Burnham Harbor Advice

I am thinking of trying Lake Michigan next summer. I have an opportunity for a slip in Burnham on “B Dock”. At first glance it seems like a great spot aside from the long ride in and out of the harbor. I would appreciate any thoughts on the dock’s location in terms of safety, parking, foot traffic, etc.

Thanks!

So the Harbor is in the middle of the museum campus. You'll have lots of traffic and activity. Looks like B dock is on the end so you will be subject to on lookers as they walk by. May even get some dudes trying to fish. They have reserved parking for slip holder but I don't know if it fills up.
Dining and other activities are a ride away.

As for safety and security, the docks are gated. But you'll have the typical stuff you'll have in any urban area.

The B dock will be calm; a friend is on S, and even with the attenuator, when the winds are out of the North and waves are high, there can be quite a bit of motion. That dies down as you head north into the harbor.

Safety is about the same as all Chicago Harbors; it's urban, there's security, but things will happen. (Knock on wood, nothing has ever been stolen from me; but I keep anything of valuable out of sight always and it seems to have served me well.)

There isn't a ton in terms of restaurants that are walking distance, but there are a few down Roosevelt Rd. It's about a 15 minute walk to Stan's for donuts and coffee, as well as a Trader Joe's.

Note that Burnham Harbor is adjacent to Northerly Island where outdoor concerts happen on a weekly basis, so if live music bugs you, it is a consideration. (Conversely, if you enjoy music, they do get some pretty good talent and then it's a free concert from your boat.)

The Indiana State Line is only about 12 miles away (as compared to 17-20 miles for the more northern Chicago harbors), so it makes for cheaper fill-ups worthwhile.

We stayed at Burnham Harbor this past summer, our first trip to Chicago so I can not compare it to the other marinas but we throughly enjoyed our time there. The only thing I would do next time is to take our bikes, bike and walking paths are right outside the security gates. Other wise Uber trips into town for restaurants was fun. Defiantly take your boat through the locks on the river, that is really cool !

I hit Chicago for the first time this past summer. We stayed 3 nights at DuSable, just north of Burnham. My original target was Burnham but I switched to DuSable due to walking distance to activities for kids (Navy Pier, American Girl, Lego Store, the necessities ). We had a blast.

Chicago docks are a little weird with the gates on the ends. Good for security but it makes it feel a little less inviting. You definitely visit Chicago harbors for the city, not the boating community, not the harbor amenities.

Thank you all very much for the advice! Sounds like a great place to be.