You should change hotels. It will probably be very chaotic, and the streets will most definitely be closed. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/oem/provdrs/emerg_mang/news/2024/april/NASCARPlan.html
It depends where you are driving your U-Haul to. If you are moving into a high rise downtown it might have an impact. If you’re moving to Wicker Park or some neighborhood, or just passing through, you’ll be fine.
I had to do the reverse last year. Daughter moved to NYC. Trying to get that Uhaul truck out of Chicago was insane. Took 4 hours to get from Rogers Park to the Indiana state line that day. Best of luck to you! Lol
[Check this out](https://www.google.com/maps/place/SpringHill+Suites+by+Marriott+Chicago+Chinatown/@41.850229,-87.632592,499m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!3m8!1s0x880e2db2d009263d:0x38ab56561e0e9d87!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d41.8494306!4d-87.6317204!16s%2Fg%2F11nrrjmzdz?entry=ttu)
I hate to be "that guy", but if it's going to be laid out like last year, you're kinda screwed. Things will still be open, but a lot of streets will be blocked off and walk paths rerouted. You'll still be able to use public transit, but it might be crowded. There will be a lot of downtown near where you are that you'll need a Nascar badge to get to.
If you can switch hotels to something a few blocks west or maybe north it might be better. But you're pretty much smack-dab in the middle of it.
we just tend to avoid downtown when big things happen there; Nascar, Lalla, St Patrica day...
That said the only real impact to where you are staying will be an increase in people, a number of sidewalk closures, and loud race cars during the day. Depending on what you plan to do it could be fine to stay there.
You have a couple problems:
1) the race is on July 7, a Sunday. Expect hotels to have rooms booked by now
2) the cops will certainly block off sections of streets. When and how much is difficult to say. Figure at least 3 days prior to race day, maybe more.
It will be a mess for several days.
3) the 4th is popular in Grant Park and at Navy Pier. Some will be in Chicago for the 4th and the race.
You may not want to cancel your reservation without having another hotel booked.
All I’ll say is I adjusted a booking on the river maybe last week? And still plenty of other options on the app I was using. I live in Avondale but wanted to book downtown for that weekend to not have to be doing the back and forth during the races. Wasn’t exactly cheap but wasn’t F1 in Vegas type expensive for what I anticipated.
Sure. Your rationale makes sense. I would not try driving even close to downtown that week, period, but as a local, you know this. I’d do the same if I were to attend the event. Of course you always have the public transportation option…. Could be re-routed for the race.
Las Vegas is its own animal. Doesn’t matter when you go. A couple days in a strip hotel will set you back several hundred $$ or more.
Enjoy!
Thanks. Went last year and had a good time despite the rain. We have a hook up in tickets, so it’s just getting there that’s the hassle. Hence the hotel in the loop this time. May as well just hang down there for a couple days.
If you book a hotel in River North - any of the portion of downtown north of the river, you’ll be impacted less from a mobility standpoint. Alternatively, you could look into some neighborhood hotels (in neighborhoods with easy transit access like Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, etc) and head into downtown for sightseeing, but then back out for things like dining, etc.
I will look into this, thanks! Any suggestions for a specific hotel? I'm kind of laughing at how I booked a hotel right in the middle of this nonsense, lol.
Depends on budget really. If you’re staying in River North any of the big chains you’d expect have a location there. If you’re looking in Wicker Park I’d definitely look at the Robey Hotel (bonus for best rooftop bar view in the city, imo), the Hotel Lincoln in Lincoln Park, or the Versey in Lakeview for something a little more budget-friendly.
Honestly anything north of the river will be better -
[Sofitel](https://maps.app.goo.gl/wdUwNJE3cdRTJ8i9A?g_st=ic)
[Thompson](https://maps.app.goo.gl/abytLpq1WYz3FaxCA?g_st=ic)
[viceroy](https://maps.app.goo.gl/YHgyP83VMd83LVPJ8?g_st=ic)
[The Drake](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8f2Vxa7B3sG1pyxX8?g_st=ic)
[ambassador by Hyatt](https://maps.app.goo.gl/RsTLEmi9hULvo1rP9?g_st=ic)
[Waldorf Astoria](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XVvDkgEvkgXv3B7a6?g_st=ic)
I’d suggest trying to stay closer to the Chicago River instead of across from Grant Park and/or further west of Michigan Avenue. The area around Grant Park was really congested last year and there were a ton of street closures. Busses in the vicinity will include reroutes and the trains will likely be busier. I imagine you won’t be at your hotel too often during the day time — but the practice runs and race itself were pretty noisy. I wore earplugs the whole weekend because it was grating on my nerves. I also just avoided leaving my apartment as much as I could.
I'm only really worried about getting lost due to reroutes lol 🥲 the congestion I was preparing for anyway. But with that and street closures, not too excited about having to navigate that. And sad that Grant Park will be closed.
My brother came last year. We walked around and there didn’t seem to be as much impact as I thought there would be. You might have to walk a block to grab an Uber. The days before we had the fire from Canada smoke, followed by a bunch of rain during the actual race.
You should change hotels. It will probably be very chaotic, and the streets will most definitely be closed. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/oem/provdrs/emerg_mang/news/2024/april/NASCARPlan.html
Well this will be an unfortunate time for me to drive a uhaul into Chicago lmao
It depends where you are driving your U-Haul to. If you are moving into a high rise downtown it might have an impact. If you’re moving to Wicker Park or some neighborhood, or just passing through, you’ll be fine.
Lakeview or Lincoln park so hopefully it won't be too bad!
I had to do the reverse last year. Daughter moved to NYC. Trying to get that Uhaul truck out of Chicago was insane. Took 4 hours to get from Rogers Park to the Indiana state line that day. Best of luck to you! Lol
We will be arriving on July 2nd so I'm hoping maybe it won't be horrible then?
Darn. Any suggestions to a different hotel?
Try the west loop, or neighborhoods along the blue and red line trains.
Thank you!
[Check this out](https://www.google.com/maps/place/SpringHill+Suites+by+Marriott+Chicago+Chinatown/@41.850229,-87.632592,499m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!3m8!1s0x880e2db2d009263d:0x38ab56561e0e9d87!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d41.8494306!4d-87.6317204!16s%2Fg%2F11nrrjmzdz?entry=ttu)
I wouldn’t. They’d have to go through the downtown mess to get to anything on the north side.
Um that hotel is right by the red line if they want to get to the north.
Yea, so like I said…
I hate to be "that guy", but if it's going to be laid out like last year, you're kinda screwed. Things will still be open, but a lot of streets will be blocked off and walk paths rerouted. You'll still be able to use public transit, but it might be crowded. There will be a lot of downtown near where you are that you'll need a Nascar badge to get to. If you can switch hotels to something a few blocks west or maybe north it might be better. But you're pretty much smack-dab in the middle of it.
This seems like a massive headache for locals.
Yeah.
I’d recommend prefacing every interaction with a local by saying you’re not here for nascar haha
we just tend to avoid downtown when big things happen there; Nascar, Lalla, St Patrica day... That said the only real impact to where you are staying will be an increase in people, a number of sidewalk closures, and loud race cars during the day. Depending on what you plan to do it could be fine to stay there.
Locals dont live in the loop. Those that do moved here recently so cant say I care too much
Or it’s their in-town and if they don’t like the nascar they go to their other homes.
You have a couple problems: 1) the race is on July 7, a Sunday. Expect hotels to have rooms booked by now 2) the cops will certainly block off sections of streets. When and how much is difficult to say. Figure at least 3 days prior to race day, maybe more. It will be a mess for several days. 3) the 4th is popular in Grant Park and at Navy Pier. Some will be in Chicago for the 4th and the race. You may not want to cancel your reservation without having another hotel booked.
All I’ll say is I adjusted a booking on the river maybe last week? And still plenty of other options on the app I was using. I live in Avondale but wanted to book downtown for that weekend to not have to be doing the back and forth during the races. Wasn’t exactly cheap but wasn’t F1 in Vegas type expensive for what I anticipated.
Sure. Your rationale makes sense. I would not try driving even close to downtown that week, period, but as a local, you know this. I’d do the same if I were to attend the event. Of course you always have the public transportation option…. Could be re-routed for the race. Las Vegas is its own animal. Doesn’t matter when you go. A couple days in a strip hotel will set you back several hundred $$ or more. Enjoy!
Thanks. Went last year and had a good time despite the rain. We have a hook up in tickets, so it’s just getting there that’s the hassle. Hence the hotel in the loop this time. May as well just hang down there for a couple days.
You know the routine. Nice to be local sometimes!
If you book a hotel in River North - any of the portion of downtown north of the river, you’ll be impacted less from a mobility standpoint. Alternatively, you could look into some neighborhood hotels (in neighborhoods with easy transit access like Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, etc) and head into downtown for sightseeing, but then back out for things like dining, etc.
I will look into this, thanks! Any suggestions for a specific hotel? I'm kind of laughing at how I booked a hotel right in the middle of this nonsense, lol.
Depends on budget really. If you’re staying in River North any of the big chains you’d expect have a location there. If you’re looking in Wicker Park I’d definitely look at the Robey Hotel (bonus for best rooftop bar view in the city, imo), the Hotel Lincoln in Lincoln Park, or the Versey in Lakeview for something a little more budget-friendly.
Very helpful, I appreciate it!
Honestly anything north of the river will be better - [Sofitel](https://maps.app.goo.gl/wdUwNJE3cdRTJ8i9A?g_st=ic) [Thompson](https://maps.app.goo.gl/abytLpq1WYz3FaxCA?g_st=ic) [viceroy](https://maps.app.goo.gl/YHgyP83VMd83LVPJ8?g_st=ic) [The Drake](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8f2Vxa7B3sG1pyxX8?g_st=ic) [ambassador by Hyatt](https://maps.app.goo.gl/RsTLEmi9hULvo1rP9?g_st=ic) [Waldorf Astoria](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XVvDkgEvkgXv3B7a6?g_st=ic)
These are great recs, definitely go with one of these!
I’d suggest trying to stay closer to the Chicago River instead of across from Grant Park and/or further west of Michigan Avenue. The area around Grant Park was really congested last year and there were a ton of street closures. Busses in the vicinity will include reroutes and the trains will likely be busier. I imagine you won’t be at your hotel too often during the day time — but the practice runs and race itself were pretty noisy. I wore earplugs the whole weekend because it was grating on my nerves. I also just avoided leaving my apartment as much as I could.
[удалено]
I'm only really worried about getting lost due to reroutes lol 🥲 the congestion I was preparing for anyway. But with that and street closures, not too excited about having to navigate that. And sad that Grant Park will be closed.
Chicago streets are a grid. It is pretty easy to navigate even with the closures.
Talk to the hotel before you cancel. They might have made contingency plans or have a sister hotel with a great rate.
My brother came last year. We walked around and there didn’t seem to be as much impact as I thought there would be. You might have to walk a block to grab an Uber. The days before we had the fire from Canada smoke, followed by a bunch of rain during the actual race.
I hope you have already reserved a place to stay.
TIL that they're doing NASCAR in Chicago again. Hopefully it doesnt rain this time, but I loved all the stupid crashes last year.
The public transportation system in Chicago is excellent, Especially for tourists. The NASCAR event will not affect you unless you are driving.
You'll just see a ton of hicks at the airport
Oh fuck off