six flags Chicago?

ryanjp2323ryanjp2323 Posts: 561
edited June 2013 in The Porch
Local help? First trip to Chicago for some Canadians.

So my brother and his wife and family (12 and 4 YO nieces) are meeting my dad and I in Chicago for the show the week of July 15th. A couple of days at six flags is on their agenda for Wednesday and Thursday, Bro and i are going to the show on Friday, then some down town museums, tourist stuff over the weekend.

He will rent a car from O'hare and i'm driving down from Manitoba so vehicles aren't an issue (apart from parking and drive time). Down town hotel rates are getting high for two rooms to accommodate four adults and two kids... Where would be a reasonable area to stay to have access to both 6 Flags, Wrigleyville and downtown attractions? Maybe wise to stay outside the city closer to 6 flags and for him and I to stay closer to Wrigley Friday night?

Selfish me... particularly concerned about the show Friday so Bro and I can both partake in some bevies and have a reasonable public transit / cab commute back to our "home base" for the week.

Suggestions?

Also is 6 flags great america a good time for a non amusement park type person? I'm sure it will be fun with my nieces, but I've never been to a big park / Disney type attraction and am not a huge ride fan.

Thanks in advance!
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Comments

  • JiggsJiggs Posts: 94
    Six Flags is about an hour drive, 35 miles away from Wrigleyville and downtown is about 15 minutes the opposite way from Wrigleyville.

    I'm not sure on if paying for trains, cabs, etc all week would offset the cost of a hotel but you could get around fairly easily and could get to the show on the L-Train Friday for sure.

    Six Flags obviously is an amusement park but there's plenty to do and will be fun!

    Good luck!
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  • JTHJTH Chicago Posts: 3,238
    I have no idea if this joint is in your budget but if you want a place that's approximately midway between Gurnee and the city, you can check the rates at the Marriott Suites in Deerfield.
  • poto101poto101 Posts: 382
    There's plenty of places to stay near Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie. It's a bit closer to Chicago but it's still an easy drive to 6 flags

    a google search of 'Old Orchard Skokie Hotel' gives you plenty of results.
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  • cmarch007cmarch007 Fishers, IN Posts: 293
    I grew up near Gurnee, so here is my take....

    Stay near Northbrook. Pick a hotel off Lake Cook Rd. This should split your drive between Gurnee (Six Flags) & Wrigleyville. There is shopping nearby (Northbrook Court) and a ton of restaurants on Route 21 in Wheeling (5 minute drive west of Northbrook).

    Six Flags is underrated. Check out the water park there as well. Gurnee also has Gurnee Mills shopping center nearby. Ten minutes south of Gurnee, in downtown Livertyville has a great local microbrewery (Mickey Finns) on Rte 21.
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  • JTHJTH Chicago Posts: 3,238
    5 minute drive west of Northbrook
    5 minutes?
    :wtf:
    A presidential motorcade couldn't make it down Lake-Cook Road that fast.
  • Jstein1978Jstein1978 Posts: 548
    Lake Cook = My Hell
  • 8181 Needing a ride to Forest Hills and a ounce of weed. Please inquire within. Thanks. Or not. Posts: 58,276
    JTH wrote:
    5 minute drive west of Northbrook
    5 minutes?
    :wtf:
    A presidential motorcade couldn't make it down Lake-Cook Road that fast.

    :lol::lol::lol:
    81 is now off the air

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  • PJ-CubsPJ-Cubs Posts: 3,292
    JTH wrote:
    I have no idea if this joint is in your budget but if you want a place that's approximately midway between Gurnee and the city, you can check the rates at the Marriott Suites in Deerfield.

    If you use Priceline and bid low, you can probably get a really good deal on the Marriott or Hyatt in Deerfield on Lake Cook Rd. I got a room at the Hyatt with a $40 bid last summer.
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  • EddieshometownEddieshometown Evanston, IL Posts: 974
    Marriott suites in Deerfield is isolated. It's right off I294 but not much is by it and Lake Cook has construction on it east of the hotel. There are a few hotels in Skokie by Old Orchard ( out door upscale mall .Eddie worked at dons fish market just down the road but it might have closed). Skokie swift is nearby which is a shuttle to the train that goes by Wrigley. Great America is about 20 miles north of skokie. Lincolnshire is another option further north unless you really want to stay in Gurnee.
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  • JTHJTH Chicago Posts: 3,238
    Marriott suites in Deerfield is isolated. It's right off I294 but not much is by it and Lake Cook has construction on it east of the hotel. There are a few hotels in Skokie by Old Orchard ( out door upscale mall .Eddie worked at dons fish market just down the road but it might have closed). Skokie swift is nearby which is a shuttle to the train that goes by Wrigley. Great America is about 20 miles north of skokie. Lincolnshire is another option further north unless you really want to stay in Gurnee.
    True, it's isolated, but the aforementioned Wheeling restaurants are literally 5-10 minutes away from there and there is really no need to ever drive east of there on Lake-Cook road.

    If you can get a better rate at a hotel near Old Orchard, that's definitely a good option, but it's not like anything is really walking distance from there (aside from the mall).

    Don's Fishmarket is, in fact, closed.
  • SPEEDY MCCREADYSPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 24,788
    ryanjp2323 wrote:
    Local help? First trip to Chicago for some Canadians.

    So my brother and his wife and family (12 and 4 YO nieces) are meeting my dad and I in Chicago for the show the week of July 15th. A couple of days at six flags is on their agenda for Wednesday and Thursday, Bro and i are going to the show on Friday, then some down town museums, tourist stuff over the weekend.

    He will rent a car from O'hare and i'm driving down from Manitoba so vehicles aren't an issue (apart from parking and drive time). Down town hotel rates are getting high for two rooms to accommodate four adults and two kids... Where would be a reasonable area to stay to have access to both 6 Flags, Wrigleyville and downtown attractions? Maybe wise to stay outside the city closer to 6 flags and for him and I to stay closer to Wrigley Friday night?

    Selfish me... particularly concerned about the show Friday so Bro and I can both partake in some bevies and have a reasonable public transit / cab commute back to our "home base" for the week.

    Suggestions?

    Also is 6 flags great america a good time for a non amusement park type person? I'm sure it will be fun with my nieces, but I've never been to a big park / Disney type attraction and am not a huge ride fan.

    Thanks in advance!
    My wife and I went to Six Flags, 2 weeks ago.
    The place was full of gang banging teenagers.

    My wife went back to Six Flags today, with a friend of hers from work.
    They both had their purses stolen.

    FUCK SIX FLAGS!!!!!!
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • u2gatoru2gator Posts: 94
    My wife and I are going to Six Flags on Wednesday. Right now it appears there is no easy way to get them from the city via public transit. Is that correct? Currently looking to meet her at the airport and rent a car to drive to Six Flags and then will return it that night when we get back into the city. Kind of surprised there is not a direct bus from the city to the park.

    u2gator
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  • Indifference71Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,723
    u2gator wrote:
    My wife and I are going to Six Flags on Wednesday. Right now it appears there is no easy way to get them from the city via public transit. Is that correct? Currently looking to meet her at the airport and rent a car to drive to Six Flags and then will return it that night when we get back into the city. Kind of surprised there is not a direct bus from the city to the park.

    u2gator



    The only way via public transit would be to take a Metra train to Waukegan and then you'd have to take a bus. That would be a giant pain in the ass. I think you would be better off just driving. Good luck. I haven't been there in years, but I hear there are some real shady characters hanging out there these days.
  • SPEEDY MCCREADYSPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 24,788
    u2gator wrote:
    My wife and I are going to Six Flags on Wednesday. Right now it appears there is no easy way to get them from the city via public transit. Is that correct? Currently looking to meet her at the airport and rent a car to drive to Six Flags and then will return it that night when we get back into the city. Kind of surprised there is not a direct bus from the city to the park.

    u2gator



    The only way via public transit would be to take a Metra train to Waukegan and then you'd have to take a bus. That would be a giant pain in the ass. I think you would be better off just driving. Good luck. I haven't been there in years, but I hear there are some real shady characters hanging out there these days.
    Six Flags is a Hell Hole!
    My wife and her friend were there yesterday.
    They place their purses in the containers that are at every ride, so you can put your belongings aside, go on the ride, and when you get off you take your belongings with you. You know what I mean. Everyone does it. Well they get off the ride, and their purses have been stolen.

    They have had problems with gangbangers for years.
    A fact you can look up here on the internet.
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • Indifference71Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,723
    Six Flags is a Hell Hole!
    My wife and her friend were there yesterday.
    They place their purses in the containers that are at every ride, so you can put your belongings aside, go on the ride, and when you get off you take your belongings with you. You know what I mean. Everyone does it. Well they get off the ride, and their purses have been stolen.

    They have had problems with gangbangers for years.
    A fact you can look up here on the internet.



    Wow. That is awful. But not surprising. It's too bad that it has been ruined by all the gangbangers hanging out there. I used to love going there. Now I have no urge at all to go there.
  • SPEEDY MCCREADYSPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 24,788
    Six Flags is a Hell Hole!
    My wife and her friend were there yesterday.
    They place their purses in the containers that are at every ride, so you can put your belongings aside, go on the ride, and when you get off you take your belongings with you. You know what I mean. Everyone does it. Well they get off the ride, and their purses have been stolen.

    They have had problems with gangbangers for years.
    A fact you can look up here on the internet.



    Wow. That is awful. But not surprising. It's too bad that it has been ruined by all the gangbangers hanging out there. I used to love going there. Now I have no urge at all to go there.
    When Kathy and I went 3 weeks ago?
    HOLY FUCK!!!!
    It was gang banger heaven!!
    I cant believe Kathy went back there yesterday.

    Six Flags is a fucking Hell Hole.
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • rick1zoo2rick1zoo2 between a rock and a dumb place Posts: 12,632
    sounds worse than GA
  • coco buttercoco butter Posts: 1,434
    I remember standing in line for the Batman (1989) Ride for two hours once. You walk through the streets of Gotham with Tim Burton music playing and police sirens going off every few minutes and I actually thought I was going to get mugged! It was thug! I was looking up in the rafters for Batman to come save me!

    Six Flags was once a very cool place. Not anymore. Pure trash.
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  • SPEEDY MCCREADYSPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 24,788
    I remember standing in line for the Batman (1989) Ride for two hours once. You walk through the streets of Gotham with Tim Burton music playing and police sirens going off every few minutes and I actually thought I was going to get mugged! It was thug! I was looking up in the rafters for Batman to come save me!

    Six Flags was once a very cool place. Not anymore. Pure trash.
    Pure Trash!
    You got that right!

    Pure Trash.

    I would rather go to the zoo.
    At least they keep their animals in a cage.
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • NeutralMilkHotelNeutralMilkHotel Chicago Posts: 97
    Don't take your kids to Six Flags. There are much better options. Six Flags is not as "family-friendly" as you'd expect.
  • EddieshometownEddieshometown Evanston, IL Posts: 974
    http://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/six_flags_express.asp.

    There is a pace bus from the rosemont cta station on the weekends. I haven't been to great America in about 12 years. The riff raff tends to show up later in the day. I think they have lockers for rent which might be a good idea after hearing about belongings getting stolen on the rides. I really wanted to take my son there for the first time this summer

    There is also a water park next door which I believe is part of admission.
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