Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Conversation >

Anyone know Schaumsburg, Illinois?

17:03 / 30.03.03

I'm going to be working in Schaumsburg for a couple of weeks in April. Anyone got any inside info on the place? Any fun recommendations for the weekend? Is it worth making the trip to Chicago? Is it really a desolate hole in the middle of nowhere?
I think some people on Barbelith come from around there so it would be much appreciated if you share your wisdom.

18:02 / 30.03.03

Eeee, Schaumberg. There's an Ikea, the main reason we ever go to Schaumberg. It's not in the middle of nowhere like in the middle of a cornfield. It's the suburbs, for sure. It's basically houses and shopping malls, and I think that you'll need a car to get around to places. But if you have a car, it's no problem getting to the city & then there's lots of stuff to do.

What will you be doing in Schaumberg? Where will you be staying?

18:31 / 30.03.03

Ah, Schaumberg. Yes, that was what I meant.
I think I am going to be staying in a hotel near where I am going to be working. No idea if that is in the centre or anything. The address is - Hawthorn Suites, 1251 East American Lane.
I'm going to be doing an induction course for software consultants at a company I am about to start work for. I know I am an adult and everything but I can't actually drive so I might be stuck in the hotel crying at night. What's it like getting around otherwise? Are there cool american trains and coaches and stuff? Basically, I want to go to Chicago at the weekend.
Oh yeah and what about easter holidays in the states. I am going to arrive the 14th and stay for two weeks. Is that going to include any public holidays?

19:45 / 30.03.03

Well so, that means Passover and Easter. But neither of those are federal holidays, I think they won't particularly color your days. They don't mine, but then I'm fairly heathen.

No car, huh. Let me look into how you'd get to the train from your hotel, it's either going to be the Metra or the Blue Line... hold the line...

20:21 / 30.03.03

Okay, scratch the Blue Line. Well, you could take the Blue Line from O'Hare. Your hotel may have a shuttle, or perhaps you could take a taxi, to the airport. However, Husb is shaking his head ...so this is probably too harebrained.

FYI, the Blue Line is rapid transit --tin can cars on a rattling track, runs at intervals & you can go catch-as-catch-can. Metra is the suburban commuter train service --big train with comfy seats, runs according to schedule & you gotta know your schedule.

So your Metra line would be the Metra Milwaukee District West (Elgin). The address of the Schaumberg station is 2000 Springinsguth Road. It doesn't look too far from your hotel, probably you could take a cab there. So from there you go all the way into the city, this train goes into Union Station & from there you can walk or take public transportation everywhere.

06:15 / 31.03.03

Cool, cheers for the info. I'll shock and awe everyone with my insider knowledge.

07:15 / 31.03.03

First of all, Persephone I'm surprised at you. It's spelled S-c-h-au-m-b-U-rg.

Buk, on the one hand you're not gonna like Schaumburg because it is so utterly suburban it's not even funny. Everybody in the Chicago area makes fun of Schaumburg due to this fact, other suburbs live in fear of turning into "another Schaumburg", etc. etc. You will have to drive everywhere. There are horrifying things such as "The Streets of Woodfield," which is a fake "small town street" that overlooks the expressway. Schaumburg ain't pretty.

On the OTHER hand, you might like Schaumburg because it has everything. Persephone has mentioned the IKEA, there are also loads of shops, a 30-screen movie theatre and lots of really good restaurants. You're only about 15 minutes from O'Hare and 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. (On a good day, mind you.) Even if you're stuck in Schaumburg for the night, you should never run out of stuff to do.

Perseph I respectfully disagree with you re Metra. I think it's best if going into Chicago to park at the Cumberland Park & Ride and go into to the city on the Blue Line. The problem with Metra is that it only comes about once an hour if you're lucky, and the two closest Metra stops are the one you mentioned and the Arlington Heights station, neither of which are too close to where you'll be, and Metra stops running at midnight. Whereas the blue line's going all day every day!

My best friend used to live in Schaumburg while I was still in Chicago, and I'd always take the blue line out to O'Hare to see her. It just seemed easiest.

Good luck, hope you have fun!

07:19 / 31.03.03

Oh, shit, you can't drive. Well, you'll have to take taxis and the bus everywhere. On the other hand, hopefully you're centrally enough located that you can walk to the aforementioned Streets of Woodfield because that's where the movie theatre/restaurants/shops are. Hopefully you'll have a shuttle to O'Hare and that will solve your problems.

10:31 / 31.03.03

U're right, Cherry!

Well I was for the Blue Line, but Husb looked at me like I was Lucille Ball & the guy at the hotel shouted at me "no NO not Blue Line, METRA." But I do think the best thing would be to take a taxi or hotel shuttle to the airport & then take the Blue Line in. Aaah, listen to Cherry... as far as I'm concerned, Schaumburg is a big bright blue building with yellow lettering. I've never even been to "the Streets of Woodfield."

10:57 / 31.03.03

Persephone have you been to that Elgin mentioned above? Just curious seeing as I'm from Elgin/Scotland - do you know how it got its name?

Actually doing a search there seems to be quite a few Elgins in the states, wonder if their all as messed up as my home

11:22 / 31.03.03

Sorry, Bear! I've never been to Elgin, I'm starting to think that I've never been anywhere. I guess it must be named after Elgin in Scotland, that's not an uncommon thing around these parts. Laura's Ma in Little House on the Prairie was Scottish.

11:57 / 31.03.03

Though I grew up 30 min from Elgin Illinois my friend and I can tell you that unfortunately it's a bit of shithole however Elgin clocks come there.

Why does your husband think Metra? It's so far...

12:50 / 31.03.03

Because he's a loon. I have had to take out the big map & spread it out on the floor... both Metra and CTA are far away from Buk's hotel, really. Metra is a little less far away, but in the wrong direction & in the middle of nowhere. I would never do that, I would never go *away* to get to where I'm going. I get lost too easily for that.

So scratch the Metra, Buk! All you have to do is figure out a way from your hotel to O'Hare and back & that shouldn't be too hard. And your hotel is right close to Woodfield, so it looks like the Streets of Woodfield for you weeknights.

08:37 / 01.04.03

Even if you DON'T have an O'Hare shuttle from your hotel (thus allowing you a free ride to the subway), I bet you're close to a hotel that does, and you can go there and scam on their shuttle! Voila!

09:42 / 01.04.03

Does Illinois really have links with Scotland? Cool. Maybe they will give me free stuff.
Cheers for all the travel info and breaking out the big map. I'm going to have to stop approaching this like a big junket and remember that I am there to work and learn and be grown up and stuff. So I'll probably get a cab (note the usage of an american term) and put it on expenses whenever I want to break out of suburbia. Although, suburbia might be interesting after all.

05:05 / 04.04.04

www.rtachicago.com
Go to RTA web site for:
CTA
Pace
Metra
South Shore (NICTD)
Information and schedules. There is a good route / time planner though you need to use Woodfield Mall as the starting location. Also the site has good detailed maps.
Woodfield Mall which you will be next to has a daily Pace bus to the Harlem Ave. Blue Line station (though it ends in early evening).
If you want to explore, Metra has a $5 weekend pass (not honored on South Shore).
The one or two day visitor CTA passes are good deals if you travel more than 3 bus or L rides per day on the CTA. You can buy the cards at the O'Hare Blue Line station (exact change - vending machines don't give change). The CTA visitor passes don't activate until first use. One day is 24 hours, two days is 48 hours.
One of the more maddening aspects of Chicago area transit is the need for separate fares for each entities' services. You'll have to pay on Pace or Metra and then again on CTA.
A little known feature of CTA fares (if you don't use a visitor's pass) is that if you start your return on any bus or L route within two hours of the first boarding you can use a transfer for the fare instead of the full fare. Just pay $2 and ask for a transfer. It beats paying $1.75 twice.

The Tower Always Falls

17:56 / 08.04.04

Ah yes. SCHAUMBURG. My girlfriend recently escaped from there.

Basically, you have the Woodfield Mall. Maybe three clubs, The Living Room, Voodoo, and... *shudder* Boogie Nights. Be warned, I can't speculate ont he other two, but Boogie Nights will be filled with many many drunk suburban girls at bachelorette parties. If it entertains you to see some bottle blonde in a baseball cap/bridal veil fall over a bar stool begging for a condom while "Come on Eileen" plays, then go to it. However, I suggest either drinking heavily, or taking some hallucenogenic mushrooms before doing so. Depending on who you are, though, that just may make it worse.

Yes. Chicago is your best bet. Take to the Metra to Chicago and then one of the el's to wherever you want to go. Pick up a Chicago Reader in the city to find out what's going on. Hell, if you want, PM me and we'll go out for a drink, if I'm around.