Chicgal-the Chicago Expert
 

Hi again Chicgal & all the others that made my trip through your fair city last September so wonderful. Fell in love with Chicago, however we are not yet going to move from Alaska but we do have a flight into Chicago on May 21 for another visit before driving down to Indianapolis for the Indy 500 on the 26th, then back to Chicago for a flight back home. Two things we plan to do that we didn't last time was a visit to the Museum of Science & Industry and a game or two at Wrigley to see the Cubs. They were on the road last time we visited. The tentative schedule shows them in town during this planned visit but still watching to get tickets asap. My question: is there anything going on during latter May that I should know about such as festival, concert, etc.? Anything new in the city since last September I should check out? Thank you.

Glad you enjoyed your trip so much you are coming back. Millenium Park, complete with "the Bean" is a must do now. Also some of the neighborhood festivals should be starting up by then. I don't now of a schedule this early but maybe someone else does. Definately check back closer to your arrival.

Check out www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents

I looked at the Cubs website and it doesn't look like they've announced the date for individual ticket sales yet. Keep checking -- if it follows past years, it probably will be a Friday in mid- to late February. You will want to try for tickets as soon as the sale starts. I will tell you that it was an absolute melee last year. All but a handful of games sold out within a couple of days, and the weekend games went very fast. The weekend of May 21 this year is the series with the White Sox, which undoubtedly will be the hardest to get and one of the first to sell out. Immediately after that is a series with division rival Houston, which also will be a tough ticket but your chances of getting weekday tickets will probably be better. Good luck.

I just realized that you are talking about the Cubs homestand against the White Sox and then Houston.

Cubs/White Sox tickets in Chicago are sold out the day they go on sale. And they are more expensive in every venue as far as I can see. You may want to plan your game for later in the week if it fits in.

That was funny ms go, we both had the same post/thought at the same time.

Actually, if I were you, I would definitely want to try for the Houston tickets. IMHO, the Cubs/Sox game has a different vibe and you may be flummoxed by the fan intensity.

Thanks to all of you for the response. LauraT I will pull up that website again in a couple of months to see what's happening. I am keeping my eye on the Cubs website for tickets. Would like to see a day game but I will shoot for the Cubs/Astos on Mon, Tue, or Wed. Now if I could just get tickets for Oprah I would be a hit with my wife but I have just about given up on that. Can't wait to get back to Chicago - love that place! Thanks all.

The Shedd Aquarium was closed for innovation/ cleaning and is reopening at end of this week. They will have a new Wild Reef then and it is supposed to be fabulous. It was so good before that I can't imagine how it could be much better. Ratings I read say it will now be best in the world. I always take that with a grain of salt, but I have been to aquariums/Sea Worlds etc. in Milan (Italy),San Diego, Monterey, FL and this one is far superior. If you want to see some very rare species, especially, or various different penguin (there are many in that order)- then this is the place to go.

Hello, Shea! See, you just can't get Chicago out of your system once you visit!

Just wanted to mention that the 7th Annual Great Chicago Places and Spaces events will be going on when you arrive. Check out the City of Chicago website for further details on it as the time gets closer. Definitely a good thing!

Are you still looking for late-night casual restaurant suggestions in the Wrigleyville area?

As of now, in March, the Millenium Park bean is closed (covered as they reweld and finish/polish the interior of the "Bean")and they say it will reopen some time in May, hopefully before you come. But there is a small controversy brewing on the photography allowed around the stucture. I guess that Kapoor, the originator, has declared copyright on photography and thus you are not supposed to be taking pictures at the "Bean". And I did notice when I tried to look up its reopen date that there are now tons of expensive prints for sale.

May is a great time to come and you may be able to get some single tickets for Wicked if you aren't here totally on the weekend. Weekends are almost entirely gone except for scalpers. You can check Ticketmaster if you are interested. It's on Randolph (Ford T. for Performing Arts/Oriental)- very close to where you will be.

What ever happened to chicgal? She was such a great resource about this wonderful city. I just went looking for her posts and while the threads are there, HER posts are gone. Anyone know??

Obxgirl, if you do a search on this forum, you'll see a previous post about that subject. Please let us all just let that matter go, out of respect.

I was curious about the absence of a generous poster. I was really not trying to dredge up something unpleasant. Sorry.

...ExiledPrincess, that's a very unusual screen name and you are responding to a thread from early January - about the same time that Chicgal left. It kind of makes me wonder who you actual are. ;)

Thanks for the additional info on happenings in Chicago. I have been checking out upcoming events on the web. There are no decent seats remaining for the play Wicked. Last time I got some great pictures of the Bean including a morning shot from the outside cafe below where the skyline was reflected in the Bean. Also got a shot of us outside the Bean. Used a tripod shooting at our reflection in the Bean. Hope the repair is finished by time we get there again. I did get tickets to the Cubs for both Mon & Tue games (23/24 May). I lucked out on the lottery for Dugout seats on the 24th. We did find a couple of open late places to eat downtown. Returning from Wrigley Field we will get off the Red Line at either Grand or Chicago for a late bite at either Fitzer's Pub on Superior or Fado's on Grand We enjoy the pubs & we will be in very casual duds coming from the game so upscale is out for game night. Also got to stop in & see Nick, the bartender, at the Billy Goat too, at some point in time. Again thank you for info on things happening in Chicago. Keep them coming. Oh yes, now I am also wondering about who exiledprincess is -could it be?

It appears that a welcome back may be in order, if so, you were missed ...

Hey folks - either exiledprincess is the same person as chicgal or is not. Those are the 2 possibilities. So:

1) exiledprincess is <b>not</b> chicgal. In that case, this may be a bit annoying to exiledprincess and is unnecessary anyway.

2) exiledprincess <b>is</b> chicgal. In that case, exiledprincess specifically said just a few posts above &quot;Please let us all just let that matter go, out of respect.&quot;

Either way, no need to post welcome back or any thing insinuating that you know who exiledprincess is.

Can't we just appreciate that there is someone here by the name of exiledprincess who is offering what so far seems to be excellent advice on Chicago without any further speculation? Let's just enjoy what we've got. :)

jlm_mi. Well said!