Evanston

By plane

The nearest airport is Chicago O'Hare International Airport, though Chicago's Midway Airport is sometimes a more affordable option.
Public transportation is also available between O'Hare and Evanston. You can take the CTA Blue Line to the Clark/Lake station, then transfer to the Purple Line express (during rush hour) or transfer to the Red Line at Jackson and then go north to Howard station where you can take the Purple Line the rest of the way to Evanston. Alternatively, a cheap way of going to Evanston is by Pace bus 250, which runs directly from O'Hare Kiss-and-Fly to Evanston Davis Street.
Airport shuttles and taxis are also options. American Taxi offers reasonable flat rates between O'Hare and Evanston (and many other North Shore towns), but a pick-up must be arranged by phone.

By car

Interstate I-90/94, known locally as the Edens Expressway, runs about 5 miles to the west of Evanston. Once in Evanston, you can park on the street (meters with a 2-hour limit) or in one of three city-operated parking garages. (The City of Evanston offers more information.)

By train

• The Metra Union Pacific North Line runs from downtown Chicago, with stops in Evanston at Main and Davis (Both right next to the Purple Line) and Central (a few blocks further west).
• The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) runs the Purple Line from Chicago. It can be accessed during morning and evening rush hours from most elevated train stops in the Loop. It runs express from Belmont on Chicago's North Side to the Howard station in Rogers Park, at the northern border of Chicago. Then, it becomes an all-stops train for Evanston. When the Purple Line Express is not running (mid-day and late evening), take the Red Line north to Howard and then transfer to the Purple Line. The Davis station is in the midst of the downtown business and shopping area and is accessible.

By bus

• Pace & CTA runs buses from neighboring suburbs such as Wilmette and Skokie. Many routes connect at the Davis CTA station.

The CTA Purple Line makes stops at South Blvd., Main, Dempster, Davis, Foster, Noyes, and Central: after Central, the CTA Purple Line continues one more stop to Wilmette. Pace & CTA buses connect at many of these stations, especially Davis. Evanston is also a very bike-friendly city.
In the springtime, local birds, especially pigeons, are so used to the CTA line (which has been in operation for more than 50 years), that the birds will often walk on to the train at Davis Street, ride the train south to South Boulevard, and walk off the train! Apparently, these birds have learned that the train is an efficient way to get from the center of town to feeding areas in the cemetery next to South Boulevard.

CTA bus routes

• 93 California/Dodge runs between Davis station in central Evanston and the Kimball Brown Line station in Albany Park. Service is every 25-30 minutes weekdays and Saturdays from the morning to early evening hours. No late evening or Sunday service.
• 97 Skokie
• 201 Central/Ridge
• 205 Chicago/Golf
• 206 Evanston Circulator

Pace bus routes

• 208 Golf Road
• 213 Green Bay Road
• 215 Crawford-Howard
• 250 Dempster Street

• Northwestern UniversityTours are available from the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 1801 Hinman Avenue - One of the premier universities in the US, Northwestern maintains a parklike campus situated along the shore of Lake Michigan. In the 1960s, the university decided to expand the campus by filling in part of the lake with sand from the Indiana Dunes, creating an idyllic, tree-lined 84-acre area surrounding a lagoon. The campus also features an outdoor sculpture garden, indoor art galleries, multiple theaters, and an eclectic collection of architecture ranging from neo-Gothic to modernist. At the north end of the college campus is a working lighthouse, open to the public, with scenic views of the shore.

• Shakespeare GardenCreated by the Garden Club of Evanston in 1917, Shakespeare Garden on Northwestern's campus was designed by Jens Jensen.

• Grosse Point Lighthouse

  address: intersection of Central Street and Sheridan Road on Lake Michigan
  Built in 1873. Learn about the Fresnel lens in the tower and the ships that wrecked in the nearby shallow waters on a tour of the museum in the former keepers’ quarters (June through September on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2, 3, and 4PM).

• Mitchell Museum of the American Indian

  phone: +1-847-475-1030
  address: 3001 Central St

• Music Institute of Chicago

  phone: +1-847-905-1500
  Nichols Concert Hall, located at 1490 Chicago Avenue, home to the Music Institute of Chcago's Faculty and Guest Artist Concert Series.

• Lighthouse Beach

  address: 2611 Sheridan Rd
  This is a kid-friendly, safe beach, like all of Evanston's beaches. Can be fairly crowded, but it is a very nice way to spend a summer's day. There is a relatively new playground about 20 yards from the shore, which is also enjoyable.

The central shopping district is off Davis Street, in downtown Evanston, but Dempster Street, just a few blocks south, is also a great place to shop. It has several small, fashionable yet unpretentious boutiques. The Central Street shopping area in northern Evanston, which runs 2 blocks from Green Bay Road to Hartrey Avenue, has a number of high-end boutiques, cafes, and bakeries, including the Spice House, Table Manners, Ritzlin Antique Maps, Urban Totem (chandeliers and furniture) and Tag's Bakery. Main Street in southern Evanston is gentrifying, and is worth a visit for Ten Thousand Villages, Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop, and Vogue Fabrics. Several upscale restaurants have opened in this area as well.
Evanston has an improbably large number of Oriental rug stores.

• Bookends and Beginnings

  phone: +1 224 999-7722
  address: 1712 Sherman Ave
  An independent bookstore, formerly known as Bookman's Alley (which was a landmark book store in Evanston for almost 30 years).

Budget

• Buffalo Joe's

  phone: +1-847-328-5525
  address: 812 Clark St
  Buffalo Joe's offers their wings at three heat levels: mild, hot, and "suicide" (topped with jalapeño peppers). Some people swear that this place has the best wings and burgers in the city.

• Gigio's

  phone: +1-847-328-0990
  address: 1001 Davis St
  An Evanston favorite for many years, Gigio's offers up thin-crust pizza by the (huge) slice, as well as other fare, at reasonable prices.

• Al's Deli

  phone: +1-847-475-9400
  address: 914 Noyes St
  This tiny, French-inspired cafe near the Noyes Arts Center is a favorite of locals. Bob Pottinger and his brother, aided by a succession of Northwestern students, serve homemade soups (one per day) and hand-crafted sandwiches, along with cookies voted Chicago's best. The baguettes are provided by a local bakery, made with a recipe developed by Mr. Pottinger based on his travels in France. The soup/sandwich combo is almost enough food for two, but save room for the luscious, vanilla-rich buttercream cookies or the new and delicious Belgian chocolate cookies.

Mid-range

• Hecky's

  phone: +1-847-492-1182
  address: 1902 Green Bay Rd
  Another local favorite: Creole barbecue since 1983.

• Le Peep

  phone: +1-847-328-4880
  address: 827 Church St
  Eggs in a variety of ways.

• Mt. Everest

  phone: +1-847-491-1069
  address: 630 Church St
  Indian, Tibetan, and Vegetarian.

• Lou Malnati's

  phone: +1-847-328-5400
  address: 1850 Sherman Ave
  Best Chicago pizza! Order the ice cream pizza for dessert when you arrive, it takes time.

• Tapas Barcelona

  phone: +1-847-866-9900
  address: 1615 Chicago Ave
  Spanish tapas cuisine with a big menu, including a long list of imported booze.

Splurge

• Oceanique

  phone: +1-847-864-3435
  address: 505 Main St
  Great restaurant for high-end cuisine, especially seafood, with an amazing tasting menu and incredible wine pairings. Outdoor seating is available during the summer.

Thanks to the hordes of Northwestern students, downtown Evanston has plenty of good, non-chain coffee shops. You'll have little luck finding a bar, however - for many years, Evanston was a center of the teetotalling Temperance Movement, and although it's much more permissive nowadays, ordinances still hinder drinking establishments.

• Brothers K

  phone: +1-847-328-7940
  address: 500 Main St
  A small, independent coffee shop. Has especially delicious cookies.

• Unicorn Cafe

  phone: +1-847-332-2312
  address: 1723 Sherman Ave
  The Unicorn has a nice ambiance, and in the summer it is pleasant to sit outside. The cafe feels conducive to leisure as well as work. A nice place to pop in for a coffee and read the paper.

Budget

• Holiday Inn

  phone: +1-847-491-6400
  address: 1501 Sherman Ave
  Wireless internet, fitness room.

Mid-range

• Hilton Garden Inn

  phone: +1-847-475-6400
  address: 1818 Maple Ave
  Opened in the late 1990s, otherwise just like any other Hilton Garden Inn outlet.

Splurge

• Hilton Orrington

  phone: +1-847-866-8700
  address: 1710 Orrington Ave
  The fanciest hotel in Evanston, it underwent a major remodel in 2004, and a couple years later joined the Hilton chain.

• Rogers Park and the other Far North Side neighborhoods of Chicago are right next door to Evanston.
• Oak Park is Chicago's other urban-like suburb, with plenty of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture to boot.
• The CTA Purple Line ends in the affluent suburb of Wilmette, walking distance from the Baha'i Temple, a cultural and architectural sight to see.