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Hey, In four weeks I'm going on a solo trip to Chicago (from the UK) for a week and a half. This is pretty much my first holiday by myself ever, to a city I have never been to, and will know nobody in a 3,500 mile radius. I'm anxious to say the least. Also excited. I'm staying at DeWitt Place, really close to the beach and a couple of blocks from John Hancock Centre, so a pretty sweet location as far as I'm concerned. I have a fair few plans in mind, such as: - Grabbing a CityPass and doing some typical touristy/sightseeing stuff; - Millenium Park - Lincoln Park + Zoo - Lake/River Cruise - Cycle along Lake Michigan (assuming there must be some bike hire places in town..?) Touristy stuff aside, it would be neat to find some hidden gems, great places to eat, rock clubs, anywhere that could cater or at least be friendly to random lonely foreigners. On the opposite end of the spectrum, any places to specifically avoid would be handy to know, dodgy neighbourhoods, ways to avoid being ripped off/scammed, etc. I'm a fairly streetwise guy, but it would be good to know nonetheless. Tips are welcomed and encouraged. Finally - given I'm all by myself, any excuse for a random mini goon meet involving beers or cool places, hit me up yo.
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Jul 23, 2014 20:07
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Things to do: Bike along the lakefront path (a complete circuit is approximately 36 miles - if that's beyond your interest/ability, I would still at least recommend riding between Belmont Harbor and 57th Street - the south side especially will have some great views of the city). Can't vouch for any bike rental places, but DO NOT do this with one of the Divvy bike share rentals. If you're getting the CityPass, I would recommend using the optional passes on the Museum of Science and Industry and Art Institute rather than the alternatives. Feel free to outright skip the Field Museum, or if you want to use the pass, don't plan on spending much time there and go to the Shedd Aquarium on the same day. Buy last minute tickets to a Cubs game (sit in the bleachers and drink Old Style) Things to eat: Kuma's http://www.yelp.com/biz/kumas-too-chicago Pequod's http://www.yelp.com/biz/pequods-pizzeria-chicago Longman & Eagle http://www.yelp.com/biz/longman-and-eagle-chicago Purple Pig http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-purple-pig-chicago Places to drink: Revolution Brewpub http://www.yelp.com/biz/revolution-brewing-co-chicago Lagunitas Taproom http://www.yelp.com/biz/lagunitas-brewing-company-chicago The Map Room http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-map-room-chicago Fountainhead http://www.yelp.com/biz/fountainhead-chicago Green Mill http://www.yelp.com/biz/green-mill-chicago Headquarters Beercade http://www.yelp.com/biz/headquarters-beercade-chicago Old Town Ale House http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-town-ale-house-chicago You might get some more ideas/responses if you check out the Chicago thread as well.
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Jul 24, 2014 05:03
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You can do the north part of the Lake Shore path (up to Montrose Beach) on Divvy no problem and it looks like there are stations to the south but couldn't say for sure. There are a few bike rental places around Navy Pier but no idea the cost. I've never been but lots of goons recommend the architecture boat tour down the river. Lincoln Park zoo is free and worth a walk through, they also have a sculpture show at the Elks Veterans Memorial which isn't usually open to the public. Maybe check out Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at the neo futurists or something at Annoyance Theater for comedy shows, most people say avoid Second City nowadays. In addition to the above restaurants get drunk and get tacos at a corner taqueria somewhere or go to 90 Miles and get Cuban food. Also try Malört.
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Jul 24, 2014 17:26
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Welcome to Chicago. I lived there on and off for some time. You're going there when it's gross hot and humid. Yuck. But, it's still fun. If you're in town on September 1st, that's Labor Day. It's a major US holiday. poo poo will be busy. Here's where you learn about the L: http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/how_to_guides/ridingthetrain.aspx Chicago is SUPER CHEAP compared to most cities in their public transportation. It's pretty consistent, goes everywhere you'll want to go, and many lines run 24/7 unlike every other dang city in Europe I visit! http://www.transitchicago.com/fares/ For rock bars, I recommend Exit: https://www.facebook.com/ExitChicagoOfficial?rf=121859924491268 Smart Bar: http://smartbarchicago.com/ I also recommend seeing a show at the Metro, my favorite music venue in the USA. It's in Wrigleyville, so either you'll want to see a game Wrigley Field and make the Metro a part of your visit or you'll want to stay away from the area when there's a Cubs game going on if you hate sports/sports fans. http://www.metrochicago.com/ If a show is sold out, welcome to the magical world of StubHub.com. I think for some reason that StubHub sucks in the UK. It does not in the US. It's awesome! If you do like sports, well, Blackhawks, Bears, and Bulls season this isn't. So, it's baseball or Major League Soccer. You could take a pic at the Michael Jordan Statue (http://www.unitedcenter.com/venue/statues/). If you want to pretend you're scene in 2002, you can go south of there and get a peanut butter malt at http://saltandpepperwrigleyville.com/, or you can go further south to http://www.thealleychicago.com/ for gimmick punk shopping, then eat at http://www.clarkesdiner.com/. You could then had back up north to enjoy a smoothie at http://www.yelp.com/biz/pick-me-up-cafe-chicago or get buzzed at http://holidayclubchicago.com/ and do some goofy photos in the photo booth. For other bars/venues, I recommend looking at: http://www.doubledoor.com/ http://bottomlounge.com/ http://www.beatkitchen.com/ http://www.reggieslive.com/ http://emptybottle.com/ http://www.aragon.com/ Food: http://giordanos.com/ - My favorite pizza. Order the deep dish, and share it with some new friends. It takes about 45 minutes to bake, but it's my favorite pizza in the world. The sauce is on top!!! http://www.portillos.com/ - General good greasy food http://www.hotdougs.com/ - Famous hotdog place that's closing forever in October. Some wild, creative meats and sausages there. http://www.whitecastle.com/ - You'll either love it or hate it. As for violence, well, Chicago's in pretty bad shape but it's not the Fallujah-level nightmare it was a few years ago. In general, the further north you are the safer you are, though violence has spilled into some of the traditionally nice working professional or student areas. There are areas in the South where you do run a very small, but still real chance of being shot and killed. Here's a heatmap of all the murders from 2012: http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2012-chicago-murders/map All general travel stuff applies in terms of being safe. Chicago is an Uber/Lyft/Sidecar friendly city, so you can use those services if you can't get a cab or their prices are better than the cab. If you use Uber, you could put in the promo code zeqvm (mine) and your first ride is free (up to $30). I'm sure others have Lyft/Sidecar codes they could help you out with. Overall, you only really need that if you get stuck in a neighborhood where the L doesn't run that late or runs on 45 minute cycles. Blinkman987 fucked around with this message at 08:41 on Jul 26, 2014 |
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Jul 26, 2014 08:37
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Stutes posted:
For what it's worth, I loved the Field Museum and thought the Museum of Science and Industry was a massive disappointment, especially with how far away from everything else it was. I'd suggest looking at them and if they seem to interest you, make your own decision. They're obviously both highly thought of. The Museum of Science and Industry just seemed too geared toward a younger audience for my interests. The U-Boat they have there is awesome, though.
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Jul 26, 2014 16:32
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With that much time, you should make sure you get away from just the downtown. Chicago has a number of neat neighborhoods with plenty to see and do. You can take the El to Wicker Park for shopping and check out the Empty Bottle for a show. Go see a movie at the Music Box. Or, have dinner at Longman and Eagle in Logan Square. I rather enjoy the Museum of Contemporary Art, but it doesn't have a traditional permanent collection, so can be a little hit or miss.
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Jul 28, 2014 04:49
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Andersonville has some great features like the Hopleaf (lots of Belgian beer), the Swedish Museum, and a food truck that caters specifically to dogs. At the Lincoln Park Zoo, be sure to visit the Tiny Mammal House.
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Jul 29, 2014 02:23
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Blinkman987 posted:http://www.whitecastle.com/ - You'll either love it or hate it. Why the hell is this on the list? Sure, a brit could try White Castle once just to see what it is, but there are too many drat good restaurants for that. There are lists and lists of top restaurants in Chicago to try out. Get a reservation at Girl and the Goat if you can. Wicker Park is pretty hipster but cool to check out, I liked Violet Hour alot but that's somewhere you should be going with someone. Asking in the Chicago thread in LAN might also help you, OP.
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Aug 4, 2014 02:19
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Go to the Field Mueseum if you're into bitchin tryanasaurus rex skeletons and natural history stuff, Stutes can gently caress right off into the cubbie bears butthole. Many mueseums have monthly or weekly free days too. Skip the aquarium. Some rock clubs are Empty Bottle, Reggies Rock club, The Mutiny, and more... For a general pub crawl Milwaukee Ave around Damen Ave, Western Ave, and North Ave is pretty good. Blue line drives along that path. Don't put ketchup on a hot dog. Don't go on the red or green line too far in either direction. Don't make eye contact with bums. Don't say chi-town.
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Aug 7, 2014 08:29
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If you care about food eat at Avec. Then go to xoco and maybe publican. If you don't care about food (by this I mean you're going to listen to the goon that posted about White Castle) and or a weirdo picky person don't waste your time. It is a must go to every time I go to the city as the menu is varied depending on what's fresh. The dates with chorizo are awesome. Giordanos is pretty overrated IMO. I don't find the line for Kuma's to be worth it but if you're really into metal or whatever I guess it's neat. I've had better burgers, but not in Chicago although I don't look for them there. Best thing I did was the architectural boat cruise down the river. Informative and fun. I wanted to ride bikes but didn't get a chance to. Sounded fun. UberX is dodgy feeling in Chicago but drat if it isn't really cheap.
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Aug 7, 2014 16:38
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Thanks for the suggestions  Please keep them coming. I'll make a list of cool poo poo to do.
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Aug 7, 2014 21:16
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White Castle is a semi-famous gimmicky food specific to the Midwest so you snobs can go gently caress yourselves. (Being a gruff dude who doesn't take a lot of poo poo and overreacts to minor personal transgressions is very, very Chicago)
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Aug 7, 2014 22:06
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2nding Wrigley Field. It's a dump, but it's a historic dump. Cubs are doing bad (even by Cubs standards) so you can get pretty cheap tickets. Also, try to hit up Piece Pizza. Good beer and pizza.
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Aug 18, 2014 03:32
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Coco13 posted:2nding Wrigley Field. It's a dump, but it's a historic dump. Cubs are doing bad (even by Cubs standards) so you can get pretty cheap tickets. As a lifelong White Sox fan I would second this, if you can go to a ballpark just once go to Wrigley, the history and atmosphere is quite unique. If you can go 2-1000 times, go to Wrigley once then elsewhere every time thereafter. I disagree about piece though, as it is quite good pizza BUT it is new-haven style. Then again if you go for pizza twice it would be a good alternative. If you only do pizza once though go to Lou Malnatis and get a Chicago Classic, it's basically a pizza casserole that will change your definition of pizza forever thereafter. A lot of the other food suggestions have been awesome, I do have a particular soft spot for Kuma's Corner and Hot Doug's mentioned above. Also do not leave Chicago without getting yourself a good steak, the difference between U.K. and U.S. Beef is pretty significant, and Chicago is arguably one of the best places to get a steak in the U.S. Make this a night out and go to Chicago Chop House or Gibsons and splurge. I agree with DiHK that Stuts can gently caress right off, the field museum is a world class natural history museum and if you care at all about natural history/early human history you should not pass it up. The whole area around there (museum campus) is pretty awesome too, go for a bike ride through it, hit up the art institute and shedd and all that. Enjoy your trip, and be very thankful you aren't here in winter.
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Aug 23, 2014 09:50
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So what's the word? Did you go do any of these things? edit: gently caress the cubs
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Sep 3, 2014 03:11
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I'm going to steal this thread as I'm doing almost exactly the same thing... In Chicago next week for a conference, but then staying for the weekend and want advice of things to do. Going to be staying in a studio apartment in what I think is called Douglas (close to IIT)? Would love some ideas. Thoughts and questions I have so far Blackhawks have a pre-season game against NY - is it worth a shot? You have two zoos? Which one should I go to! Are there any bars / cafes near where I am, or is everything going to be a cab ride?
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Sep 19, 2014 16:52
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Blackhawks Pre Season I say no to this. I love hockey and the hawks, I'm going to see them play in detroit, miami and tampa this year, but unless you are a fan of one of the teams or a huge hockey buff (or jordan I guess), the united center isn't really unique and preseason is still kinda pricey. For way less money you can catch a white sox game that evening, the cell is pretty great and easier to get to from where you'll be. You'll also be a hop, skip and jump from museum campus, so check that out if you are into museums or art at all, the art institute and field museum are great, and the shedd isn't bad either, even the park is beautiful and really this is just about the best time of year to be there, not too hot or cold. As far as zoos, the Brookfield zoo is better and I would recommend the Lincoln Park over it, mainly for convienence. You can take public transit easily (and relatively quickly) to Lincoln park zoo, which is free to enter, so though its smaller spending a half day or less there won't be a waste, as you'll not have spent money or wasted transportation time. Brookfield zoo is in the burbs, and although you can probably take public trans or a taxi there it is going to take a lot longer, cost admission, etc, for a zoo that is good but not great. There will be stuff in the area, and if you are right on top of IIT it may be worth it, but the area isn't the best (it's kinda the start of south side chicago, unless you are beeling to a white sox game DO NOT go south.) I would recommend taking public transportation (or a taxi if you must, but really public trans is pretty good) up to wrigley or wicker park or any of the other more recommended areas. Have fun, and if you want some Lou Malnatis I'll be there the night of the 27th. Of course I don't live in Chicago so don't take anything I say for face value.
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Sep 20, 2014 07:57
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Yoda posted:There will be stuff in the area, and if you are right on top of IIT it may be worth it, but the area isn't the best (it's kinda the start of south side chicago, unless you are beeling to a white sox game DO NOT go south.) I love how most of Chicago thinks anything beyond 18th and south is a literal warzone full of criminals and rapists ready to pounce on you. No, these neighborhoods are populated by lower income families working menial jobs, whereas the north side is primarily populated by white collar professionals. That aside, I'm not too familiar with the IIT area but I think that the area is fine, especially since it is a school and right by US Celluar Field. Just don't pretend to be a 35 year old multi-millionaire or 18 year old slut and you'll be fine anywhere. I've lived on the south side growing up but never thought there to be much in terms of bars and nightlife. You probably want to go to River North/Old Town/Lincoln Park/Wrigley for the bars. I would take the Blackhawks game over the White Sox, and there's definitely going to be more hype around the game and more energetic fans going. I went to Vancouver and did a Canucks v Sharks preseason game last year and it was pretty good. In the daytime you can do the normal touristy things downtown (Bean/Millennium Park/Lakefront/Navy Pier/Sears Tower) etc. Brookfield zoo is definitely nicer but out of the way from the city as Yoda mentioned. Also agree with Yoda's food suggestions, noting that Hot Doug's is closing forever in October. We have really good and fancy restaurants like Girl and the Goat that is yummy but resevations are hard to come by but there should be a good list somewhere. Have fun!
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Sep 21, 2014 01:05
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fuseshock posted:I love how most of Chicago thinks anything beyond 18th and south is a literal warzone full of criminals and rapists ready to pounce on you. No, these neighborhoods are populated by lower income families working menial jobs, whereas the north side is primarily populated by white collar professionals. I mean if you want to meander south feel free, I have several friends who live around 35th and I never feel unsafe or anything, I just have yet to find a single bar, restaurant or cafe in that area that I would want to spend time at I guess. Then again I don't really search either.
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Sep 21, 2014 05:40
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make sure you hit up the original Billy Goats in lower east wacker. You can taste history on those cheezborgers. also go to longman & eagle for spot-on old-fashioned's. also for the love of god, try their polenta n meatballs. best mojitos? barra ñ on elston, really good shiskabobs too. def check out Rev Brew, try their eugene and the bottom up wit. when you wake up hung over as gently caress, hit up San Juan Pozoleria for fuckin great pozole. try cemitas puebla off north, the original. fuckin great cemitas, orchatas, etc. vegetarian mexican? el faro off 31st. im mexican and omnivorous, but these fuckers make real good shiznit. amazing grade-a, mexican taqueria? milagro off 19th. indian food? Rangoli, newer joint but its loving legit outta this world indian food. for classic americana and chicago's prettiest bar: lulas cafe, best spaghetti evrrrrr. you like italian? fuckin hit up letizia's fiore off california, mom-n-son run joint with a passion for food n quality ingredients, plus Fabio can pair a wine like no other. coffee? Dark Matter coffee. there are a few locations, buy a loving bag. Logan Hardware for arcade games plus drinking. I realize this is all consumable stuff, but thats sorta what we do here in chicago. cheers fucker. Big Ol Butthole fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Nov 3, 2014 |
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Nov 3, 2014 20:15
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Big Ol Butthole posted:make sure you hit up the original Billy Goats in lower east wacker. You can taste history on those cheezborgers.
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Nov 6, 2014 17:03
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Swill posted:Thanks for the suggestions Trip report?
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Dec 7, 2014 17:07
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