Chicago: Which Area to Stay in?
 

Hi,

My husband and I will visit Chicago for the first time for a couple of days in December on our way to his parents' house for Christmas (in Michigan). We are trying to figure out what neighborhood to stay in.

I would say our major interests when traveling are art and food. Food being VERY important. We won't be there long, but want to visit the Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Art. So, I thought we could stay someplace in the area of the Loop, Millennium Park, and/or Northwestern University (mainly because this is near those 2 museums).

My questions are: Are there good restaurants in this area? We like to eat well, but not just haute cuisine. We like just about all ethnic food too. Also, are these pretty/ appealing areas generally? Are they touristy areas or will we be around locals too?

Thank you!

I would stay LOOP location. You can see many replies by looking at the other Chicago threads. There are three that in the top 50 right now (most recent) that I put to the top for other posters today.

Welcome to Chicago and definitely stay downtown.

daria, because you are doing this last minute you will probably be paying quite a bit of money for lodging downtown. Try doing Priceline or Hotwire for LOOP location and as late as you're doing this- you may find some excellent surprises.

www.priceline.com and this takes some bidding practice and may be too complex for a beginner.

www.hotwire.com and this is easy to use and quite straightforward. You won't know the name/location of your hotel until your price is accepted. You pay by c.c. immediately and you pick by star level and location.

If food is VERY important as you say- then you can research restaurants at www.metromix.com or look up the hundred or so threads here that discuss the couple of hundred Chicago restaurants in that area. This is a huge assortment.

FYI - The Museum of Contemporary Art is on Chicago Street, near the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) Northwestern may have a campus in the area, but their main campus is in Evanston, considerably north of Chicago, but on the purple el line. I would not recommend staying in Evanston - it's a fine city, but not where you want to be if you're enjoying what Chicago has to offer.

I agree with JJ5 on the Loop location - it's central, with plenty of hotels to choose from. But, you really can't go wrong with the Michigan Ave. and River North hotels either. The beauty of Chicago is that with restaurants, you can get to most easily with a quick el ride, or inexpensive cab ride, so you're not limited to those in the vicinity of your hotel. And Chicago is full of wonderful restaurants, so you'll have plenty to choose from.

If you have trouble finding a hotel that suits, you might want to post your travel dates and budget. And for more restaurant recos, let us know your budget and food interests (I know you gave a few hints in your first post, but if you want anything more specific).

As to touristy - yes, those are the most heavily touristed areas of Chicago. But they are also where Chicago folks live and work, so you'll be elbow to elbow with people from Chicago and elsewhere. Some restaurants are more of the "tourist trap" variety, but most are not - you'll find a wide range of qualities and values around the area.

Oh, and though priceline can be intimidating, it's pretty easy to learn. You can find good FAQs (frequently asked questions) at www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com, or ask for more help here if you decide you're ready to do it. :)

Thanks so much for your responses JJ5. Fortunately, we will be getting a hotel booked for us through my husband's company with a discounted rate so we won't have to resort to Priceline (which I have used before and don't like too much unless I can get at 4 star because I am not crazy about not knowing what I am getting).

I will check out the threads and the restaurant cite you mentioned.

Oh, and, is the area I mentioned called "downtown" (the Loop, etc.)? I gathered that from your response but was not sure.

Thanks again

Thanks also to jlm_mi (your response did not appear on my screen before). Fyi, I saw Northwestern listed on a Yahoo map right near the Museum of Contemporary Art. Maybe it is wrong . . . .

The Loop sounds great. Thanks again for that info.

One hotel I am already considering is the W Chicago Lakeshore.

There definitely could be a Northwestern campus there (medicine, or law or something), so it's probably right. Just didn't want to confuse things if you were thinking Evanston. :)

I haven't stayed at the W (it would be considered in the Magnificent Mile area), but the location is just OK - it's a bit away from things, but not bad by any means. A short walk to Michigan Ave. and still a short cab ride to most restaurants. It's several blocks from there to the el, but again not bad if you enjoy walking in a city (which I do!).

It doesn't get great reviews at tripadvisor.com Not sure it has been discussed here, but you can get reasonably decent search results if you go to www.google.com then click on advanced search and put fodors.com/forums into the "domain" box.

Any other hotels on your short list?

Downtown basically means the central city. The loop, near west, near south, and near north/gold coast. You can break it down even further, but unless you're from around here, the designations start to become rather meaningless. Everything you want will be in the loop and near north side. Looking at your map of Chicago, the loop is the area that has the loop of el tracks around it. That's the core of the city, the main business district. The near north side is immediately north of there, right over the river. However, the loop still isn't really a 24/7 destination, while the near north side is. If you want to be in the midst of the action, that's where you want to be, especially near Michigan Ave.

Regarding Northwestern, there is no campus downtown, but there is a huge hospital/medical center on the gold coast. It's near the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) and I think that's what everyone means, Northwestern Hospital.

Northwestern's law school and the main part of the medical school are in the North Michigan Avenue area, near the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is on Chicago Avenue (not Street--I'm sorry, that sounds as funny to me as saying Fifth Street would to a New Yorker). To me downtown means more strictly the Loop area, south of the river and west of Michigan Avenue generally. IMHO, North Michigan Avenue area has more to offer in terms of restaurants and shopping, but the two areas are really very close to each other. I think the W Lakeshore is a little off the beaten path, and if you are walking around in December, those blocks east of Michigan Avenue are COLD.

Daria, take a look at Flemish House of Chicago - it's a B&B in a prime Gold Coast location. This would be just to the northwest of the top of the Magnificient Mile and in an excellent location for what you wish to see and do here in Chicago.

Not only are you fairly close (about 5 blocks) to the MCA but the Art Institute is easily gotten to by the #145 CTA SB bus (pick it up at the corner of Delaware and Michigan in front of 900 N. Michigan). And the location is excellently situated for any dining along N. Rush Street.

Do you need any recommendations for dining as well?

As you will be close by and want ethnic food there is Greek town to consider. It is on so. Halsted st. just no. of the UIC campus. Greek Islands is especially popular but there are many to choose from. For Persian food try Reza's. It is downtown and though I am not exactly certain of its location you can easily find it I am sure. If you like spicy food an excellent Indian restaurant called Gaylords is at 678 no. Clark and its been there for 30+ yrs. Have a nice time and be sure to enjoy our city. :-)

Berghoff on Adams for German food.

Russian Tea Time, also on Adams (just down the street from Berghoffs) for Russian food.

Gibsons on north Rush Street for the best steaks.

Wow! Never, ever considered Gold Coast to be downtown at all. My mother has lived in Chicago for 85 years and really laughed at that one when I told her.

Just returned from Chicago.
Stayed at The Tremont. A bit tired as most website reviews mention but still an OK place for the price and a GREAT location on Chestnut St between No Mich and Rush.

Short walk to some good shopping, restaurants and it's attached to Ditka's....a decent place to watch a football game. ;)

Glad you had fun, KAL! I wish I could have met you and your wife, as well. DAMN WORK!

Forgot a RAVE: My daughter-in-law finished in 4 hours and 7 minutes. It was her first marathon.

Rant: It will probably be her last, as she is having a second back surgery in 5 days.

JJ5,
We will DEF be back in '06.

Forgot how much fun and how nice the people are back there...oh...and the food's OK too. :-d

I promise I won't forget to plan on being home for Marathon weekend. If I'm still on this planet, and you come to Chicago I will be there to say "hi".

Can't say I ever know enough people who like to have FUN!

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all of your help. I am now thinking that the near north side/ North Michigan Avenue area sounds better. I read your comments and I also read a post on trip advisor saying that the financial district can be deserted at night and we don't want to be in a wasteland. Pardon the ignorance, but does this mean north of the river or just north of the millenium mile park?

Hotels we are considering now are Monaco, Radisson Hotel & Suites, Westin Chicago River, Sofitel, Fourt Points Chicago Downtown and the Peninsula. (Can't remember locations for these right now.) Any comments on these locations would be great. Of course the Sofitel and the Peninsula sound great, but whether we go with those will depend on the corporate rate we can get from my husband's employer. They may be more than we want to pay.

Thanks again!!

Daria

daria - North of the River and north of the Millennium Park area are just about the same thing. The river is about 2 blocks north of the north end of Millennium Park.

I haven't stayed in any of those hotels, so can't comment specifically, but I will say that I've never considered the Loop to be a wasteland. ;) It's very busy on weekdays, and not so bad on weekend days, and definitely not very busy at night. But it's not wholly deserted, nor is it unsafe. It just requires leaving the area of the hotel for most dining and nightlife options, but it's easy to get back to by el or cab. To me it just never mattered much - one night I might be in River North, the next in Old Town, and the next in Wrigleyville. I can't stay in a hotel where I could walk to all three locations after going out at night, so being "close to nightlife" doesn't matter too much to me.

We get to "downtown" Chicago at least once, sometimes twice, a year. We very seldom take a taxi; we walk everywhere, including to restaurants. We've stayed at the Westin (too far north for our liking, the Intercontinental (good location), the Marriott (good location, great breakfast buffet), Le Meridien (great location, lovely room), Hyatt Regency (great location, nice room/view, very busy place), Hotel 71 (great location, friendly, helpful staff), W Chicago Lakeshore when I think it was called something else (pretty chilly by the lake, too far from Michigan Avenue for our liking). We've considered the Monaco because we liked the location. In December we're going back to the Hyatt Regency becaue of a great rate.

After about 4 trips just this year and living downtown for a month or two, now and again during my recent life- these posts have astounded me!

WASTELAND! I stay in the theatre district LOOP all the time and do not know where or what you consider wasteland! I like the area by the river the most and do not care for the touristy North end a fraction as much. To each his own, but downtown Chicago is in DOWNTOWN Chicago. Art Institute, Field Museum, Lyric Opera, Shedd Aquarium, State St. icons, Cultral Center, Harold Washington Library, etc. etc. etc. are in LOOP/Downtown Chicago.

I wholeheartedly agree, JJ5!

But, really I wanted to point out that I'm pretty sure the Westin that travlsolo2 says is too far north is the Westin Michigan Ave., not the Westin River North that I believe daria is referring to.

Daria - You really won't go wrong with the location of most any hotel in River North, Loop or Michigan Ave. areas. The hotels themselves have advantages and disadvantages, but the locations are all reasonable - some better than others, but none horrible.

JJ5, I guess I would quibble on locating the Field Museum and the Aquarium in DOWNTOWN. Yes, all those other cultural attractions are downtown, but I have to say that I think the restaurant selections are better north of the river. We almost NEVER dine in close proximity to the Opera House, for example--the restaurant choices are just too limited, IMHO.

When going to theatre (Goodman, Ford, Cadillac Palace, Opera, etc.etc. etc.) we always eat LOOP and we feel exactly the opposite.

Downtown Chicago was always defined as everything from the River to Roosevelt Rd. in the past. If the meaning has changed now, it certainly isn't universal. North Michigan Ave. was North Michigan Ave.- the Gold Coast was entirely something different. The Loop was/is downtown Chicago. North of the River is River North etc. It's not a quibble, it's history.

Lifelong Chicagoan, never knew anybody who included all the way south to Roosevelt Rd as "downtown," though that could be the technical southern boundary for all I know. Yes, I would distinguish the Gold Coast from North Michigan Avenue. River North would be north of the river, but I think it has to be somewhat west too. This is a pretty nitpicking exchange--I guess I should be asking you for restaurant recommendations for Lyric nights?

Great detailed Chicago maps:

<b>http://www.yourcta.com/maps/systemmaps.html</b>

Pardon me for referring to north of the river as downtown. I'm not a Chicago expert. We enjoy staying on Michigan Avenue because of the views at night, and the ability to walk everywhere from Oak Street on the north to Adams on the south, from the lake on the east to approx Wells on the west.
JLM - you're right, I was referring to the wrong Westin. Sorry.

JJ5,
Mrs Kal ran TWO marathons that day...her 4th AND LAST!!!!! hahahahaha

We will probably come back in August so we can go back to sweating our @sses off vs. freezing them! (I know.....it wasn't that cold...but we left 80 deg weather in NorCal!)

BTW...we've stayed at the Palmer House 2-3x, HI Merch Mart, Westin No Mich, Lennox Suites, The Talbott, Tremont and one right across the river from the Wrigley Building (it changed names and maybe was Executive Suites??)
and we prefer Mag Mile/No Mich Area.