<p>We’re going to Chicago, my first visit since I was a child. We’ll be staying downtown, H will be in meetings most days. So - what’s good to do there, where to eat, shop, see? Any Must Do’s for a Philly girl? This will be the last week in October (yes, I’ll be abandoning my Halloween post at home). Thanks, guys!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the great modern art museums of the world, and a beautiful location along the lake, too.</p></li>
<li><p>The whole lakefront in the Loop area is magnificent – the fountains, parks, the Frank Gehry concert shed. It really brings home the massiveness of Philly’s multigenerational failure at Penn’s Landing and along the Schuylkill.</p></li>
<li><p>There is an architectural tour of the Loop by boat along the Chicago river. I’ve never taken it, but everyone else in my family has, and raves about it. (This is the same tour that had Dave Matthews’ crap dumped on it from a tour bus, but that doesn’t happen every day.)</p></li>
<li><p>High-end shopping: The Magnificent Mile reminds us that we’re a bunch of second-rate hicks. Not-as-high-end: Wicker Park.</p></li>
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<p>I strongly suggest taking the Chicago Architecture’s boat tour up the Chicago river. They have a website. The tour lasts an hour or so, is guided and takes passengers past many great buildings. The tour leaves from the bridge at the intersection of the river and Lake Michigan. Not to be missed. Take a heavy jacket along for late October.</p>
<p>There are many great food options. I recommend the Chicago Chop House if you eat steak and Giordano’s for the best Chicago stuffed pizza.</p>
<p>Michigan Avenue is a world class shopping street (like Fifth Avenue in NYC).</p>
<p>If you like art (particularly Impressionists), don’t miss the Art Institute, a great. great museum.</p>
<p>Here are a couple of very useful websites:</p>
<p>–The Chicago Reader, the city’s leading “alternative” newspaper (comes out in “hard copy” form late each Thursday and available free throughout the city), which has lots of good tips re restaurants, live music, theater, etc.:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.chicagoreader.com/[/url]”>http://www.chicagoreader.com/</a></p>
<p>–The Chicago Chowhounds board, a searchable site where you can find out what restaurants some very passionate (and opinionated) Chicago-based diners recommend:</p>
<p><a href=“Chowhound - The Site for Food Nerds: Cooking Tips, Culinary How-To's, & More.”>Chowhound - The Site for Food Nerds: Cooking Tips, Culinary How-To's, & More.;
<p>Oh, and I echo the previous recommendations of the Art Institute. (If I knew I had a month to live, I’d spend a lot of it there.)</p>
<p>Art Institute, of course. Continuing south along Michigan Ave, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. (The aquarium was over-run by small children in August, probably will be a little better in October.) Museum of Science and Industry, closer to Univ. of Chicago.</p>
<p>For people-watching entertainment, and access to boat tours of the Lake, as well as the river, you can stroll along the Navy Pier. There are places to grab a sandwich and a drink, but dining is not particularly noteworthy, IMO.</p>
<p>Shopping on the Magnificent Mile can be fun, but be careful. I caught my 16 yr old D fingering a pair of thousand-dollar jeans in one of the stores.</p>
<p>If you like to walk, you can access all of the museums (except Science and Industry), all of the shopping mentioned above, the Navy Pier, and Millenium Park on foot, and view the lakefront up close at the same time.</p>
<p>Get tickets to a play (Wicked was fun), get tickets to the Blue Man Group, go to Second City, hear some music, wander around neighborhoods such as Greektown.</p>
<p>Don’t miss the “bean” (real name Cloud Gate) in Millenium Park on Michigan Ave, and the Cultural Center (also on Michigan Ave). The Cultural Center used to be the library and has two Tiffany domes. The Macy’s on State (formerly the flagship store for Marshall Field’s) is also prettty spectacular. All these places are within three or four blocks of each other.</p>
<p>No true Chicagoan will ever enter “Macy’s”. When that happened I cut up my treasured Field’s card which I have had since the late 60’s despite living away from Chicago much of the time.</p>
<p>Yes! to the Art Institute!!! and the Museum of Science and Industry</p>
<p>Depending on how much time you have: the planetarium and the aquarium are both good.</p>
<p>You must have genuine, Chicago-style pizza. And one stop I have not seen mentioned here is the Museum of Contemporary Art.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>If you are interested in architecture and looking for something to read I strongly recommend The Devil In the White City by Erik Larsen. It is a fascinating story following the lives of Daniel Burnham, the chief architect for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and a mass murderer who used the fair as a lure for his victims. (The Art institute and Museum of Science and Industry are both in buildings originally built for the fair.)</p>
<p>I’m with you, Barrons. I used to work a few blocks away from the State Street store (which Burnham also designed) and refuse to set foot in it now.</p>
<p>After the museum (or before…or before AND after) head to Ghiradelli’s!!! Fabulous ice cream sundaes or at that time of year even a frothy hot chocolate!!! It’s sort of across the street from Water Tower…</p>
<p>I just checked the website for the Intercontinental. Looks as though we’re right on the Magnificent Mile and walking distance to the museums that you have mentioned. And thank you for the architectural references - a little background reading and some good photos could help me hold an intellegent conversation with DD when she returns from her first semester studying for her BArch. </p>
<p>Most of all, this has really helped shed my empty nest syndrome. There’s nothing like looking forward to a good vacation to brighten your spirits! Thanks my midwestern friends!</p>
<p>The Intercontinental is in a great location and bring a swimsuit - the indoor pool is fantastic and worth a quick dip. If you like popcorn go north a few blocks to Garrett’s - delicious. I agree with the locations above - Art Institute (although your Philly museum is so great you may take it in stride!), Millenium Park, Navy Pier (I recommend getting to the Shakespeare Theater for a performance if you have time; also don’t miss the free Stained Glass Museum about two-thirds of the way down the Pier), the boat tour, the Cultural Center, and Boul Mich. </p>
<p>If it’s nice weather and you like zoos, grab a bus or cab up to the Lincoln Park Zoo for a few nice hours and make sure to hit the Lincoln Park Conservatory at the north end of the zoo. Museum Campus (at the south end of Grant Park) can take several days to really enjoy with the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium - each great.</p>
<p>Dining in that area can be as casual or as fancy as you like - without knowing your tastes and budget it’s impossible to know where to start. Metromix.com can help you narrow it down. Spiaggia, Avenues, and Tru are close by and are consistently rated among the top restaurants in Chicago. But do try to get your husband to meet you for drinks on the 96th floor at the John Hancock Building for an absolutely spectacular view - especially if you get there about sunset.</p>
<p>I was there a couple of weeks ago, and we stayed at the downtown Hilton across from Grant Park. Yes, yes, yes to all of the above!! It is a beautiful city (beats San Francisco hands down, imho). </p>
<ol>
<li><p>SHEDD AQUARIUM is not that great. It’s dated, and the exhibits weren’t that spectacular. Plus, it was crowded. There’s a good sit-down restaurant, though (not the fast food court), with reasonably-priced food, good sandwiches, great service, and spectacular views of downtown and the lake.</p></li>
<li><p>We enjoyed the FIELD MUSEUM. It’s in the tradition of the great old natural history museums, and I swear that they used it as the model for the movie, “Night at the Museum,” with Ben Stiller. The bathrooms are on the lower level, where the McDonald’s is. Bring dollar bills, quarters, and shiny pennies for the fun penny-squishing machines and the dinosaur molds on the lower level. </p></li>
<li><p>Bring good walking shoes and walk down MICHIGAN AVENUE to the stores. Holy cow, they really are magnificent, and dahling…it’s all about black & white houndstooth this season! Bring your camera because you’ll see all sorts of beautiful architecture and urban art along the way. We ducked into the CHICAGO TRIBUNE building to marvel at the beautiful lobby, and you’ll pass the water & utilities building that looks like a castle. There’s a PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH that is worth a quick look inside. It has a gorgeous oak interior and a nice little inner courtyard with all white flowers.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t miss a trip up to the top of “Big John,” a.k.a. the JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING (right across from the church). The view of Chicago is totally worth it, and there is some cool history to read about at the top. Good water fountains and bathrooms at the top, too.</p></li>
<li><p>We had lunch at the CORNER BAKERY, just down from our hotel. We saw a couple of Corner Bakeries around the downtown area. They have very good upscale-type breakfast and lunch selections. I’ll get back to you on the deep-dish pizza place we went to for 3 nights. Casual, great service, yummy classic martinis and excellent local beer, and good steaks --just a couple of blocks down from our hotel. Coming from the Bay Area, I forgot about restaurants that still have smoking areas, but this place is big enough to have well-separated non-smoking areas.</p></li>
<li><p>SECOND CITY. What a blast! We had to take a taxi, which I wouldn’t recommend because they drive like frikkin’ maniacs. I’m not kidding. But, it’s too far from downtown to walk, so maybe take the El (the excellent train system in downtown Chicago), if there’s a stop by the club. Ask about public transportation when you get your tickets. Very cool neighborhood, and man, those kids are talented! </p></li>
</ol>
<p>We were there for a “Best Of” night, and they did an improv skit with the audience. A non-plant audience member knew the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and cracked everybody up. We bought our tickets Will Call and arrived a little early. Seating is first-come, first-serve, with the line starting inside and upstairs in front of the theater doors. There’s a good bar upstairs, and you can sip your Irish Coffee while you’re waiting for the doors to open.</p>
<ol>
<li> I loved the ART INSTITUTE. Yadda, yadda on the Roman coins and broken pottery, but the ancient glass was pretty cool. The ancient armor and weaponry was awesome. All of the “-ists” and “-isms” are represented, and I don’t think I’ve seen a better collection of masterpieces anywhere else (including the Louvre). Don’t miss the cool furniture collection.<br></li>
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<p>The caf</p>
<p>If you like to get your freak on, PM me and I’ll get you some good places.</p>
<p>There’s drag-racing around 1am on the south side. That’s fun.</p>
<p>Rent a boat and drive round.</p>
<p>Go to a cubs game.</p>
<p>Come to my house.</p>
<p>Heaven on Seven *(original) is a real treat and a well hidden gem although they have added some more conspicuous locations. Lots of traders eat lunch here as well as Loop regulars. Usually a line but it moves.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.heavenonseven.com/wabash.html[/url]”>http://www.heavenonseven.com/wabash.html</a></p>
<p>I second the recommendation of the original Heaven on Seven on Wabash (it’s on the seventh floor, hence the name).</p>
<p>And if you like Mexican food, you could do no better - anywhere in the country - than Rick Bayless’s Topolobampo (make a reservation ahead of time if you’re interested, as they get booked up):</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/topolobampo.html[/url]”>http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/topolobampo.html</a></p>
<p>any of the “Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants” are excellent. Check out their website and see what appeals to you.</p>
<p>You’ve gotten good advice. We took a group of teenagers to a national competition and went to the Art Institute, the Field Museum and the Navy Pier. When I was a teenager and lived in Park Ridge, we went to a restaurant in Old Town Chicago called the Pickle Barrel. I have no idea if it’s still there or if I’d even think it was good now, but it was my first taste of pastrami-- Love At First Taste!</p>
<p>Second either of Rick Bayless’s places (they are side by side). Frontera Grill is a bit more casual and has more common dishes. No reservations but eat early (5:00) and get right in–or go for lunch. Used to to there nearly every saturday
back in the 80’s.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.fronterakitchens.com/restaurants/restaurants.html[/url]”>http://www.fronterakitchens.com/restaurants/restaurants.html</a></p>