Hotel near Columbia College

We will be taking my son to visit Columbia College. We%26#39;ve never been to Boston, and I%26#39;d like to get a hotel that will be convenient both to the college and the airport. I think we will be flying on Southwest Airlines, which flies into Midway Airport. The only airport we%26#39;ve been to in Chicago is O%26#39;Hare just to change planes enroute to another destination. Do you think we would need to rent a car or would there be public transporation to get us to our hotel and to the college? Would Midway be so inconvenient that it would be better to pay more and fly into O%26#39;Hare? If anyone can give me any advice, it would be great, as I have no familiarity with this city. Thanks so much.

Hotel near Columbia College

Midway and ORD are about equal distance from The Loop. You can take The L from either airport to the central city, just follow the signs in the terminals that say ';CTA Trains to city.'; The trip on the Orange Line from Midway is about 30-45 minutes and from O%26#39;Hare via the Blue Line is about 45-60 minutes.

A car would be more of a hinderance than a help as parking ranges from $25 to $50 per day at most downtown garages and hotels.

Visitor passes will probably be a good investment. They allow unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses. You can purchase them from vending machines at the airport rail stations. A 3-day pass is $14. Some shops in the airports sell 1-day passes for $5.75.

You can also purchase passes online, find maps and a trip planner at www.transitchicago.com.

Columbia College is at the south end of the Loop-a short walk from two L stations, several bus routes and most hotels.

Any hotel in The Loop would be fine as would any in the River North/Magnificant Mile area. The Loop is a bit more quiet at night as it has a greater concentration of offices, while the River North has more stores and restaurants.

If you want a hotel room that%26#39;s a bit larger, there are several all-suite hotels in River North including 2 Residence Inns, 2 Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn and Suites, Spring Hill Suites and the Omni on N Michigan Ave.

Hotel near Columbia College

If you do want hotels near Columbia, try the Hilton Towers, the Blackstone (A marriott property), the Essex Inn. They are all within a block or two of Columbia.

Thanks for the advice. Is it generally pretty safe to take the L at any time of day? What about walking around at night - are there areas we should avoid? I%26#39;m assuming if we have train passes that it wouldn%26#39;t make much of a difference where we stayed, so which area would you recommend? Even with taking the L, I don%26#39;t want to be really far away from the college, though. I%26#39;d prefer to be in an area where there%26#39;s some shops and restaurants nearby. Also, do you have any recommendations for restaurants? We definitely want to try deep dish pizza and see how it compares to NYC pizza. Your help is greatly appreciated, as I really know nothing about Chicago. Thanks again.

I agree with Happi about staying at the Hilton Towers. Friends got great rooms there a few weeks ago on priceline for $90. A nice walk form there is Pizano%26#39;s Pizza which has both deep dish and thin crust plus the usual sandwiches and pasta. It is a short walk up Michigan Ave on Madison between Michigan and Wabash. And yes, definitely take the orange line from Midway. It is safe.

S