[sisenor]

I may be in Chicago for a long weekend in mid-August. I'll be there with my mom and sister, so maybe keep that in mind.

Just looking for some suggestions for sight-seeing and things to do. None of us have been there. As a matter of fact, it will be the biggest city I've been to. If you could recommend the obligatory things to do and see as well as some best kept secret kind of things that would be great. All I know at this point is to check out the Sears Tower

Thank you

 

[logwed]

I love the Shedd Aquarium, and the museums are all very nice.

 

[intoflatlines]

Living in Chicago, my favorite thing about the city is the abundance of great food. What kind of food do you normally eat? Are you an adventurous eater? What are your favorite kinds of good?

If you're a baseball fan, you should try to see the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It's a really unique field and it's a lot of fun. Pretty much every game is sold out though. (I just noticed you're from Colorado.. I'm going to see there to see the Rockies play the Cubs in August actually!)

Back on the food subject.. my girlfriend and I went on one of the Chicago food tours last month and it was a lot of fun. There were locals in the group, along with tourists. We stopped at like eight different restaurants in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhoods and got architectural tours of old houses in the area too. I'd really suggest doing that. If you're interested I can find out the company that I did it through.

I went on one of the architectural tours down the Chicago River on a boat a few years back and that was really cool.

Navy Pier is a huge tourist attraction. Enormous Ferris wheel and you can ride on really fast boats.

Lincoln Park Zoo is fun and free. I like going on the paddle boats, but they're not free.

Of course, there are tons of museums, but since I'm not really a museum guy I can't recommend them really.

There's lots of unique shopping areas too. There's the typical Michigan Avenue area with the big companies and luxury brands, and there's tons of boutique shops scattered in clusters around the city. I like the Roscoe Village and Southport/Addison areas especially. Belmont/Clark area has some cool stores too.

Unfortunately, I am moving to the suburbs for a year. When I think about it, I get sad.

When I think about what I will miss the most, it's the great food.

 

[dBs]

+1 museums. Amazing museums in Chicago. Theres a pretty fun little shopping area/carnival at the lake front along with other interesting goings ons on frequent bases. LOTS of good food, look for little alcove diamond in the rough places to eat as well as multiple star restaurants. The lake could offer some good boating if you want to rent a boat or something, they also have mini cruises and diner cruises that could be fun. Im a skateboarder so I love Chicago for its skateboarding but Im not sure that would do you much good XD The Dark Knight was filmed there (I drove by a set of theirs when they were filming it when I was on the way to the airport at 4am) so you might try to spot around for some of that if youre a fan. Theres a website that shows all the filming locations for the movie in Chicago.

Im about tapped out for creative ideas I think XD

 

[logwed]

They really have museums of unmatched quality. You won't find collections like that open to the public almost anywhere else.

 

[Ishcabible]

Oh, and be sure to visit Millennium Park!

 

[billybob_jcv]

You guys are avoiding the obvious question: Who has the best Chicago-style pizza?

 

[Ishcabible]

That depends what you're in the mood in. Sweet? Tangy? Salty?

 

[intoflatlines]

The best Chicago style pizza is Lou Malnati's. I'm not really a fan of Giordano's or Art of Pizza. I have yet to try Due or some of the others.

Interestingly, my second favorite Chicago style pizza was actually from Iowa City, from a place called Wig and Pen. It really was great.

sisenor, what kind of food do you and your family enjoy most, or would like to try? I might be able to give you some suggestions.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ishcabible /img/forum/go_quote.gif That depends what you're in the mood in. Sweet? Tangy? Salty?

I'm from California - we put toppings on pizza that would make any self-respecting pizza lover from Chicago *or* NYC cringe - like fresh pineapple, Thai chicken and avocado.

Even the "deep dish" pizza we get on the left coast is completely different from a Chicago pizza.

But I'm not trying to derail the thread - this is all about Chicago!

 

[Skylab]

The best Chicago-style pizza is actually Carmen's, but they are in Rogers Park or Evanston.

Definitely spend some time in Millennium Park. If it's not raining, to literally walk up the lakeshore from Grant Park, head north, through Millennium Park, when you hit the river head over to Michigan Avenue, and then walk up the Magnificent Mile, and then you can end up at Oak Street Beach. In between you will pass more than you could do or see in a month

Chicago is a coastal city. People who haven't been here don't generally realize this. If you haven't seen Lake Michigan, it's hard to appreciate that it is pretty much a freshwater Sea. It's the sixth largest body of fresh water in the world.

Downtown Chicago is clean, fun, and FULL of stuff to do.

 

[Ishcabible]

I wouldn't mind pineapple or Thai chicken. Not a guac fan.

BTT, there's Buckingham Fountain.

 

[cyberidd]

My favourite things to do when in Chicago are to visit the museums, check out the Navy Pier and ride the ferris wheel there (have they started building the bigger version yet?), visiting Millenium Park, and sometimes take a stupid picture in front of Harpo Studios! The boat tours are also a lot of fun, its a view you don't get from the streets and has some very interesting buildings and architecture if you're in to that sort of thing.

 

[intoflatlines]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif The best Chicago-style pizza is actually Carmen's, but they are in Rogers Park or Evanston. Definitely spend some time in Millennium Park. If it's not raining, to literally walk up the lakeshore from Grant Park, head north, through Millennium Park, when you hit the river head over to Michigan Avenue, and then walk up the Magnificent Mile, and then you can end up at Oak Street Beach. In between you will pass more than you could do or see in a month Chicago is a coastal city. People who haven't been here don't generally realize this. If you haven't seen Lake Michigan, it's hard to appreciate that it is pretty much a freshwater Sea. It's the sixth largest body of fresh water in the world. Downtown Chicago is clean, fun, and FULL of stuff to do.

Carmen's, huh.. I'll have to check that out.

 

[wuwhere]

Its been a long time... New Town/Old Town, Rush Street, Oak Park if you are into Frank Lloyd Wright, the two towers, Wrigley Field, Lake Shore Drive, Navy Pier, Michigan Ave./State Street, China Town, certainly the museums, Wacker Drive, ride the L train...