Life Going to Chicago. What do I need to do? Avoid? - Page 13

**BigRedChief** · 10:07 AM

Going to Chicago for a little 4 day vacation(Thrusday - Sunday) on spring break. Going to the Bulls vs. Cleveland NBA game and see Lebron, Derrick Rose, Shaq etc on Friday night. What is the can't miss "stuff" in Chicago? Avoid? opinions welcome...

Staying downtown at the Allerton hotel.

Any Planeteers want to get together?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
03/22/2010 edit to pay it forward for future chicago visitors:
Transportation:
Definitely take the trains and bus’s if you are planning to spend a lot of time downtown. We saved a fortune in cabs. Get the CTA pass and you can get on how ever many buses, trains, transfers etc that you want for how many days you purchase. http://faremedia.chicago-card.com/store/main.aspx?DepartmentId=34 Check the schedule and plan your route out:
http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/maps/default.aspx http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/populardestinations.aspx

We arrived at 8:00 at the O’Hara airport and not taking the train would have been a disaster. They highways are parking lots that time of the day. We flew out of Midway on the way out and took a cab out there to the airport.
We really enjoyed riding the bus’s and talking to the locals. They gave us great tips on where to eat etc.

You don’t need a car. If you are driving, there is no where to park and where there is parking is very expensive and driving downtown is dangerous trying to navigate all those cabs and buses? Not for the weak of heart.

Attractions:
Get the Go Chicago card: Saved us a ton of money on admission fees but more importantly we avoided the lines at the attractions to get tickets. It was snowing and the line to get into the Field museum was over an hour and a half to just get tickets to get into the museum. The lines to get tickets are long. Get your tickets in advance.
http://www.smartdestinations.com/chicago-attractions-and-tours/_d_Chi-p1.html?pass=Chi_Prod_Go

Sears Tower: Was cool but if you have to wait an hour or two? Question the value. The ledge is really cool. Nothing between you and the street 103 stories up but some Plexiglas. It’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the world.

John Hancock observatory: We actually liked it better than the Sears tower because of the better ocean and beach views. They have something cool there, a skywalk 93 stories up that you can walk along that is exposed to the wind, temperatures etc 93 floors up. Just some mesh screen between you and the sky.

Science and Industry museum: We all felt that this was the best of all the museums. You have to see the U-Boat. It’s another one of those you can only experience in Chicago things.

Millennium Park: The silver bean was really cool. Seems like a real simple thing but once you get there and see it up close you understand the draw the bean has for people. Make sure you go underneath the bean and check it out. Looks like a wonderful place to watch a concert.

Shedd Aquarium: We were disappointed in this one. Maybe we are just spoiled but we thought the Aquarium in Omaha was much better.

The Field museum: Another disappointment. Sue the T-Rex was really cool but the rest of the museum left us flat. Seemed really educational for kids but for us adults we would like to have seen more exhibits than some pottery.

Chicago Bulls game: We decided to take the bus out there. Straight shot to and from downtown. Not really a bad seat in the house. The mascot seems to be pretty athletic and entertaining. Highly recommend getting one of the monster dogs.

Navy Pier: We went there and it was cold. Looks like a great place to visit in the warm weather.

Second City: We saw “Rush Limbaugh, the musical”. Barney Frank, Hillary, Dancing Ronald Reagan’s…Very funny stuff. Had a bit in there when Rush with the Royals and George Brett on a toilet with hemorrhoids. Highly recommend checking out a show there.

The Art Institute: A wonderful place to see art. So many Picasso’s, Monet’s and Van Gough’s you can’t really appreciate them fully like if some were here in KC just because of the sheer volume of masterpieces in one place. Very impressive collection. We also enjoyed seeing the American Gothic and some American art.
http://www.artic.edu/aic/

Eats:
Ginos East: Great pizza. Love the crust. We went to the one on Shapiro and it has all the walls filled with customer graffiti. Not living off its past reputation. My son thought it was the best pizza ever.

Giordanos: on Shapiro, Excellent deep dish pizza here also. Better than anything you can get in KC. Try sprinkling a little Italian herb seasoning on the pizza here.
http://www.giordanos.com/locations.html

West Egg: Breakfast by the doubletree. Reasonable prices and great food. Everything we had was good.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/west-egg-cafe-chicago-2

Yokes: Breakfast on Lake Shore drive. Best crepes we have ever had. Very good food.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yolk-chicago-2

Quaritinos: Best meal in Chicago. Very trendy and hip place but don’t let that push you away. You order 5-6 things and share them. Ravioli, Brusheta and the Bananas foster desert were our favorites but everything we had was real flavorful and well prepared. http://www.quartinochicago.com/

Lodging:
We stayed at the Allerton hotel downtown. I would highly recommend if you are coming to Chicago and you are going to do these things listed above to stay downtown. This was a great hotel. If you can’t afford the downtown rates just take the train into the city and go from there.

**BigRedChief** · 03-22-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Maybe next time you go you can not ignore the advice that I gave you and have yourselves an even better time.

we didn't have time to do everything dude. We had to check out 2nd city.

We never made it to the Morton Grove area.

We heard from several people about Hot doug's. just didn't get a chance to get there.

Jenson71 · 03-22-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

We stayed at the Allerton hotel downtown. I would highly recommend if you are coming to Chicago and you are going to do these things listed above to stay downtown. This was a great hotel. If you can’t afford the downtown rates just take the train into the city and go from there.

That's where my friend and I stayed this weekend. It's a great deal -- $49 for each of us. The valet parking is $48, so we just parked our car near the hospital in the Ukrainian village near Chicago Street and took the bus downtown.

Giordano's Pizza was good, but I remember Gino's being better. I think they have a larger bottom crust.

We also went to Andy's Live Jazz. Pretty nice, if you can get a seat. $15 is a bit steep, but what the heck, not often you see live jazz in Chicago. Also Field Museum is fine, especially with the student rate ($12). There's a lot to see there, but too much of it is stuffed animals. You can see many of the same things live at a zoo.

In the Ukrainian village are two cool churches that are worth seeing: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic and the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church.

Hancock building is a cool if you do the lounge. You can get a drink for less than the price of the observatory ticket and still walk around the dining center and see the views.

Also went to Eleven City Diner. Had the Blankey-Blank Special (or something like that). Eh, nothing to write home about. However, the potato knish was a first time for me, and that was a nice surprise.

Good weekend.

Sfeihc · 03-22-2010, 02:57 PM

West Egg rocks, I stayed near there earlier this month and had breakfast there twice. Really good way to start the day. I was disappointed by Gino's East, doesn't live up to the hype.

**Dartgod** · 03-22-2010, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sfeihc

I was disappointed by Gino's East, but then again, I think Little Caesar's is a quality pie.

FYP

**BigRedChief** · 03-23-2010, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sfeihc

West Egg rocks, I stayed near there earlier this month and had breakfast there twice. Really good way to start the day. I was disappointed by Gino's East, doesn't live up to the hype.

I thought Gino's East rocked. Best crust evah.

jspchief · 03-23-2010, 09:35 AM

Things to avoid:

1. Leaving the Grateful Dead concert at Soldier Field so ripped up on hallucinogens that you get lost.

2. Being so lost that you pull off the interstate and resort to getting directions from one of those guys that tries to clean your windshield with newspaper and god-knows-what at a stoplight.

3. Actually following that guy's directions into a part of town that is so bad you get pulled over by the police for being "a bunch of white kids from Iowa that are about to get murdered for being in the wrong place in too nice of a car".

Also...

4. Not really knowing where the museum of science and industry is other than "south I think" so taking the El so deep into southern Chicago that a place like Cabrini Green looks like a nice place to wait for a cab that may never arrive.

**Reaper16** · 03-23-2010, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I thought Gino's East rocked. Best crust evah.

Certainly not.

Frazod · 03-23-2010, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Certainly not.

I think the only person who is wrong on here more often than you is CoMoChief.

**Reaper16** · 03-23-2010, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

I think the only person who is wrong on here more often than you is CoMoChief.

I will cut a ho who tries the crusts at Burt's Place or Pequod's and doesn't think that they both make a better crust than does Gino's East. But I suspect that I won't have to cut anyone.

**BigRedChief** · 03-23-2010, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

Things to avoid:

1. Leaving the Grateful Dead concert at Soldier Field so ripped up on hallucinogens that you get lost.

2. Being so lost that you pull off the interstate and resort to getting directions from one of those guys that tries to clean your windshield with newspaper and god-knows-what at a stoplight.

3. Actually following that guy's directions into a part of town that is so bad you get pulled over by the police for being "a bunch of white kids from Iowa that are about to get murdered for being in the wrong place in too nice of a car".

Also...

4. Not really knowing where the museum of science and industry is other than "south I think" so taking the El so deep into southern Chicago that a place like Cabrini Green looks like a nice place to wait for a cab that may never arrive.

sound like you guys had a lot of fun in the big city.

CoMoChief · 03-23-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

I think the only person who is wrong on here more often than you is CoMoChief.

Gino's is overrated.

Frazod · 03-23-2010, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Gino's is overrated.

I rest my case.

**Reaper16** · 03-23-2010, 02:34 PM

Frazod -- you ever been to Pequod's or Burt's Place?

**Baby Lee** · 03-23-2010, 02:42 PM

Which Ocean was that you saw from the Hancock Bldg?

Fat Elvis · 03-23-2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I would definitely avoid frazod. He could very well mistake you for a fridge, curse you and shoot you.

Or he might knit you a doily, you just never know.....

01-31-2010, 11:04 AM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3179627 VARSITY	Going to Chicago. What do I need to do? Avoid? Going to Chicago for a little 4 day vacation(Thrusday - Sunday) on spring break. Going to the Bulls vs. Cleveland NBA game and see Lebron, Derrick Rose, Shaq etc on Friday night. What is the can't miss "stuff" in Chicago? Avoid? opinions welcome... Staying downtown at the Allerton hotel. Any Planeteers want to get together? -------------------------------------------------------------------- 03/22/2010 edit to pay it forward for future chicago visitors: Transportation: Definitely take the trains and bus’s if you are planning to spend a lot of time downtown. We saved a fortune in cabs. Get the CTA pass and you can get on how ever many buses, trains, transfers etc that you want for how many days you purchase. http://faremedia.chicago-card.com/store/main.aspx?DepartmentId=34 Check the schedule and plan your route out: http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/maps/default.aspx http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/populardestinations.aspx We arrived at 8:00 at the O’Hara airport and not taking the train would have been a disaster. They highways are parking lots that time of the day. We flew out of Midway on the way out and took a cab out there to the airport. We really enjoyed riding the bus’s and talking to the locals. They gave us great tips on where to eat etc. You don’t need a car. If you are driving, there is no where to park and where there is parking is very expensive and driving downtown is dangerous trying to navigate all those cabs and buses? Not for the weak of heart. Attractions: Get the Go Chicago card: Saved us a ton of money on admission fees but more importantly we avoided the lines at the attractions to get tickets. It was snowing and the line to get into the Field museum was over an hour and a half to just get tickets to get into the museum. The lines to get tickets are long. Get your tickets in advance. http://www.smartdestinations.com/chicago-attractions-and-tours/_d_Chi-p1.html?pass=Chi_Prod_Go Sears Tower: Was cool but if you have to wait an hour or two? Question the value. The ledge is really cool. Nothing between you and the street 103 stories up but some Plexiglas. It’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the world. John Hancock observatory: We actually liked it better than the Sears tower because of the better ocean and beach views. They have something cool there, a skywalk 93 stories up that you can walk along that is exposed to the wind, temperatures etc 93 floors up. Just some mesh screen between you and the sky. Science and Industry museum: We all felt that this was the best of all the museums. You have to see the U-Boat. It’s another one of those you can only experience in Chicago things. Millennium Park: The silver bean was really cool. Seems like a real simple thing but once you get there and see it up close you understand the draw the bean has for people. Make sure you go underneath the bean and check it out. Looks like a wonderful place to watch a concert. Shedd Aquarium: We were disappointed in this one. Maybe we are just spoiled but we thought the Aquarium in Omaha was much better. The Field museum: Another disappointment. Sue the T-Rex was really cool but the rest of the museum left us flat. Seemed really educational for kids but for us adults we would like to have seen more exhibits than some pottery. Chicago Bulls game: We decided to take the bus out there. Straight shot to and from downtown. Not really a bad seat in the house. The mascot seems to be pretty athletic and entertaining. Highly recommend getting one of the monster dogs. Navy Pier: We went there and it was cold. Looks like a great place to visit in the warm weather. Second City: We saw “Rush Limbaugh, the musical”. Barney Frank, Hillary, Dancing Ronald Reagan’s…Very funny stuff. Had a bit in there when Rush with the Royals and George Brett on a toilet with hemorrhoids. Highly recommend checking out a show there. The Art Institute: A wonderful place to see art. So many Picasso’s, Monet’s and Van Gough’s you can’t really appreciate them fully like if some were here in KC just because of the sheer volume of masterpieces in one place. Very impressive collection. We also enjoyed seeing the American Gothic and some American art. http://www.artic.edu/aic/ Eats: Ginos East: Great pizza. Love the crust. We went to the one on Shapiro and it has all the walls filled with customer graffiti. Not living off its past reputation. My son thought it was the best pizza ever. Giordanos: on Shapiro, Excellent deep dish pizza here also. Better than anything you can get in KC. Try sprinkling a little Italian herb seasoning on the pizza here. http://www.giordanos.com/locations.html West Egg: Breakfast by the doubletree. Reasonable prices and great food. Everything we had was good. http://www.yelp.com/biz/west-egg-cafe-chicago-2 Yokes: Breakfast on Lake Shore drive. Best crepes we have ever had. Very good food. http://www.yelp.com/biz/yolk-chicago-2 Quaritinos: Best meal in Chicago. Very trendy and hip place but don’t let that push you away. You order 5-6 things and share them. Ravioli, Brusheta and the Bananas foster desert were our favorites but everything we had was real flavorful and well prepared. http://www.quartinochicago.com/ Lodging: We stayed at the Allerton hotel downtown. I would highly recommend if you are coming to Chicago and you are going to do these things listed above to stay downtown. This was a great hotel. If you can’t afford the downtown rates just take the train into the city and go from there. Last edited by BigRedChief; 03-22-2010 at 10:07 AM..
Posts: 78,971

03-22-2010, 02:57 PM	#183
Sfeihc It's All Good Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $10010133	West Egg rocks, I stayed near there earlier this month and had breakfast there twice. Really good way to start the day. I was disappointed by Gino's East, doesn't live up to the hype.
Posts: 3,441

03-23-2010, 09:35 AM	#186
jspchief BAMF Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Your Face Casino cash: $9998710	Things to avoid: 1. Leaving the Grateful Dead concert at Soldier Field so ripped up on hallucinogens that you get lost. 2. Being so lost that you pull off the interstate and resort to getting directions from one of those guys that tries to clean your windshield with newspaper and god-knows-what at a stoplight. 3. Actually following that guy's directions into a part of town that is so bad you get pulled over by the police for being "a bunch of white kids from Iowa that are about to get murdered for being in the wrong place in too nice of a car". Also... 4. Not really knowing where the museum of science and industry is other than "south I think" so taking the El so deep into southern Chicago that a place like Cabrini Green looks like a nice place to wait for a cab that may never arrive. __________________ Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.
Posts: 27,207

03-23-2010, 02:42 PM	#194
Baby Lee Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $6838598	Which Ocean was that you saw from the Hancock Bldg? __________________ We need the kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the cynics - E.W.
Posts: 95,642