I’ll be at a conference there that ends Friday, and decided to extend to Sunday. So basically I’ll be free from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. I’ve been to the city a few times before, but always with a local. This time I’ll be alone. Is there anything happening in the city that I should be aware of? Also, are Uber and Lyft good to use? Also, was planning on using Hotel Tonight app to book hotels for Friday and Saturday. Should I avoid or target any parts of the city? Any tips would be appreciated!
Staying downtown gives you the most options.
I live in the burbs now, but saw Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lyric Sat, and it was quite good. Strongly recommend it if it is your cup of tea (and w/in your budget, and if it is still running.)
Enjoy your stay. If this weather keeps up - bring an umbrella!
Avoid pizza. Try a hot dog. Eat as many Italian Beef sandwiches as you can.
Violence. You should be aware that someone gets shot in Chicago almost every week and take some precautions to make sure it isn’t you.
It’s pretty simple usually - I have lived in the Chicago area my whole life except for grad school, and in the city proper for more than half of it at this point (I’m 49), and I have never been shot and don’t know anyone who has ever been shot. The trick is to stay out of the handful of neighborhoods, mostly on the south and west sides, with the worst violence, mostly gang-related.
For the OP: what kind of things do you enjoy? If you are up for Jesus Christ Superstar, I agree and it’s running through the 20th or so IIRC. We got half-price tickets on Livingsocial, and a friend of ours did from the theater (it’s playing at the Lyric Opera) two hours before the show.
For instance, don’t join any gangs over the weekend.
:rolleyes:
Precautions meaning don’t go anywhere that you would have no reason to go to anyway. And don’t join a gang.
Unfortunately you’re about a week too early for street fest season, which is the chance to really explore the neighborhoods, so I would agree with just staying downtown/River North.
Go to Lou Malnati’s and get a deep dish pepperoni, on butter crust. Go to Portillo’s and get a hot dog and an Italian beef.
Go to Millennium park, don’t go to Navy Pier. Go to the signature lounge of the John Hancock to get a drink.
Don’t go to Wrigley, it’s under construction and a mess.
You have time to squeeze in maybe one museum. I would say the Art Institute since it’s the most convenient. (I prefer the Museum of Science and Industry but’s it’s out of the way).
This impresses me as reflecting someone who knows nothing about Chicago or its violence.
Datapoint - driving home west from the city on Sat, the Ike - and Roosevelt - were stopped. We drove approx 20 miles - mostly on secondary side streets, through some pretty poor and mostly black/hispanic communities. I’m sure if we checked, shootings had occurred over the past year or so right along our route. Absolutely zero issues.
So yeah - don’t be a complete fucking idiot. Probably applies to most areas you would travel to (or live in). :rolleyes:
This, exactly. I’ve lived in the Chicago area for 29 years, worked in downtown Chicago for 26 of those, took the L every day for 12 years…and I have not only never been the victim of a violent crime, I’ve never even witnessed one, nor personally known anyone who has.
Yes, there are serious issues with violence in the city, but the vast majority of it is in a small number of neighborhoods, none of which are downtown.
Thanks for all the advice so far. I’ve been to so many Broadway plays over the years that I avoid them unless I absolutely have to go. I will definitely check out the food and drink spots, and finally try some authentic deep dish pizza, hot dogs and beef sandwiches. I’ll probably hit many bars along the way. One of my banks offered to take me to either a Cubs or Sox game, but unfortunately the Cubs will be on the road and I have little interest in seeing the White Sox.
As for the hotel situation, I’ll be at the Four Seasons through Friday, but then on my own. I wonder if I should book something now for Fri. and Sat., or just use the Hotel Tonight app and take my chances. I could rent a car, but am happy to use Uber and Lyft assuming they are reliable in Chicago.
I don’t use ridesharing, but I have a lot of colleagues who live in the city, who use Uber and / or Lyft constantly, and I’ve rarely heard of any issues, other than the occasional oddball driver (but, then, you get that with cabs, too).
This is my favorite club for live music. Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn. Any of those acts appeal to you?
Yeah, everyone (other than me) uses Lyft/Uber - or cabs/busses/the el… I’ve never heard of any significant problems.
Head out to the Oak Park Farmer’s Market Sat a.m., grab a donut, listen to the bluegrass band (and say “Hey!” to me! ;))
Just kidding about the farmer’s market. I mean, it is OK as far as farmer’s markets are concerned, but nothing to attract an out-of-town visitor out to the burbs. Unless you are a big Frank Lloyd Wright fan - if so, you’d want to hit Oak Park.
The river architecture tour is one of the most fun things I’ve done in the city recently, and I think would be very interesting to a visitor - and very pleasant on a nice day.
Mainly check out some of the neat public spaces: the riverwalk, Millenium Park, Grant Park w/ the Museum campus, Lincoln Park, Michigan Avenue… Either check out the major museums - or search for some of the oddball, lesser known museums - like the Museum of Surgical Science (or somesuch name) up on Lake Shore Drive.
If the weather is nice, rent a canoe/kayak and paddle the river. Or rent a bike and cruise up and down the lakefront path. It is probably 20 miles from end to end, with the finest views of the city. I’d probably recommend searching for a bike shop where you could rent a nice bike, rather than the ones I see most tourists chugging along on.
But you could easily spend a couple of days just within walking distance of your hotel. Go to the Chicago Architecture foundation, and download walkable tours about architecture, or public art…
There are a lot of differing opinions on the best Chicago deep-dish pizza; if you stay downtown after changing hotels, you’ll still be close to Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due (two different locations, a block apart, but the same owners and same menu, and it’s the originator of deep-dish). That said, Lou Malnati’s is very good, as well.
I assume this is different than the national franchise, as there are number of Pizzeria Uno’s around here?
I had a really nice brunch at Sunny Side Up recently. It is right around the block from your hotel.
The area where you will be staying is VERY walkable and VERY safe (despite some recent incident on Michicagn Ave.) Take advantage of it. Walk up/down Michigan Ave or the lakefront path. Lincoln Park Zoo (free admission) is just a few blocks north of you. Kinda neat zoo right in the middle of the city.
Navy Pier is very close to you, but has absolutely nothing to attract me. But you could do far worse than taking a stroll along it’s length on a pleasant evening.
The Hancock Bldg (if they haven’t renamed it yet) is right near your hotel. Has a restaurant/bar very near the top. You can get a nice view for the price of a drink.
If you haven’t guessed yet, I tend to gravitate towards things that are cheap and uncrowded.
Seconding this if the weather is nice. Even as a resident I love that tour/
Pizzeria Uno is the original. “Uno Pizzeria and Grill” is the franchise and from what I can tell, a very different experience.
My feeling on Uno is that while it’s the original, it’s also pretty “meh.” I prefer Lou Malnati’s, my wife likes Gino East. The Four Seasons is walking distance to both. If you really want the “original” experience, go to Due, across the street from Uno. Same pizza, but a bigger space so it’s not as long of a wait for a table.
Yes and no. The owner of Uno, Ike Sewell, franchised the name and concept out to another company in the 1980s, and that’s the “Uno Pizzeria and Grill” that you see anywhere outside of Chicago. Over time, the menu at those locations has expanded and changed.
The original two locations in Chicago weren’t part of the franchise operation, until after Sewell died in 1990. His widow sold the original two restaurants to the franchise company, but the promise was made (and, as far as I can tell, still kept) to not change the menus at the original restaurants.
I’ll second (or third?) the architecture river tour. Also, you might want to check out the Untouchables Tour: good cheesy fun visiting a lot of historical gangland sites from a comfortable bus.
There are also a lot of good pizza tours. Here’s just one company:
If you’re going to be anywhere near the Loop and you like baby back ribs there’s one eatery that is not to be missed: Miller’s Pub, 134 S Wabash Ave. Take a large appetite with you, and enjoy!
http://millerspub.com/
Be sure to try the pizza.
:rolleyes:
Try to not sell any crack on a street corner if you’d follow this non-specific, crappy advice.
Not sure where you stand musically, but I’d look into this Buddy Holly musical:
Also, I too have heard great things about the architecture river tour.