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user 6862

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Does the Chicago CTA Pass cover the Pace bus service too?

Want to get to the nearest Mall to Downtown, North Riverside appears to be about it. We'll start from Monroe Blue and see it's a simple single ride out to Harlem - Forest Park on the Blue Line. From there it's a Pace 307 bus.

When we arrive at Ohare we'll pick up a day pass (24 hours? duration) and am hoping that covers the bus too?

Any local knowledge please?

Thank you
 
No, you don't want to go to North Riverside Mall. Trust me. Don't. Stay downtown, go on Michigan Avenue. Nice stores there.

You don't want to go to North Riverside Mall.

Did I mention you should stay downtown?
 
The hassle of transferring between multiple public modes of transportation in Chicago doesn't nearly come close to matching the prices you'll pay for Michigan Avenue. Pace buses run infrequently, and you'll spend a long long time going to a suburban mall from downtown.
 
George K said:
The hassle of transferring between multiple public modes of transportation in Chicago doesn't nearly come close to matching the prices you'll pay for Michigan Avenue. Pace buses run infrequently, and you'll spend a long long time going to a suburban mall from downtown.
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There's that too. I was just answering the question. ;)

You can find many of the major stores off of Michigan Ave yet still accessible by CTA.
 
What makes you want to go to North Riverside Mall?

Looking at the store directory, there isn't anything special there, it looks like a C or D grade mall - definitely nothing worth a special trip, imo.

http://www.northriversideparkmall.com/#!alphabetical/c18js

Are there particular stores that you really want to shop at?

State Street, which is easily accessible from Chicago Union Station, has a lot of stores in all price ranges - from Target to Macy's and everything in between.

Go to Google Maps and input '100 S State Street Chicago, IL' and then 'search nearby' for 'shopping' - you'll be surprised at the enormous amount of places to shop at.

In fact, use Google Maps Street View and walk the street and see for yourself.

A one day pass for the CTA is now $10 per person, a single fare is $2.25 (exact change) so unless you're going to take more than 4 rides, it's not worth it.

Catch the 151 bus (my favorite) outside of the old Union Station building (the one with the big columns) at the corner of Canal and Jackson.

Get off at Macy's on the corner of Washington and State.

To get back to Union Station, walk 3 blocks south on State Street from where you got off to Adams where Starbucks is.

Go around the corner on Adams and catch the 151 back to Union Station (the bus will say 151 Union Station on the front)

An FYI - the 151 bus starts at Union Station northbound and ends at Union Station southbound - the best bus to take if you don't want to get lost.

It also goes down Michigan Avenue and is worth a trip even if you don't shop there, just cross the street and take the bus back to Union Station when you're done strolling around.
 
The *near* north side of the city is probably the priciest real estate in the city. Very nice areas, particularly when you're close to the lake. Practically everything is fine all the way to Evanston (1st suburb north of the city).

And yeah, MiRider, your detailed comments about NR mall are spot on.

I used to ride the 151 bus all the time when I lived downtown. It will take you to anything you want to see in the city, as far as shopping goes. It also goes, as you said, up Michigan avenue - world class shopping. Stay in the city. It's a great town.
 
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Loosely quoting an American author Irma Kurtz in the Great American Bus Ride "I am a traveller of low tastes"

We arrive Ohare at 3 pm and go straight to E Monroe to check in to our hotel and leave our bags. From a past travel experience during a February across 3 states bordering the Canadian border I know that cold can mean very cold. Living in temperate Britain we don't have access to a large variety of good cold weather clothes. We will be in the northern and mid west states for around 10 days in total during end of February to early March, so for the admittedly few occasions we are outside we probably will each buy a winter coat and hat to suit conditions. We are on the CZ the following day so in reality only have the day we arrive in Chicago to go off to get something, the American invention of a mall suits our purpose perfectly, lots of clothes shops at moderate prices in one place, we don't have the time to schlepp around up one street and down another. When we get to the warmer parts of the US in the later section of our trip we will try to give the winter clothes to a thrift shop or similar.

In past US visits I've always bought Levis at JC Penny, plus the odd other thing too. Their clothes always seem to fit me without trying too much on, so I looked for the nearest Pennys to Downtown, simple as that, nothing sinister.

I don't do fashion, snob or care too much what passing strangers think of me, but I always try to respect and sometimes help everybody. So buying from here or there doesn't matter too much, value for money and reasonable quality does matter.

I always consider and respect every reply given to my many questions, for or against our original ideas. Indeed we have modified our travel plans fairly heavily around advice given here, what's the purpose of asking if I don't listen. That said I have managed to get into and so far out of many 'scrapes' around the world over many years but don't like taking stupid chances anymore as not as athletic as before. But Rosie and I are our own people and take from your advice what suits us.

So thank you all for your opinions, advice and time, now where is it best for us to shop?

Today I am in France, they are mourning and celebrating free speech. The roads in this rural area are even quieter than normal, people here are in some form of national shock, maybe similar to 911 for the US.

So I've written with a little more openness today, no intention to offend anybody.

Je suis Charlie
 
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Thanks for sharing. Looks like your needs will be well met by the Target on State street. No need to go all the way out to a crappy mall.

Don't know if there is a similar store there, but Target is sort of the "everything " store, from clothes to household stuff to toys, electronics, auto and home repair, to food. Everything one might need under one roof. If you're familiar with a Wal-Mart, very similar.
 
What Ryan said.

Target is similar to Penny's, in terms of the stock they carry, but without the service that Penny's had (don't know if they still do). There are no individual cashier stations, rather a line of checkouts by the entrance/exit where people queue line up with their carts. If you look at Target's web site, I'm sure you'll find just about anything you're looking for (though I didn't see Levi's on their web site).

You will find Levi's at Macy's: http://www1.macys.com/shop/search?keyword=jeans#!fn=BRAND%3DLevi%2527s%26GENDER_AGE%3DMen%26sortBy%3DORIGINAL%26productsPerPage%3D40&!qvp=iqvp. Macy's is the former Marshall Fields in the Loop. Fields was a great store with a long and proud history. Known for the Walnut Dining Room, people would make reservations for lunch while taking a break from shopping. The displays are huge, and the staff helpful.

Don't go to the 'burbs. Not worth it. Particularly don't go to North Riverside Mall - have I mentioned that?
 
jimhudson said:
railiner said:
George K said:
MiRider said:
No one in Chicago says Chi town!
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I got "internet slapped" for saying "Frisco." Never did it again. :eek:
Click to expand...
What's wrong with saying, "Frisco"? :huh:
It's a lovely mountain town about 80 miles west of Denver...... :p
Click to expand...
It' s also one of the country's hottest upscale suburbs in Texas' DFW Metroplex!
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And the old Saint Louis-San Francisco Ry. didn't seem to have a problem with it....that's probably where the Texas 'burb got its name from..... :)
 
George, please stop sitting on the fence and tell me once and for all, should I go to the North Riverside Mall?
 
railiner said:
jimhudson said:
railiner said:
George K said:
MiRider said:
No one in Chicago says Chi town!
Click to expand...
I got "internet slapped" for saying "Frisco." Never did it again. :eek:
Click to expand...
What's wrong with saying, "Frisco"? :huh:
It's a lovely mountain town about 80 miles west of Denver...... :p
Click to expand...
It' s also one of the country's hottest upscale suburbs in Texas' DFW Metroplex!
Click to expand...
And the old Saint Louis-San Francisco Ry. didn't seem to have a problem with it....that's probably where the Texas 'burb got its name from..... :)

Yes, that's where the City of Frisco got it's name...as did my screen name! You'll see the old SLSF RR 'Frisco' shield logo all over town.
Click to expand...
 
If you really want to go to North Riverside Mall, it's relatively easy. From downtown Chicago take the Pink Line (which uses the Loop "L" structure) to the end of the line at 54th Avenue in Cicero. Get on a CTA Route 21 or a Pace Route 322 bus and take it directly to the mall. Between the CTA and Pace schedules, service is very frequent. Enjoy shopping at Penney's, Sears and Carson's and all the other shops.
 
Are the sales taxes less at the mall than in the city? Do they tax on clothing? Just some additional things to think about. I live in a state that does not have sales tax, so I have to remember these things when I travel out of state.
 

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