Chicago - Stop the Train, I Want to Get Off
by Ron Callari

No other American city has been as defined by its railroads and neighborhoods as Chicago. Once the transcontinental link was completed in 1869, Chicago became the natural hub for the nation's rail traffic. In less than two centuries, it grew from a frontier town to a world class city as a result of the convenience of an innovative rail system. It holds an important place in the history of transportation schedules when all the major railroads met in Chicago in the 1880s to adopt the Standard Time System. Previously time had been established based on "high noon", resulting in hundreds of local times and conflicting schedules. Today, the development of this time zone helped defined schedules nationally. And locally, the uniformity brought together more than 77 defined and distinct neighborhoods in Chicago in addition to 100 ethnic groups that have assimilated their traditions and history into an eclectic culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the US.

In 1871, when a usually mild-mannered cow kicked over a lantern in a barn owned by Mrs. O'Leary, architects were summoned from all over the world to rebuild Chicago. From this starting point, a grid pattern for downtown streets took shape and is now known as the loop or the business district. And in Chicago, all roads lead to 'State and Madison'. It is there, where once tourists and visitors learn the grand plan, they truly can never get lost. State Street runs north and south.

All of the other north/south streets are numbered as so many blocks east or west of State, with the addresses increasing by 100 for each block. For example, Ashland Avenue runs north/south and is 16 blocks west of State and so its "address" is 1600 West. Since there are 8 blocks to a mile, we can also determine that Ashland is 2 miles west of State. Similarly all east/west streets are numbered as north or south of Madison, which runs east/west. The street that runs parallel to Madison 8 blocks to the north (Chicago Avenue) is referred to as 800 North, and is one mile north of Madison.

Using this system you can always figure out how far and in what direction you have strayed from downtown, and by knowing a cross street's address you can find any building in the city. The address of 800 North Ashland Avenue, for instance will be 8 blocks north of Madison on Ashland which 16 blocks west of State Street, at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Ashland Avenue. A building with an address of 1601 West Chicago will be on the other corner of the same intersection. The loop is the heart of the Chicago and attracts business travelers and conventioneers daily to the hundreds of hotels and business centers that are headquartered in this part of town. O'Hare International Airport, located 17 miles from downtown Chicago can be reached by train for only $2 (compared to a $30 cab ride).

Traveling further out from the Loop, using the Chicago Transit System as our means of transport let us explore some of the more colorful neighborhoods that consistently attract tourists, gays and business travelers to the distinctive attributes that distinguish Chicago as one of the major metropolitan melting pots. The CTA is as much a part of the city's history, image and daily life as the cable cars are to San Francisco or the double-decker buses are to London. Providing over 1.4 million rides on 1,200 rapid transit cars, the system services the entire metro area in addition to 38 suburbs.

Chicago's residential commuters have the daily journey from the train station to the office and back, down to a science, and don't have much patience for dawdlers. But with a few helpful hints, any visitor can learn to navigate the train system like a pro in no time.

One can buy tickets either on the train or at the station. It costs an extra dollar to buy it on the train unless the ticket booths are closed, and only cash is accepted. Exact change is not necessary if you buy on the train, but large bills are discouraged. Round trips range from $3.50 to $13.20, and are priced according to the zone to which one will be travelling. Ten-ride tickets offer a 15 percent discount and don't expire until a year after purchase. Unlimited rides on all lines Saturday and Sunday are available with a $5 weekend ticket.

Trains run about every hour during the day and every few minutes during both morning and evening rush hour. Important to check which stops each train makes, because express trains may pass one's designated stop. Detailed schedules are available at each station. When travelling during rush hour, keep in mind that commuters observe certain etiquette on the train. Aside from the occasional lively card game, loud conversations are generally frowned upon, since most people read or sleep on the train. The exception to this rule is Friday evenings, when many commuters grab a beer at the station and celebrate the end of the work week. Food and drinks (including alcoholic beverages) are allowed on the train.

The CTA is made up of 6 major lines, all distinguished by a color and making it very easy to determine one from another:
The Red Line: Serving both of Chicago's baseball parks, the Red Line is the most frequently used line in the el (elevated) system. One of only two lines this train provides service 24/7, the Red Line runs north and south from Howard Street in the north to 95th/Dan Ryan Expressway in the south.
The Brown Line: Providing service for the Northwest Side, the Brown Line, also known as the Ravenswood Line runs from Kimball to the Loop. Service is available at all times except late night.
The Blue Line: Serving the world's busiest airport, the Blue Line runs from O'Hare to Forest Park and 54/Cermak. Service is available at all times.
The Purple Line: With transport to some of the northern suburbs and Northwestern University, the Purple Line or Evanston Express runs from Wilmette in the north to the Loop downtown. Late night service is not provided.
The Green Line: This route runs from Harlem Avenue in Oak Park through the Loop and south to Cottage Grove/East 63rd and Ashland/63rd on the South Side. Service is available seven days a week at all times except late night.
The Orange Line: Finished in 1993, the Orange Line, serving Midway Airport and the Loop, is the CTA's new kid on the block. Service is available at all times except late nights.

Located conveniently on the Blue Line, Wicker Park is two stops from the Loop. Known as one of Chicago's trendiest locales, it was the district of choice for the more affluent residents of Chicago in the 1800s, whose opulent Victorian mansions lined the wide boulevards and tree lined streets. After decades of hard times, this neighborhood has been rediscovered first by architectural preservationists, followed by bohemian artists and artisans who migrated to the area because of low rents and close proximity to downtown. It is lined with cutting-edge galleries, trendy restaurants and coffee houses, hot late night clubs, thrift stores, new age boutiques an other unique businesses that give the area a very 'Soho' feel, and offer visitors a plethora of entertainment from poetry readings to the latest bands.

The Howard 'El' train (the Red Line) runs North/South with stops in Lakeview (Belmont or Addison). This neighborhood is among the trendiest in Chicago where there is an eclectic mix of cultures. It is the home to both Wrigley field and many near by sports bars, as well as a grunge culture and Chicago's gay community and is also called 'New Town' or 'Boys Town'. The Steamworks Gym & Sauna can be found on North Halsted Street and has provided gay men with a popular facility for the last 18 years. Wrigley Field home of the Chicago Cubs is much more than a sporting neighborhood from shopping to dance clubs to enjoying a local band at The Cubby Bear. The Neighborhood Inns of Chicago provide accommodations that are gay-friendly at the City Suites Hotel, the Park Brompton Inn and the Surf Hotel.

If your visit includes taking in a show at the Steppenwolf or Royal George theatres or if you're looking to do some clubbing, getting to Lincoln Park is easy.

Take the red line to North and Clybourn or Fullerton or the brown line to Diversey. Formerly a Civil War graveyard, this north side park on Lake Michigan is home to the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Academy of Sciences, the Chicago Historical Society, as well as many city sponsored sporting events such as the Mayor's Cup Soccer Festival. The bustling lakefront neighborhood of Lincoln Park offers activity for the active and passive tourist. The parks that line the lake are lively with runners, bicyclists and team sports during the warmer months. Known for its upscale boutiques, it is a shopper's delight. Along the thoroughfares of Armitage and Halsted you'll find hidden treasures for your home in stores like the Faded Rose, the Urban Gardener and Ancient Echoes.

Over the years, the boundaries of the Gold Coast's exclusive neighborhood expanded, so that it now encompasses the area from Michigan Avenue west to LaSalle Street, and North Avenue south to Chicago Avenue. You can get to this upscale section of town by the red line stopping at Clark and Division Streets or Chicago Avenue. While contemplating the riches of Chicago's founders, you can spend some of your own gold along one of the toniest streets in town - Oak Street. Shopping here is not for the masses, but if you have a few thousand dollars burning a hole in your Gucci wallet, then you'll be in your element. The most elite designer clothing, accessories, shoes and housewares are peddled in classy boutiques - most of which are former brownstone homes - like Jil Sander, Lester Lampert Jewelry, Barneys and Gianni Versace.

On the blue line, exit at the LaSalle Street stop and you will be in the heart of Printer's Row, a community that once housed a number of famous printing companies which have now been converted to upscale restaurants and trendy shops. But better known for the Printers Row Book Fair, every year in early June a massive number of books lovers head into area. Over 70,000 people celebrate literature in the tented block area between Polk Street and Congress Parkway in 1998. The free fair, which includes seminars, author readings, staged performances and 170 booksellers, is among the largest outdoor book events in the country.

Accommodations for the event can be arranged at the Hyatt on Printers Row, if made 6 months to a year in advance. By no means the largest or the ritziest hotel in Chicago, this 161-room hotel caters to business travelers at other times of the year visiting the nearby financial district. Even if you're not looking for a place to stay overnight, the Hyatt's classy Prairie Restaurant offers a true Chicago experience.

And our last stop takes us back to the Loop on the green line. Downtown Chicago has the best of the city's offerings. It provides some of the finest shopping, dining and entertainment venues on the continent. Daniel Burnham one of the architects brought in to help redesign Chicago after the fire, developed public parks along all of the Lake Michigan shoreline, making Chicago one of the greenest and most beautiful urban centers in the country. Burnham along with his associates on the Chicago assignment used the latest engineering concepts of the day and invented the worlds' first skyscrapers, giving birth to the Chicago school of architecture.

Today the surviving Water Tower building and pumping station used to put out the famous fire has been appropriately preserved as theite of the tourist information center. And the neighborhoods and train system stand as monuments to the visionaries who were able to develop communities within communities that today offer the world a truly eclectic city to visit for business or pleasure.