| bikes: tons of people have bikes though not everyone uses them. if you have one i would bring it just in case. also, there is a used bike sale that goes on at norris twice a year.
cars: i don't know any freshman who have cars, but i know plently of sophomores who do. i don't think it's a good idea as a freshman to have one but it's definitely nice to know someone who does. i may consider bringing one up for next year or when i live here over the summer.
shuttles: NU shuttle service is kind of a mess. they run really irreguarly, are rarely on schedule, etc. but when you do catch them they're pretty convenient. there are two lines--the express goes around campus and the route takes you through evanston. you can also catch a ryan field shuttle during the week if you want to quickly get from north to south or vice versa. there is also an intercampus shuttle that will take you directly to the medical school in downtown Chicago (about a block away from Michigan Ave/Water Tower/etc). It's not always reliable and only runs during the week but it's a really great way to get downtown.
Safe ride: the escort service, they recently changed their rules (they won't take you anywhere that's on a shuttle route, max of 3 ppl, won't pick you up at bars, etc) so the waits aren't as long. definitely a good resource to have but can be a pain at times. runs until 3 am i think?
El: The El stops (Davis, Foster, Noyes are the ones closet to campus) are just a couple blocks west of campus. If you're used to say, NYC subways, the El is going to seem like a joke, but it's pretty convenient, especially for getting to places like Belmont. We are the purplie line--most often you will take that to Howard and transfer to the red line which will take you downtown. It's usually $2 a ride.
Buses: I have no idea how CTA buses work, I've never taken one and don't know anyone who takes them. I see them running on Sheridan but I coudln't tell you more than that.
Cabs: People use cabs a lot for going out--with enough people the price isn't always too bad, but it's really too expensive to be taken downtown all the time. |