I'm going to Chicago on my own in May

[NotMrPerfectAfterAll]

And I've been really excited about it for months and months but now I'm getting really nervous. For reasons I won't go into I've lost my confidence travelling even though I've done NYC and places in Europe on my own. I'm female early 40s.

Can anyone give me reassurance please? Will they be nice to me at the airport?! Is Chicago as lovely as it looks?

It's a brilliant vibrant city. The centre is fantastic and feels very midwest American, in a good way. A few miles away west or south can be a bit dodgy, but then you have some stunning suburbs further away or north along the lakeshore. Its got so much going for it, I loved my visit. Have fun!

That. Plus the TSA situation and ICE being deployed to airports.

It’s a shit show.

I so want to go to Chicago!!

The song 'Chicago Freestyle' by Drake makes me want to visit during the winter and hang out by the Bean!

Don't pay any heed to that.

I live there and more times than not I leave my back door unlocked.

There's a lot to see and do, food is lovely, shopping is good, getting around is pretty easy, and getting out to explore further afield via regional trains is easy to accomplish too. There are beaches downtown, museums, art, music of all kinds, theatre, a fantastic conservatory, and a lovely riverfront.

The Blue line goes from O'Hare toward the Loop and then out to the west toward Forest Park. It's the only line that goes to/ from O'Hare but it doesn't go directly to the Mag Mile. You'd have to transfer to the Red line and then walk a bit to get to your hotel. This is fine if you're wide awake and carrying minimal luggage. If you're a bit zonked from the flight and getting through customs and immigration and you have more than one bag to schlep, and it's your first time navigating the CTA, then frankly, I'd get a Lyft or Uber from the airport.

Top tip, if you haven't already booked your flight outbound - go via Dublin and do Immigration there.

Also, there's a lovely free zoo downtown (Lincoln Park Zoo).

I was planning on catching the blue line to Clark/Lake and strolling the 20 minutes to my hotel but it'll depend on how tired and brave I'm feeling on the day. I'll have one big suitcase with me but it'll be half empty... got to leave room for shopping!

Really appreciating all these comments guys thank you!

I got the blue line train to/from the airport (during the day) and it was totally fine.

Chicago is lovely. The zoo, boat tour, the architecture, the parks and beach. Basketball if it’s still on in May. Have breakfast at The Original Pancake House, it is still my favourite ever breakfast. Fluffy pancakes with tiny bits of bacon in the batter… drooling thinking about it ten years later!!

The OP isn’t asking about politics .

OMG yes the pancakes!

Also if you like brownies, they were apparently invented at the Palmer House Hotel which is now a Hilton. You can go there and sit in the extremely lovely lobby cafe and enjoy a brownie made to the original recipe.

I really enjoyed Chicago on my own, went a few months back. It felt safe, and politically “friendly” after two weeks in rural Florida and Tennessee…

I used the train from O’Hare to the city and that also felt perfectly safe. Set your settings to a step-free route, otherwise it might tell you to get off at a station without lifts to the street level. The trains themselves were quite smelly but not unsafe - although I’m used to navigate the Tube / NYC Subway at night, so not a lot scares me. Alternatively, an Uber from the airport was quite cheap I think, around $40.

I also recommend the boat architecture tour, I did it at sunset and the skyline is gorgeous. I spent a lot of time walking around and doing museums, parks, it was a really pleasant break.

You’ll be fine OP. US airport and border control staff are never “nice”, but perfectly fine at their jobs and I didn’t have any trouble going through 4 different airports during my trips, with a foreign passport (Spanish one at that). I wouldn’t choose to go there myself right now, I had to go for work, but you are unlikely to encounter any trouble. Keep an eye on the news as TSA and staff strikes are a regular thing now, so you may have to go to the airport a few hours early for your flight back.

I did Chicago on my own in May many years ago and I loved it! As others have said, the architecture tour is a must, plus the navy pier, millennial park, the water taxi between the various museums. The Art Institute has a fantastic collection and the Natural History Museum has the lions of Tsavo.

I can't remember what they were like at border control but in more recent trips to the US they've been downright pleasant! This was pre Trump's second term though.

We went to Chicago 9 years ago when dc were 5, 8 and 12. We went as we had friends there probably wouldn't have gone otherwise but we loved it. We went May half term and the weather was perfect low 20s. Stayed downtown a short walk to the lake and it was so beautiful by the lake. Went to the zoo/aquarium/natural history museum/boat trip/up the two largest skyscrapers. I think we got a bus from the airport. The parks near the lake (where The Bean is) we're nice

Chicago is great , loads to see and very walkable . Have you used the MPC app? You can download before you go and I used it last year at border control and skipped a 60 minute queue .

People won't care unless something affects them directly, and then it will be the worst thing in the world and they will want everyone to listen.

Pure ignorance.

Off topic, but: Leicester is surprisingly tourist-friendly! I went there to see the Richard III museum and really enjoyed it. There's Bosworth Field, the National Space Centre, Twycross Zoo... Definitely worth a visit!

Hi op may I ask who you booked with as im interested.

Jeez

I won't go to the US again while that lunatic is in power - and I lived there for 10 years. Interested in why Chicago - if I were going as a tourist I'd go to NY, Boston, San Fran, Miami, New Orleans, DC, Savannah, Orlando ( not my thing but popular for a reason), LA & tour from there up the West Coast, Vegas, Palm Springs, or Palm Beach - Chicago seems an odd choice

She’s asking about travel. TSA lines are travel. ICE in airports is as well. The fact that I won’t go because of politics is another point the OP can ignore.

Let’s hope OP is white and English speaking. Because the political becomes personal if she’s not.

Why so hysterical . Millions of people travel to the States without issue . No need to thrust your own politics into every discussion.

I spent a week in Chicago by myself. If I could I'd move there to live. It's a great city.
Do the architectural boat tour it's fab , jazz venues and museums/sports. Millennium park and grant park, magnificent mile and the sky deck. I'm jealous. Have a great time.

We went to Chicago for a week just after the polar vortex in 2019. We had a fantastic week. There were 8 of us, including 4 primary school kids. No issues at all, but we definitely kept alert as with any big city.
I recall finding the subway from the airport quite confusing in terms of what ticket we had to buy from the machines, & didn't find staff masively helpful. Therefore might want to do some research on this if going by subway.
If you get bored in Chicago (you won't!), we did a day trip to Milwaukee by train (v safe) & walked to Harley Davidson museum from train station. Was excellent. Also loved going to a diner called Lou's (I think).
Wishing you a wonderful time!