Outside Chicago

[AutoTrDvr]

Yep, I do like how as of late(like a year or 2 ago?), that Pace service along I-90 was greatly expanded. As far as going between Rosemont and Schaumburg, I've always liked taking the #606 bus, since you can take that bus straight west to Mitsuwa Marketplace(which is a really great Asian market, especially of Japanese items. and its food court, liquor store, and Japanese bookstore is really awesome), along with anywhere in the area near Woodfield Mall. 606 schedule: https://www.pacebus.com/pdf/full/606back.pdf If you wanted to go further west than that, you'd have to either transfer to the #554 bus(which may be tricky to do, since that bus doesn't have a lot of scheduled runs, schedule at https://www.pacebus.com/pdf/full/554back.pdf ), or consider doing an Uber/Lyft to where you want to go to. The streets do have sidewalks in that part of Schaumburg, in my experiences out there thankfully.

In Waukegan, you'd take the #565 bus on Grand to go west towards Great America, and that bus starts/ends on Sheridan just north of Washington. A limited number of #565 bus runs go all the way down the road(east of the Amstutz(sp?) Expressway, to drop off and pick up passengers just west of the station house for Waukegan's Metra station. 565 schedule: https://www.pacebus.com/pdf/full/565back.pdf You'd walk south from the bus stop at Grand and Six Flags Pkwy/Lawson Blvd(if you see a Burger King and also a sign on the southeast corner of the intersection for Six Flags, you got off at the right stop), till you get inside the park and see the admission booth for paying your admission to get inside. As for taking a Pace bus from Rosemont to Great America and back, that would be the #284 bus( https://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/six_flags_express.asp ).

OMG! They have a Mitsuwa Marketplace up there now???? WOW! I used to go to the one in Edgewater, NJ all the time when I lived there! I sure wish they had one down here in Tampa Bay! You can literally get anything under the sun in those stores, especially the groceries and Japanese snacks... 20+ different varieties of Pocky Sticks! All kinds of green tea candies, Teriyaki Sesamee chips, Nori crackers, MMMM.... To bad I didn't know about "Sakeru Gumi" before I left, or I'd have cleaned the place out. For those that don't know, Sakeru Gumi is a 'bubble gum" type candy in different flavors but it comes in two forms... 1) is cut into small pieces, and the other is one long strip (like Bubble Tape). They're famous because they did a series of "serialized" commercials in Japan (sort of like the old "Taster's Choice couple" series for those who remember)... But it went viral on YouTube and spawned a ton of Youtube reaction videos. You'll understand why when you see it. It's slightly "naughty," but probably safe for work... but it has a lot of inuendo in it.

Enjoy! And, hopefully, one of these days, Mitsuwa will start "shipping" if they don't open a Market place here.

 

[junebug]

Oak Park -- Frank Lloyd houses. Easy to get to on the el.

 

[dogbert617]

Yep, I do like how as of late(like a year or 2 ago?), that Pace service along I-90 was greatly expanded. As far as going between Rosemont and Schaumburg, I've always liked taking the #606 bus, since you can take that bus straight west to Mitsuwa Marketplace(which is a really great Asian market, especially of Japanese items. and its food court, liquor store, and Japanese bookstore is really awesome), along with anywhere in the area near Woodfield Mall. 606 schedule: https://www.pacebus.com/pdf/full/606back.pdf If you wanted to go further west than that, you'd have to either transfer to the #554 bus(which may be tricky to do, since that bus doesn't have a lot of scheduled runs, schedule at https://www.pacebus.com/pdf/full/554back.pdf ), or consider doing an Uber/Lyft to where you want to go to. The streets do have sidewalks in that part of Schaumburg, in my experiences out there thankfully.

In Waukegan, you'd take the #565 bus on Grand to go west towards Great America, and that bus starts/ends on Sheridan just north of Washington. A limited number of #565 bus runs go all the way down the road(east of the Amstutz(sp?) Expressway, to drop off and pick up passengers just west of the station house for Waukegan's Metra station. 565 schedule: https://www.pacebus.com/pdf/full/565back.pdf You'd walk south from the bus stop at Grand and Six Flags Pkwy/Lawson Blvd(if you see a Burger King and also a sign on the southeast corner of the intersection for Six Flags, you got off at the right stop), till you get inside the park and see the admission booth for paying your admission to get inside. As for taking a Pace bus from Rosemont to Great America and back, that would be the #284 bus( https://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/six_flags_express.asp ).

I should clarify that IIRC(the #284 pdf brochure oddly doesn't specify if that bus enters the Six Flags parking lot), that as I remember from hearing from others online that the 284 enters the Six Flags parking lot. 565 doesn't, but it's a short 10-15(?) minute walk between Grand Ave/Illinois Hwy. 132(where those bus stops are), towards the Six Flags park entrance at the south end of that parking lot.

OMG! They have a Mitsuwa Marketplace up there now???? WOW! I used to go to the one in Edgewater, NJ all the time when I lived there! I sure wish they had one down here in Tampa Bay! You can literally get anything under the sun in those stores, especially the groceries and Japanese snacks... 20+ different varieties of Pocky Sticks! All kinds of green tea candies, Teriyaki Sesamee chips, Nori crackers, MMMM.... To bad I didn't know about "Sakeru Gumi" before I left, or I'd have cleaned the place out. For those that don't know, Sakeru Gumi is a 'bubble gum" type candy in different flavors but it comes in two forms... 1) is cut into small pieces, and the other is one long strip (like Bubble Tape). They're famous because they did a series of "serialized" commercials in Japan (sort of like the old "Taster's Choice couple" series for those who remember)... But it went viral on YouTube and spawned a ton of Youtube reaction videos. You'll understand why when you see it. It's slightly "naughty," but probably safe for work... but it has a lot of inuendo in it.

Enjoy! And, hopefully, one of these days, Mitsuwa will start "shipping" if they don't open a Market place here.

IIRC, Mitsuwa opened that IL location in like the late 1990s or early 2000s? I can't remember the exact year, it opened myself. Once saw it mentioned somewhere online, a long time ago.

I'm surprised looking at Mitsuwa's website just now( https://mitsuwa.com/ ), that the only location they have anywhere in the South, is in Plano, TX(if that counts as the South, some don't count it as such, since it's that far west). I would certainly think that there would be enough shoppers, to support a Mitsuwa in the Atlanta area, and also for one somewhere in either central or south Florida! If H Mart and other mom and pop Asian markets can exist in the Atlanta area(northeast part of it) and also in Florida, certainly Mitsuwa would also be successful in either the Atlanta area, central Florida(regardless if it was in Orlando or Tampa), and south Florida/Miami area.

I've wondered about that... So far all of my trips to IRM I've had a car or was going with someone who had a car. But using Uber or Lyft was intriguing, my question is; I wonder if you'd have better luck getting a Lyft if you scheduled it in advance? I've done this a number of times for early-morning flights without any problems. The other option that might work is to convince the driver to join you at the museum; I've known people to do it at casinos & festivals (the driver turns off the meter, you pay for their entrance/parking/whatever, then pay in cash what you paid to get out there... often tipping a bit)

Odd I missed responding to this comment, earlier. I'll be honest as someone who's used Uber and Lyft a lot, I doubt you'd need to schedule one in advance. I know IRM is a little far away, but if you think about it in the scheme of things, it isn't THAT far away from Crystal Lake and Woodstock. A good Uber or Lyft driver who wasn't stupid(since that fare would make him/her a lot of money, and for sure I'd tip well if I requested IRM as my destination as it is out of the way a little), should totally be willing to do such a drive for Uber or Lyft.

 

[AutoTrDvr]

IIRC, Mitsuwa opened that IL location in like the late 1990s or early 2000s? I can't remember the exact year, it opened myself. Once saw it mentioned somewhere online, a long time ago.

I was last in the area in the mid 90's, so I might have just missed them.

I'm surprised looking at Mitsuwa's website just now( https://mitsuwa.com/ ), that the only location they have anywhere in the South, is in Plano, TX(if that counts as the South, some don't count it as such, since it's that far west). I would certainly think that there would be enough shoppers, to support a Mitsuwa in the Atlanta area, and also for one somewhere in either central or south Florida! If H Mart and other mom and pop Asian markets can exist in the Atlanta area(northeast part of it) and also in Florida, certainly Mitsuwa would also be successful in either the Atlanta area, central Florida(regardless if it was in Orlando or Tampa), and south Florida/Miami area.

Well, knowing their inventory, they'd truly have to have a decent clientele to open a market place. Obviously, the center in Edgewater NJ makes sense as there are heavily large Japanese and Korean populations nearby (Fort Lee and northern Bergen County for Japanese, and Leonia for Koreans). After all, Park Ridge, NJ hosts Sony Corp of America's HQ building... and I oughta know... i used to work there.

I'd be very surprised if there are enough clientele in south (or even Central) Florida to open one. I can see Texas/Louisiana. A lot of Asian population in the fishing/shrimping industries. That's why I was so shocked to see that one had opened in Illinois. I simply didn't think they had the demand, there.

But I'd welcome it, nonetheless!

 

[dogbert617]

I was last in the area in the mid 90's, so I might have just missed them.



Well, knowing their inventory, they'd truly have to have a decent clientele to open a market place. Obviously, the center in Edgewater NJ makes sence as there are heavily large Japanese and Korean populations nearby (Fort Lee and northern Bergen County for Japanese, and Leonia for Koreans). After all, Park Ridge, NJ hosts Sony Corp of America's HQ building... and I oughta know... i used to work there.

I'd be very surprised if there are enough clientele in south (or even Central) Florida to open one. I can see Texas/Louisiana. A lot of Asian population in the fishing/shrimping industries. That's why I was so shocked to see that one had opened in Illinois. I simply didn't think they had the demand, there.

But I'd welcome it, nonetheless!

There's always been a lot of Japanese population, especially on the north side of Chicago and in certain northwest suburbs(i.e. Arlington Heights). Also though Mitsuwa doesn't cater to Koreans, the Chicago area has a lot in certain north and northwest suburbs, such as Glenview, Des Plaines, and ESPECIALLY Niles. In certain areas(i.e. Albany Park, West Ridge), there is a good bit of small areas with a lot of Korean businesses, which still are pretty active Korean areas to this day. As evidenced by H Mart(which caters to Koreans) opening a couple of stores, in the Chicago area(Niles, Naperville, and most recently one in the West Loop/Randolph area of Chicago), and Assi Plaza building one of their only US stores(3 I think?) in Niles.

For Filipinos(Phillipines), a Seafood City store opened not long ago in Chicago, on the site of a former Kmart, and before that a Venture discount store.

 

[CTANut]

You could take Metra out to Woodstock, and then take an uber or DialARide to IRM. I did that once. Also, consider the fox river trolley museum. It's located in Elgin and is accessible by Metra and Pace.
Link to dial a ride https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/cou...portation/transit-services/mcride-dial-a-ride