chicago teen trip
 

Last spring I posted a request for info re a trip I'd planned for my 17 yo son and his friends. You Fodorites were very helpful.

On Oct 2, it's his little sister's turn. I'm taking 5-6 15 & 16 yo's (boys & girls) to see a couple of concerts in the city.

Our evening entertainment is taken care of as we're seeing Taking Back Sunday at House of Blues on Thursday and Dashboard Confessional/Mxpx/Brand New at the Aragon on Friday.

I'm trying to figure out what to do with them the rest of the time - on a budget - and where to feed them.

These are semi-cool kids ... very cool for their small town but possibly not so hip by big city standards ;^)

They love music, especially punk and emo, and all the lifestyle/fashion stuff that goes with it -- as long as it's packaged mall style. They're also a fairly brainy bunch.

We arrive via train at Randolph St station 2:30-ish and the House of Blues concert starts at 6:15. We'll need to check into our hotel - Marriott Downtown (I hope, we've got Priceline rooms there already for Friday but we're just now adding Thursday). We'll also need to eat before the show. Do you think there will be enough time to do a quicky of the Art Institute that day or should I just let them wander and soak in the sights?

The feeding part is complicated because two of them are vegetarians and two others are picky eaters who generally only enjoy standard teen fare. At least one of them HATES Chicago style pizza. Go figure. And it's got to be cheap too. Is there such a thing as a hip, cheap restaurant nearby that includes grilled cheese on the menu?

Friday daytime I thought we'd do Water Tower and the Hancock, then head up to Lincoln Park Zoo. We'd probably bus it to the Aragon from there. Through CenterStage.com I found Uptown Snack Shop close to the concert hall. Anyone ever been there? Think it suits our needs?

For Saturday I'm considering Navy Pier but I wonder if our budget will hold out that long? I think they'd like the ferris wheel and the people watching. The other option is the museum campus but, with 7 of us, that gets pricey if we do all 3 - Field, Planetarium, Aquarium.

Can someone help me figure this out? Thanks in advance.

How about Big Bowl and/or Corner Bakery? I know they are both chains but the food is good, not terribly expensive, and offers enough variety to cover the meat and non meat eaters.

I don't think you will have enough time to do the Art Insitute before your show at HOB. Why don't you just check out the sites and then have dinner at House of Blues. They have a wide variety of items. Other restaurants you might want to try are California Pizza Kitchen (no Chicago style here) or Cheesecake Factory both have pretty good menus and teens seem to like these places. There are also a couple of good food courts if you really want cheap. There is a good one on the 4th floor of the Nordstrom's building (across the street from the Marriott) and there is another nice one on the 8th floor of the Saks building (around 600 N. Michigan. Another place that might be fun and it can be very cheap is Buca di Beppo which is also across from the Marriott. Everything is served family style and the portions are huge - you would only need to order a few items for your group.

The Marriott Downtown is right at the Shops at North Bridge, an upscale downtown mall that a group of teenage girls would love. The fourth floor is Chicago's Magnificent Meal, a food court of sorts which might fit your needs for dinner/lunch on Thursday. It is more like a collection of restaurants than a traditional food court - has everything from sandwiches to Italian to Asian. Also close on Michigan Ave is the Virgin Megastore which the girls might like to wander around in. Another idea might be Buca di Beppo on Rush Street (where the girls would love to people watch) - huge portions of food that can be shared family style. I think squeezing in the Art Institute that afternoon might be a little much (maybe others will disagree). When we go to the Aragon, we usually go to a little Mexican place called Fiesta Americana at 4806 N. Broadway. It's cheap and pretty decent. You may want to eat in Lincoln Park before heading up to the Aragon though. R.J. Grunts is right by the zoo and has a huge menu including grilled cheese (I ordered it last time I was there : )).

Buca di Beppo is good for a group-family style Italian with lots of choices and HUGE portions. It may be fun for them. The Art Institute would be awfully rushed with that little time. Why not wander up Michigan Ave. from the Randolph St. Station and possibly take a boat ride on the lake front/river if it's nice out. Navy Pier doesn't have to be expensive. There is a pretty nice food court with a big variety of foods inside that should please everyone. The ferris wheel view is great on a nice day.

I would recommend buying a "museum pass" that will get you into the
Shedd Aquarium,Field Museum,,etc.It is well worth it for those who want to see the highlights of the various museums.I would highly recommend that you take the kids to the Shedd Aquarium as it is rated the number one attraction in the city of Chicago and once you are there you will see why. There is a food court on the lower level(pizza,burgers,salads,asian food,etc.) with a more adult restaurant above(catered by Marriott with linen tablecloths and prices about $7 -10 for a lunch) with views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan that cannot be beat.The Shedd Aquarium is not a dark dingy small tanks type of aquarium! It recently opened the new Wild Reef exhibit with the sharks and along with the oceanarium,largest coral reef exhibit in North America-well,you cannot go wrong.There is also a very diversified food court in Water Tower shopping center that would appeal to all types of eaters.I would skip the Art Institute the day you arrive-let them get their bearings.Have fun!

Wow! Thanks for all of your help so far. I've never been to Buca di Beppo's but I saw the restaurant on our last trip. It's very close to the hotel. hmmm ... that just might work

The food court info was much appreciated also. And, mmmm, Big Bowl or HOB. I've never actually eaten at the Cheesecake Factory. Tried twice, ran out of time.

Do they still run the boat rides in October?

As for the museums. I love 'em all and I'm sure these kids would too. The question is not worth but affordability. Even with a CityPass, we're talking $350 to get them into everything at the campus.

Any more suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Chicago Architecture boat trips aren't cheap - I'd wonder if this is the right thing for this group. I used to do tours for them, and teenagers were not the biggest fans. I like the idea of strolling north on Michigan after your train trip, seeing the Cultural Center, Wrigley buiding, Tribune Tower, letting them goof off a little. If your HOB concert is at 6:15, you want to get there early for best seating - it's non-reserved for most concerts. For a quick, early dinner, the food court is a great idea.

The museum pass is not a money saver, unless you are going everywhere and doing everything. I can't recommend it. You couldn't do justice to three museums on a Saturday, anyway. Check out choosechicago.com for a list of free museums.

Regarding your concert at the Aragon, the red line El train goes close to there, and there are lots of Asian restaurants in the neighborhood. Surely these kids will eat some uncomplicated Chinese food. (?) See metromix.com where you can plug in your destination, then request restaurants nearby and in your price range.

When I suggested the boat trip, I didn't mean the architecture tour-not a teenagers things. But there are many lakefront/river cruises from Navy Pier or the LAke in front of Grant Park (Buckingham Fountain) or at Michigan and the river that might be fun. I think they'll still be running in early Oct.

I'm being greedy, topping this to see if I can get more help ;^)

Wow, I can't believe I forgot this - the new H & M opened this past weekend at 840 N. Michigan - the ultimate in cheap and trendy clothes. They would LOVE it!

Cheap AND Trendy? We're so THERE. What the heck is H&M anyway? Not that it matters, as long as it's both cheap and trendy, that's good enough ;^)

H & M is a European chain clothing store-very hip, very cheap. You'll find it across the street from Water Tower. I walked by there last Friday when it opened and it was a ZOO!!!

Cool! I checked out their website and this place looks tailor made for my group. Thanks.

Hey Edeevee!
I agree about taking them to H&M..they will love it..the clothes are funky and hip and VERY inexpensive!

Also, around the corner from H&M and the Borders, is the Giradhelli Chocolate factory shop! Its a great place for a little sweet treat after a day of shopping..they have ice cream, sodas, chocolate...

Have fun!

Just thought of something else, Foodlife in WaterTower place (across from H & M) is an upscale foodcourt with all types of cuisine, smoothies, health food options, etc.

mmmmm ... chocolate AND smoothies? On top of all that other food -- we might have to pay for extra seats on the train back ;^)

Thanks again for all your help.

I used to live in Chicago a few years ago and remember Ed Debevics as an entertaining and fun place to take visitors. I would think it would be perfect for teens.

I found this info on www.centerstage.net

Ed Debevic's
640 N. Wells, Chicago
Tel: 312-664-1707

"Eat at Ed's" says a sign which greets the customers of this popular Chicago diner. But really, it isn't the food which makes Ed's unique. The food is rather average, and the menu is typical of a traditional diner, or Denny's for that matter.
The restaurant is 50's-themed, and the waiters and waitresses dress and act the part. Oddly enough, what brings people to Ed's is the service. The servers are all well-trained in mock-rudeness, an act which sometimes seems to border on the truth. The customers know what to expect, however, and the insults are taken as comedy.

Adding to the comedy are the frequent bar dancing outbursts performed by the staff, none of whom seem to be enjoying the experience. Ed's is a fun family and friends activity (hey, who doesn|t like to watch their family and friends getting made fun of?), and you can even bring the kids...the waitstaff will take it easy on them.