Getting to Know the Windy City - Chicago 2005 - page 76

Police For emergencies, call & 911. This is a free call (no coins required).
For nonemergencies, call & 311.
Post Office The main post office is at 433 W. Harrison St. ( & 312/983-
8182 ); free parking is available. You also find convenient branches in the
Sears Tower, the Federal Center Plaza at 211 S. Clark St., the James R.
Thompson Center at 100 W. Randolph St., and a couple of blocks off the
Magnificent Mile at 227 E. Ontario St.
Radio WBEZ (91.5 FM) is the local National Public Radio station, which plays
jazz in the evenings. WFMT (98.7 FM) specializes in fine arts and classical
music. WXRT (93.1 FM) is a progressive rock station whose DJs mix things up
with shots of blues, jazz, and local music. On the AM side of the dial, you'll
find talk radio on WGN (720) and WLS (890). News junkies should tune to
WBBM (780) for nonstop news, traffic, and weather reports, and sports fans
will find company on the talk station WSCR (1160).
Safety Chicago has all the crime problems of any urban center, so use
your common sense and stay cautious and alert. At night you might want
to stick to well-lighted streets along the Magnificent Mile, River North,
Gold Coast, and Lincoln Park, which are all high-traffic areas late into the
night. Don't walk alone at night, and avoid wandering down dark resi-
dential streets, even those that seem perfectly safe. Muggings can—and
do—happen anywhere.
After dark, you might want to avoid neighborhoods such as Hyde Park,
Wicker Park (beyond the busy intersection of Milwaukee, Damen, and
North aves.), and Pilsen, which border areas with more troublesome rep-
utations. You can also ask your hotel concierge or an agent at the tourist
visitor center about the safety of a particular area.
The El is generally quite safe, even at night, although some of the
downtown stations can feel eerily deserted late in the evening. Buses are
a safe option, too, especially nos. 146 and 151, which pick up along North
Michigan Avenue and State Street and connect to the North Side via Lin-
coln Park.
Blue-and-white police cars are a common sight, and officers also patrol
by bicycle downtown and along the lakefront and by horseback at special
events and parades. There are police stations in busy nightlife areas, such
as the 18th District station at Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Street in River
North and the 24th District station (known as Town Hall) at Addison and
Halsted streets.
Taxes The local sales tax is 8.75%. Restaurants in the central part of the
city, roughly the 312 area code, are taxed an additional 1%, for a total of
9.75%. The hotel room tax is a steep 14.9%.
Time Zone All of Illinois, including Chicago, is located in the central time
zone.
Transit Info The CTA has a useful number to find out which bus or El train
will get you to your destination: & 836-7000 (from any area code in the
city or suburbs) or TTY 836-4949.
Weather For the National Weather Service 's current conditions and fore-
cast, dial & 312/976-1212 (for a fee), or check the weather on the Web at
www.chicagotribune.com or www.weather.com.