My daughter moved to Chicago last year, so I can speak from the deep experience of two 4-day weekend trips.
You may be able to get a cheap room at the Palmer House, which has a spectacular location right in the Loop. We stayed there for less than $100/night, which is great for a big city hotel.
I heartily add to the pile of recommendations for the architecture boat tour, especially on a nice day. I think Chicago may be a better city for interesting buildings than New York.
Go see the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute. If you happen to be a Wes Anderson fan, seeing these and noting that he spent a lot of time looking at them when he was young will explain a lot about his aesthetics.
The Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum are awesome. Walk along the lakefront from Navy Pier to the museum campus if the weather is good–it’s a lovely stroll.
For someone who is scaremonger, you’re being awfully optimistic about the shooting stats.
I, too, have never had any issue nor know anybody personally who has gotten shot, and I grew up here on the Southwest Side, and still live here and raise my family on the Southwest Side. There is the occasional shooting in my neighborhood, but it’s 100% gang related. And, besides, as a tourist you’re most likely not going to be in my neighborhood. It’s not going to be an issue for where the OP will be hanging out. It will be a normal big city experience.
I would definitely try the pizza. I prefer Lou Malnati’s to Uno’s if you’re going to go the deep dish route, but Uno’s is the original, so worth trying (or Due, same difference.) With Malnati’s it has to be sausage, IMHO. Sausage is the topping of choice for any kind of pizza in Chicago. (And the usual “special” at Chicago pizza places is sausage, mushroom, green peppers, and sometimes onions.)
A perfect Chicago treat is to go to Al’s on Taylor Street, order an Italian beef, and then go across the street to Mario’s frozen lemonade stand for a frozen lemonade. That, to me, is the essence of Chicago summer. If you’ve never experienced it, go for it. You’d best be off taking an Uber or Lyft there.
And I absolutely second/third/fourth the architecture boat tour.
Most of the city Festivals start a little later in the summer, but this weekend marks both the Illinois Craft Beer Week and the Lincoln Park Wine Fest.
Thanks everyone. I have a lot of options now, but am kind of a slow mover when on vacation. If I find a nice bar with good music and game on, it’s likely I could spend a lot of time there. Hopefully I can get to much of these suggestions during the day.
I use Uber/Lyft in Chicago pretty much all the time. I second the Art Institute and the River Architecture tours.
What sort of things do you like to do/eat/see? You say that you’re sick of Broadway shows, let me give you some recommendations for smaller/more offbeat things to do:
Circus: https://www.actorsgymnasium.org/ - the youth group will be performing this weekend. Expect a mix of physically impossible tricks and really amateur props. It’s a tiny venue and a lot of fun - the circus is more or less in your lap.
Theater: Tickets & Events | Steppenwolf Theatre - the group is very good, and they’re staging The Doppleganger as a comedy right now, which sounds ridiculous. The bar is top-notch, and also has food.
Dance: all the dance you can handle, right here: https://seechicagodance.com/events/day/2018-05-19. I’d recommend the KTF dance battle, myself - chill out, drink, and cheer at the top of your lungs for your favorite dancer.
You might like the bar at Carmine’s on Rush Street. Great martinis, usually some live music like a piano player or a small combo. And the bar is like a big horseshoe, so it’s a great place to go alone because soon you are chatting with everyone else sitting around the big curve. And the food (Italian) is awesome.
With all the recommendations for pizza from Chicagoans I feel a need to point out that in Chicago the word ‘pizza’ means something entirely different from what us East Coasters mean.
I simply cannot recommend that you utter the word while in Chicago, not even when it seems safe – for instance, while inside a building which has the word Pizza spelled out on the front of the building. When asked for your order, just mutter “hot dog”. You may be surprised at what the server brings you but it really is supposed to look like that … and you might actually like it.
Or just eat Italian Beef three or more times a day. You can lose the weight when you get back home.
Miller’s is around the corner from my office. They’d actually closed it for remodeling for a month or two, earlier this year, but it reopened a few weeks ago.
The Palmer House, which RickG suggests, is on the same block as Miller’s, and a block away from the Art Institute.
pulykamell is spot-on with the pizza toppings recommendation. Sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers is my wife’s default topping choice; she calls it a SMOG.
Miller’s is a cool, old-school feeling pub. Definitely a part of Chicago history. It dates back from 1935, although this location is from 1989 (it used to be near State and Adams, but moved after a fire.) I was last there just before the remodel, so I don’t know what it looks like inside now, but it had an Old Chicago type of feel to it, and was definitely a pub I’d sent people to for that atmosphere of yesteryear. (And for a hot Tom and Jerry during Christmastime!) They are known for their ribs, but I’m not a big fan of those style of pub ribs, but they’re definitely an old school item, too. I prefer the burgers there.
Can’t we all just get along? Most Chicagoans, if they say “lets get pizza” mean thin crust, not deep dish. But that doesn’t mean we don’t like deep dish as well.
Chicago thin crust is good.
Deep dish is good.
NY style is good.
Detroit style is good.
St. Louis is… the exception to the rule that all pizza is good.
If you’re down by Millennium Park and the Art Institute, you could check out the great view from Cindy’s Rooftop bar in the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. It gets crowded Friday and Saturday nights, but if you go midday, you should be able to get in just fine.
Exactly. I’m lucky if I have deep dish more than once a year. It’s special occasion pizza. The vast majority of the time (like 29 out of 30 times), it’s our (and the surrounding area’s) take on thin crust pizza. And it’s goddamned delicious.
I probably order deep dish or stuffed (for delivery) about 4-6 times per year. I rarely go out for it, maybe once or twice a year. However, I quite like it.
But yes, most Chicago pizza isn’t deep dish or stuffed. Quite a few Chicago Dopefests have been held at D’Agostino’s which is known for thin crust.
If you have any interest in the Art Institute, PM me. I’m a member there and I can get you in for free as a guest.
There is an Embassy Suites on State that often has really good deals. I stayed there last weekend and my son and girlfriend are staying there tonight. Right in the Water tower/Magnificent Mile area so lots to do and definitely safe. The Drake also often has good last minute deals.
Not close to that location but if you want a unique pizza experience take a trip up to Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder. They serve what some refer to as pizza pot pie and it is amazing IMHO. It is also right across from where the St. Valentines Day Massacre happened.
I still haven’t gotten around to trying this. It’s apparently been around since '72, but I’ve only been aware of it and their pizza pot pie for the last decade or so. And I’ve somehow still not managed to get up there. Here’s what is being talked about.. It’s rather unique.
I first went there in the late 70’s and have been back a few times. I’ve also recommended it to several people including my sons who now live in the area and I don’t think anyone has been disapointed.
