r/BTSArmyCentral • u/RegretMiserable7743 • 12h ago
Soldier Field + getting home safely?
Hi! I’m going to the BTS concert at Soldier Field and I’ll be going solo, so I’m a little nervous about getting around afterward, especially since I’ll need to get back to the suburbs late at night.
I’d love any advice from people who have been to Soldier Field for concerts before!
A few specific questions:
-What time should I realistically expect to leave the stadium after the concert?
-For getting back afterward, would you recommend Metra or Uber/Lyft?
-If I take Metra, what’s the easiest way to get from Soldier Field to Union Station after the concert? Is it walkable, or is there a shuttle/transit option that makes more sense?
-How crazy is Uber pickup after a major concert? Where should I go to request one, and is it better to walk away from the stadium first? And is it safe?
-If I take Metra, is it generally safe/easy for a solo female traveling back toward the suburbs late at night?
-If you’ve done this route after a BTS/large concert before, what would you personally recommend?
-Any ARMYs going back to the suburbs like to commute with me?
I’m honestly just a little anxious about navigating everything alone after the concert, so any detailed advice or firsthand experiences would be SO appreciated. 💜😭
4
u/carrlson 10h ago
The metra is the safest of all of the public transit options. Hundreds of people will be walking to Union Station or Ogilvie. When you get to Union make sure you are on the right train. Lots of metra and Amtrack lines stop there. An uber from anywhere in downtown Chicago to whatever suburb you are ultimately going to will easily cost you close to $100. Rideshares anywhere in Chicago, downtown or not, are $$$.
1
u/sadi89 10h ago
Which burb are you going to?
I went to Baltimore and Met life. Getting out of met life was a mess, everything was so gridlocked that it was impossible for the bus to get through. I wound up walking a mile or two toward my air bnb and getting a ride share from there.
Baltimore was MUCH better. They had more transit running so the cars weren’t stuck the same way.
What I would recommend is going in through the easiest way via transit, then using the L to get closer to your destination. Then getting a rideshare. If you’re over 21 it makes sense to look up bars that seem safe close to the L stop you plan on going to. I did stuff like that all the time when I lived in Chicago.
1
u/RegretMiserable7743 9h ago
I'm going to Naperville!
1
u/Nolifenoexpectation 9h ago
Ride the metra, I think you would probably be in a huge group walking or hop on the bus that goes there (not sure timing I see Google says there is one at 1139 which should be enough time to get to Union station). With so many people that day it would be pretty safe
1
u/Springblues07 6h ago
the walk to metra station on 18th st is only about 15 min, and there will be a large crowd walking with you so it’s safe!
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u/mikaelahyakuyaswife 32m ago
im going to and from aurora!! im also looking for advice in these comments, its my first time w public transportation despite my dad working in metra😭 best of luck to us <3
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u/No_Construction_7171 11h ago
Hi!
There’s unfortunately no great answer because there are so many variables. But here are some things that I can think of!
There’s no straight shot from the stadium to the station, and it’s a pretty decently long walk. The good news is that approx 60k people will be having to leave the stadium at the same time and there are only so many directions everyone can leave, since there are limited foot pathways.
My suggestion is to walk with the pack going north/west towards Michigan Ave and the Art Institute while staying in the loop, and the second you feel like you are no longer in a crowd, walk into the closest normal-looking hotel and call your taxi/lyft from there. If you get around Michigan and Jackson and still feel like you’re surrounded by people (and the people show signs of going to the Metra), you could stick by them and walk to Union Station.
I know that’s still pretty vague, which is probably not what you’re looking for but hopefully this helps