Yeah. I think the best way to describe it is that the suburbs kind of just developed independently of Chicago, rather than being an outgrowth of it like in other cities. So many corporations set up shop *around* but not *in* Chicago in the 50s and 60s, and the infrastructure was built to suit the suburbs themselves rather than funneling into the city effectively.
I can speak to meeting providers in the suburbs, specifically Schaumburg, and it's atrocious for a carless client like me to get to. The hotels providers (both indie and agency) tend to congregate are in the northern part of that suburb, near an intersection of two interstates (there's like 8 interstates in the region, and only 3 go directly to downtown Chicago). They're at least a few miles from any commuter rail stations. So either I would have to take the commuter rail and then hope I can get an Uber out there in time to meet, or take an Uber from my place in the city (or even Rosemont, which is just outside O'Hare) and pay $60-100. And with traffic, you can't be sure you'll get there in time.
I've been super hesitant about certain providers as a result, just because they're out there. One provider I did meet out there, I did by spending a night at a hotel in Schaumburg (because it was a morning meeting). It felt like a tacked-on expense.
A lot of providers here who want to get both "city" and "suburban guys" tend to do "mini-tours," where they'll do a few days in the city and then a few days in Schaumburg or Oak Brook, and/or a couple days in Rosemont/O'Hare as sort of an in-between. It seems to work, far as I can tell.
