Hi All,

So I am starting to look at what to do for this summer holiday. Having recently been to LA, Vegas, San Diego as well as New York, I am wanting to explore the US a bit more.

I started looking at trip advisor and see that Chicago comes up very highly rated amongst US destinations.

My question is a bit general and odd but here it goes anyway: is Chicago similar to a west coast place i.e. San Fran / LA / San Diego, or is it closer to east coast - NYC? May be a stupid question but to me there is a lot of difference between east and west: the atmosphere, the people, the weather and so far I think I prefer west!

Also outside of the odd question above, can anyone suggest things to do in Chicago and around? Relatively young couple looking to explore a city, do a fair bit of shopping, look around the clubs, go on road trips to nearby destinations, may be a bit of lounging at a beach.

Thanks for all advice.

Cheers,

Neither! Chicago is a midwest destination.

You can do all these things in Chicago, and more. I'd recommend getting a guide book for Chicago for a better overview, then coming back here for more specific advice.

I can't answer the East/West question. IMO, some of the western cities you listed are not even similar to each other, and Chicago is similar to none of them. Chicago is less dense than NYC, but retains a strong urban core and has a huge variety of neighborhoods that a young couple would enjoy, all accessible by public transportation. The natives have a reputation for being very friendly. The beaches are excellent in the summer, and there are tons of street festivals. Chicago is on the short list of top restaurant cities in the U.S. and arguably is #1. The bar and club scene is very highly regarded nationally, and so is the art scene.

Click around this forum for specific recommendations or, if you want something more tailored to your interests, let us know what they are. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

I'd agree with all of this, though I don't know anyone in their right mind who would say that Chicago is the best dining city in the country. That accolade clearly goes to New York City...though I'd say Chicago is a respectable second.

I usually describe Chicago as having 90% of what New York offers in a much more livable and affordable city.

For example, in New York you can get anything, any time. In Chicago you can get almost anything almost any time.

As others have said, Chicago has its own vibe. That said, I lived on the East Coast until college and have spent substantial amounts of time on the West Coast, and I usually make the following comparisons:

* People in Chicago are much more friendly than those in places like New York
* Chicago's a less pretentious city than either New York or LA
* Chicago has a lot in common (in terms of friendly people, culture and vibe) with Toronto
* Chicago's a lot cleaner than most big cities
* Chicago feels a lot safer than many big cities
* Chicago has a great arts, dining and sports scene
* Chicago is an amazingly picturesque city
* Like many major cities, Chicago is partially landlocked
* Chicago is much more accessible (generally, it takes much less time to drive the same distance in Chicago compared to NY, we have a better public transportation system than LA)
* Anecdotally, the cost of living/visiting Chicago is lower than cities like NY, LA & SF

In terms of things to do in and around Chicago, it sounds as if you already have a decent list of ideas. What are you interests? What have you particularly enjoyed doing in other cities you've visited or at home?

I'd recommend visiting sometime between mid-May and late September. Chicago is a fantastic outdoor city when the weather is nice.

* If you're a sports fan, you can take in a baseball game or two.
* If you're a music fan, you'll be able to enjoy some free/low-cost outdoor concerts at places like Millennium Park, Grant Park and our many street festivals.
* If you're gay, our Pride Parade is fantastic (&, I think, the largest parade in Chicago).
* If you're a water fan, there's a big assortment of beaches and you may also want to take a boat dinner cruise on Lake Michigan.
* If you're an architecture fan, you'll certainly want to take the architecture river cruise as well as some of the walking tours offered by the Chicago Architectural Foundation. You'll probably also want to visit some of the suburbs that are home to many Frank Lloyd Wright homes.
* If you're a shopper, check out Michigan Avenue, Oak Street and some of the smaller, more boutique-oriented retail areas, or head out to the suburbs for a visit to Woodfield Mall, Old Orchard, Oak Brook or the outlets in Aurora.
* If you want to see some charming areas outside of the city, consider renting a car and driving to Galena, Starved Rock, Saugatuck or New Buffalo.

Where are you guys from?

As far as outdoors, Chicago's offerings are pretty basic: our parks and beaches are nice, and you can find a bike tour or two, but you wont find any mountains or wild and crazy trails to explore.

Here are two hipster recommendations for you:
Wicker Park = roughly the Portland of Chicago. Food. Good bars, hipsters. Some stores.

Pilsen = The Mission (SF) of Chicago. Mixed community, good interesting food, lots of artists and some stores as well. I can elaborate more on those if you would like.

For Mosquito:
Favorite bars/restaurants: Big Star (Wicker), Simones and Skylark (Pilsen). Violet hour is good though a bit overrated -- and expensive. DMK in Lakeview is good, and Kumas is good though the wait may not be worth it (and it's far).

Favorite Cafe(s): Intelligentsia (all over), Jumping Bean (Pilsen)

Etc.

In summary: Lots to see here, good easy public transportation, not too expensive. I like it.

Some knowledgeable people say Chicago theater may be the best in the country. Ditto the architecture.

It's certainly cleaner and much cheaper to visit than NYC, by a long shot. Just check Hotwire for a 4-star hotel for any random date for both places and see.

And we have some GREAT museums.

And friendly Flyertalkers.

Whom argues that?

I like Chicago and all, but #1 restaurant city in the U.S.?

From a few years ago:

http://www.chicagofoodies.com/2006/0...o_is_the_.html

And some good places have opened since then. Chicago comes up #2 on some lists I Googled up.

If you're talking value per dollar spent, Chicago would seem to be a strong contender for #1.

A good source of info on "what's happening" in Chicago for young or young-at-heart culturistas is:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/

(The Reader was the "underground" paper of my teen years in Chicago....now it's a standard source of info -- similar to a "Time Out".)

Chicago has a "Lonely Planet" guidebook, so it's a fully acceptable place to visit.
(New edition of book due April 2011, see updates at
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/chicago/sights)

FYI: As with most American cities, the NORTH of downtown/center city is the more affluent and caucasian area.

When I need to impress NooYawkers:
The Art Institute has more of the crucial "Haystack" and "Water Lily" impressionist paintings on regular display than any other museum.
In the John Hancock skyscraper, it's the top 50 or so floors which are apartments (rather than offices). So the people who actually live 80-90 floors up do live the highest above local ground level of anyone in the world.
Beaches downtown and nearby!
The Bahai temple for North America is north of Chicago.....the Bahai have just one temple on each continent (if you're collecting), but it's not in NYC or LA!

Oh....if you're looking for a hotel in a fun neighborhood area, consider the Hotel Indigo Gold Coast (part of the IHG-Holiday Inn system) at 1244 N. Dearborn Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60610.

Enjoy!

This is no longer the case. Trump passed it, then Burj passed Trump.

What's the significance of this, particularly to a tourist?

Quote:
Originally Posted by peersteve
FYI: As with most American cities, the NORTH of downtown/center city is the more affluent and caucasian area.

What's the significance of this, particularly to a tourist?, asks BigMo.....
==============

Fair question, since it's not meant to be discriminatory......and seems out of context....... but was meant as a hint as to why in most guidebooks so many of the suggested sights and neighborhoods are to the north of the Loop.

One explanation of why the Northern area of a city tends to be where affluent people live goes back to the years when affluent people moved out from the city core ---those with money would move to higher ground, and in many midwestern cities, that's to the north.....such as in Indianapolis, Detroit, etc.

I apologize for any over-generalizations or insensitive comments in my hasty replies......I'm sensitive to Chicago socioeconomics as I gew up in Gary, Indiana and southern suburbs.....but went to school north of city.....when school sports team played at schools on south side, I was the only one on the team bus who could help the bus driver navigate the Dan Ryan expressway or Lake Shore Drive south of McCormick Place!

Just love the windy city.
When I was there recently (during the Chicago Seminar DO) for 6 days, two of which were devoted to the DO. {couldn't thank toomanybooks enough for his efforts before/during/after the DO} ^^. The rest I spent raoming the city. I've visited Chicago many times before. Never get tired of it.

If the OP wants a glimps of what Chicago has to offer, take a look at this
http://stefanofoto.smugmug.com/Trave...38229193_DaHPk

I know my photos do not do justice for the city. You must see it for yourself.

Not only that, Chicago has its own TIMEOUT, too (weekly). And CHICAGO magazine (monthly). And metromix.com listings of events.

All good resources.