BlogHer ’13 is less than two weeks away! That means thousands of people are going to be descending upon Chicago – and for many of you, it may be your first time at a big blogging conference. You’ve got enough to worry about, such as remembering to pack your business cards and phone charger. And now you’re worried about navigating Chicago, too, right?
If you’re staying at The Sheraton, the official BlogHer ’13 hotel, there will be free shuttle buses that will be running all day to and from McCormick Place, where the meals, sessions, and expo hall are located. So, you’ll get up at the hotel, take a bus to McCormick Place and have breakfast, go to sessions, visit the expo hall, and then take a bus back to the Sheraton for closing keynotes and parties.
If you’re just doing the official BlogHer stuff, you won’t need transportation for much else…
If you’re going to the offsite private parties, or want to do any exploration on your own, you’ll need a way to get there… and that could be where the fear sets in.
Don’t be nervous. I’m from Michigan; I live about 6 hours away from Chicago. I’m not a Chicago expert – but I’ve visited enough to know that it’s pretty easy to get around the city!
Transit System
Chicago has a great public transit system, which consists of trains and buses. The train system is known as “The L” which stands for “elevated.” Most of Chicago’s trains are above ground, unlike New York’s subway system, which is underground. That being said there is a portion of Chicago’s train system that runs underground, but it’s mostly above ground. Just look up – and you’ll see it. (When I said “elevated,” I meant “elevated.”)
But seriously – the trains are quick and easy. You can hop on and hop off and they’ll get you pretty much everywhere you need to go. I have heard some people say they are scared to take the L. I’ve never had anything bad or shady happen to me on the L train. I’ve been on it during the day, night, weekday and weekend. I’ve been with friends and by myself. All in all, I’ve always felt much safer on the L than I have on the subway in NYC.
And yes, I mentioned the buses. I’m not going to lie. I’ve seen some looney tunes on the bus, but the bus is a normal part of public transit and millions of people in Chicago regularly ride the bus. You may see a weirdo or two. But you’re going to see a lot more normal people than weirdos.
Best of all, taking public transit is super cheap. You can get unlimited passes; a 3 day pass is $20 and a 7 day pass is $28. Click here to buy in advance and have it mailed to you.
Here is a link to the CTA Website (Chicago Transit Authority). You can get maps and much more info there.
Walk
Yes, you can actually walk to places. Chicago is a great walking city and the people who are planning stuff are smart about not planning things too far away. Many of the private parties are a little over a half mile to a little more than a mile away from the hotel. You can walk that!
And if you want to explore, there are many things to see – all within walking distance, including the Chicago Riverwalk, The Magnificent Mile and Millennium Park.
Get out there on foot and see the city! If you’re worried about walking alone in an unfamiliar city, remember that there will be THOUSANDS of women attending BlogHer. Find someone who wants to walk with you!
Cab Share
If you don’t want to take public transit or walk, then you can always share a cab. Hey – I’m going to be doing it, too. I don’t want to drag all of my luggage on the L, either. Use Twitter or Facebook to find people who might want to share a cab. You can also use this tool to estimate how much the cab fare is from location to location.