Chicago area

4

4RNB

Cleared for Takeoff
PoA Supporter
Joined
May 24, 2016
Messages
1,392
Display Name
4RNB
I am evaluating my flight plans for NC-OSH in July. I might leave home the Thursday before the show, stay close to OSH and fly in Friday. I can figure out smaller airports okay, but would find the Chicago area interesting, either for a long lunch, early dinner, or even the night. Food wise I would seek out something interesting like a Chicago dog, a pizza, or maybe something else?

When I look at airports I am overwhelmed, especially not knowing travel times. So I am looking for suggestions for what might be a decent place to land for a few hours or a night, catch some form of transport to an interesting spot (I am only planning on right downtown Chicago), and then get back to my plane for further flying. Perhaps after a break I will go all the way to OSH Thursday night, otherwise Friday.

So I am looking for advice:
1. What GA airport to use that ideally has transport available to downtown Chicago?
2. Where to eat if for lunch, or dinner and is unique to the area.

I expect that the transport times will be an hour each way and will have me stay elsewhere, but no harm is asking here to cure my potential ignorance. Faster ground transport makes this more appealing.

Thank you.
 
Racerx said:
06c. Lobster nachos.
Click to expand...
OK, tell me more. Where to get such nachos? And how is public transport or Uber times from there to said nachos or downtown?
Thank you.
 
kep5niner said:
PWK, and get a good Italian beef or a gyro. But really, the traffic in / out of downtown is wasted time you’ll never get back. Instead, fly into DPA, and catch a nice Air BnB on the Fox River.
Click to expand...

If I am concerned with wasted time I will just stay much more remote.
 
4RNB said:
OK, tell me more. Where to get such nachos? And how is public transport or Uber times from there to said nachos or downtown?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
The nachos are on the airfield at Pilot Pete's. I personally find it overrated, FWIW. But I seem to be an outlier. It definitely is well suited to your purpose of having an easy overnight.

I suppose I'd probably shoot for something further north. Maybe Madison. Really be ahead of the traffic into Oshkosh the next morning. But it's probably not going to matter much if you're going the Friday before.

You'll be a long way from downtown. If you want to go into the city (not recommended on an overnight, too much overhead to be worth the hassle) then use midway or palwaukee.
 
Last edited:
If you really want to stay downtown, then MDW, GYY, or 06C. Lots and lots of ubers and/or trains available. PWK is probably also within range but I'm under contract to not recommend PWK because I hate it. Airport layout and airspace are garbage and transient fees are insane (more than MDW). DPA is great all weather solutions, lots of runways lots of approaches. Parking fees aren't bad, but it's further out than the other options and no trains - you'll need to uber.

or like kep5niner said - stay in the burbs, it's lovely out here.

rwellner98 said:
on the airfield at Pilot Pete's
Click to expand...
Personally I'm a big fan of the Cuban.
 
kaiser said:
If you really want to stay downtown, then MDW, GYY, or 06C. Lots and lots of ubers and/or trains available. PWK is probably also within range but I'm under contract to not recommend PWK because I hate it. Airport layout and airspace are garbage and transient fees are insane (more than MDW). DPA is great all weather solutions, lots of runways lots of approaches. Parking fees aren't bad, but it's further out than the other options and no trains - you'll need to uber.

or like kep5niner said - stay in the burbs, it's lovely out here.


Personally I'm a big fan of the Cuban.
Click to expand...
I avoid pwk like the plague.
 
kaiser said:
Personally I'm a big fan of the Cuban.
Click to expand...
I think the thing that I liked the most was Pete's Pie Pan Bake but that's more of a winter comfort food sort of thing. https://pilot-petes.com/menu-main.php

Aside from Pilot Pete's at 06C, my other favorite Chicagoland $100 burger is Lynnie Que's BBQ at KIGQ Lansing (IL, not MI). https://places.singleplatform.com/lynnie-ques/menu?ref=google

Sadly, Mi Tierra, a fantastic little Mexican joint at 05C, closed at the end of June 2023; the owner and chef passed away in December 2024 at age 87 so he certainly kept it going longer than most people could!
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Sadly, Mi Tierra, a fantastic little Mexican joint at 05C, closed at the end of June 2023; the owner and chef passed away in December 2024 at age 87 so he certainly kept it going longer than most people could!
Click to expand...
It's still open as Flaco Taco, or something like that, but it isn't as good. Probably not going back.

Also, what's wrong with Lansing, IL as a spot into downtown? You don't have to deal with the Bravo, it's a shorter Uber ride than from Schaumburg, Palwuakee, Aurora, or Dekalb. Looks like if/when we do the downtown thing that's going to be the spot. I would say GYY, but they hit me for a $50 fee for a turn and go, and that was doing a LIfeline Pilots flight - which even Signature waives! No waiver on anything. And it's only 2 miles closer than Lansing.
 
I've flown into 1C5 in Naperville under the Class B. Good transportation into the city and lots of lodging nearby.
 
4RNB said:
1. What GA airport to use that ideally has transport available to downtown Chicago?
2. Where to eat if for lunch, or dinner and is unique to the area.
Click to expand...
Don't dismiss KMDW as a GA airport. Two good FBOs, either one will give you a ride to the Orange Line station and from there it's a half-hour train ride to the heart of the city. KMDW gets busy, but Oshkosh will be busier - so consider it training for the "real thing".

As far as food goes, yes, there are a few good airport restaurants. But if you go into town, why not look for something there? Many great choices for whatever your taste buds crave.

- Martin
 
Chicago can be, ah.. "gritty". I would not go downtown.
kep5niner said:
PWK, and get a good Italian beef or a gyro. But really, the traffic in / out of downtown is wasted time you’ll never get back. Instead, fly into DPA, and catch a nice Air BnB on the Fox River.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea. Stay in DeKalb, and if you want a Chicago Experience go to Giordano's and order a deep dish supreme.

giordanos.com

IL - Sycamore/ Dekalb (1840 Dekalb Ave.) - Giordanos

…
giordanos.com
 
Last edited:
Deep dish sucks. Get a double decker.
 
1C5 My home base. Crew car. Restarant. Far enough west that you don't have to circumnavigate the Bravo. Inexpensive: no ramp fee.Avgas is $5.40. Charlie's (On airport) - great omelettes and a good Club sandwich. Salads.

Overnight is more of an issue. We'd have to convine Joe to let you have the crew car overnight and he doens't like to do that....

And Why of Why would you EVER want to go to Cook county, let alone CHI proper?
 
Last edited:
I grew up in the pattern of Clow - even back when there was nothing but a camping trailer selling flowers on the corner there. After that, I flew out of MDW for a couple of decades.

Not sure how motivated the OP is to fight traffic, but having fought that battle for years, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze. There are literally 1,000 better destinations than dealing with Chicago.
 
Ha ! , people are actually willing to go to downtown Chicago on their own, in 2025 …. I used to go there every weekday morning for close to 15 years but only because I was ( very well ) paid to do so and that was well before the whole place went to **** ..
 
Downtown Chicago is pretty nice and clean for a city, love the river and architecture, do the architecture boat tour if you like buildings, starts right by the Apple Store.

Safety wise, you only need to go between the Chicago River and Wrigley field. Anything outside of this area gets a mix of people and becomes a bit trashy. There’s a couple areas that are nice outside of this, but you can basically walk the entire area here and everything needed is here, so why bother venturing out.

Flying in, I’m biased to Waukegan KUGN, cheap SS fuel (but you should make a stop at Burlington KBUU on the way to OSH as the SS fuel is even cheaper), and free overnight ramp parking in front of the fuel pump at KUGN. You’ll need to call the airport phone number to get the gate code or DM me for it if you decide to come. 24/7 access. Used to be a parking lot and free EV charging there but we are repaving everything so you’ll have to walk over that to an Uber to get into town.

However, traffic sucks. Not going to lie. If you are coming in, basically the only window to drive is 10am-12noon. Otherwise these 1 hour airports become 2 hour rides quickly. 06C is nice but too far. Midway sounds like the most practical option if they will give you a ride to the CTA or metra trains, whatever it’s called. I avoid the trains like the plague though, trashy, smelly, homeless, late, why bother? Basically you should go to/fro the airport between 10am-12noon and after 8pm if by car (which can still be busy up until midnight but bearable).

Good luck and welcome to Chicago!
 
Lake in the hills, 3CK. Portillos for Chicago Italian Beef.

LOTS of great food, the Italian beef is very Chicago though… wet, hot peppers. Don’t wear a white shirt…. Yummy!!
 
Come spend the night at Brodhead. Boiled fish!!
 
Food: A couple of my favorites are Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder in Lincoln Park and RPM Seafood on the River
Sports: Cubs at Wrigley
Museums: Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Drinks with a view: Cindy's rooftop (view of lake, the Bean and married with children fountain) in Chicago Athletic Club (converted to Hotel) or London House (along the river)
The river walk and the Chicago River Architecture Boat Tour are fun. The Boat Tour is architecture, history and just an interesting view of the city.
The L makes getting around really easy and have never had a safety concern.
There is a strong music scene as well.
 
EdFred said:
It's still open as Flaco Taco, or something like that, but it isn't as good. Probably not going back.
Click to expand...
Flaco Taco lasted a year and closed (on the airport at least, they have another location). Nothing there now.

EdFred said:
Also, what's wrong with Lansing, IL as a spot into downtown?
Click to expand...
Nothing at all. It was good enough for Henry Ford...
 
Tools said:
Come spend the night at Brodhead. Boiled fish!!
Click to expand...
I thought you were getting there Friday? I was planning to have tent set up at osh by Friday lunch
 
Sheesh. What an amazing bunch of grumps. Chicago is big, bold, brash and beautiful and there ain't no city like it. But every time something dumb happens here, many more brilliant things happen and remind me of why I love this place. And when I last had the chance to move to a new state, I stayed put.

If you want full on Chicago, MDW and get on the orange line. 30 minutes and you are in the heart of things. KIGQ may work though pre-Covid Lyft/Uber were non-existent. KGYY almost certainly will have ride share. Not sure what is going with fees there. For MDW or GYY, give 'em a call to get the full list of fees. Or do PWK, grab a car, head straight east to Sheridan Rd and follow it south to the city. Amazing views the whole way.

There are a million restaurants, lounges, clubs, and dive bars. Any ethnic cuisine and 100s of fusions are on offer too. You can get a steak for $25 or $250. Come up any other weekend and I'll get you started on the most chill or exhausting tour you can want. Walk the Mag Mile and shop. Hit the beaches and chill or catch a game of volleyball, kayak the river, see the fireworks at Navy Pier, learn new stuff at world class museums, etc. etc.

Sunrise (near) Cindy's
IMG_83562.JPEG

Ain't no city like it, Buckingham Fountain:
IMG_9423.JPEG
 
4RNB said:
I thought you were getting there Friday? I was planning to have tent set up at osh by Friday lunch
Click to expand...
Gonna try to get to Brodhead thurs night. I’ll fly into Oshkosh on Sunday.
 
I'm biased cuz I've lived here my whole life: but I think we have enough to do downtown and in surrounding suburbs where you can justify a full night here. And in the AM you'll be a short ~1h flight from OSH.

If you're only here for a quick stop: MDW is your best choice. Otherwise you'll spend too much time transiting downtown and back. But you have to be comfortable with busy controlled airports (assuming you are cuz you're going to OSH!).
If you stay the night: I'd say KDPA is the best GA airport (again, biased: its my home airfield). Geneva (next door to airport, <10 mins away by Uber) has a train station that takes you downtown to Ogilvie station. Geneva/St Charles are neighboring cities next to the airport, right on the river, a little bit upscale, super safe, and quite nice in their own right.

Food: Italian beef, dipped, with mozzerella and peppers (Portillos/Buona chain restaurants around Chicagoland would be my top choices). Hot dogs: Portillos (chicago style). If you're looking for pizza, there's the usual suspects: Giordanos and Lou Malnatis (chicago chains). But if you're downtown I recommend going to a real treasure, like Chicago Pizza + Oven Grinder Co. No matter which option you pick above it's going to be like 4000 calories of delicious goodness, so you're probably not going to want to fly after while you're in a partial food coma.

... Now if you'll excuse me, after typing that I'm hungry and have just talked myself into a trip to portillos.... :cool:
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
Food: Italian beef, dipped, with mozzerella and peppers (Portillos/Buona chain restaurants around Chicagoland would be my top choices). Hot dogs: Portillos (chicago style). If you're looking for pizza, there's the usual suspects: Giordanos and Lou Malnatis (chicago chains). But if you're downtown I recommend going to a real treasure, like Chicago Pizza + Oven Grinder Co. No matter which option you pick above it's going to be like 4000 calories of delicious goodness, so you're probably not going to want to fly after while you're in a partial food coma.

... Now if you'll excuse me, after typing that I'm hungry and have just talked myself into a trip to portillos.... :cool:
Click to expand...
Funny thing with Portillos, everyone talks about the Italian beef and hot dogs, but I really like their burgers!

And you don't need to be in Chicago for Portillos any more, we have at least two of them in the Milwaukee area now too.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Funny thing with Portillos, everyone talks about the Italian beef and hot dogs, but I really like their burgers!

And you don't need to be in Chicago for Portillos any more, we have at least two of them in the Milwaukee area now too.
Click to expand...
The other funny thing about Portillo’s is it is like most ‘Chicagoans’…born and raised in the suburbs. I grew up nearby and ate at Portillo’s #1.

They do an almost too good Chicago dog. Anywhere else, it’s is a sloppy and tasty mess but Portillo’s keeps it tidier. Their Italian beef is not as good as Al’s. Their burgers are a step up from Burger King flame broiled but not my jam. To each their own. They are like Lettuce Entertain You restaurants (Bub City, Beatrix, Ramen-San) …they do quite a few things pretty well, but never the best.
 
As long as I can get ketchup on the hot dog.

:oops::p
 
Chicago - land of the char dog. Every condiment known to mankind on a hot dog at the same time. And a few other things on top of that.

Is Portillos still any good?
 
kep5niner said:
I grew up in the pattern of Clow - even back when there was nothing but a camping trailer selling flowers on the corner there. After that, I flew out of MDW for a couple of decades.

Not sure how motivated the OP is to fight traffic, but having fought that battle for years, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze. There are literally 1,000 better destinations than dealing with Chicago.
Click to expand...
Yeah I remember when Weber Rd. (and, also Route 53) ended in gravel at 1-55!

RacerX said:
Fly into MDW. Catch a Sox game. I'll buy the campfire milkshakes!
Click to expand...
I gave up on the sox when they dropped to to KC in 1968. Even Wilbur Wood couldn't save them.
 
WDD said:
Chicago - land of the char dog. Every condiment known to mankind on a hot dog at the same time. And a few other things on top of that.

Is Portillos still any good?
Click to expand...
Not to me … pretty average hotdog , just barely better than your typical Costco mediocrity.
 
KE5BM said:
...it's dark...and we're wearing sunglasses.
Click to expand...
A bit of that was filmed in my town. Wauconda. The area this scene takes place I pass twice a day. It starts out almost in front of my shop. The farm field when they "pull over" is all houses now. My grandpa was a volunteer fireman and watched from the baseball field, which is now a McDonald's. Urban sprawl.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top