Getting Around Chicago

Chicago is a very large city. For someone unfamiliar with the city, it can easily become a jungle. However, the city’s layout and street organization is quite simple. Once you understand it, you shouldn’t have any problem making your way to anywhere in the city.

The first thing to understand about Chicago is how the streets are organized. The north/south directions of the city begin at Madison Street (0North/South), and the east/west directions of the city begin at State Street (0 East/West). On the south side of Chicago, streets will be numbered. 55th Street for instance means 5500 South. 22nd Street is 2200 South. The name of the street indicates the distance south of the street. Unfortunately, the north side of the city uses names. Upon hearing the name of the street, there is no way to know how far north it is, though you can easily memorize then. The east and west sides of the city are always named with names. You will likely run into trouble with this, but even natives do. If unsure where a street is located, asking a cab driver or CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) driver where a street is will usually solve the problem.

The grid organization of Chicago makes it very easy to get to your destination. Once you figure out how far east/west and north/south your target is, it simply is a matter of getting there. The CTA, Chicago’s bus and train system, is thoroughly spread throughout the city. Not all streets have a bus route, but you can usually get within a few blocks of your destination. The “L”, the CTA’s elevated train system has several routes. The Red Line will take you from south to north (connecting to the Purple Line, which goes to the north suburbs) . This line branches off into a couple other lines, such as the Brown and Blue, which will take you to different northern/north-western parts of the city. Most major streets have bus routes, and if not, you will always find a route nearby.

So, you’ve figured out where you want to go: #### W. Hubbard Street. Hubbard Street is located at 400 north. Now, you simply need to make your way north until you reach that street (I would take the Red Line), and then hop on the bus and go west until you reach the address.

Chicago, a vast city with plenty to do, can seem intimidating. But with this knowledge, you can find your way to any place in the city. Good luck, and enjoy the city.