case there are issues. As always, make sure to reserve taxis ahead of time.
Quick driving directions from the Loop to Northwestern (about 30 minutes):
1. Go north on 41/Lake Shore Drive.
2. Lake Shore Dr ends and becomes Hollywood Ave. Go east on Hollywood.
3. Hollywood Ave ends at N Ridge Ave/14. Turn (slight) right onto N Ridge Ave.
4. Turn right on N Clark St (the fourth right). After about 1.5 miles, Clark becomes Chicago Ave.
5. Continue on Chicago Ave for about 2 miles until it becomes Sheridan Ave.
6. Continue to Northwestern campus.
Quick El directions from the Loop to Northwestern (reverse to go to the Loop for sightseeing purposes):
1. Get to a Purple Line stop.
2. Take the Purple Line north to the Foster stop.
3. Walk east on Foster street towards campus (about three blocks).
VI. Midway-area hotels
I do not recommend staying near Midway unless you are flying into that airport and there are no other cost-effective options. There are two primary reasons: 1) Midway is further away than both the Loop and O'Hare from the tournament site and across downtown, so it will take a lot longer to get there; and 2) Midway is generally a less safe area than O'Hare, the Loop, or Evanston, and there are lots of awful hotels in the area. If you are staying near Midway, I would make sure to pick a recognizable hotel and to call ahead to make sure that it's nice.
Getting to the tournament from these hotels: Taxi, driving, and El are all possibilities. For taxi info, driving directions, and El route information, see the Midway section of "getting to your hotel" above. You should budget at least an hour and a half for driving or taxi, and the El ride lasts about two hours, but you should allow more time for emergencies.
Other areas for hotels
I do not recommend staying anywhere other than Evanston/other northern suburbs, O'Hare, the Loop, or Midway.
Andrew Hart
Minnesota alum
Minnesota alum
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
Parking
There is a ramp for Northwestern visitors that is free without a permit. If you are driving north on Sheridan Rd, take a right onto Campus Dr and take the first right. Google Maps renders this parking lot like a weird ovular road with another road through the middle, but you can find a map of where it is here.
On Northwestern's official parking map, this lot is #215-LOWER (look for the red box right above the "Lake Michigan" text). Dan Donohue informs me that this free lot is almost empty on weekends and should be able to accommodate most if not all teams that drive. UPDATE: Starting at 4PM on Friday, no permit is required to park in either level of this lot.
There appear to be five or six pay lots near the south end of campus. One is located at the corner of Benson and Davis streets (Church Street Parking Garage), while the other is at Chicago Ave and Church St (the Church Street Self Park).
For a comprehensive list of nearby garages, go to the official Evanston parking site. The rates are at the bottom of the page (maximum $13 per day). They are free on Sundays.
Map of those lots (Self Park is #5; Ramp is not a public one so it's not on this map):
(note: the tournament buildings are about a block to the northeast along Chicago Ave; Harris Hall is directly across the street from the compass arrow in the upper right)
There is a ramp for Northwestern visitors that is free without a permit. If you are driving north on Sheridan Rd, take a right onto Campus Dr and take the first right. Google Maps renders this parking lot like a weird ovular road with another road through the middle, but you can find a map of where it is here.
On Northwestern's official parking map, this lot is #215-LOWER (look for the red box right above the "Lake Michigan" text). Dan Donohue informs me that this free lot is almost empty on weekends and should be able to accommodate most if not all teams that drive. UPDATE: Starting at 4PM on Friday, no permit is required to park in either level of this lot.
There appear to be five or six pay lots near the south end of campus. One is located at the corner of Benson and Davis streets (Church Street Parking Garage), while the other is at Chicago Ave and Church St (the Church Street Self Park).
For a comprehensive list of nearby garages, go to the official Evanston parking site. The rates are at the bottom of the page (maximum $13 per day). They are free on Sundays.
Map of those lots (Self Park is #5; Ramp is not a public one so it's not on this map):
(note: the tournament buildings are about a block to the northeast along Chicago Ave; Harris Hall is directly across the street from the compass arrow in the upper right)
Andrew Hart
Minnesota alum
Minnesota alum
-
David Riley
- Auron
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2003 8:27 am
- Location: Morton Grove, IL
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
A further word from an almost native:
Any of the suburban taxis (American, 303, etc.) are generally good and will pick you up at O'Hare or Midway. If you take a Chicago taxi, keep in mind that most do NOT take credit cards, and quality of service is hit or miss. Also, if it's a typical Chicago June, you'll find a lot of the city drivers are anti-air conditioning.
I do not recommed exploriing the Chicago area if you're not familiar with the territory. Safe neighborhoods often gradually phase into iffy ones (unlike, e.g., New York, where you know to stay away fromn Avenue D in Manthattan and Mott Haven in the south Bronx). And in Evanston itself, "even Miss Kitty don't go west of Dodge". Take the precautions you would take when travelling to any large metrpolitan area.
Staying downtown is a waste of time unless you plan extended time to go sightseeing. The L will get you from point A to point B, but is not known for its speed [this impatient person lowered his blood pressure considerably when he moved from the city to the suburbs].
I really don't mean to be negative; I love this area, if i didn't I wouldn't have stayed here for going on twenty years!
Any of the suburban taxis (American, 303, etc.) are generally good and will pick you up at O'Hare or Midway. If you take a Chicago taxi, keep in mind that most do NOT take credit cards, and quality of service is hit or miss. Also, if it's a typical Chicago June, you'll find a lot of the city drivers are anti-air conditioning.
I do not recommed exploriing the Chicago area if you're not familiar with the territory. Safe neighborhoods often gradually phase into iffy ones (unlike, e.g., New York, where you know to stay away fromn Avenue D in Manthattan and Mott Haven in the south Bronx). And in Evanston itself, "even Miss Kitty don't go west of Dodge". Take the precautions you would take when travelling to any large metrpolitan area.
Staying downtown is a waste of time unless you plan extended time to go sightseeing. The L will get you from point A to point B, but is not known for its speed [this impatient person lowered his blood pressure considerably when he moved from the city to the suburbs].
I really don't mean to be negative; I love this area, if i didn't I wouldn't have stayed here for going on twenty years!
David Riley
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -
"This is 1183, of course we're barbarians" -- Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter"
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -
"This is 1183, of course we're barbarians" -- Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter"
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
David Riley wrote:A further word from an almost native:
Any of the suburban taxis (American, 303, etc.) are generally good and will pick you up at O'Hare or Midway. If you take a Chicago taxi, keep in mind that most do NOT take credit cards, and quality of service is hit or miss. Also, if it's a typical Chicago June, you'll find a lot of the city drivers are anti-air conditioning.
Not sure what era of Chicago cabdrivers you're referring to, but in my experience (lived on the south side 1999-2009, lived in the suburbs for the previous 13 years) this is untrue. Most cabdrivers take cards, though a minority will whine about doing so and it's a good idea to make sure they will accept plastic when you get in. Never noticed any A/C issues nor any egregiously awful service, though perhaps my standards are low.
Susan
UChicago alum (AB 2003, PhD 2009)
Member emerita, ACF
UChicago alum (AB 2003, PhD 2009)
Member emerita, ACF
-
David Riley
- Auron
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2003 8:27 am
- Location: Morton Grove, IL
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
This was roughly the same era. I traveled a lot when I lived in the city, and when I stood in the queue for a taxi I always had to tell the dispatcher that I need a taxi that accepted credit cards. Perhaps that has now changed.
David Riley
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -
"This is 1183, of course we're barbarians" -- Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter"
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -
"This is 1183, of course we're barbarians" -- Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter"
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
This will be updated in the coming weeks as more information comes in. Stay tuned, and feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions whatsoever.
Andrew Hart
Minnesota alum
Minnesota alum
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
Currently, all Chicago taxis (including every cab in the official taxi stand at O'Hare) are required to accepted credit cards. They might ask you for cash, but they are legally bound by their taxi license to accept plastic without any additional fees.David Riley wrote:This was roughly the same era. I traveled a lot when I lived in the city, and when I stood in the queue for a taxi I always had to tell the dispatcher that I need a taxi that accepted credit cards. Perhaps that has now changed.
Steve Yang
PACE
PACE
-
David Riley
- Auron
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2003 8:27 am
- Location: Morton Grove, IL
Re: 2011 PACE NSC Hotels and Transportation information
This is a recent development and is good to know...I can now view Chicago as a world class city 
David Riley
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -
"This is 1183, of course we're barbarians" -- Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter"
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -
"This is 1183, of course we're barbarians" -- Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter"