visiting chicago
 

I am planning to visit chicago this april. at this point, i plan to take the train from detroit to chicago, and get around once there, by public transportation (train/bus)

I will be spending 3 days in town, with one day at wrigley field. I also hope to visit Shedd.. the rest of my time is undecided.

I was hoping i might get some ideas regarding where to stay (hotels, or neighborhoods), or even, areas to avoid, as i have never been to the city, and don't know the area.

Also, any suggestions for good places to eat, or just to visit would be welcome.

Thankyou in advance for your help and advice

A drink with an awesome view at top of Hancock building. Priceline for rooms. Walk along the beach and visit the Zoo at Lincoln Park. Shedd is worth the stop. Buckingham fountain and the bean/cloud sculpture. River/lake boat ride (if they are running in April) Mosaics/architecture of the Library/Historical society off Michigan Ave near the bean sculpture.
We've had great luck asking locals for restaurant suggestions when we're ready to eat. You will have wonderful visit, enjoy the game too!!!

HI, Jamesdye.

RE: Hotels
Don't know what your budget is, but I think the best neighborhoods to stay are in the neighborhoods called River North or the Mag Mile. On a map, I'd look for locations that are between 400 North and 800 North, and within 3 blocks west & 2 blocks east of Michigan Avenue. If you provide the rate you want to pay, some posters may be able to help you narrow your search.
Hilton Garden Inn, Palomar Hotel, the Chicago Marriott Downtown, the James, the Rush Hotel, are some that are very well-placed for a visitor. But there are also some budget places like the Acme hotel or the HOliday Inn Express Chicago-Magnificent Mile, and Hampton Inn.

RE: Neighborhoods to avoid
Most neighborhoods a tourist would want to visit are fairly safe in that usual precautions against theft are needed... keeping expensive cameras somewhat hidden, and not walking with your nose in your smart phone.

I don't feel terribly safe in some "south side" neighborhoods (further south than 1700 South), or in some farther-west neighborhoods like Garfield Park. For a tourist going to the Shedd or Wrigley Field, and wandering around Millenium Park, the Loop (during daytime... not great-feeling late at night) or the shopping blvds. like Michigan Avenue, I would not be afraid, but as usual, common sense applies.

RE: Places to visit and places to eat
What are your interests? Theater? Comedy? Museums? SHopping? Long walks? Architecture? Music? And SO many restaurants here... some feel better for a single diner than others, so if you have an idea of cuisine and a price range, we can perhaps help.

Good luck planning! Post back with any questions and maybe someone can help with better information.

For hotel, I was hoping to stay in the $150/night range, but there is a little wiggle room there if needed..

Food, there are three priorities.. first, my father used to talk about a place that i "must" go to called the billygoat?

second, i don't think i could truly visit the city without trying to find a good pizza. I was planning on asking the hotel staff for this, but any ideas here are welcome too.

third, being on the lake, i would like to find a restaurant that serves good, fresh, local seafood..
not looking for anything too fancy.. local flavor is generally more of my goal

1) Look at the deals that are posted on Travelzoo and Kayak. The new Loews luxury hotel has just opened on the New East Side and may have some introductory rates. Get a city view, if you can.

Note: On Travelzoo: The Best Western Hawthorne Terrace is within walking distance of Wrigley Field in the Boystown area of the Lakeview neighborhood. It's my old neighborhood, as a matter of fact. The Hotel Allegro in the Loop would be closer to Union Station and close to a CTA Red Line station, where you can take the 'L up to the ballpark in the matter of about 1/4 hour. It's about 4 blocks west of State Street where you can pick up the #146 Museum Campus bus that goes out to the Shedd Aquarium, as well.

2) The Billygoat Tavern. The original location is at the foot of the Wrigley Building. It's a tourist-driven establishment.

3) LOL. Pizza - do you want to eat like a tourist or like a local? The tourist-frequented, chain establishments are plentiful in the "downtown" areas, because that's what so many tourists think when they come to Chicago. Pizzeria Uno and Due, Gino's East, Giordano's and Lou Malnatti's are some of the best known. They have different types of pizza - deep-dish and stuffed. You can read up on what differences they each have (types of crust; how the pie is assembled and so forth).

Now I'm going to give you three of other choices. In the Clybourn Corridor area of the Lincoln Park neighborhood: Pequod's Pizza. Not deep-dish or stuffed, but the locals go here. In Lakeview (Wrigleyville is only a smaller area of this big neighborhood): The Art of Pizza.

Or - my suggestion to you...Is the game a day game or night game? Assuming it is a day game, after the game, walk west on Addison from Wrigley Field a couple of blocks and you will come upon a neighborhood bar called Guthrie's Tavern. They do not serve food but you can order it from about 40 different restaurants in the neighborhood (plus their own bar food). I honestly cannot remember if The Art of Pizza is one of them, but you could always check.

Guthrie's has a great selection of local craft beer, if you are interested, on tap and in bottles as well. (HINT: Try a 3 Floyds product. They are nominated for the James Beard awards this year.) Take a look at their website.

Speaking of local breweries, if you did end up staying at the Best Western Hawthorne Terrace, Dryhop Brewery is just south a couple of blocks (near Belmont).

4) There aren't that many places that do serve fresh, local fish. Overfishing has created the situation. However, I do have some suggestions. You could check if any of the restaurants have smelt specials on their menus at that time (probably a little early yet to know for sure, what with the winter as it was). The Publican (a gastropub) sometimes has them and Shaw's Crab House usually has an annual fish-fry (but the smelt are from one of the other Great Lakes). I should mention that Shaw's Crab House is immediate to Andy's Jazz Club. You might want to check who's performing there when you are in Chicago.

But I think you might like going to recently opened Falstrom's Fresh Fish Market (Brown Line to Southport to get to the area). Not too far from Wrigley Field, either. There is a well-known diner in Chicago called Glenn's Diner, known for their fish. This is sibling of that establishment. You can see the reviews on Yelp.

I just wanted to add that the menu for Fahlstrom's (sorry for the mistype above) is on Chicago MenuPages. Of course, they have daily specials as well.

Take a look at The River Hotel on Wacker. I have stayed there twice and found it to be in an excellent location and have gotten great rates both times. About 3 blocks to the "L" or red line and about 1 1/2 blocks to the Billy Goat.

Also you might check out the Silversmith Hotel. We got a $169 rate on a weekend. It is conveniently located downtown and the rooms are nice.
www.silversmithchicagohotel.com/

Another idea for entertainment is to get tickets for Second City--the famed comedy show that has produced several Saturday Night Live stars. One of the cast members of the show we saw is now an SNL regular. It was really fun, and there is drink (and I think light food) service at your seat.
www.secondcity.com

The Billy Goat Tavern was parodied on SNL back in the 70s, which is likely why your father is familiar with it. It is a bit underwhelming (IMHO) and don't know that it is worth a visit, unless you are craving a burger. Or pop in so you can say you've been. It may be confusing on a phone app as it is literally in an underground roadway area.

Chicago deep dish is well worth it (though not everyone is a fan). My favorites are Gino's East and Giordano's. And they aren't just for "tourists" as many have locations in the burbs.

FWIW, there are some serviceable Hilton properties north of the river. I've stayed at the Embassy Suites on both sides of Michigan, and the Hampton Inn.

Regarding Shedd, consider making that your first stop one day when it opens. Last time I went, we went when it opened, but when we left there was a line out the door and down the steps.

Don't overthink the city on your first trip. Hit some of the well known places but also enjoy walking the city. Note, albeit well known, I would probably avoid Navy Pier unless there is something there you really want to see (like a concert), or if you just want a nice walk out "into" the lake.

Bitter, my apologies for disagreeing with you on a couple of points, but...

Locals = people who live in the city proper.

Deep-dish and stuffed are different styles of pizza. They are made in a different manner - not meaning just the ingredients, although they too can differ (i.e., crust).

Giordano's is a stuffed pizza and Gino's East is deep-dish.

Pequod's, which I mentioned above, serves neither deep-dish or stuffed - but has pan and thin-crust pizzas. The Art of Pizza has pan, stuffed and thin-crust.

Yes, my point exactly. They are chains with numerous locations/franchises. Some of those chains are owned by corporations in a place far, far away from Chicago. Even those which are owned locally: A couple of years ago, when one of these well-known (mentioned above) was purchased up by a local equity firm (following their bankruptcy), they hired someone from another successful and well-known restaurant group, specifically to update their menu - and to get the locals back in their doors.

So my suggestion is to read up on the website for any particular pizza purveyor. It will tell you a lot. Look at the history - where they are now located and, particularly, number of locations and franchise information. And, if you look at reviews on Yelp or some such site, consider who is doing the reviewing. Many of the reviews of this particular type of cuisine might (may) actually mention what the clientele make-up is in the establishment.

I guess the bigger point is that IMHO, I just personally think the OP should try the deep/stuffed pizza, which may not be readily available to him (it isn't for me). It can be, as you suggested, part of the tourist experience, and for good reason. Whether he does that at Art of Pizza or one of the better known venues, I don't think he can go wrong.

And now I'm hungry.

Thanks to all for the advice.. My itinerary is beginning to take shape..

arriving to the city by train fri afternoon.. not really anything else planned that night, tho i might check out Grant or millenium park / soldier field (since just spent 7 hrs on train might be good to walk for a while)..

saturday morning/day will be dedicated to shedd and field... then find a good restaraunt.. then go up in one of the towers..360/skydeck to get a nighttime view of city

sunday.. cubs game, then find pizza..

monday.. go home.

found a hotel with good reviews (club quarters).. in the central loop, so hopefully i'll be able to walk/train to wherever i go..


anything that is a Must Do in town that i'm missing out on?

also.. with what i have planned, would a citypass be worth it, or just buy tickets for each attraction be best?

Again, Thankyou

I did this trip last summer. With what you have planned, I don't think a city pass is worth it. In fact, I only bought one to give a few of the worst lines a miss, and I don't think that would be an issue in April. A few things I would suggest:

As stated above, take a river tour if in season. Take some kind of other architectural tour if not. I'm a museum geek, and Chicago has great museums, but what really blew me away was the architecture. I took a walking tour, a bike tour and river tour and I still didn't get sick of the architecture, it's that amazing. And I swear I'm not even a tour person- I just started with the bike tour and randomly ended up on the other two tours.

Also, dependent on the weather (I have no idea what the weather is like in April, and apparently, last summer when I was there, it was abnormal) I strongly recommend getting a divvy bike share day pass and riding the lakefront trail. It's a good way to access the shedd , it's a nice break from city traffic, and I was really impressed by the parks in Chicago.

My final thing:

I don't know how many aquariums you've been to, so take this part with a grain of salt. I'm from the west coast, I've been to several aquariums, and I think if I did my trip over I would give the Shedd a miss. The building is unusual and very cool. The aquarium felt both a little outdated and impersonal. Additionally, I ended up spending a lot more time at both the field museum and the art institute than I had planned initially. I even enjoyed the Chicago history museum more than the shedd. It sounds as if you really want to Shedd, though, so if you don't have regular access to other aquarium, go, and don't miss petting the stingrays if it's open for the season by then. That was well worth the (slightly overpriced) entry fee!

If you find you have any spare time, due to bad weather or whatever, definitely ramble through the art institute. I liked it so much that I went back for a second afternoon.

Also, food wise: I ate some amazing food in Chicago. The city is serious about food in general and meat in particular. I felt that some of the places were rather overhyped, but I'd certainly eat at the purple pig again. I was "lucky" though, and had to wait "only" 45 minutes for a seat at the bar.

Also if you feel like splurging, the steakhouse I went to was my second favorite meal. Also my most expensive meal, though:)

You are correct in that you do not want to schedule anything within hours of the ETA of Amtrak into Chicago. There are often delays. I usually recommend nothing concrete within 6 hours.

Which Club Quarters - the one on W. Adams or the one at Michigan and Wacker?

Citypass...You have a serious lack of time on your hands to even consider this option. One of your days is mostly used up by the Cubs game, leaving you only one full day. Besides, practically every major museum and attraction has a choice for fast entry - if you want to pay that price, that is.

Depending on the weather, you have time for a single museum (3-4 hours, normally) and can still do other things as well. IMHO, the Art Institute is a great choice for that single museum.

If you have decided on the Shedd, get there before it opens - especially since you are coming over a weekend.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation starts their River Cruises at the beginning of April. April, though, is a decidedly "undecided" month. You have have very nice days and many not so nice. Even if the air temps are warmer, you're going to be out on a boat on the Chicago River for 1.5 hours - suggest strongly taking a lined jacket, at least, if you decide to go.

Divvy Bikes...It is a *VERY* foolish thing to go biking without protective gear (especially a helmet) in Chicago. You'll even see the warning on Divvy's website about being properly equipped. Divvy memberships do give discounts for purchasing helmets; but if you rent from bike rental places (Millennium Park, Navy Pier, etc.), they normally include the protective gear and maps with the rentals.

You also have to realize that you cannot just bike anywhere in Chicago. There are very few dedicated bike lanes, although the number is growing. You do have the Lakefront Trail available to you, although there is ongoing construction due to the Navy Pier Flyover - which is being constructed because of the dangerous conditions in that particular area of the Lakefront Trail. For the largest majority of the bike paths, you have to be sharing the road with vehicular traffic. This is not a choice for just anyone.

There are bike maps which can be accessed through the City of Chicago's website. If you do go biking, don't be a fool. Don't think you can just jump on a bike and away you go. Read up on the rules of the road, and understand they are there for your safety.

Of course, there are guided bike tours, such as Bobby's Bike Hike. Take a look at the tours. May still a little nippy in the evening, but an afternoon bike tour...

I'm surprised that the above poster didn't feel the Purple Pig was overhyped, too. A 45 minute wait is quite small for a restaurant most popular with tourists - the usual wait time for a table can be an hour or more.

There is an article on Fodor's about the 10 things not to do when in Chicago. Although it is a little dated, being from last year, take a look at it.

Day game at Wrigley Field? If so, you do have most of a morning available to you. You could go to the Lincoln Park Zoo for a couple of hours. Walk over to N. Clark St. from that area and pick up the #22 Clark St. bus - stops right across the street from Wrigley. If that interests you, then you could have breakfast at Perennial Virant (close to the Zoo); Café Vienna (on Clark) or any number of other places on N. Clark to facilitate that route.

Most of the steakhouses in Chicago are locations of chains that originate in another part of the country.

Do you want some suggestions for evening entertainment?

I just wanted to add something to my above response. I didn't want the comments I made about bicycling in Chicago to seem too harsh - because they aren't meant in that manner. I only say this to be helpful: If someone is recommending an activity (not only biking but kayaking, sailing, swimming, etc.), **please** mention the safety considerations for others as well.

Biking in Chicago is a FINE activity - IF you are adequately prepared and know how to handle the situation.

One of the things which contributes to safety issues that there are way too many visitors who just have too little, if any, experience actually biking in a major metropolitan area. They don't acquaint themselves on what is to be expected and done, how to react in situations and are ill-prepared.

The Lakefront Trail is utilized by all: bicyclists, walkers, joggers, runners, in-line skaters and other methods of conveyance. It is used by small children; the elderly; people who speak foreign languages and perhaps English not well or at all; people who haven't been on a bike in years or never; and people who think that they can race bikes there. During the busiest times (one of which is weekends, when the OP is coming), you just have to be very careful, keep very aware of your surroundings and be properly equipped to protect yourself.

As I mentioned, the Navy Pier Flyover is in the process of being constructed at the cost of multi-millions $$ to alleviate one of the worst, and very congested, areas. Here is some information on it: www.navypierflyover.com

If you are going to use the Lakefront Trail, I would recommend doing so south of the area around Maggie Daley Park or north of North Avenue.

I suspect the OP is gone, but I thought I'd reply anyway. You make a good point, actually. You weren't harsh. I just tend to assume people do additional research after the forum, because they should. I usually throw my helmet in my luggage just in case so I hadn't thought to mention it:) Also, I am used to biking in urban areas. Even so, in the first two days of my trip I saw so many illegal (terrifying) stunts pulled by cabbies and local bicyclists alike I decided to not even try biking on the street in the main tourist part. It's a jungle out there! I used the divvy system to access neighborhoods or sites further away from me and then I'd explore on foot. The Lakefront path IS crowded; the nice thing about the Divvy bikes is that they are clunkers, or there probably would be a lot more accidents.

OP, if you do decide to walk the trail- it's not just bicyclists that need to use caution. Pay attention. Don't plug in your headphones during the busiest times. I don't understand the road cyclists that use the path for a racing lane, but they do, and don't count on them to see you and stop. Protect yourself!

i would love to go on a boat tour, but as you've said, the weather might not be favorable..

as to the bikes.. not sure that would be wise for me to do.. I am a hick.. don't think a city that i'm not familiar with would be a good place for me to try urban biking.. i think walking and public transportation is how i will get around.

my hotel is on Adams.

Cubs game is afternoon. not sure what i'm going to do before that.. zoo might be an option.. was thinking of getting breakfast at a place i heard about on foodnetwork, near the ballpark (Ann Sathers), but will look into perennial virant..

also from foodnetwork.. best chicago pizza.. Lou Malnati, Giordanos, Chicago pizza and grinder.. any recomendations on which one i should try?

do you think i'm too ambitious thinking i can pull off both shedd and field in one day?

night life.. i was thinking about checking out one of the local blues bars.. and/or visiting second city.. but nothing concrete yet

I think you can certainly pull off Shedd and Field in one day. Go to Shedd first thing. Then in the field, hit the exhibits you really want to see first, and then use whatever time you have left to see the rest. (This is what I did, but I didn't go early enough to shedd, so I got stuck in line. I still saw quite a bit of the field though.) As others have said- show up before the Shedd opens!

I chose Giordanos in the loop area because it was close to where I was staying. Thought it was good, didn't blow me away, but I'm not really a pizza snob anyway. The interior was neat and the beer was cold, so it was worth the trip.

Also- Garretts popcorn is worth checking out if you like cheddar popcorn. I almost feel like a layover in O'Hare just for Garret's. (Mostly kidding. O'Hare was not fun.)

LOL. "pizza snob"...Pizza is one of the lower forms of the cuisine chain. How can you be snobbish about that?

Biking: It's probably going to be pretty nippy for biking along the lakefront for several weeks at least. Snow is expected in the immediate forecast for Chicago and it will again be cold Easter weekend.

However, even someone inexperienced in biking in a major metropolitan area can experience the joys of this activity as long as they 1) remain on a dedicated off-road bike trail, such as the Lakefront Trail, AND distance themselves from the most congested areas; 2) know the rules of the road; 3) remain aware of their surroundings; and 4) be properly protected.

Both Shedd and Field in a day. Yes, you *can* do it IF you get to the Shedd before it opens and go to the Field in the afternoon. But do you really want to spend all your time inside at two museums, unless you don't have any other choice due to the weather. You will be missing a lot - some of the finest things Chicago has to offer. But, it's up to you. It's your money and your time.

So - now I'm going to give you a little primer on logistics to help you get around.

Your hotel is on Adams, just west of Dearborn. In this area of the Loop, the E-W streets are named after the first several presidents of the U.S., with a notable exception (Jefferson). Because there were two Adams in the presidency, the streets run, from N to S: Washington, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson, Van Buren.

The next three streets are Congress, Harrison and Balbo. Then the streets become numbered, starting with 8th (...9th, 10th and so forth). Roosevelt Road is aka 12th Street.

With me so far?

If you were to walk directly east from your hotel, you would run right into the main entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago, after crossing Michigan Avenue. You cannot miss it. You will see that the building actually encompasses several blocks.

Immediately to the north of the Art Institute is Millennium Park. The Chicago Cultural Center, with its free exhibits and concerts and a visitor's center, is immediately across Michigan Avenue from the north end of Millennium Park.

And immediately to the south and southeast of the Art Institute is Grant Park. To the southwest of the south end of the Art Institute, across Michigan Avenue, is the main location of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. I strongly urge you to stop there - if for no other reason to see the free Model City Chicago exhibit.

Normally, I would have you walk this way. However, the Adams/Wabash CTA 'L station is undergoing a complete transformation and will be for months. I, instead, suggest that you go one block north to Monroe and then walk east to Michigan Avenue. In doing so, you will walk right by one of Chicago's most famous hotels, the historic Palmer House.

Actually, this is the third incarnation of the Palmer House. The first was burned down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The second was demolished in the 1920's and this is the third. Nevertheless, stop inside and see the lobby before continuing on.

If you take Roosevelt Road directly east from Michigan Avenue, you arrive at the Museum Campus, where the Shedd and Field are located (along with the Adler Planetarium). Soldier Field is directly to the south of the Field Museum. You will also see the Lakefront Trail, which travels north and south from this area. To the south of the Museum Campus is Northerly Island and the 12th Street Beach is immediately there.

If you were to walk directly west from your hotel, you would run smack dab into the Willis Tower. You cannot miss it. Its footprint takes up an entire city block.

Immediately to the west of the Willis Tower is Wacker Drive. In this area, it runs N&S, running parallel to the south branch of the Chicago River. Several blocks to the north, where the south branch of the River meets the north and main branches, Wacker Drive then makes a sharp right turn and runs E & W, parallel to the main branch of the Chicago River.

By using these directions, you can get to every one of the attractions you've mentioned above - except Wrigley Field. To get to Wrigley Field, you can take any one of the Red Line stations (on State Street) to the Addison station.

If you wished to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo, you would pick up the #151 NB CTA bus, coming from Union Station, on any nearby stop on Dearborn (to the north of Jackson).

So now that I've gotten through that...

If you like coffee, walk one block south to Jackson and go to the historic Monadnock Building for Intelligentsia coffee. You will notice something about the building. It has two distinct types of architecture - one half of it is masonry and the other half is that of the modern steel skeleton.

Just to the west of that on Jackson at LaSalle is the Rookery. This is one of the most historic and architecturally important structures in Chicago. The building was designed by John Wellborn Root and Daniel Burnham and the lobby was remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Over towards the east is the Dollop Coffee Shop by the Harold Washington Library. You might be interested in having some Metropolitan coffee and maybe a slice of Hoosier Mama pie.

I happen to like Toni Patisserie & Café, which is on Washington, just across the street from the Chicago Cultural Center - and immediate to Millennium Park.

Also across from Millennium Park, by Cloud Gate (aka "The Bean") is The Gage. This is a gastropub you might like.

At 111 N. Wabash, on the 7th Floor, is the original location of Heaven on Seven (Cajun/creole). One of my guilty pleasure lunches is a bowl of their gumbo and a jalapeno cornbread muffin - but they serve breakfast as well.

There is a restaurant called Yolk at S. Michigan & 11th. It has good food, is mostly frequented by tourists nowadays. You could stop in for breakfast - but note to go early to avoid waits for a table.

Now for a little fun: IF the weather is nice and warm, and they are running, you cold take a water taxi from the foot of the Willis Tower to North Michigan Avenue (aka the Magnificent Mile). This is just a conveyance, like a regular taxi - but on water. For that route, it would be run by Shoreline.

Wendella also has water taxis but they have different docking areas than Shoreline's.

If you feel so compelled to try either a Chicago-style hotdog or an Italian Beef sandwich, there is a little joint called UB Dogs, which is on Franklin Street, *almost* but not quite to the place where Wacker makes that right turn.

In the immediate area, but on Wells Street, instead of Franklin, is Perogi Heaven.

Also nearby, but across the River (near Ogilvie Transportation Center - to the north of Union Station), is the Chicago French Market. It has many smaller purveyors. I think you might like to stop in there, if you have a chance.

So - lot's of choices. Hope you enjoy looking into these. Have Fun!