Greetings - I've just joined the forum - what a fabulous range of ideas and suggestions ... so this is my first posting from 'down under' (land of Oz)

I've visited Chicago pretty regularly over the past 5-6 years, and will be back for a week in early May 2007. I've decided it's time to spread my wings and see some of the sights around (rather than just in/downtown). Any ideas on what I should do from those lucky enough to live there/visit more often?

Welcome to Flyertalk Pooch.

Nice to see another Aussie joining FT. ^

I can offer you nearly zero info on Chicago as I mostly connect there only at ORD, but this is the place to find others who will know.

In May the weather should be excellent I imagine.

Glen

Starting with some downtown ideas and we'll branch out from there. Chicago Architecture Foundation river cruise. Gino's East for pizza. Shopping in some of the neighborhoods, as opposed to just Michigan Ave. Go see the Windy City Rollers. Visit a blues club like Rosa's Lounge. Drink good beer at the Map Room or Hopleaf. Visit the Chicago Botanic Garden or Morton Arboretum. Visit some microbreweries and the Safe House in Milwaukee. Amish country in Indiana or central Illinois. Abraham Lincoln stuff in Springfield.

Better targeted answer might come when you mention what you've done here already and liked or disliked....

/pbz

PS: Welcome to FT

Three diverse things off the top of my head that are not in the traditional museum campus/downtown/Gold Coast/Lincoln Park area, but very feasible without a car.

1. The Baha'i Temple in Wilmette is easily accessible by CTA train. On the way back, you can stop in Evanston, tour the Northwestern University campus and check out a very vibrant "suburban" downtown.

2. Oak Park and Frank Lloyd Wright (although I'd take Metra to Oak Park because the Green Line goes through some iffy neighborhoods).

3. Pilsen and Little Village for some of Chicago's Latino culture.

If you like architecture, and head west to see Wright's Oak Park, and you have a car - - you can keep heading west to Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House for a change of pace . Of course you can stick w/ the FL Wright theme and drive to southern Wisconsin to see Taliesin .

If you do venture that far, rest assured they'll be plenty of opportunities to see, shop, eat in between that I'm sure FT-ers can help with.

Do you like outdoor activities? We have an excellent 18-mile lakefront path for biking, jogging, etc. The CAF river cruise is excellent, and you also can kayak on the river or take a speedboat tour on the lake. We have excellent indoor/outdoor conservatories (mentioned in this thread and another current thread in this forum). May is baseball season, and Chicagoans have the option of watching one of the better teams in baseball (the Sox) or one of the worst teams. Each team has its own stadium. We also have a professional soccer team that plays in the SW suburbs.


Good suggestion.

If the weather is good, you might spend an afternoon down in Hyde Park,which has the University of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry (www.msichicago.org)(former Beaux Arts Building from the Columbian Exposition), and other remnants of the Exposition, such as Jackson Park. Plus, there are a few Frank Lloyd Wright homes.

A popular Chicago book recently was "Devil in the White City," by Erik Larson. It's about the making of the Columbian Exposition of 1892-3, but also sets the stage for understanding Chicago of that period, and it's still a decent guide to the Hyde Park landscape (at least the Exposition parts). Devil reads like a novel, but it's actually sort of imaginative non-fiction. CAF also runs an Exposition tour.

As an aside on Oak Park (where I'm originally from), the Green Line does run through some dicier West Side neighborhoods, although they're a lot less dicey than, say, 10 or 20 years ago. Still, it's a regular commuter route for people on the West Side and in Oak Park, who take it daily without any problems. Metra is quite comfortable, too. Both will take you right to Harlem Avenue, from which it is an easy and interesting walk to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. One benefit of taking the Green Line on the el is that if you want, you can get off at the Garfield Park stop and visit the beautiful Garfield Park Conservatory (http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/), built under Jens Jensen's direction in 1906-7.

-Hayden

Thank you for the welcome and the suggestions - this really is a great list! I take Pbz's point - in the past, I've always been in Chi in April and have visited Oak Park (which I shall again do - love FLW!), and tend to spend most time in the museums/galleries. Evanstown sounds a great idea, as does Garfield Conservatory - so again, thanks for those suggestions. I'd love to visit Taleisin and will look for maybe a tour to do that (no car, no confidence at lh driving!) I'd really like to take some day trips outside Chicago, so you've given me some good ideas to go on with -thanks again for all your help.

On the FLW theme - you can go to the Robie House in Hyde Park

http://www.wrightplus.org/robiehouse/robiehouse.html

Another FLW place I really like is the Dana House in Springfield. You can take the train down there and stay overnight (www.amtrak.com). You can see everything in the downtown area within a day, trust me! You can see the Lincoln Home, the Dana House (which is one of the best perserved homes from that era), the state capitols (old and new), Lincoln Museum, Governor's Mansion. The train stops right downtown and you can walk everywhere (you have to like to walk but it can be easily done - I have done it - took the kids on a Lincoln trip this summer - they loved me for it ).

Otherwise, head to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It is free and then afterwards, go take a walk around the neighborhood. There are a lot of shops in the Armitage/Halsted area or just heading north on Clark from Fullerton. Also a lot of restaurants in this area (and a few bars that I have tried out .

For a nice view of the lake, take the 147 bus from Michigan Ave - it goes express to Foster and gives you a great view of our lakefront. You can get off at the first stop on Foster and cross the street and take it back. Or you can get off at Foster and Sheridan and walk 4 blocks west to Clark St to Andersonville where you will find Hopleaf - one the hidden gems in Chicago - if you like beer, this is the place to go. There is a heavy emphasis on Belgian beers. You won't be disappointed... http://www.hopleaf.com/...i have spent many Saturday afternoons here!

Another unique neighborhood is the area around North/Damen off of the Blue Line.

Actually, there's something to be said in just riding the #56 bus from downtown (you can get it at Madison and State) all the way up Milwaukee Avenue to the Jefferson Park CTA, and taking the Blue Line back. If you do it off peak, I doubt it would take more than 90 minutes if you never got off, and if you got on and off in different ethnic neighborhoods you could make an afternoon out of it.

Pooch,

Now that you're one of us, do like I do with an extra day or 2, get on a discount carrier and fly somewhere on the cheap.

Southwest Airlines flies from Midway airport.

Welcome to Flyertalk.

Pooch Welcome to FT! ^

The FLW foundation recommends getting off at Oak Park Ave. I agree, though you also could take an easy circle tour by getting off at one stop, walking down Lake St., and getting back on at the other stop.

Well, since I LIVE two blocks from the Studio, I'll chime in here.

There are other sites and FLW homes further afield, but this is the core trip.

Take the Green line and get off at Oak Park Avenue. Go North on OPA and turn left onto Lake Street (West). In 2 blocks you'll see the Unity Temple on your left. As you walk along Lake Street you'll see our new overblown public library that we'll be paying for long after I'M dead. Also, take a quick glance at the post office, which is one of the better examples of depression era post offices that is relatively intact. After your stop at the temple, you can walk North on Kenilworth past the "big houses" to Chicago avenue - this is another 2 longish blocks, but no biggie. Be sure to stop to gawk and to wonder "who would want to live in something this big, how do they pay the heating bill??" Turn left onto Chicago Avenue and you'll see the Home and Studio on your left. After your tour of the studie continue down Chicago avenue one short block to see the three small FLW houses lined up together on the left side. Backtrack to Forest Avenue and continue south of the home and studio on Forest Avenue which is where all the FLW houses line up one after the other. None are open to the public except on tours a couple times per year. Continue down Forest back to Lake street and turn right. Stop at Starbucks for a well-deserved coffee, or there are several places to eat along this stretch of Lake Street. Like spices? There is a Penzy's spices on lake street - they're mainly mail order but for some reason Oak Park has a retail store. When you get to Harlem turn left and you'll see the El stop right there.

If you want to drive, there are several convenient parking garages, and during weekdays you'll have no trouble with on street parking in this area, weekends during tourist season can get dicey.

Total walking distance - about a mile?

Don't know if you're much for baseball, Pooch, but a Cubs or White Sox game might be worthwhile. The Cubs play in one of the oldest ballparks in major-league baseball. The White Sox's park is substantially newer, but not as "earthy." The food there is excellent, however.

Springfield also would be an interesting day trip. In addition to the other sites already mentioned, the new Abrahan Lincoln museum/library is a must-see, so I hear (I still haven't made it there myself, although I'm planning to).

Anyway, hope this info helps. BTW, Sydney is one of my favorite cities on earth.