This is in my hood. I was going to suggest Mariano's for quick, reasonable eats but 2cool beat me to it. Great entertainment to watch the doggies play below in their park while having lunch. I didn't see anyone mention the pedway that is right below the hotel. Lots of eating places all along the way. One of our favorites is Hannah's Bretzel. It's great for getting around in bad weather and just fun to explore. Oh and a favorite of our guests is Wildberry right next door to Mariano's.

If you're part of the dining rewards network there's a burger place on Monroe just off Michigan. Rudy's. In the direction of the Trump Tower and Nordstrom's back door is Star or Siam. A bit off the beaten path but I've never been disappointed with the food or service.

Don't forget about the free lunchtime concerts in the Cultural Center.

For other parking options there's a thread in the Destinations/Chicago forum regarding Magnificent Mile parking. When we need extra local parking I use the garage under the Shoreham (north side of park adjacent to Radison).

Can't say I've seen any furniture on any of those balconies. Even the condos above have mostly bare balconies. Such a waste. We live on ours during the good weather but we're not as exposed as the ones around the Aqua. Form didn't follow function at the Aqua.

There's several more new eateries by Mariano's but we haven't gotten to them yet. I 'd like to hear impressions of these if others visit them.