The Metra in Chicago, how do I get around?

Question

I'm in Highland, Indiana and am going to take the Time Travel train (South Shore Line) all the way to the end, Millennium Station at Randolph. Apparently the Metra is connected to the Millennium Station? I'm heading to 3411 N Halsted St for the Chicago Diner except I have no clue how to get there. I'm stuck at the Millennium Station. I yahoo searched the metra lines except I have to go through 4 lines including the train. Do I have to pay for each time I get on a metra line? Or is there transfers as in buses? And is the Millennium station the Millennium park? Where do I buy a ticket to get on the Metra? I only have $60 for two people. So I have to have enough money to take the train there and back and enough to buy food.

I can also walk from Millennium Park to the Diner, unless it's too far and too awkward to walk by. Or maybe even rent a bike if that's possible. No taxis, too expensive.

Even a bus would do! As long as I get there.

One more thing, Is bus #29 near there? The bus that goes through Illinois st. I need to get something from that street also..

I'm not from here so any advice would do.

As young and lame as this might sound... Any thing interesting to do for 2 seventeen year-olds? Nothing awkward or intimidating please.

Answer 1

Way too far to walk -- it's all the way near Wrigley Field. Your train arrives at the Millenium station -- you just exit the train and walk upstairs and you're on Michigan Ave near the Art Institute. Call the train station and ask them because I don't understand why you would need to transfer so many times.

Answer 2

You probably need to do a combination of the L/Bus and the Metra.  There's a website called www.hopstop.com that allows you to enter where you're going and then it gives you the best public transportation + walking directions.  You may even be able to do this on the CTA website now that they've added the Google maps, but I've only used hopstop.  

http://www.hopstop.com/?city=chicago

Answer 3

You dont need the metra line time dont matter the bus just runn more at certin times also if you need to get on more then 2 busus theres a vistor center when you come out go in a get a $ 5 bus pass or u will pay a lot more Walk 0.3 mile W from  Millennium  METRA to RANDOLPH & STATETake CTA BUS # 146 INNER DRIVE/MICHIGAN EXPRESS NORTHBOUNd

Departat 11:04 PM:RANDOLPH & STATEArriveat 11:19 PM:CORNELIA & LAKE SHOREWalk 0.5 mile SW to 3411 N HALSTED ST

also on this site Millennium Station  is still RANDOLPH st metra if u need more info

Answer 4

Not sure if you've already made this trip or not, but the Chicago Diner is a vegetarian diner in the heart of Boystown, the city's biggest g*y district. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just thought you should know. You said nothing "awkward or intimidating" so you probably should be aware of that fact if being around a lot of g*y men is "awkward" or "intimidating".

As for how to get there, take the train to Millennium Station, walk up to street level and go west to State Street. Take the red line subway train to the Belmont stop, get off, walk downstairs and walk two blocks east (to Halsted) then about three blocks north on Halsted. The restaurant should be right around there.

Now as for money, I assume since you're coming from Highland, Ind., you'll be taking the train from the Gary transportation center, the closest train to Highland. The fare from Gary to Millennium station is $5.50 each way (http://www.nictd.com/), which comes out to $11 person or $22 total, which leaves you with $38. You're going to need at least $8 per person for the subway ($2 each way = $4 x 2 = $8). Which leaves you with only $30 for dinner. I suppose you could have dinner for $15 per person (ok, maybe $12 person - you're going to leave a tip, right?). But it seems an awfully long way to go for a $12 meal. And the Chicago Diner isn't particularly cheap. They do have a vegan brunch for $5.95 a day (http://www.veggiediner.com/menu5.html), so I guess you could have that. But that ends at 3:30 in the afternoon. And everything else is about $10 or more. (http://veggiediner.com/menu3.html).

Why don't you wait until you save up a few more bucks and make it worth your while to take a trip all the way from Indiana? Make it a really good meal.