Chicago
 

I'm a single woman traveler, going to Chicago for the first time in August. Any suggestions on what to see and do? Thanks.

Welcome to Flyertalk...and welcome in advance to Chicago.

The answer to your question sort of depends what your interests are. If you're like Mrs. Cyberdad, you'd want to find a hotel in the North Michican Avenue "Magnificent Mile" area and "shop til you drop". Lots of superb restaurants in the imediate area along with theatre, nightclubs, etc. close at hand. You're also handy to the lakefront with beaches, Navy pier, Millenium Park, as well as several museums and other attractions (Aquarium, Planatarium).

I predict you won't get bored! Feel free to PM me with specific questions.

And don't miss the Roman column located on Chicago's waterfront, which was donated to the city by Mussolini in 1934. It's certainly one of Chicago's more unusual landmarks.

Welcome, zippee. Check out the Chicago forum for lots of help.

The King Tut exhibit is at the Field Museum through the rest of this year. If you have not seen it, that would be worth a visit.

I also recommend the Shedd Aquarium and the view from the Sears Tower.

Also, an interesting trip in Chicago is historic wrigley field - the worlds largest bar. Picture 40000 people...drunk...out to have a great time regardless of whether the team wins. Plus the streets around it with the neighborhood charm is just the epitomy or residential chicago.

Oh...I guess for the average woman Michigan Ave shopping is more fun...

When are you coming here? I do recommend first week of July for...

TASTE OF CHICAGO

Gary

Enjoy great views of the North side of the city while enjoying cocktails at the Signature Lounge (96 floors up).

Also, check out the thread about Chicago's best burger in the Chicago forum.

If you can afford it (or if you're lucky and get the right rate), then I'd recommend either The Drake (just off Michigan Avenue) or The Intercontinental (on The Magnificent Mile).

Enjoy a long walk northwards along the lake front, starting at Navy Pier.

Oh, and I can't believe I forgot to visit the Art Institute (home of the painting featured at the start of Desperate Housewives).

Chicago Rocks!
 

Being from Chicago one tends to take things for granted....there are the obvious museums, sporting events, etc. I tend to always suggest a tour of the Brookfield Zoo. It is an award winning zoo, very large and "animal friendly". The primate house is a huge open area with large "trees" and tropic rain storms to mimic their natural habitat. Birds fly around free.. anyway, you get the idea. It's an easy trip down 290 W and follow the signs! Or use the Metra train system. The Shedd aquarium is also great. Also, for really upscale dining, try Charlie Trotters, but make a reservation in advance.

Have fun!

vurban1

I'm sorry, but I can't help chuckling and thinking about how different the responses would have been if the OP started with "I'm a fat, twice-divorced old man and I'm going to Chicago...."

:D

"Wrong Forum!"

"There's a link at the top of your screen called 'Search'! Try using it!"

:p

(And by the way - Welcome to FT :) )

Where is this? I've been along every inch of the lakefront (or at least from McCormick Place up to Foster) and never noticed this.

Except there's no foie gras!!! :mad: :mad:

Haven't been back to look at it in years, I believe it's been restored (the foundation stones were shifting badly). It has a wonderful inscription in English and Italian:
Theres plenty about it if you google it.
A few years ago I showed it to some Italian friends, they flipped; it talked about the glorious fascist nation of Italy.

Are you already locked into a specific weekend or do you have some flexibility?

If you have flexibility, then I'd build the trip around the Cubs and King Tut.

Other'n that, Field Museum (in general, not just the Tut part), Art Institute, architecture river cruises, a morning run along the lake up through Lincoln Park Zoo (stop and say hi to the seals, please), and just hanging out in Grant Park are my recommendations.

For nightlife, it can go any one of a million directions. Chicago is probably the best eatin' town in the world - just pick your favorite two or three unusual ethnic cuisines and go from there. Hit the basics - deep-dish pizza, a Chicago dog, a great burger, etc. - for lunch, but go for something more eclectic for dinner. Definitely explore some of the neighborhoods outside of the Mag. Mile area.

I'm sure many will disagree with me on this, but I honestly didn't find the Magnificant Mile shopping all that interesting or unusual. Big department stores, a Crate & Barrel, a big bookstore, a bunch of high-end clothing and jewelry retailers, etc. Stuff you can find in any other big city in the world. Not many uniquely Chicago boutiques. If you like shopping, maybe try the Maxwell Street Market (although I haven't personally been to it in many years) on Sunday. There's a little more weirdness there. Plus plenty of streetfood.

DH and I just returned from the Windy City and trekked through three museums (Art, Fields and Science). Of the three, definitely the U-Boat exhibit in the Science and Technology Museum topped everything. Poignant and personal. The exhibit made you almost able to smell the stench of diesel and cramped living conditions (one head for 69 souls until enough food was eaten to allow access to the second head/storage area). :eek: The Museum transported the entire boat from the shores of Lake Michigan and then built a building around the boat at great expense and logistical nightmares. This was one of the most memorable exhibits I have seen besides the palaces of St. Petersburg. Our second strong favorite was the Impressionist paintings in the Art Institute Museum. Wow, Chicago was the bomb.

Frank Lloyd Wright house and architetural walking tour in Oak Park--easy to get to on the train ("El").

Prairie Avenue houses (one of them is open for tours but with quite limited hours)

University of Chicago campus and Robe House (also a FLW house)

There is an architectual boat tour that's quite interesting.

I second the Maxwell Street Market idea for Sunday morning.

China Town--Totally touristy but still fun (a good evening activity).

Greek Town for eating--a number of excellent Greek restaurant, and a couple of inexpensive ones that are open all night

The street where all the Indian stores are (all I can think of is "Little India" but I think that's in Singapore!) is very interesting to walk along (and eat things there, too).

Chicago has GREAT transportation passes that are good for one, two, or three days for both buses and the El trains. If you come in through O'Hare, you can catch the blue train there and buy a pass right at the beginning of your trip, either from a vending machine (if they are working) or sometimes there is someone selling them from a table.

I forget the streetname too, but we sought this out about 5 years ago and it was totally worth it. We went because my wife was looking for some specific fabrics that were known to be available in that area, but we ended up thoroughly enjoying the food. We ate at a restaurant that had no liquor license - a "brown bag" place. Fantastic food...tiny mom & pop place about 1/2 block off the main drag. Conveniently located next to a liquor store that carried about a dozen Indian beer varieties.

Your hotel concierge should be able to give you directions, street names, restaurant/shop recommendations, and the nearest El stop. I'm sure Google can do the same...

I seem to recall it was a long walk from the El. We kept thinking "just another couple of blocks" for about a half-hour. We probably didn't cover more than 1-2 miles, but it seemed like forever with stoplights and such.

If you aren't up for the hike, just grab a cab. Unlike in a lot of cities, I've never gotten any 'tude from a Chicago cabbie for a short fare. At least not one cruising around on city streets...

Devon.

It's a lot of fun to drive several miles down Devon, from the lakefront to McCormick. It's like crossing multiple national borders without customs or TSA. There are stretches of Russian, Yemenite, Arabic, East Indian, Orthodox Jewish, Pakistani, and even a little Afghan and Italian, jammed together and occasionally overlapping.

The Cubs win? ;)

Chicago has great architecture--and often, great examples of different architectural periods on the same block (especially downtown). The Chicago Architecture Foundation gives well-reviewed walking tours, as well as the boat tour on the Chicago River mentioned by an earlier poster. More information is here:

http://www.architecture.org/tours.aspx

For what it's worth, one can buy tour tickets online, but for the walking tours, I just went to their store and exhibit space on Michigan Avenue and got them the day of the tour, saving the ticketmaster fee. The middle of summer might be more hectic, including for the boat tour, but you might just call and see what's up. A great way to learn a bit about Chicago in just an hour or two, from a typically very well-informed docent.

Also, there are many books set in or about Chicago. Recently, "Devil in the White City," about the Columbian Exposition of 1892-3, was a hot seller in Chicago and elsewhere. Many of Chicago's leading lights were involved in it, and reading it before your trip might spark your memory as you see their names elsewhere in the City during the trip.

-Hayden

P.S. Go Cubbies!

Chi-town!
 

I'm biased being from Chicago but I think you should try a good hot dog. I like Gold Coast, it's right nex to Harry Carey's restaurant and down the street from house of blues. Ask any train conductor and they'll lead you to where you need to go, have fun in my city!

FLY DELTA'S BIG JETS!

The art institute is a must. Wife and I went 12 times a year when we lived there. We typically spent 4-5 hours each time. Take your time it is amazing to see all those works of art. You can also find many galleries on side streets of Michigan Avenue - most were free to enter when I lived there years ago.

Go up to the signature lounge, 96th floor of Hancock Building, for a martini.

Definitely agree with previous post about food. Determine what ethnic food you love or would like to try and go from there. Since I've been away from Chicago for years now, the only site that comes to mind to get a headstart would be metromix.com.

Go to a cubs game, bleacher seat, if you can. Not interested in baseball - anytime before, during, and after a game in wrigleyville in 'most' bars is an interesting time.

I got a kick at just walking around the city. You feel like an ant in awe. I'd recommend the Mile, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, and the lakefront. The lakefront is a prime area for jogging/walking, biking, and rollerblading.

If you want a laugh, try second city. They have great shows.

I'd stay on the mile or close to it. Peninsula, Drake, and the W are all good. Ride the l at least once.

Other things that are OK - navy pier to people watch, other musuems like shedd etc., tavern on rush friday early evening, and boat tours.