<p>On the original topic, if you want the scenic route from downtown Chicago to campus, take the 6 bus to 55th and Hyde Park, and transfer to the 55 bus westbound to 55th and wherever you are going (probably University). If the weather is OK, of course, you can walk that mile or so, but it’s also perfectly OK to take the second bus. The 6 goes through the southern half of the Loop, mainly on State. (The other busses run only during rush hours, and the 173 only goes from the University north, not the other way.)</p>
<p>Your main alternative is to take the Red Line or Green Line El to Garfield (different stops, same name), and then transfer to the 55 bus eastbound to the university. This, however, will not be as pretty a trip, and not necessarily any shorter a trip, either, compared to the 6 bus. Plus, if standing at a bus stop on a busy corner in a low income neighborhood makes you feel unsafe, you will feel unsafe. (Kids do this all the time, however. For some reason, the Red Line seems to be more popular with Chicago students, even though it’s farther from campus and the transfers to/from the Northside lines are less convenient.)</p>
<p>The Metra is OK, but more expensive and less convenient to get on, and it doesn’t get you any meaningfully closer to the main Quad.</p>
<p>I forget how much the transfer costs. What you should be doing is buying a 24- or 48-hour unlimited CTA pass when you get to Chicago. (I think it’s $5 for a one-day pass, and $8 or $9 for a two-day pass.)</p>