http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=chicago@49&cur_section=lod&property_id=117372

stay here. this hotel is located in the perfect neighborhood. (my neighborhood!)

city suites hotel. it’s literally right next door to the el train.

kinda expensive, but then again i never pay for accomadations here so i don’t know what a good price is.

subterrainian is in wicker park which is a little south/west of the lakeview neighborhood

If you want downtown, there’s a Travelodge two blocks away from the Harrison stop on the Red Line. It’s nice for the money, and inexpensive for the city. Around $100/night or less if it’s only one person.

(Have a guy or two walk you back at night if you’re squicky about the South Loop area, I’m used to it.)

Totally check out the Cass Hotel. It is super cheap and right downtown. There aren’t too many bells and whistles, but its clean.

http://www.casshotel.com/

I’ve had a good amount of success on Hotwire. I got a room for a Saturday night at the Hilton right on Michigan Ave for $67. I’m not saying you’ll get that, but there are a ton of hotels with empty rooms in town, so you can usually get a great deal. If all you care about is being near public transportation, then you can pretty much stay anywhere near downtown and the surrounding areas.

If you are ok with hostels, you can’t beat this one, and it’s a block from an El station: http://www.hichicago.org/ I stayed there in 2000 and loved it! A block off Michigan Ave.

There’s a kickass Best Western in Lincoln Park, which is right near the El and Boystown and Lakeview and all sorts of awesomeness. It’s about $100/night, which is pretty damn cheap for in the city. [Though admittedly not as cheap as, say, $67…]

What band is your boyfriend in…?

Whenever I’m traveling on a budget, which seems to be always, I always stay at hostels. The one in Chicago is awesome! It’s also very close to Millenium and Grant Park. It’s one of the biggest hostels I’ve seen so far and I’ve been to a bunch. I paid $30 for a dorm like room but you could get a private for a little more. The thing I like most about hostels is that you get to meet a lot of people from tons of different places. When I was there I met a guy from Slovenia. Anyway, if you want to see pics or make a reservation go to www.hiusa.org.

listen to all the hostel people. very nice. i’ve stayed there before. plus you get to sleep in a room with a bunch of people from europe, since americans dont really use hostels that much. but very cheap, right in the loop, all that jazz.

My recommendation is find someone to stay with that will help you out and show you a good time without expecting anything in return:

http://www.couchsurfing.com/

i agree with the recommendation for city suites. i used to live about two blocks from Subterranean. you’ll have fun. i love it there!!

Megan,

you can priceline a hotel and get a good deal. You can either select the Millinium Park or the North Michigan Ave area. You can probably get a 4 star hotel for under $100 and a 3 star for under $70. The closer you get to your date, the cheaper your stay will be, but it will be risky. Either area is close to the subways and you can get all over the city from either. Bring a jacket because it is really cold there.

Read this forumn for a little more info on bidding and to see what other people have paid so you can get the best deal:

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showforum=87&

Enjoy the trip:

Palmer House Hilton is in a great location, is nice (but small rooms) and cheap.

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=TMBP0NP5QMMRGCSGBIWMVCQKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=CHIPHHH

Palmer House Hilton is in a great location, is nice (but small rooms) and cheap.

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=TMBP0NP5QMMRGCSGBIWMVCQKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=CHIPHHH

The above are all great suggestions. I would also suggest browsing the Centerstage website, which has a “virtual L” that lists everything that’s near each train stop. There are no hotels listed at the Blue Line Damen stop (nearest Subterranean), but there is a B & B listed at the next stop closer to downtown, which is Division.

http://www.centerstage.net/virtual-el/division.html

Have a great time!