My husband and I are planning a trip to Chicago at the end of April, but don't know much about the city. We need advice on a good area of the city to stay. We like to stay in an area that is within a walkable distance of most sites/attractions, and that has many tasty dining options nearby.
For example, when in San Francisco, we like to stay in the financial district close to the Ferry Building and were hoping to find a similar spot in Chicago.
Also, any advice on must-see attractions/areas and restaurants. We enjoy both touristy type things, as well as off the beaten path places that only the locals know.
Thanks!

Anywhere along the Magnificent Mile / Michigan Ave would work well. I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. The El runs along here which makes it very convenient.

I would go up the Hancock Tower for the view / couple of drinks (not cheap). I really enjoyed the Chicago Arch. Foundation river cruise. Sports Fans - go to Wrigley or US Cellular for a baseball game (weather is iffy though).

Museums
1. Art Institute
2. Shedd Aquarium / Field Museum / Planetarium are in 1 area and are phenomenal.

Walking through Millenium Park was great too.

Chicago is awesome! People are friendly, the city is clean, and there is so much to do. In April the combo river/lake cruise may not be available yet but take the river cruise. Lake Michigan is such a pretty shade of blue, especially from the Hancock Tower. A drink at the bar/restaurant at the top was $12 a couple years ago but it was $10 if you just wanted to take the elevator up to sightsee.
I agree with the sites that tchoiniere suggests. I also enjoyed the zoo. If you are a Teacher you get free or reduced admission to the museums-just have ID.
We got the 4 star Hyatt via priceline for $59 a night which is along the river. I think it was the Historical Society which is housed in the former Library along Michigan Ave that had beautiful mosaics and stained glass...worth a peek. Have a great visit!

Most of the attractions and hotels are within a couple square miles bounded by Roosevelt Road on the south and North Avenue. The biggest concentration of hotels and restaurants is in the River North/Magnificant Mile area. Immediately south of the river is The Loop which has more offices but also the theatres and museums.

If you'll be flying into the city, transit passes are a wise investment. They allow unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses. A 3-day pass is $14 and is available online or at the O'Hare and Midway rail stations. You can take the Blue Line from ORD or the Orange Line from MDW in about an hour.

For a trip planner and transit info, check www.transitchicago.com.

For sights, check www.choosechicago.com or www.explorechicago.org. For specific listings of events while you're here and restaurants, check www.chicagoreader.com.

If you're interested in seeing a play while you're here, check the League of Chicago Theatres at www.chicagoplays.com. For architectural tours, the Chicago Architectural Foundation is the most highly regarded at www.architecture.org.

The former library is now the Cultural Center at 78 E Washington. It has exhibits, free concerts and a visitor center.

You don't mention dates, but keep in mind that there are frequently large (30,000+ people) conventions in town. If you can't find any deals on hotel, try to be flexible about your dates and you may find something for another weekend. Also, most hotels will block rooms for conventions until 30-days before. On that date, any unbooked rooms are made available, so keep checking if you don't get exactly what you want.

Chicago is very well covered at this website. I would strongly urge a site search and also digging into some guidebooks such as Fodor's or Frommer's.

bachslunch is right - a search here will turn up LOTS of threads.

My personal preference is to stay downtown near the river. I've gotten the Hyatt Regency (on E. Wacker) and the Westin (on Clark) on Hotwire and was pleased with the locations of both - walking distance to shopping on State Street, the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, and the Art Institute (assuming you're healthy and have good walking shoes). Also convenient to bus routes and el lines.

Commonly visited attractions for a first trip:
- Art Institute of Chicago (GREAT)
- Hancock Tower (take the elevator to the observation deck for a fee OR have a meal/drinks/appetizers at the Signature Room or Signature Lounge)
- Second City
- Field Museum
- Grant & Millennium Parks
- blues music
- Chicago Architecture Foundation tours (if the architecture boat tour is running, I really recommend it)
- theater
- deep dish pizza (personal favorite - Lou Malnati's)

I did a tour with Bobby's Bike Hikes on my last trip and really enjoyed it. (bobbysbikehike.com) Here's a link to my trip report from September, in case it gives you ideas.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

Some friends who came to town last spring stayed at Hotel Blake, which is in Printer's Row, a small neighborhood just south of the Loop (and when I say "just south" I mean it - 2 blocks). It's a great neighborhood, mostly residential, with lots of old buildings and it's walking distance from the museums and only a couple of blocks from the Blue and Orange lines. I mention this because the prices tend to be less expensive than a lot of the super touristy places on Michigan, and it's a little bit more quiet at night, without being in a remote part of the city.