It seems like its best for everyone he does not want to be here ;-)
Still pretty funny that the OP clearly likes visiting Chicago and he feels the need to chime in about hating it.
It seems like its best for everyone he does not want to be here ;-)
Still pretty funny that the OP clearly likes visiting Chicago and he feels the need to chime in about hating it.
C
CyBer
Guest
I'm planning on going when it's a little warmer out, and probably have a nice dinner ($$) I'm not made of money haha. I don't mind doing some touristy things (as I am a tourist) but I'm looking for different things to do.
Al's beef is by far the best in Chicago, go to the one on Taylor Street though it's the original one I believe and the others are more chain restaurant feeling to me. Another good food option is Manny's Deli on Jefferson, fairly close to the Museum area.
I'm sure I'll repeat a lot, but having lived there:
Touristy Things:
-Bean is actually cool
-Hancock > Sears, agreed
-Field Museum, Art Museum, and Shedd are all cool, I'd say art museum is best
-Second City is a must
Places to Eat
-Billy Goat Tavern
-Weiner Circle
-House of Blues has good food and is great to check out, better if you can see a show there
-Lots of other streetside joints that are awesome
Bars, tons in town to go to but personal favorites
-Hangge Uppe (don't get there until 11pm and plan on staying all night)
-Zebra Lounge (piano bar but less of a mess than the touristy bars)
-Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville have great places but are better when Cubs are playing
Music Venues (if you can see a show)
-Aragon Ballroom
-The Metro
-Double Door
-Vic/Riv/Chicago Theatre are all awesome
Other things:
-Lots of great record stores in town
-Beaches are fun in the summer, some have bars as well
-If you can rent bikes, a ride along the lake shore will be a ton of fun and you can see a lot of things easily. Watching old dudes play speed chess in Lincoln Park is awesome
Touristy Things:
-Bean is actually cool
-Hancock > Sears, agreed
-Field Museum, Art Museum, and Shedd are all cool, I'd say art museum is best
-Second City is a must
Places to Eat
-Billy Goat Tavern
-Weiner Circle
-House of Blues has good food and is great to check out, better if you can see a show there
-Lots of other streetside joints that are awesome
Bars, tons in town to go to but personal favorites
-Hangge Uppe (don't get there until 11pm and plan on staying all night)
-Zebra Lounge (piano bar but less of a mess than the touristy bars)
-Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville have great places but are better when Cubs are playing
Music Venues (if you can see a show)
-Aragon Ballroom
-The Metro
-Double Door
-Vic/Riv/Chicago Theatre are all awesome
Other things:
-Lots of great record stores in town
-Beaches are fun in the summer, some have bars as well
-If you can rent bikes, a ride along the lake shore will be a ton of fun and you can see a lot of things easily. Watching old dudes play speed chess in Lincoln Park is awesome
Mon Ami Gabi is a really good french restaurant in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood that might impress your lady. It's a little expensive but a great value. The steak fritte's plates are a huge french style steak with choice of 6 different styles and a giant pile of fresh cut thin fries.
appetizer, entrees and a couple drinks will probably cost you about $70-85. Not cheap, but for a very nice looking place it's going to be much less than your prime downtown steak and seafood houses. It's probably my wife's favorite restaurant that's reasonably priced enough we can go there often.
C
CyBer
Guest
I know this echoes a lot of things I just said, but would like to second recommendations on art museum, getting a drink at the Hancock instead of the tourist route (forgot how awesome that is), and in Wicker Park, North/Milwaukee/Damen is exactly where the Double Door is, always good shows there. Also featured in High Fidelity, so obviously I'm a music snob.
If you are driving, prepare to pay $$$ for parking, especially if you want to go in and out. Pay the $45 for valet so that you can go in and out for tips. Most self-serve garages don't have in/out.
Or find someplace free to park and use public transportation (buy a 3-day CTA pass).
The lunch buffet at the Signature Room will count as a very nice meal ($$$) at a nice price ($$).
I would encourage you to use Priceline and pick the Streeterville neighborhood, just east of Michigan Avenue north of the river. I've gotten Embassy Suites. I also like the Inn of Chicago. Last time I used Priceline, I got the Hyatt Regency for $75. Sometimes it is cheaper on weekends, but depends on what is going on in town. Show up during a big convention and you will pay a fortune.
Also check on expedia, priceline, etc. for hotels. We stayed at the Whitehall Hotel right next to the Hancock Building for $104/night when we went and my sister just stayed at the Sheraton on Michigan Ave right on the river for $94/night.
Second City is a training ground for Saturday Night Live. It's like seeing an episode of SNL, live, and unedited in front of you. Pretty cheap too. A lot of people you see in there you may see on SNL and/or movies in five years. Lots of cool pictures on the walls of old SNL alums that were there back in the day (Belusi, Bill Murray, etc.). Highly, highly recommend. I try to go there every time I go back.
Shows & Tickets - Chicago - Calendar And Tickets - The Second City - 50 Years of Funny
Edit: Make sure to get your tickets ahead of time, shows on the weekends usually sell out. There's also an "underground" Second City bar which I've heard is less formal but more funny, but I've never been there.
Last edited:
Comedy club. The one time I was there Conan O'Brien was in the audience at the table directly in front of us. By then he had just been named to replace Letterman (on Dave's old show) but was a total nobody (celebrity-wise) at the time. Nobody bothered him.
Many famous comedians came up through there including John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
C
CyBer
Guest
Okay, well if the weather is nice you can do a picnic lunch in Millenium Park (chicks usually dig this). Fox and Obel or Chicago French Market have some nice food for a picnic.
If you want to do some different things, definitely check out the Wicker Park or Bucktown neighborhoods. Food wise try Pequod's Pizza or Hot Dougs.
Pequod's is the best pizza thick crust pizza on planet Earth.
I usually don't recommend it to visitors because it's not near a bunch of other sites, but it's cab friendly and nice neighborhood so pizza FANATICS will be thrilled to get a cab there.
Have you ever tried "Burt's Place" in Niles that I guess is the guy who made the original recipe and is a true life Soup Nazi of pizza? I keep saying I'm going to try it but you pretty much have to organize an entire day or your life around eating there, hahaha.
Green Mill has a "poetry slam," which I was at once, open mic as I recall, if you or your lady are into that (see the link ''uptown poetry slam"):
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
The night we were there, it was OK, but I probably would have enjoyed just the music as much.
The Excalibur is huge, like an old mansion, unlike the bars on Rush and Division, kind of off by itself:
Excalibur Nightclub
The top floor is a huge dance floor with a balcony around it, lights, and such. We were there a night the Bulls won one of their championships, and it was nuts. As I recall there are two or three other floors (a basement) and they are kind of like separate clubs. We saw a comedian on the first floor once. You can see what is going on at the website.
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
The night we were there, it was OK, but I probably would have enjoyed just the music as much.
The Excalibur is huge, like an old mansion, unlike the bars on Rush and Division, kind of off by itself:
Excalibur Nightclub
The top floor is a huge dance floor with a balcony around it, lights, and such. We were there a night the Bulls won one of their championships, and it was nuts. As I recall there are two or three other floors (a basement) and they are kind of like separate clubs. We saw a comedian on the first floor once. You can see what is going on at the website.
