Hi,

My husband & I are flying to Chi. Dec 3 for 3 nights. Since it'll be cold, we would like to be near shopping and restaurants that are walkable w/o freezing. We plan to take bus/cab service to others points of interest.

What is the difference between Mag. Mile, North Mich. Ave & State Street as far as shopping/restaurants go? We'd like to stay in a hotel that has a grand lobby and a cozy, inviting bar for evenings/late nights (kind of like the bar in "Cheers"). We're interested in the Omni East, The Palmer Hilton (why are they so reasonable - something 'wrong' with it?), Westin (North Mich. Ave), Seneca, Sutton Place & the Talbott. Are any of these hotels good choices?

I'd also like to stay in an area where the shops/boutiques are different from the mall-type shops (would that be near & around State St?). And too, we'd like to be in a fairly lively area - where there are always people around at night.

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm really looking forward to this visit and we want it to be just wonderful.

Thanks to anyone who cares to reply.

bipster,
Stayed at The Talbott a few years ago. Speaking of nice bars...

The Talbott is in my fave location. Close walking distance to everything.
Mag Mile is No Mich. I believe it starts at the Chicago River and goes north until it's Gold Coast....but dont' wanna start that up again.

LOVE Chicago and all it's fine people!

As Kal said, the Mag Mile and North Michigan Avenue are the same thing. It traditionally has been home to the more upscale stores like Saks, Neiman's, Tiffany and Burberry. However, there's the usual mix with Banana Republic, Disney and H&M.

State Street is considered The Loop and has Marshall Field's flagship, Old Navy, Sears, and Filene's Basement as well as other smaller stores. The furthest distance between stores on both streets is only about a mile.

The Mag Mile area has more hotels while you're just as likely to find as many restaurants in both places.

The Palmer House is on State Street in the middle of the loop. There's nothing wrong with it other than it's a bit farther from most things except the theatres and Grant/Millenium Park. It's an older hotel so some of the rooms are smaller but I've always liked it and never had a bad experience when I stayed there.

The Omni Ambassador East is in a quiet residental area and sort of remote from most of the tourist attractions. The Westin, Seneca and Talbott would put you in the midst of Mag Mile shopping, Sutton Place is a 1-2 block walk to Michigan. Sorry, but I can't recommend one over the others.

As for freezing, the weather probably won't be that cold in early December but that's subjective. If you're coming from S Cal, you'll be panicked. If you're from Vermont, you'll probably be walking down Michigan Ave in shorts. Plan on temps in the mid-30s to about 40º. But the weather changes very fast, so check the forecasts before you leave.

Look at Metromix.com for events, bars and restaurants. You can plug in dates, neighborhoods, prices and cuisine/atmosphere and it will give you a list of possibilities. By all means visit Field's on State and see the Christmas windows and tree on the 7th floor.

For bus/train info, check transitchicago.com. It has maps, schedules and a trip planner. You can buy multi-day passes at both airports.

As far as location... the hotels you mentioned are all around the same place (N michigan), except for Palmerhouse Hilton (it's in S. Michigan).
If I have a choice I'd pick the Westin or Omni. They're both right on/off Michigan Ave and there are lots of shops, restaurants, and buses all within walking distance! And believe me, when it's cold/windy outside, you do NOT want to walk far.
Sutton Place is right by Rush/State/Division---lots of night life & restaurants!

One advantage of the Palmer House is that the red line el stop is right outside the door on State, and loop train el stops are right outside the door on Wabash, so it's easy to get anywhere the el goes, even if it's cold outside.

I personally prefer the shopping on State St., but everyone is different there, so you'll have to decide which appeals to you more. This area is less lively at night, but not unsafe. So if lively at night is important, this isn't for you. If just safe but not so lively will suffice, go for it.

You'll find lots of people in the N. Michigan Ave. area, and the further east you get toward State/Rush intersecion, the more people you'll find as that area has lots of bars and restaurants.

They are both good areas, but consider this. If MOST of your time is shopping and eating, you will definitely want to be River or North Michigan Ave. If you have much of your time slated to theatre, opera, museums, State St., Cultural Center, Art Institute etc.- or are taking the el in/out quite a bit, then you may want to consider the LOOP area.

That is not to say that there are not great restaurants outside the River North or N. Michigan Ave. locations, because there are. And restaurants that are mentioned on Fodors are just the more marketed, IMHO. There are many excellent restaurants that are not.

Another vote for The Talbott Hotel. Excellent hotel and perfect location for your other needs. It's our favorite Chicago hotel.

Curious