Chicago?

Shabadu

Anyone here been to Chicago? There's a plethora of information available on places to visit, almost too much. What's really worth seeing/doing?

Larianne

Chicago is a great city. I lived there for 6 months. Just came back. hoping to get back as soon as i can! (get a stoopid visa!!). There's loadsa stuff to do...
Nav Pier, go out on the Lake, go to baseball game at Wrigleyfield (where Cubs play),

Go to the Field Museum which has Sue, the T-Rex. At the moment they have the Bodyworks exhibition on. Never made it to it but it looked really interesting.

Theres Architectural boats tours which are good. So many amazing buildings downtown.

Good few Art Galleries etc.

Chicagonians (?) love the Irish and there's plenty of bars around.

I used to just take a bus and see which neighbourhood it would take me to. (but nowhere too West or South).

There have been a good few films made around Chicago so you could go check out the locations.

Trying to think of more... Just PM any questions to me.

Shabadu

That's great, thanks a mill Larianne.

Larianne

Also a good place to check out on the web before ya go www.metromix.com
It list all the different bars and clubs and tells yu about up and coming events in the bars, clubs, theatres, art galleries and museums. And has reviews about the different places so you can get an idea of what the places are like.

Also if you like shopping you should check out Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall. It is huge, so i am told. http://www.gurneemillsmall.com/static/node1888.jsp It's north of Chicago so you would have to take a train or drive there but it's not too far!!

Then there's the Taste of Chicago from the 24th to 4th of July.

When are you going and for how long?

ballooba

Lived there for three months in 2004. Visiting again in two weeks for 3 months again.

Best city ever!!!

Navy Pier is a bit of a pain in the ass in my opinion, nothing much to do there except eat and take a boat trip. If I were you I would just go there to get the Sea Dog boat trip and leave it at that. The place is owned by McDonalds for god's sake!!!

Sea Dog takes you around for an architectural tour on the river (I'm not big into architecture either, but Chicago is amazing for it) then it takes you out for a burn up the lakeshore in either direction. Out on the lake they point out the buildings they have shown you from the river.

The area around Jackson El stop on the red line is really nice for shopping and cheaper than Magnificient Mile as far as I remember. You should walk the Magnificent Mile south from the river up to Water Tower Place (only buildings to survive the great fire of Chicago, don't know what i'm talking about? You will!! it was started by an Irish cow apparently ) and further. The shops on the magnificient mile are amazing. I wasn't able to afford to shop in any of them but walking around them is cool because of the size of them.

Sears tower is pretty cool but I prefer the John Hancock Tower, if you go up there you get a really good view out over the lake and the city. Cheesecake Factory (restaurant) in the basement of Hancock tower is supposed to be amazing too.

Wrigley Field is a must, locals call it the biggest beer garden in the world, and it is. The games can get a bit tedious at three hours long but worth it for the spectacle, especially if it's sunny. The stadium is the oldest in Major League Baseball and is cool with the Ivy and all that craic. The picture of the Wrigley Field sign is a symbol of Chicago internationally so don't miss out on that one! Worth taking a trip up there a day or two before the game to pick up tickets at one of the booths. Don't pay scalpers!!! You will get a ticket at face value.

The only museum that I think is worth while is the Museum of Science and Industry, found the field museum boring. Haven't visited the Shedd Aquarium yet but heard it wasn't the may west either.

If you have time take a stroll through Lincoln Park Zoo and down onto the beach, this is pure cool and you walk back into the city along lakeshore drive. Did this walk when job hunting and it's really nice looking at all the boats and the Columbia Yacht Club, one of three clubs in Chi but this one's on a big old boat.

For bars I'm not too sure because I was under 21 last time and mostly went to the student bars. All the bars downtown on North Rush St are pretty good though. For younger people N Clark St around Wrigley Field is great and W Fullerton Avenue in Lincoln Park is great too.

The Hancock Tower and Boat Trip are a must, when you're in a city famous for skyscrapers, you have to check them out. The Cubs game at Wrigley Field is a half day to visit but really is worthwhile, the buzz around the whole area is amazing, I lived by the stadium last time.

The public transport is excellent in Chicago the El costs sometimes like $1.50 to use and then 25 cents if you use it again within 2 hours and free after that if you use it again within two hours of initial use. This includes the buses as well and it is a single ticketing system.

People are generally friendly and will point places out to you. Don't go too far South from city center, very dodgy and also west is very dodgy, actually so is north past Sheridan El stop (circa 10 miles from sity center), east is ok because that's the lake. Ask the concierge at your hotel what streets it starts to get dodgy at to be sure.

One thing I forgot because i didn't do it last time but the first time I visited it was for 10 days and I visited Second City comedy club. This is great and beats just going for dinner and rolling (yes the portions are US size) back to the hotel bar. There is a full drinks service. Think Vicar St but much much more intimate. Bill Murray honed his trade here among others, it's famous worldwide.

ballooba

Longest post ever???

ballooba

Larianne wrote:

Good few Art Galleries etc.

Almost forgot the Art Institute of Chicago, really liked this even though I'm not big into art. Thought the Andy Warhol stuff was good also the had some interesting thing on while I was there with an effigy of some dude hanging from the ceiling. Really good anyway.

Shabadu

Thanks ballooba, there's loads of stuff there.