Linda S. Buyer, Ph.D.
Governors State University

The 2010 Forum will be held in Chicago, a city known for its rich history, excitement, and beauty. We are confident that Chicago will be the perfect backdrop for AIR's 50th Forum, setting the stage for this premier meeting of IR and assessment professionals.

What is Chicago? Numerous writers have tried to capture its essence: “The windy city,” “The second city,” “My kind of town,” and “That toddlin’ town”. Given the city’s diversity, no single phrase completely encompasses the beautiful city on Lake Michigan.

Chicago was organized in 1833 with a population of 350 and was chartered in 1837. C.D. Peacock, Chicago’s oldest jeweler, was founded that same year - and is still in business today. By 1840, Chicago had 4,000 residents, and that number has continued to increase dramatically.

Chicago’s trajectory was severely altered in 1871 when the Great Chicago fire destroyed approximately one-third of the city, including the main business district. The Historic Water Tower, built in 1869, was one of the few buildings to survive the blaze. It still stands at the intersection of Michigan and Chicago avenues (about one mile north of the conference hotel). Subsequent to the fire, the city was rapidly rebuilt; the world’s first skyscraper was constructed in Chicago in 1885.

In 1893, the city hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition (also called the Chicago World’s Fair). This event had a profound effect on Chicago’s subsequent architectural and artistic development, and helped to pave the way for the City Beautiful movement.

Two of the city’s iconic buildings, the Merchandise Mart and the art deco Board of Trade, were completed in 1930. At the time of its completion, the Merchandise Mart was, at 4,000,000 square feet, the largest building in the world.

In the 1950s, the city shrank significantly (by 700,000) as people moved to the suburbs. The 1950s also saw the beginning of the Daley mayoral dynasty. Richard J. Daley was elected mayor in 1955 and served until his death in 1976. He oversaw the tumultuous 1968 Democratic Convention, the construction of four major expressways, and the 1973 erection of the world’s then-tallest building, the Sears Tower (recently renamed Willis Tower). Another project of interest to Daley was the O’Hare International Airport.

His son, Richard M. Daley, was elected mayor in 1989, and continues to serve in that role today. Under the current Mayor Daley, the city has become a model for sustainable urban planning with rooftop gardens, median strip plantings, and the planting of thousands of trees: all in support of Mayor Daley’s goal of creating a clean, livable environment truly described by the city’s 160 year-old motto “Urbs in Horto” (City in a Garden). The mayor’s beautification plans have attracted suburbanites back to the city causing another rapid increase in population.

Today, Chicago is among the world’s 25 largest urban areas, with a population of 2.8 million residents reported in 2007. It is a major transportation hub for North America, and is home to O’Hare International Airport, the second busiest airport in the world. Chicago has big plans for its future development. The city has built a series of large, landscaped municipal parks; some of which were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed Central Park in New York. Today, Chicago has the distinction of having more parkland than any other city in the U.S. (7,300 acres). Some of the best known of these parks, Grant Park, Lincoln Park, and Washington Park, are all easily accessible from downtown Chicago. Grant Park, which is home to the Buckingham Fountain and the Art Institute of Chicago, is just a few blocks south of the conference hotel.

The city has made a bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Plans include the development of 37 acres of the lakefront just south of downtown and the construction of an Olympic stadium in Washington Park.

Welcome to my kind of town...

The Forum will be a time to celebrate 50 years of coming together to share ideas and practices, and to plan for the next 50. Join us in Chicago as we chart our future in higher education. Visit us online for up-to-date information on the 2010 Annual Forum.

Getting Around Chicago
Chicago has an extensive public transportation system throughout the city, and a commuter rail and bus system extending to many suburban areas. In addition, taxis are plentiful, and there is a free trolley system that runs near the Forum hotel to take you to several tourist hot spots. Below is a short guide for getting around, including links to many helpful Web sites.

Chicago Transit Authority
The Forum hotel has service from numerous nearby bus lines going everywhere from Navy Pier to the North, West, and South sides of the city. The hotel is about three-quarters of a mile from the nearest “L” stations.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system--a regional transit system that serves the City of Chicago and 40 neighboring communities. In addition to hundreds of bus routes, the CTA consists of eight train lines (known locally as the “L” because the first train lines were an elevated system). Now the term “L” is used for both elevated and subway train lines.

If you plan to use public transit between the airports and hotel or for sightseeing, you will need to purchase a farecard. It is best to purchase a visitor pass online in advance. This will save money, allow unlimited rides for the duration of the pass, and provide the convenience of using the CTA immediately without having to purchase a farecard at the airport or CTA station. (Note that these farecards are valid on the CTA only and will not work on the Metra (commuter rail system) or the Pace suburban bus system.)

All buses and trains are named for their route and end point. When planning your trips, it is helpful to know the direction you wish to travel and the termination point of the “L” or bus in that direction. For bus stops, the direction and end point of each bus appears on the bus stop sign. Travel information is available 24 hours a day by calling 312-836-7000 or visiting the CTA Web site.

Between the Hotel and Airports
Neither of the major “L” lines that service Chicago’s O’Hare or Midway airports stops near the hotel. The fastest and easiest way to get from the airports to the hotel is to arrange for a shuttle service or take a taxi. A taxi ride will cost between $30-$40, depending on traffic. Most taxis also offer shared ride fares from the airports to downtown locations for a flat rate per person.

If you prefer to take public transit to and from the airport, these are the suggested routes:

From O’Hare
Take the Blue Line train from O’Hare airport to Grand (approx. 40 minutes). Exit the Blue Line at Grand and take the #65 Grand Avenue bus toward Navy Pier. Exit the bus at Illinois & Columbus. The #65 bus runs every 10-15 minutes Monday through Friday, and every 15-20 minutes on weekends from early morning to late evening.

From Midway
Take the Orange Line train from Midway to State & Lake (approx 30 minutes). Exit the Orange Line at State & Lake and board the #29 State Street Bus to Navy Pier. Exit the bus at Illinois & Columbus. The #29 bus runs every 10 minutes Monday through Friday, and every 10-15 minutes on weekends until 2 a.m.

Between the Hotel and Metra Train Stations
For Forum visitors commuting daily from the suburbs, here are some bus routes that run between Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, and the hotel.

UNION STATION:

#121 Union/Wacker Express from Jackson & Canal toward Navy Pier to Illinois & Columbus
#124 Navy Pier from Adams & Canal toward Navy Pier to Columbus & North Water

OGILVIE:

#120 Ogilvie/Wacker Express from Canal between Randolph & Washington toward Navy Pier to Columbus & Illinois.
#124 Navy Pier from Madison & Canal toward Navy Pier to Columbus & North Water


Directions from the hotel for popular tourist destinations:

Most destinations will require you to walk to Michigan Avenue to catch a bus, or walk to a nearby “L” station. Because of the way Michigan Avenue splits into upper and lower sections near the river, to get to Upper Michigan Avenue, you will have to walk West on Illinois and walk up a flight of stairs to reach Michigan Avenue shopping or busses. With the exception of the Museum Campus and the Museum of Science and Industry, many of the destinations below are also walking distance from the hotel for those who like to walk. You may also wish to download the CTA Sightseeing Map which contains information on getting to popular destinations.

Museum Campus (Field, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium): Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #146 South to the Museum Campus. This bus will also pass most of the State Street shops and through the Loop.

Museum of Science & Industry:  Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #10 bus South to the Museum of Science and Industry.

Art Institute & Symphony Center:  Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #3, #147, or #151 bus southbound and exit at Adams.

Chicago Cultural Center, State Street Shopping & Millennium Park:  Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #3, #147, or #151 bus southbound and exit at Randolph or Washington.

House of Blues:  Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #146, southbound. Exit at State and Wacker and walk 1 block west to Dearborn.

Museum of Contemporary Art:  Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #3, #145, #146, or #151 Northbound to Chicago Avenue. Exit at Chicago and walk two blocks east to Mies Van Der Rohe. For the #3 bus, allow the bus to turn on Chicago and Exit at Chicago and Mies Van Der Rohe.

Water Tower Place & John Hancock Observatory:  Walk to Michigan Avenue and board the #145, #146, or #151 Northbound to Chestnut Avenue.

Chinatown:  Walk northwest to the Grand Avenue Red Line “L” stop or southwest to the Lake Street Red Line “L” stop. Take the Red Line South (to 95th) and exit at Cermack-Chinatown.

Comiskey Park (US Cellular Field):  Walk Northwest to the Grand Avenue Red Line “L” stop or Southwest to the Lake street Red Line “L” stop and take the Red Line South (to 95th) and exit at Sox-35th.

Wrigley Field:  Walk Northwest to the Grand avenue Red Line “L” stop and take the Red Line North (to Howard) and exit at Addison.

Additional Resources & Links:

You can easily plan trips between the hotel and nearly any destination in the Chicagoland area by using the Google Maps transit option. Below are links to a Google Map already centered on the Sheraton hotel and a link to Google Transit. Google maps will also provide walking and driving directions.

Google map of Sheraton and surrounding area.

Plan trips to and from the Sheraton with Google Transit.