Directions & Tips

Getting To The Fest, directions and tips

This resource is broken up by location in the order they occur during the zine fest weekend, and includes a recommended way of getting from the previous venue. We recommend traveling by public transportation or car pooling. All locations are easily accessible by bus and train, it's good for the environment, a great way to see the city, and you're supporting the city's mass-transit infrastructure. Plus, parking in these neighborhoods are a nightmare! You can get a CTA map at most "El" stops, and Bike Maps (which are very helpful, regardless of your means of transportation) are available at most bike shops. Get a 3 day pass from a CVS or Jewel nearby and you'll be set for the weekend!

About the city's design: Chicago is set up mainly as a grid. Directions here are usually given in cardinal directions. Street numbers run up from zero in each direction starting at Madison and State in the loop. Every 800 is a mile. So Halsted (which is 800W) is 1 mile West of State Street. Every address that is 800 W will be at the intersection of that street and Halsted.

Columbia College's Conaway Center

Friday March 9th 1pm - 3pm & Saturday March 10th 11am - 6pm

1104 S Wabash

Chicago, IL 60605

By Public Transit

The Conaway Center is 2 blocks east and 1 block north of the Roosevelt "El" stop, which services the Red, Orange and Green lines (which can all be transfered to from the Blue, Pink and Brown lines in the loop). The following buses stop within a block of the center, 1, 3, 4, 18, 29, 62 and 149.

By Car

Exits off Lakeshore Drive near the Conaway Center are Balbo and Roosevelt.

The exit off 90/94 you want to take the exit for Congress Parkway, heading EAST, that'll spit you out fifteen blocks west, and four blocks north of the Conaway Center. The Congress exit is currently dealing with construction, if you follow the detour signs, they'll serve you well! For exhibitors, there is a loading zone directly in front of the building.

Here are a few nearby parking lots we would recommend based on proximity and price, there are many others in the area as well, expect to pay $12 for a day of parking:

System Parking
837 S Wabash Ave (Wabash & 9th)
Self & Attendant Parking
Open 24/7
Cash & Credit Cards

CPS Parking
901 S Wabash Ave (Wabash & 9th)
Self & Attendant Parking
Friday: 8am – pm
Saturday: 8am – 9pm
Cash & Credit Card

You can look for free street parking south of Roosevelt, be sure to look out for signs requiring permits. Parking meters are especially expensive downtown ($3/hr??!!), DON'T USE THEM!

By Bike

Depending on the weather, the Lake Front Path is AMAZING, and runs for over 15 miles along Lake Michigan. Exit at Roosevelt (before the path dips into the museum campus).

Along streets, from the North East, Clark is a good street to bike down. From the North West, Milwaukee is great, because it's a diagonal. From the South West, Archer can be a bit hairy in some places (when you're faced with a concrete wall to your right), but it's a diagonal, so it makes your trip faster). From the South East, take King Drive north, turn onto Cermak, and then north on Indiana.

826CHI (aka the Boring Store) Friday March 9th 6-9pm

1313 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL 60622

From 1104 S Wabash:

Take the Red Line El (1 block south (a right out of the building), two blocks west) north (to Howard). Get off at Jackson, and transfer to the Blue Line northwest (to O'Hare). Get off at Divison, and walk northwest on Milwaukee (the numbers should be going up), the boring store will be on the right-hand side of the street on the second block.

By Public Transit

826CHI is two blocks North West of the Division stop on the Blue Line (O'Hare Branch), and about 4 block South East of the Damen Stop on the Blue Line (O'Hare Branch), and near the Paulina stop on the #56 (Milwaukee) Bus. The #70 Division (head North West), , #9 Ashland (head North West) #50 Damen (head South East), and #72 North (head South East) buses all serve the area.

By Car

From 90/94, take get off at the Division St. exit, and head West. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare in Wicker Park/Bucktown, side streets are your best bet, but a lot of that is permit parking, so be sure to read signs carefully before parking. As we've stated before, if you don't have to drive to Wicker Park, DON'T!

By Bike

Milwaukee is a great way to get around, because it cuts at a diagonal, though on a Friday night, traffic can get a little hairy and scary. Damen is a good street to bike along, as it has bike lanes for much of it, and tends to be quieter than other major streets in the area.

Quimby's Bookstore

Friday March 9 9:30pm-12am

1854 W North Ave

Chicago, IL 60622

From 826CHI:

Take a right out of the Boring Store, and head North West on Milwaukee. Take a right on Honore, and then the next left on to Elkgrove. Elkgrove will spit you out onto North Ave, Quimby's will be across the street and ever so slightly to the left.

By Public Transit

Quimby's is one block North and three blocks East of the Damen stop on the Blue Line (O'Hare branch), also 1.25 miles West of the North &Clyborn stop on the Red Line, from which you can take the #72 bus West. The #72 North Ave bus stops RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STORE (in fact if you exit out the back -which you always should- you can usually walk directly into the door of the store). Other bus routes near it include #9 Ashland (head West), #50 Damen (head East), #73 Armitage (head South) & #70 Division (head North).

By Car

From 90/94, get off at the North Ave exit, turn left to head West. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare in Wicker Park/Bucktown. There are metered spots on North and Milwaukee but side streets are your best bet, however a lot of them are permit parking--so be sure to read signs carefully before parking. As we've stated before, if you don't have to drive to Wicker Park, DON'T!

By Bike