<p>We’ve stayed at the Orrington many times, and a couple of times at the Garden Inn. The Orrington is the more convenient (by a couple of blocks) and has the reputation for being the “nicest”. Frankly, I think the Orrington rooms need to be updated. I had read that when Hilton took over the hotel they were going to renovate, but that hasn’t happened yet. The Garden Inn rooms are bigger and recently renovated; its lobby does feel more like that of a chain hotel than the Orrington. If you have a car with you, it’s easier to park it yourself in the garage right next to the Garden Inn. I would stay at either hotel - we’re staying at the Orrington for parents weekend and graduation, and also have a room for family at the Garden Inn for graduation. Both hotels can jack up the rates for big weekends.</p>
<p>This summer we stayed at the Homestead. It reminded me of my grandmother’s NYC apartment building. Our room (including a living room and kitchen) was enormous. The funny thing is that the first thing my S said when he walked into the room was that the furniture “belongs in Grandma’s house”.</p>
<p>We haven’t stayed in Skokie. I know many parents chose to stay in Chicago, and I have done this on a couple of business trips that included a visit to Evanston. Personal preference, but I would rather be right in Evanston if in town for just a short time. Last Saturday a.m., I woke up and walked to my S’s off campus house.</p>
<p>Oyama, I will have to try Brothers K on my next trip to Evanston. I just had the coffee at Other Brothers, no food. Have you tried the coffee and baked goods at Fraiche up on Noyes? Good coffee, and the ginger and cinnamon scones were great.</p>
<p>@amtc - I will stay at the Margarita European Hotel some trip, but so far they’ve always been booked. Guess there will be chances to try them all, unless D decides she should have opted for a career in real estate. ;-D</p>
<p>@jrpar - Thanks for the comparison of the Orrington and Garden Inn. I suspect we may prefer the Orrington, but that may be based on my having lucked into a larger-than-usual room this trip.</p>
<p>jrpar, most definitely have! My apartment is literally on the same block, so I go there as a regular at least once a week or so for lunch on the way to the office. And I agree about their ginger and cinnamon scones, and I’m not even much of a sweets guy.</p>
<p>Al’s Deli and Rollin’ to Go across the street are both great lunch places, too.</p>
<p>Oyama - you must cross paths with my son on a regular basis at Al’s and Rollin to Go. And Arbiter, my son agrees with you about Coffee Lab (I haven’t been there yet).</p>
<p>Oysma - the IKEA in Schaumburg is a major schlep from Evanston – not anywhere close at all, and no direct route from Evanston either by car or public transportation. </p>
<p>For coffee shops I like Peets, which is next to the Whole Foods, 2 blocks south of campus on Chicago Avenue.</p>
<p>IKEA - yeah. An hour away down Rt 58 / Golf Road. Stop and go traffic. Lots of lights, and there are always people that go too damn slow, and those that go too damn fast.
And construction and lane closures to make it even more exciting.</p>
<p>Thanks for the memories!</p>
<p>But I’m looking forward to doing it again starting next year - fingers crosssed!</p>
<p>We did the IKEA run. The price really was right ( the rug for the bedroom was something like $49, bedside table around the same) although the pieces were a pain to build. S’s room looked pretty good when he finished. The drive down Golf Road is awful - and even worse if you have to do it a SECOND time because you forgot a vital piece!</p>
<p>NUgraddad, maybe you can buy my senior S’s furniture this June. On second thought, you won’t want to - IKEA is great for furnishing budget apartments, but it doesn’t really last all that long.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, we didn’t find any comparably priced furniture stores nearby but I’m sure you right, there must be some. The best resource was the previous tenants - these seniors were happy to sell most of the living room furniture (multiple couches, tables) to my son and his roommates for very low prices. And many of my S’s roommates are from the Chicago area and brought furniture from home.</p>
<p>I disagree with above- Ikea furniture can hold up quite well if you treat it well. It’s not going to last 100 years, but there’s no reason it can’t last more than 3.</p>
<p>Yeah, my IKEA furniture lasted me four years in undergrad just fine. I have a little more money now, so I’m spending a tad more on furniture this time around, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy IKEA stuff if in a pinch.</p>
<p>I came back to revisit this thread prior to Family Weekend, and it reminded me how much we enjoyed Evanston when dropping D off in September. Can’t wait to return later this week!</p>
<p>How crowded are local restaurants during Family Weekend?</p>
<p>@jrpar - thanks - I was afraid they’d be crowded! </p>
<p>D has 9 hours of performances throughout the weekend – including both evenings we’re there – so unfortunately we can’t plan any family dinners at “normal” dining hours. ;-( We have one reservation but it’s for a really early dinner when we could probably eat even without reservations. The second night we may have to grab a late lunch and then a very late dinner. Ah well, maybe next trip we can sample the nicer Evanston restaurants.</p>
<p>On the topic of dining in Chicago, can anyone suggest a good place to eat near Second City?</p>
<p>Hey! Hope all you NU parents have fun during Family Weekend!</p>
<p>We were just back on campus a few weeks ago for my 25th reunion, and for us we don’t need to take tours of the campus / reacquaint ourselves. So we are just doing Friday night dinner with S someplace in Evanston and then the NU Revue. We’re going to skip the game and let S enjoy it with his buddies instead. Hope you all have fun and hope the weather holds!</p>
<p>Momcares - does that mean your D is in NU Revue??</p>
<p>Ditto! Took S to Cozy Noodles on Davis and then went to the 9:30 show. I must have seen your D perform. My S is so happy and thriving – just loves it.</p>