Chicago in July

[Caliboy95]

Hello guys. I’m planning a solo trip to Chicago in a couple weeks. I’ve never been here before and I’d like to hear some recommendations on what to do and where to eat while in the city. 

[CuriousByNature]

3 hours ago, Caliboy95 said:

Hello guys. I’m planning a solo trip to Chicago in a couple weeks. I’ve never been here before and I’d like to hear some recommendations on what to do and where to eat while in the city. 

I definitely recommend the Art Institute and the Field Museum.  I wasn't as impressed by the Shedd Aquarium, but that's because I've been to SeaWorld in San Diego and the Vancouver Aquarium when I lived in BC.

[rvwnsd]

The Museum of Science and Industry is a fun place to visit. If you like zoos then you will want to see Lincoln Park Zoo. Do you bike? If so, rent a bike and ride the lakefront bike path. You can pick it up anywhere from Hollywood Avenue south. A stroll down Michigan Avenue is a nice way to spend an afternoon if it isn't too hot and a walk down Lake Shore Drive or along the lake is nice when it is. I recommend everyone have a drink at the bar on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. The cocktails are expensive, but they include a free view. The observatory is only a couple of floors up and charge a lot more than the price of a cocktail. And you don't get the cocktail!

Not sure what kind of food you like, but some favorites include Reza's in Andersonville (Persian), Old Jerusalem (Mediterranean - owned by the third or fourth generation of the founding family) in Old Town (currently only doing take-out and delivery), Topolobampo and its older sibling Frontera Grill (Mexican) in River North, The Bagel (Kreplach? yes please!) in Lakeview, Giordano's (stuffed pizza) in just about everywhere, Lou Malnati's (deep-dish pizza, which is different than stuffed) also in just about everywhere, Star of Siam in River North, and as much as I hate recommending chains I'll make an exception and say just about any of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants will be very good. (I have a particular fondness for Cafe Ba-Ba-Ree-Ba!, their tapas restaurant in Lincoln Park. It was one of the first nice restaurants I went to and paid for myself as a college student.) Another fave is 3rd Coast Cafe on the Gold Coast. Back in the day I'd eat three meals a day there and I suspect I'd still eat there if I lived there. If you are fan of funky diners then The Lucky Platter in Evanston can be worth a trip up north. You can take the 'L' (Red Line to Howard, transfer to the Purple Line, and get off at Main Street.)

There are hundreds of other restaurants. Chicagoans like to eat, drink, and have sex. Not always in that order. 

[mike carey]

1 hour ago, rvwnsd said:

Chicagoans like to eat, drink, and have sex. Not always in that order. 

As Dan Savage says, 'Fcuk first'!

[+ newatthis]

Some more offbeat things, if you have time:

• Graceland Cemetery
• The view of the city from Montrose Harbor (and the bird sanctuary there if you're into birds)
• Walk around interesting neighborhoods/streets (Old Town,  Orchard St, Norwood Park, ...)

[Caliboy95]

 

10 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

The Museum of Science and Industry is a fun place to visit. If you like zoos then you will want to see Lincoln Park Zoo. Do you bike? If so, rent a bike and ride the lakefront bike path. You can pick it up anywhere from Hollywood Avenue south. A stroll down Michigan Avenue is a nice way to spend an afternoon if it isn't too hot and a walk down Lake Shore Drive or along the lake is nice when it is. I recommend everyone have a drink at the bar on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. The cocktails are expensive, but they include a free view. The observatory is only a couple of floors up and charge a lot more than the price of a cocktail. And you don't get the cocktail!

Not sure what kind of food you like, but some favorites include Reza's in Andersonville (Persian), Old Jerusalem (Mediterranean - owned by the third or fourth generation of the founding family) in Old Town (currently only doing take-out and delivery), Topolobampo and its older sibling Frontera Grill (Mexican) in River North, The Bagel (Kreplach? yes please!) in Lakeview, Giordano's (stuffed pizza) in just about everywhere, Lou Malnati's (deep-dish pizza, which is different than stuffed) also in just about everywhere, Star of Siam in River North, and as much as I hate recommending chains I'll make an exception and say just about any of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants will be very good. (I have a particular fondness for Cafe Ba-Ba-Ree-Ba!, their tapas restaurant in Lincoln Park. It was one of the first nice restaurants I went to and paid for myself as a college student.) Another fave is 3rd Coast Cafe on the Gold Coast. Back in the day I'd eat three meals a day there and I suspect I'd still eat there if I lived there. If you are fan of funky diners then The Lucky Platter in Evanston can be worth a trip up north. You can take the 'L' (Red Line to Howard, transfer to the Purple Line, and get off at Main Street.)

There are hundreds of other restaurants. Chicagoans like to eat, drink, and have sex. Not always in that order. 

Thank you for sharing this. I do like museums. I’ll definitely look into the science museum. The bar sounds like something I’d like to do. :) I don’t bike but I’m planning on doing a lot of walking.

[Caliboy95]

3 hours ago, newatthis said:

Some more offbeat things, if you have time:

• Graceland Cemetery
• The view of the city from Montrose Harbor (and the bird sanctuary there if you're into birds)
• Walk around interesting neighborhoods/streets (Old Town,  Orchard St, Norwood Park, ...)

Is the bird sanctuary in montrose harbor? 

[+ sf westcoaster]

Take one or more of the Architectural tours.

[rvwnsd]

Millennium Park (adjacent to Grant Park on Michigan Avenue downtown) is also worth a visit. It is hard to miss - just look for the giant stainless-steel bean, a/k/a Cloudgate. Although Macy's has recently downsized its State Street store, it is also worth visiting. It's the old Marshall Field's store. Riding the escalators up and down the atrium is worth the trip. The glass elevators at Water Tower Place are also fun. I advise against riding the express elevator on a full stomach. 🤢

CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) is a great way to get around and see some great views. The view of the skyline from the northeast-bound Orange Line from Midway is stunning (particularly in the late afternoon/early evening as the sun sets) as is the view from the southbound Brown Line from the Sedgwick stop in Old Town. In fact, the Brown line is a great way to see North Side neighborhoods that you might not otherwise see. The view from a southbound Lake Shore Drive express bus is also quite nice as long as you can get a seat. Not sure what the day pass costs (I think they have reduced the price to entice folks to ride the bus and 'L') but it is a very good deal. 

 

[+ newatthis]

20 hours ago, Caliboy95 said:

Is the bird sanctuary in montrose harbor? 

Yes.  So a twofer if you're into birds. 

[+ azdr0710]

great city!.....

if off-beat history appeals to you (like it does to me), you can stand on the exact site of Mrs. O'Leary's barn (though the old story has been thoroughly debunked), stand on the exact spot Dillinger was gunned down for good, walk or bike thru the site of the famous 1893 World's Fair (the White City), and walk thru the site of the famous Union Stockyards ("Hog Butcher To The World") and also site of the country's deadliest firefighter incident (in terms of building collapse) until September 11.......

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by azdr0710

[TruthBTold]

One of the things that I liked was to take a river cruise.  The cruise I took was done by Wendella Tours.  They offer both river cruises and lake cruises.  Because I am interested in architecture I took the river architecture cruise.  The tour was interesting and extensive and the boat was nice.  You can pick it up downtown.  As I mentioned however there are also Lake Michigan cruises at various times of day.  It was also great that you can buy a ticket online (although you still had to arrive earlier to get a seat).  You can probably check to see if there are other companies that offer cruises.

https://www.wendellaboats.com/boat-tours-cruises/

[rvwnsd]

One more tip: Drink lots of water and dash inside to cool off every once in a while. All of the parks have water fountains (assuming they are running this year) and if you let them run a while the water is very crisp and cold. The weather gets hot and humid in July (think 85 - 95 degrees and between 60 and 80 per cent humidity). Also, check the ozone level if you have any respiratory issues like asthma. Between the sun, the humidity, and the pollution generated by ten million people and their cars, trucks, and buses things can get miserable. Still, it is a beautiful city and that more than makes up for the crap weather.

[TruthBTold]

Here is a list of mostly architecture tours, both walking and not, and paying and free. 

https://freetoursbyfoot.com/chicago-architecture-tours/#walk

[Caliboy95]

Thanks for all the tips. I’m 3 weeks away from departing for my trip and still adding more things to my to do list  

[RealAvalon]

Can anyone recommend a hotel near O-Hare airport, with shuttle service, or, maybe just a favourite hotel with shuttle service?  Thanks  

[+ Lucky]

@Caliboy95 How was your trip to Chicago? Did you take up any of the suggestions here?

[RealAvalon]

On 6/15/2021 at 5:31 AM, TruthBTold said:

Here is a list of mostly architecture tours, both walking and not, and paying and free. 

https://freetoursbyfoot.com/chicago-architecture-tours/#walk

Have you been on any of these?  Thanks.

Any airport hotel recommendations?  Thanks 

[guy7777]

I always wind up having a good time in both Chicago and Fort Lauderdale whenever I take short vacations at those two cities. I can even imagine living in Chicago even though I'm not crazy about the harsh winter

[+ bashful]

On 5/16/2022 at 6:22 PM, RealAvalon said:

Can anyone recommend a hotel near O-Hare airport, with shuttle service, or, maybe just a favourite hotel with shuttle service?  Thanks  

Lots of hotels near ORD.  Most of the better ones are in Rosemont along River Rd. which should have shuttle service to and from ORD.  They're also close to the Rosemont Entertainment District, and the Donald E Stevens Convention Center.  Rosemont's website will give you suggested hotels.

https://rosemont.com/where-to-sleep/

There's also an L station close by on River Rd. and I-90 if you want to take the L into the city.  I would imagine their shuttle service would drop you off.

Edited May 21, 2022 by bashful

[RealAvalon]

14 hours ago, bashful said:

Lots of hotels near ORD.  Most of the better ones are in Rosemont along River Rd. which should have shuttle service to and from ORD.  They're also close to the Rosemont Entertainment District, and the Donald E Stevens Convention Center.  Rosemont's website will give you suggested hotels.

https://rosemont.com/where-to-sleep/

There's also an L station close by on River Rd. and I-90 if you want to take the L into the city.  I would imagine their shuttle service would drop you off.

Thanks. My plane leaves very early, so I wanted to be close to the airport, with shuttle service, for my final day in Chicago.  

[Caliboy95]

On 5/17/2022 at 11:40 AM, Lucky said:

@Caliboy95 How was your trip to Chicago? Did you take up any of the suggestions here?

I did. I ended up getting a CityPass and doing most of the places included in the pass. I definitely had a great time visiting the Art Institute. I spent almost a full day there. The aquarium was good for a first timer but definitely won’t be high on my list if I ever go to Chicago again. 
 

Besides that, I tried eating at different local restaurants. I’m very basic so the only alcohol I had during my visit was at the Starbucks Reserve Bar on Michigan Ave.