Evanston Hospital, not far from the stadium. The event--my birth--is commemorated in a statue in the courtyard.
It depends on where you’re staying in Chicago
...in order of acuteness.
1. The Chicago teachers are on strike, and are picketing downtown. I spoke to someone down there a while ago and they said it's a mess. If this is happening tomorrow afternoon it will impact traffic in the Loop (if you're staying on N. Michigan Avenue it might not be as affected).
2. Friday afternoon rush hours in Chicago are the worst.
3. It is hard to get to Evanston by car from anywhere, unless you live really near by (Rogers Park, west Ridge, Skokie, Morton Grove, Wilmette, Kenilworth, etc.). This is an eternal rule handed down from the 20th century (sorry, dfw et al.!).
If you're an intrepid driver who doesn't mind getting held up by traffic here and there, and if you don't mind hunting for parking, most likely some blocks away from the stadium, then go for it. Otherwise I'd take Wilford Brimley's advice.
ND campus will be nice and quiet this weekend--just came from there. The students are starting midterm break. You can take a gander at the newly-rebuilt Corby Hall, Crossroads, and probably a lot of things that weren't there 15 years ago, such as the remodeled Morris Inn. Stop by Rohr's--the current version will go away in about a month.
And thoroughly correct- it sucks driving here and tomorrow, no one is going to park near the stadium.
For BuckeyeJohn...
Take the Metra and get off at Davis to go eat in downtown Evanston and then take a shuttle to the game.
...once I step out of the car!
We did last year for ND game and took hotel shuttle to game and public bus after game. It would have been an easy walk back if not for cold rain.
with that game. I'd probably second the public transportation, as I can't imagine what parking will be like up there. Northwestern is also opening the stadium early, as well as what sounds like a bar of sorts.
are impossible to navigate.
Driving is fine if you park and walk over to the stadium. Parking near the stadium, probably not ideal.
house parties in the Evanston/Wilmette area on the afternoon/evening of that game. He wishes ND would play there more often.
Classmates came in from all over the country, too..
We should play here every year,
Then I tried to enter and navigate the stadium and immediately said, much more forcibly and seriously, we should never play here again!
Complete and utter amateur hour
I think there are 12 urinals for several thousand fans.
Even in relation to other blubloods
uSC....awful
Michigan.....love the town awful
DKR....ditto
Camp Randall ....ditto
I haven't found anything that comes close to ND at the college level when discussing logistics and amenities
I have not found anything close yet myself.
I will brook no debate on this. ND has the nicest stadium in CFB and it's not close
Purple line or UP-N up to Evanston.
Traffic will not be fun near the stadium for that game, and even on a good day, it's 30 - 40 minutes up Lakeshore and the back roads between LSD and campus.
Purple line El stops at Central St. 3 blocks east of the stadium.
The Metra North line (commuter train) also stops at Central 2 blocks west of the stadium.
Do not drive.
Over the El
Mostly because you can drink on Metra.
Plus, it's one train, no switches.
Depending on where he's staying he may have to change trains a few times to get to the purple line.
station for an hour at 3am on New Years for the damn purple line when I lived in Evanston. Loved my tiny apartment at Hinman and Main though. The elevators not so much.
but it's not really against the law.
and take it semi-frequently outside of to/from work, and I can count on only one hand the number of times I’ve seen a person drinking on the L. That includes the homeless/mentally ill.
Of course, one of those few times was a bunch of ND fans on the red line (prior to transfer to purple) up to Evanston for the ND-Northwestern game last year, so...
stay on it until it merges back with Sheridan Road, left on Central.
Clark changes names to Chicago Avenue in Evanston.
Just stay on Sheridan.