Hey, I'm visiting Chicago for the first time in the fall. I have options to stay in Andersonville (a bit more expensive) and a couple of blocks south of Chinatown (cheaper). What neighborhood is the best option? I want to do tourist shit during the day like visiting Millennium Park, the MCA, Navy Pier, Lincoln Zoo, etc. and try popular food spots around the city. Chinatown seems to be closer to the places I want to visit but It seems to be a far more sketchier area than Andersonville. What would you recommend? Also, how expensive is taking a Uber at night on the weekend? I plan to go out until late and right now I'm seeing a big price surge with rides up to $40. Is this common?
I forgot to mention I'm a transwoman (nonpassing), keep that in mind when answering please
rent free/projecting
bridgeport/armor square wherever, you will run a significant risk of getting your shit kicked in by black people for being a chud. 40$ is fairly normal, but you can avoid that by doing whatever uber pool option there is or taking the L. andersonville is far safer and not a bad trip into the loop
Why andersonville? It's a nice and safe neighborhood but kind of out of the way for all the touristy stuff you want to see, like 30+ minutes from the loop, and feels more like it's own small town than part of a big city
I found a cheap place to stay, though not as cheap as the one in Chinatown. Chicago is expensive.
According to google maps it'd take me about 50 minutes to go from Andersonville to the loop and like 45 from Chinatown. It seems to be because of the way transit is laid out it doesn't make much of a difference. Also the place in Andersonville is closer to the places I plan to go to at night, that's why I'm asking about Uber prices too.
How are those travel times estimated? Chinatown to the loop should take like 15-20 minutes on the red line, 45 minutes is how long a slow walk would take. The south side of the red line can get pretty sketchy as it gets late and the loop basically becomes a ghost town after 7pm but there's still lots of cheap night life around there.
The whole area around andersonville is a yuppie town and you will overpay for drinks. Uber sucks but if you stick to places off the red/blue line you won't have trouble getting around since they run 24/7. If you stay in andersonville check out lost larson their afternoon tea bun they make is pretty good.
The fringe hipsters fled to logan square, avondale, and pilsen and west loop is an expensive techbro town.
Used to live thereabouts. Check out the Koval distillery while you're in Andersonville, they have some of my favorite gin but it doesn't seem to get national distribution. I was going to suggest taking the water taxi if you were staying in Chinatown but the season's over already. Andersonville is a fringe hipster enclave as others have mentioned but the red line will take you right through the tourist parts. Have you considered the West Loop? Much better access. The reason Uber is so expensive is because drivers have been getting carjacked at gunpoint so for a lot of people it's not worth the risk.
I did look into most areas close to the river but airbnbs seem to be way more expensive there. My plan is to just come back to wherever I stay to sleep and be out all day so I want to spend as little money as possible on lodging.
Those times are what google maps showed on public transit, I don't know. Also I don't plan to do much in Andersonville besides sleeping. The reason I would stay there is it's very cheap.
>a couple of blocks south of Chinatown
that's where you will hear gunshots outside your window every day.
Giordano's is the best deep dish pizza don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Oven Grinders also does great pot-pie pizza things.
Also the architecture boat tour is fantastic. If you're a fan of SNL, go to the Billy Goat Tavern. Apparently it's the home of some famous sketch
Billy Goat Tavern sucks. Hamburger patties are thin as a nickel and booze is massively overpriced. Head to a hot dog place- you'll enjoy it much more.
http://hotdogchicagostyle.com/ is a great website to teach you out of towners all about the greatness of our dogs.
>this website looks like it was made in 2005
It was.
>Chicago
don't worry about me anon, you can still go to thailand to fuck little boys no one is stopping you
who is still uses wojaks in the year of our lord?
tricking tourists into going to giordanos will never get old
Definitely Andersonville. It's an awesome neighborhood and there are a lot of other great neighborhoods between A'ville and downtown. The southside is less interesting except for Chinatown itself, and can be much sketchier depending on where you're staying.