Questions about Chicago!

[Linda in MO]

I'm going to Chicago next month with a couple of friends and I'm so excited! We will be staying downtown at the Sheraton. I would love advice on where to eat, where to go, etc.. I know we will be going to a Cubs game while we're there but that's about all I know. We are all on a budget, so we would like to eat at places that run no more than say $15-$20 an entree. So we're looking for wonderful but economical places to eat. Also, who makes the best pizza in the downtown area? I ran a search and read a lot of old threads, but would love more info. And what is the best/cheapest way to get from the airport to our hotel...a shuttle or a cab?
Thanks!

[Chefzhat]

Someone who lives in Chi-town will probably be great help in the restaurant area, but as for your hotel transportation I'll bet your hotel has a shuttle to and from the airport (assuming you are flying into O'Hare). That's probably free!!

Have a great time! Go to Navy Pier!! There's a restaurant there called Bubba Gumps that we had a great meal at and really enjoyed people watching. Then we rode the big ferris wheel!!

debie

[colleency]

I loved Chicago! We went on vacation there in 2000. We stayed downtown at the Hyatt Regency.

Transportation: We found that everything we wanted to see was within walking distance, except one museum, for which we took the bus. (Our shuttle actually cost around $20 from the airport.)

Restaurants: Unfortunately, we had no good restaurant experiences. :(

Things to do: My number one favorite thing we did was to wander around! We wanted to take the movie tour of Chicago, so we tried to go to as many locations from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Blues Brothers as we could. One day we went to the Cook County Assessor's office (Blues Brothers), saw the statues from the parade (FBDO), went to the radio museum, wandered in the park, walked into a couple of random buildings that just looked really cool, went to the department store that Norman Rockwell painted the clock for, and we went to the natural history museum.

My second favorite thing was to take an architectural boat tour. There was one just down the block from our hotel. They take you down the river and all the way out into the Lake, past the Navy pier. The locks are neat to go through.

The Museum of Science and Industry was neat, but we had to take a bus. Be sure to see Colleen Moore's fairy dollhouse castle if you go. And my DH got to go to the Chicago Art Institute (it was a working vacation, so I missed it). It had some really famous paintings, like Sunday in the Park.

Check the websites of the museums you want to go to. Some have a free day every week.

You will have so much fun! Chicago is great!

[BethML]

Until September, I lived in the building right next to your hotel! It's a great area.

I think since you're sharing a cab with friends, it would be cheaper to cab it. If I recall correctly, the Airport Shuttle van costs $18 a person (plus a standard tip). Your cab should be about $32 plus tip, depending on traffic. I don't know if the Sheraton has a free shuttle bus.

Here are restaurant suggestions I made on another recent thread, updated to be more relevant to you:

For dinner places in the downtown area that are in your price range, I recommend:
-Volare (Italian), a couple of blocks from the Sheraton
-Santorini (Greek), in Greektown. Not the best food in Greektown (that would maybe be Costa's), but the decor is the most charming.
-Tizi Melloul (Morrocan influenced) - cool decor! Very sultry.
-Cafe Iberico (Tapas) - gets very loud, but it's a fun way to share food

Brunch:
-Bongo Room in the Wicker Park neighborhood (1470 N Milwaukee). This place is super-popular, so go early or be prepared for a wait. Get a half-order of the Banana Pancakes with Toffee Sauce-- it's like dessert!
-Feast-- a couple blocks northwest of Bongo Room (at 1616 N. Damen) and easier to get seated. Nice atmosphere.
-Soul Kitchen: (North/Damen/Milwaukee intersection) --we still haven't had a chance to go, but I know it's a popular recommendation.
These places are all in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood, which is fun to walk around and shop in the funky stores and boutiques. You can take the Blue Line train directly there.

Another recommendation for brunch is Wishbone (the one across from Oprah's studio, at 1001 W. Washington). Big, loud, casual, fun, popular with families, singles and celebrities. (I've seen a few there myself.) Awesome cornbread and biscuits.

Cafes/pastry hangouts:
-Julius Meinl- a Viennese coffeehouse at Southport and Addison
-Bittersweet Bakery- on Belmont, a few blocks west of Sheffield (within walking distance of Wrigley Field, if you like to walk)
-Sweet Mandy B's- a retro-type bakery that is more of a girly place, but I love it

Other dining:
- Pasteur- 5525 N. Broadway, described as "upscale Vietnamese cuisine expertly prepared and presented in a lovely, romantic setting. A rater favorite." So atmospheric and with great food. But you'd have to take a pretty far cab ride or be willing to take public transportation.

Activities:
-architecture boat tour along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan
-Lincoln Park and Zoo, along with a walk/run/bike along the lake
-Chicago Botanical Garden
-Field Museum, Art Institute
-Wrigley Field
-Navy Pier, which is close to the Sheraton. I got engaged on the Ferris Wheel!
-shopping on Armitage near Charlie Trotter's, in Bucktown/Wicker Park and on Mag Mile
-whatever festivals/fairs happen to be going on that weekend - there's a lot going on in the summer!

As for Chicago-style pizza downtown, I guess I'd recommend Lou Malnati's. They were on a "Best Of" episode on the Food Network, by the way. I recommend that you steer clear of Giordano's.

[honeygirl1971]

Chicago is such a restaurant town I can't believe Colleen had no good experiences! Colleen, where did you go?

The cheapest way to get from O'Hare to downtown is either to take a shuttle if your hotel provides one for free, or to take the El. The El is $1.50, and will probably take close to an hour. A cab will take close to an hour as well, but will cost probably around $30. If the hotel shuttle is free, I'd do that!

As for restaurant recs and things to do, what are your interests? There are soooooo many things to do in the city, but I'd need some sort of categories or something to give useful tips.

Best pizza, hmm. That depends. Do you want traditional "Chicago-style" deep dish pizza? I'd go to Pizzeria Due, which is right downtown (I can find the address for you if you want, but your concierge will definitely know it). My favorite pizza places are not deep dish places, but they are Piece in Wicker Park and Bricks in Lincoln Park. Both are excellent for thinner crust pizza.

The museums are all good. The Field Museum has an exhibit on Egypt right now which is supposed to be excellent. The Art Institute is fabulous and one of my favorite museums in the world. It has an especially good collection of 19th century paintings, but also lots of other great stuff. The Museum of Science and Industry is good too, especially if you have kids. The aquarium has some new exhibits that are supposed to be great as well. I have never done the architectural boat tour, but EVERYONE says it is fantastic, so I think that would be a great choice, and fun too.

Also, there's the zoo and the nature conservatory, both in Lincoln Park on the lakefront and both free.

Navy Pier might be fun, depending on what you like. I almost never go there, though, so I can't say much about it.

My favorite "budget" but gourmet restaurant is Rose Angelis in Lakeview. It's a "neighborhood" Italian place that is sooooo good, with huge portions and reasonable prices. I really love it, and 2 people could easily share an appetizer, entree, and dessert and still get PLENTY to eat.

If you tell me what kind of food you like and what neighborhoods you think you'll visit, I can come up with more places. I know lots of good places. :D

[mbrogier]

There is a pass that you can buy that gets you into all the museums and the observation deck at the Hancock building. DH and I went last summer and enjoyed the museums. We gave our leftover tickets to someone we met on our last night. FoodTV showed this cool eating place called FoodLife. Its in the Marshall Field's department store on Michigan Avenue. There are several different food vendors all grouped together like a mall food court, except all their food is more upscale and fresh. You get a swipe card when you enter and the staff reserves a table for you. You go around and order your food from different places--fish tacos, bbq, dim sum, etc. They have a huge selection of soft drinks and flavored water. Their green tea is delish! You pay when you leave. We thought it was the coolest place. Navy pier was fun, too. Food TV's Food Finds, Best Of, and $40 a day may give you some cheap eats places. We ate at Harry Carey's, but it was mega expensive and not that good. I wish we had gone to Spagos. Have fun!

[Jessica]

Originally posted by Linda in MO
IAlso, who makes the best pizza in the downtown area?


Them's fighting words in Chicago :) My favorite is Gino's East, or try Ranalli's for double-decker pizza.

I second the vote for Cafe Iberico--great tapas and cheap, too. We ate for $20 a person, including sangria, tip and tax.

Frontera Grill is excellent but you have to wait quite a while for a table.

Another good restaurant, although a bit pricier, is Mar y Sol. I forget the location--good nuevo latino food and mojitos. The BEST caramel corn in the world is at Garrett's, or get the popular mix of cheese and caramel corn--Michigan Ave. and other locations. You can get a classic Chicago hot dog at Gold Coast. If the weather is warm, you might see Italian ice vendors--try the lemon with bits of lemon peel, or the raspberry with seeds.

I definitely would check out a Zagat guide or other dining book. Chicago is full of terrific restaurants and good cheap eats, but there are a lot of bad places, too.

[badunnin]

I can't believe no-one has mentioned Shedd's Aquarium! I love that place!
here fishy fishy fishy fishy

[honeygirl1971]

Oh yeah, Iberico is great, affordable, and it would be very easy to get to from downtown. That's a terrific suggestion.

I like the food at Feast, but every time I've been there I've had really bad service. My friends have had similar experiences too.

Pasteur has good food, but it IS far from downtown. It can be pricey sometimes too.

Old Town might be a decent option, since you could take the El to Clark/Division and then just walk over to Wells. In Old Town I particularly like Bistro Margot. Salpicon! is good too, but more expensive.

I agree about Frontera--great food, but it can be VERY crowded, especially on weekends, and they don't take reservations unless you have a large group (I think).

I've heard so many good things about Tizi Melloul, but haven't been there yet. I've had mixed luck in Greektown. Some Greektown places are mediocre.

You should definitely try some Italian Ice--great suggestion--if you get a chance, it's VERY popular in the summers here and really wonderful. My favorite place is Anthony's (or something like that) just off Armitage in Lincoln Park.

Garrett's is surprisingly good. And I don't even like caramel corn. It's seriously addictive.

The Gold Coast dog is a good suggestion too--Chicago hot dogs are a species unto themselves.

Little Italy could be an option too. I like Francesca's on Taylor or maybe Tuscany (but Tuscany is a bit overpriced).

[Molli526]

Tizi Mellou is really great. I've been there.

Another place I really like, is Cafe Luciano

[honeygirl1971]

Originally posted by badunnin
I can't believe no-one has mentioned Shedd's Aquarium! I love that place!
here fishy fishy fishy fishy

I did! I did just say, "the aquarium" though, so maybe it wasn't clear. They have a new shark exhibit that is supposed to be GREAT, as well as a Coral Reef exhibit with lots of tropical fish. :D

[sunberst]

Originally posted by honeygirl1971
Chicago is such a restaurant town I can't believe Colleen had no good experiences! Colleen, where did you goi was just about to ask this myself. . :confused:

sorry debie, but i disagree about bubba gumps. navy pier is pretty much a meeting ground where tourists go to look at other tourists. but i will say that navy pier has a nice view of the skyline, good for picture taking.

bethml has a lot of good suggestions... cafe iberico is one of my favorite tapas places. and although i have never had brunch there, soul kitchen in wicker park has decent dinner food & great cocktails (martinis!). bittersweet bakery is a must, especially if you are going to be in wrigleyville for a cubs game. i had a really good lunch at wishbone & i have never been to feast but it is actually on my list of places to try really soon! we must have similar tastes!

other places that i have found to be good & not hard on the wallet are piece in wicker park. they have a good selection of beer & east coast style pizza- the really thin stuff. i may be weird, but i hate chicago-style deep dish pizza. go figure. of course frontera grill, pretty good stuff. i recently went to nacional 27 which was a little more pricey, but still within your range i think. it turns into a clubby type atmosphere after the dinner hour. i also really like chen's on clark near wrigley field (you could walk there). nice zen-like decor, good food & wines, and pretty darn cheap. heaven on seven is another option, there are a few locations. um... the outpost was really good the few times i have been (also on clark) but i heard they changed chefs and i am not sure if that is a good or bad thing. pasha has the greatest women's bathroom! they serve drinks in there! anything in greektown is good. have not had a bad meal there yet.

howl at the moon (http://www.howlatthemoon.com/) is a fun place to go if you want to be goofy with your girlfriends & sing, and my friend plays the dueling pianos there!

lincoln park zoo is a nice zoo right in the city, but some of the animals are gone as they are still in the process of remodeling. it is a free zoo though, so worth a walk over there.

do an architecture tour.

shopping the mag mile & the wicker park/bucktown area.

all of the museums are good. i personally like the field museum, but i love stuff like that. MOMAis a good modern art museum, and they have this thing called "first fridays" which is the first friday of every month they open up at night for music, food & drinks. if you go to museum of science & industry, do not stray. not the greatest neighborhood (do not go further south).

north beach for a little sun.

you can get around a lot by foot, but it IS a pretty big city so i suggest you get a map of the el and take that when possible. the red line will get you from the loop to your cubs game. it drops you off right at wrigley field.

oh, and TMLMTBGB!- too much light makes the baby go blind in andersonville. this is so much fun! too much light... (http://www.neofuturists.org/) 30 plays in 30 minutes!

also, check out metromix.com for more info on stuff in the city. it is a pretty decent source of information.

edited to say: i meant MCA not MOMA! i must be thinking of new york. i always went my dbf, so i never noticed the pick-up scene vibe, but now that you mention it- i can sort of see it.

[colleency]

Honeygirl - we went with a HUGE group. We were at a convention, and most of our dinners were dictated by that. Sadly, I didn't like Pizzeria Una (I think; it may have been due.). I'm not sure if I don't like Chicago style or just the pizza we had. We actually did have one good eating experience. DH and I got off alone and wandered the streets looking for food. We finally ended up in a little Italian place. I don't remember the name. The food was fine. What was great was the really cheesey and fun lounge singer.

Here are some Chicago attraction links:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/visitor_info/index.html Art Institute Free Tuesdays

http://www.msichicago.org/info/vtm/admiss.html Science and Industry Free Sept. 11

http://www.fmnh.org/plan_visit/default.htm Field museum


http://www.sheddnet.org/ Shedd Aquarium

Not as many places have free days as when I visited.
:(

[honeygirl1971]

Originally posted by colleency
Honeygirl - Sadly, I didn't like Pizzeria Una (I think; it may have been due.). I'm not sure if I don't like Chicago style or just the pizza we had.
:(

Actually, I don't care for Chicago-style pizza. :o Too greasy, heavy, etc. It sits in my stomach like a rock. If it's SUPER cold, and I'm SUPER hungry, I can eat the spinach and onion deep dish pizza from Pizza Capri, but otherwise I don't like deep-dish. And I've been to all the places--Giordano's, Edwardo's, Due, etc. etc.--so that's not it. I much prefer thin crust pizza, like at Piece and Brick's, the places I mentioned above.

Traveling with a group can be hard, since a lot of the cute small places can't manage a group well, plus you have to cater to everyone's tastes. It's too bad you didn't have more time on your own---there are sooooo many great places in this city.

Another place I just love is Meritage in Bucktown. It can be pricey-ish, but I've always really enjoyed it.

I've been to Nacional 27 too, and I liked it a lot.

I have had mixed luck at Wishbone too.

All around the museum of Science and Industry is just fine as neighborhoods go, but I wouldn't, say, wander off alone on foot at night many blocks south. But the museum itself is right on the lakefront and surrounded by the University of Chicago and Lake Shore Drive, so I really wouldn't worry about it. I don't worry about it, and I live in this area. The neighbhorhood is actually more secure than many others (like Wicker Park) because it has both public and private police forces.

The MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) is a pretty good museum. The First Fridays thing can be a bit of a pickup scene.

[sunberst]

just wanted to add- a lot of the streets are LONG. so you really have to look at numbers. because you can go to one attraction, say on clark in the loop, and another attraction on clark further north near wrigley field. and that is a long way to walk (although i have done it).

the city is pretty much a grid (with the exception of a few streets) so it is easy to navigate. there are 8 standard city blocks per mile (an approximate). and every block has 100 address numbers (so there are 800 address numbers in 1 mile).

ground zero is state & madison. this is where all the numbering starts. state is 0 east & 0 west, and madison is 0 north & 0 south. these streets divide everything that is north or south or east or west. so if someone says "blah, blah, blah is 800 north & 800 west" they mean 1 mile north & 1 mile west of ground zero (state & madison- by carson's & the new sears).

if your hotel does not offer a free shuttle (i would be surprised if it did), the cheapest way to go is the el. take the blue line from o'hare or the orange line from midway. it should be $1.50. both will take you right into the loop and within close walking distance of your hotel. once you get off the plane, there should be signs directing you where to go. it is pretty easy. a cab will cost you $30-something dollars plus tip.

[Molli526]

Originally posted by honeygirl1971



I've been to Nacional 27 too, and I liked it a lot.



I've eaten here too - it was great.

[Chefzhat]

Originally posted by sunberst
sorry debie, but i disagree about bubba gumps. navy pier is pretty much a meeting ground where tourists go to look at other tourists. but i will say that navy pier has a nice view of the skyline, good for picture taking.

I was a tourist:confused: With kids.

[lindrusso]

Hi Linda. :)

I'd like to second the suggestion for Francesca's on Taylor. Grace from the BB, along with someone else I know who lives in Chicago, recommended this place to me and it was fantastic. Most entrees are $15 or under, making it a great bargain as well. DH thought I was weird when I ordered a bowl of spinach as an appetizer. It was amazing! It tasted like they had grilled it somehow - even DH was eating it! The rest of the meal was wonderful and we plan to go back and take DH's parents.

As for the pizza - in my experience, and it has been proven on this thread, you'll get a slew of opinions. I think if you pick one of the big names, you'll be safe. We have eaten at Gino's and liked it. However, be prepared to wait 30-40 minutes for your pizza and be advised that one slice is usually enough, two at the most.

I have two other suggestions for lunch that are very moderately priced. One is Mity Nice Grill at Water Tower Place. They have delicious grilled flatbreads. That's the only thing I've ordered there - I love them. :)

There is also a little Italian Deli (I think it's called L'appetito) near the Cheesecake Factory at the Hancock building. Tiny little place, but they have some great sandwiches (roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil on delicious homemade bread, etc.). YUM! :)

Have a great time! I'll be going in a couple of weeks and I can't wait! :)

Alysha

[honeygirl1971]

BTW, there is another Francesca's in the Wrigley area, Mia Francesca, so that might be useful info. But, I recommended the other one because it will be much less crowded and noisy. And it's in Little Italy, which isn't too far from the Loop anyway.

[Linda in MO]

You guys are so awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to give me all this really good info.!! It will really come in handy. I think I'm going to print out the whole thread and take it with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Grilled flatbreads, Italian ice, pizza...oh my! I hope I walk off all those calories. :D

I like the sound of Cafe Iberico. I just looked at their website and it looks great. Can anyone recommend your favorite tapas? How many should we order for 3 women. The site said usually two tapas per person are enough for a meal? I couldn't find a website for Mia Francesca's.

I have a dumb question...is the El safe (from crime, that is)? This is a train, right? I know, I'm a total country bumpkin. :o

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Linda in MO
I couldn't find a website for Mia Francesca's.

Here's the website for all the Francesca Restaurants (http://www.miafrancesca.com/index.htm) .

[BethML]

The El refers to Chicago's famous elevated trains (though each line is below ground at certain points). The various El lines are safe in most locations but be very aware at night, of course. On the pro side, they are a cheap and convenient way to get around. On the con side, they are usually quite dirty (germy gross to someone overly obsessed like me) and you will often encounter people you would otherwise like some distance from.

If you're considering taking the El into the city from O'Hare, you'd take the blue line train (the only one that goes to/from O'Hare) to the Clark/Lake stop and walk about a half-mile northeast towards the lake.

As for your tapas question-- my suggestion is that as a group, you pick out five or so different tapas from across the menu categories and share them all. You'll have a much more interesting dining experience this way. I think the ham & cheese croquetas are quite yummy myself.

[sunberst]

Originally posted by Linda in MO
I like the sound of Cafe Iberico. I just looked at their website and it looks great. Can anyone recommend your favorite tapas? How many should we order for 3 women. The site said usually two tapas per person are enough for a meal?i would say 2-3 tapas per person is good to share. you can always add more if needed.

my favorites at cafe iberico are:
- marinated olives
- baked goat cheese
- grilled mushrooms
- chorizo sampler
- beef tenderloin skewer w/onions & soggy fries (the fries are kind of gross)
- ham & cheese puffs
- potatoes in red sauce
- chicken brochette
- chicken casserole w/mushrooms (altough i am not sure if i had it here, or at "twist" another tapas place)
- sangria!

some other places that i thought of that i like to eat at penny's noodle shop is a byob & has good, cheap food. russian tea time on adams near the art institute is a bit stuffy inside (the decor) but good.

there is a nice stationary/art store on chicago ave. called the paper source that has some expensive but unique stuff- stamps, paper, little doo-dads.

if you want to catch a drag show, go to the baton club on clark right across from frontera grill. a lot of bachelorette parties or groups of women go there.

the green mill in uptown has some great music, but cab it and dont wander because it is not that great to wander around at night.

the el can have some "interesting characters" sometimes, but it isnt bad. just dont take the green line out west at night because it gets a little desolate. it is a little dirty, not as clean as other trains i have been on in other cities. here is the el map (http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/rail/rail.html)

there is a free trolley that takes you around to the tourist attractions like the museums & navy pier. here is some more info (http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Transportation/trolleys/) on that.

honeygirl, you are right, the museum of science & industry is not bad at all during the day being it is right by major streets and campus. personally, i had a bad, bad scarey experience there & i do not feel comfortable around there alone now.

and debie bubba gumps would be a good place for kids! i dont have any, so i never think of that!

[honeygirl1971]

sunberst listed a lot of great tapas at Cafe Iberico. I always get the marinated olives and the grilled mushrooms, plus often the baked goat cheese and the potatoes bravas (is this the red sauce you mean? It's spicy.). Also, they always have excellent specials, so we often get some of the special tapas, especially if they are seafood specials. Basically, you want to order mix of cold and hot, meat and non-meat, etc. But I've never had anything bad there, so just go with whatever strikes your fancy! I would order 4 or 5 dishes to start, and then order more if you are still hungry. The sangria at Cafe Iberico is really great too. I love that place b/c you can really fill up and it's very reasonable.

I actually went to the Baton Club one night after Iberico! It was my friend's bachelorette party and we had a fun dinner at Iberico and then walked down the street to the Baton Club. It was a fun night!

Yeah, the El can be a bit dirty, but it is basically safe except if you are in a deserted area alone at night. That's true for Chicago in general. As a single woman, there are places I won't wander alone at night, but I feel safe just about everywhere during the day or with others at night.

[Linda in MO]

Thanks again, guys!! Can anyone tell me how to get to the Cafe Iberico? Is is downtown?

[honeygirl1971]

Linda--Iberico is downtown, at 737 N. LaSalle. You could probably walk over from your hotel (which is around 500 N., no?)--you would just walk west until you get to LaSalle and then north until you get to Iberico. It's on the east side of the street, and there are always valets out front, so it's easy to spot. If your feet are tired and you don't feel like walking, though, it would be a cheap cab ride from your hotel.

The Sheraton is also right near Fox and Obel, a gourmet food shop, so you might want to go have a look. I have found a lot of my "Nigella" ingredients there, and it's fun to look around. They always have samples, too. Fox & Obel is on Illinois, so if you go out of your hotel and walk north to Illinois (a block or so) and then walk east (towards Navy Pier), you'll see it right before the overpass.

Oh yeah, and one more thing about Iberico. Don't be discouraged if it seems crowded when you first go in. The bar is always pretty crowded, but I've never had to wait long for a table. In fact, we've usually had a much shorter wait than the hostess predicted (nice for a change!).

[Linda in MO]

Thanks again honeygirl! I will definitely check out Fox and Obel! Sounds like my kind of store. Maybe I can find Thai chile garlic paste there.

[sunberst]

Originally posted by honeygirl1971
The Sheraton is also right near Fox and Obel, a gourmet food shop, so you might want to go have a look.yes! good place to go to look at all the gourmet foods! it is a neat store.


Originally posted by honeygirl1971
Oh yeah, and one more thing about Iberico. Don't be discouraged if it seems crowded when you first go in. The bar is always pretty crowded, but I've never had to wait long for a table. In fact, we've usually had a much shorter wait than the hostess predicted (nice for a change!). i have never had to wait long at all for a table. one thing though, there is only one or two individual bathrooms (unless there are more downstairs that i am not aware of) and it always seems that i have to wait a LONG TIME to go.

[Jessica]

A couple other neat places...

The giant Crate and Barrel store on Michigan Avenue

The Chicago Historical Society in Lincoln Park

One Financial Plaza for the Chagall mural

[Linda in MO]

Hi guys. One more question...we will be flying into midway and I think we're going to take the El to the downtown area. Can someone tell me where we need to get off so we are closest to the our hotel (Sheraton--301 East North Water Street). THanks!

[honeygirl1971]

Hmm, probably Grand but let me check and make sure for you...;)

[honeygirl1971]

Okay, so it looks like you have a choice between Lake and Grand. You can look at the map yourself here: http://www.yourcta.com/maps/systemmaps.html. Click on "Downtown map" to get a view of the area you are going to be in.

You're going to have to walk east once you get off the El, though. South and east if you choose Grand, North and East if you choose Lake. From Grand I'd probably walk one block south, to Illinois, then take Illinois east to Columbus, then take Columbus to N. Water. That might be easiest for you. Depending on how much luggage you and your friends have, you might want to hail a cab--it would be super cheap since it's only a few blocks, and it might make your life easier. But if you've just got one little rolling suitcase, you could probably walk it.

And make sure you get on the train going North, towards downtown, from Midway (obvious, I know, but it doesn't hurt to emphasize these things). ;) :D

[Linda in MO]

Thanks honeygirl! I'm confused though. I don't see where the orange line takes you to Grand. How can we get off at Grand when it's not in the loop? Thank you so much for helping me through all this!!

[honeygirl1971]

Oh yeah, if you want to get off at Grand you should change at Lake/State to the red line. It's free. But if that's too complicated, then just get off at Lake/State. Grand is right in the middle of downtown, though, it's not as far "north" as that map makes it look.

[Linda in MO]

Thanks again!!!!!!

[sunberst]

Originally posted by honeygirl1971
Oh yeah, if you want to get off at Grand you should change at Lake/State to the red line. It's free. But if that's too complicated, then just get off at Lake/State. Grand is right in the middle of downtown, though, it's not as far "north" as that map makes it look. i would say just get off the orange line at lake/state and walk to your hotel. sure you can transfer to the red line and go up a stop to grand, but i dont think that will get you much closer to your hotel. then you dont have to worry about transferring. it is only about a 15 minute walk. have fun!

[LauraBL]

Linda-

You are going to have so much fun. I hope the weather will be beautiful for you.

I'm not sure if anyone suggested it but you might want to buy day passes for the EL. There should be a machine at Midway where you'll buy your ticket. Depending on how many days you are staying and how many times you anticipate getting on and off the EL each day it will probably pay off. I think the passes work out to about $5.00 per day which is a real savings if you take at least 3 trips(keep in mind that you can have a "transfer" for 30 cents if you go somewhere and then get back on the El within 2 hours). Has this made any sense at all?

I would sit down with your girlfriends before you go and see what each of them have on their list as a "must do, must see". It's so easy to overplan when you should really be sitting somewhere sipping cocktails and enjoying life.

I would only go to Cafe Iberico before dinnertime on a Fri/Sat night or anytime during the week. The tapas are awesome and probably the best priced in town. $4-$6 per item. I would also try to avoid a Fri/Sat night dinner hour meal at Pizzeria Due because of the long wait. I hope you get a chance to eat a meal in greek town. It's like a mini version of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". Lots of fun.

Drop by a bookstore and pick up a small "travel" size map of Chicago. I think it will come in handy and help in your pre-trip planning.

Laura

[funnybone]

I know this is kind of late, but Linda, how was your trip? I decided to go back to this thread because we are going into the city tomorrow (the kids are off school both Fri. and Monday) and wanted to get some ideas of where to go.

[honeygirl1971]

Funnybone--
What do you feel like doing? I could try to offer some suggestions if I knew more about what you wanted to do in the city...:)

[Linda in MO]

We had a blast! I meant to come back to this thread, but never got around to it. :o Here are some of the places we went to and things we did...

shopping on Magnificent Mile
shopping and a boat tour (it rained on us!) and a 3-D movie about the Titanic (Omni theater?) at Navy Pier
lunch at Joe's (not Joe's Crab Shack but it was a seafood place. I had Shrimp Scampi with linguini and it was really good but really rich)
Cubs game (6 rows right behind home plate! :cool: One of the girls I went with is friends with Harry Carry's step-son so he got us tickets.)
dinner at Cafe Iberico (Yum! Everyone was right! I've been craving the baked goat cheese ever since)
comedy club (fuin!)
Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar (fun!)
Oh, and Fox and Obel (gourmet food shop-thanks honeygirl!! this was really cool and I could have spent way more time there but my friends aren't foodies! :rolleyes: as soon as we walked in, one of my friends says "oh cr@p" because she knew she was going to have to drag me out of there! )

I really wanted to go to Frontera Grill but we didn't get a chance. :( So much to do in such a short amount of time.

Can't think of anything else off the top of my head but it was a really fun trip even though we had way to much to drink on Saturday and we were all hungover (and sleep deprived) on Sunday on the way home. :rolleyes:
Thanks to everyone who took the time to help me...esp. honeygirl and sunberst!!

[funnybone]

Glad you had a great time Linda!

We spent most of our day on Michigan Ave and some at Navy Pier. My DH took the day off and decided to tag along last minute. We did SOOO much walking, and my legs (calves) hurt so badly today. I wasn't prepared to walk as much as we did and I wasn't wearing the most comfortable shoes for it. We had dinner at Ditka's (the kids wanted to go and see all the sports memorabilia in there) and we really enjoyed that. The food was better than I expected.