Visiting Chicago this spring ... UPDATE

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

IF you've seen the movie Ghost and the Darkness (the one about the lions tormenting the people trying to build a bridge in Africa), the lions are in the field museum now. I love that movie, so both times I've been there I've checked them out. It's really cool.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

Deep dish is fine, but thin pizza in Chicago is better and much more common. Good call on Home Run Inn, which might just make the best frozen pizza in the biz.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

You didn't say when, but the National Restaurant Show is in May and you'll want to avoid the city like the plague then.
You won't be able to get a hotel room or eat at any good restaurants to save your soul.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...


Stay downtown. Lots of choices. The Hilton near Grant park is huge and sometimes has deals on rooms. I'd just do a search of downtown chicago hotels and see what you find.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

I think I might have posted this in one of the other Chicago threads, but I'll put it here, too.

I'm pretty sure you can get a package deal that gets you into all of the museums (Art Institute, Field, Shedd, the Planet-arium, etc.) but DO NOT try to do all these in one day. You'll end up rushing through each museum and feeling like you cheated yourself out of seeing any of them. If you don't think you can split it up over at least two days, just pick one or two museums and give them the full treatment. For the record, the Field Museum is my favorite, followed closely by Shedd, but they're all great.

As for hotels, I can't offer much on areas to stay in or avoid, but I always like to make sure I'm within two or three blocks of an El stop.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

Pfft. New York City is the place to buy thin crust pizza.

And whether deep-dish pizza is for "unsuspecting tourists" or not, it's still damn good pizza. I can't remember where I bought when I was in Chi-town a few years ago (I was pretty drunk when we ordered it), but it was a helluva pie.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

Chicago is a serious convention town. Four of the five times I've been there were for book conventions in May and it was next to impossible to get a restaurant reservation at anything halfway decent

I'll second the Art Institute. One of the great gems in all of North America.

I love Chicago--probably because it reminds me of Toronto except Chicago has better architecture.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

I've only been there once, but here are a couple of tips I enjoyed:

1) The Art Institute is fantastic, but I'm not a connoisseur. If you're not, you probably need a plan of attack like I did. Lonely Planet's Chicago guide has a great one-page tour that leads you to the highlights of the museum. e.g. "Go to Room 49, there's Grant Wood's American Gothic, leave that room and go down the back stairs to Room 14 where you can see blah, blah, blah." I spent an afternoon stretching out that basic guide and gazing at other stuff along the way.

2) Architectural boat tour. Wonderful study of the history of the city's architecture while looking at (mostly) the skyscrapers along the river. Get your tickets early. Not a long excursion, but you'll be wishing it'd go on longer. Very scenic and educational.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

Second on the boat tour. Fun and starts/ends right in the middle of everything near the Trib tower.

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

Maybe this guy will give the tour...

 

Re: Visiting Chicago this spring ...

Nope, I second that.
Great hotel if you're willing to kick the coin: The Fairmont. Still my wife's favorite hotel, ever.
Fairly convenient to Michigan Avenue, absolutely beautiful place.
And boo on the person who was dissing TRUE Chicago Pizza, which can be found at Gino's East and for which you will forever be grateful, right up until your bypass.