First Timer in Chicago: Jun 17-20 (fit in, crime, neighborhoods)

[hindukid]

You might want to look at the citypass for $84. Also it seemed like you were going to do a bunch of stuff on your own so maybe just the pass for you. By yourself would be a great time to do the bike ride too.

No problem just getting drinks at terrace at trump. That's what most people do. Looked at their menu this year and it looks like prices are up a lot but its still really nice. The view is from 16th floor so its a much different perspective. You are right in line with some col structures rather than looking way down at them.

I think Willis is really cool just for the ledge.

[scguy89]

Originally Posted by hindukid

You might want to look at the citypass for $84. Also it seemed like you were going to do a bunch of stuff on your own so maybe just the pass for you. By yourself would be a great time to do the bike ride too.

No problem just getting drinks at terrace at trump. That's what most people do. Looked at their menu this year and it looks like prices are up a lot but its still really nice. The view is from 16th floor so its a much different perspective. You are right in line with some col structures rather than looking way down at them.

I think Willis is really cool just for the ledge.

Okay. I might get the pass for myself. During at least two days I'll be all by myself until dinnertime and I want to keep myself entertained. Anything that I find interesting I would note and show her next time we are in town.

I would like to go to the terrace and grab a couple drinks and take in the view. Is there a dress code for there?

Thanks for the input.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by scguy89

I would like to go to the terrace and grab a couple drinks and take in the view. Is there a dress code for there?

If you're going to do anything, wear jeans (make sure there's no holes in them) and a button up shirt or polo shirt. If it's colder out or whatever, you can get away with a "fashionable" sweater/nice long sleeve t shirt. You don't have to be dressed in slacks/khakis for this place, but it is a pretty nice "lounge." Pretty much like any decently nice place in Chicago --> don't wear a tshirt (unless it's a nice long sleeved T), don't wear shorts, don't wear a baseball hat, and don't wear sandals. I think the only decently nice place you could probably get away with this downtown is the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock building.

[marothisu]

Also, for the record there's two other companies that do architectural boat tours. Wendella and Shoreline. Chicago Architecture foundation is more expensive by about $5/person and all three tours do similar things and give out similar information. I have been on all three, and CAF has actually been my least favorite, but that's just me. Wendella is my favorite, and they also do a hybrid river/lake cruise. Really though, all three companies are good and they pick up from similar areas (CAF and Wendella are across from each other, and Shoreline is from near Navy Pier).

Also, if you like architecture you should go to the Gold Coast, which is downtown. There's a lot of big mansions from the late 19th or early 20th centuries in there, including the original Playboy Mansion (1340 N State Parkway). The easiest way I can tell you how to do this is to go to the intersection of Division and State, and walk north from there on State. You'll start to see some nice mansions and/or nice old town homes (they look nice, but not huge, but trust me they're actually huge houses). Honestly just walk around there and side streets i.e. Schiller, Banks, Astor which runs parallel to State). Some great stuff. It's very residential and you won't feel like you're in downtown except for the small handful of high rise condo buildings mixed in there. There one or two Frank Lloyd Wright houses there too.

Also on the corner of Wabash and Erie is the Driehaus Museum. It's basically a 24,000 sq foot old mansion from the 1800s that's now owned by a wealthy guy who has filled this place with Tiffany and expensive paintings. I had a tour there once, and it was eh. The house and its contents were of course really, really nice, but yeah..found it still boring. If you just want to see it though, it's a nice big old house. The cool part is that diagonally across the street is another mansion owned by the same guy (Richard Driehaus), which I believe doubles as his office for whatever financial wizardry he does.

If you want to see some pictures, go here: Chicago's Gold Coast* -* Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger, Sheboygan, Wisconsin


Also if you like nice, fast cars there's a Lamborhini, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Bugatti dealership on the corner of Pearson and Rush. You can go inside, but don't touch anything ;-) Ghiradelli and Hershey's also have stores right around there if you like chocolate. Ghradelli has some good shakes, sundaes, cones, etc you can order, or just chocolate bars, etc.

[jonnynonos]

My one contribution: You can go up to the Signature Room on the 94th floor of the Hancock and have a drink for the same price as admission to their observatory and much less than the Sears (I don't call it Willis) and have the same view!

I would also stop in for a beer and a burger at Miller's Pub on Jeweler's Row near the Palmer House; that's a fun little place with some local flavor.

Take a tour of the Palmer House when you're there; it has an amazing history.

[scguy89]

Originally Posted by marothisu

If you're going to do anything, wear jeans (make sure there's no holes in them) and a button up shirt or polo shirt. If it's colder out or whatever, you can get away with a "fashionable" sweater/nice long sleeve t shirt. You don't have to be dressed in slacks/khakis for this place, but it is a pretty nice "lounge." Pretty much like any decently nice place in Chicago --> don't wear a tshirt (unless it's a nice long sleeved T), don't wear shorts, don't wear a baseball hat, and don't wear sandals. I think the only decently nice place you could probably get away with this downtown is the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock building.

Okay I have some nice BR jeans I'll probably wear and a light button up. Are t-shirts fine around the city (for the day we do the boat tour, visit the Lincoln Park zoo, go to the Sears tower)? We don't want to seem out of place in the city so we will wear our casual dressy clothes that we normally wear if so. We just wanted to be comfortable for walking around.

Also will it be weird if I carry around my large Nikon camera? Will that be a sure sign I'm a tourist or do people sometimes take pictures of buildings and architecture normally anyway? I don't really care either way. Just wondering.

Originally Posted by marothisu

Also, for the record there's two other companies that do architectural boat tours. Wendella and Shoreline. Chicago Architecture foundation is more expensive by about $5/person and all three tours do similar things and give out similar information. I have been on all three, and CAF has actually been my least favorite, but that's just me. Wendella is my favorite, and they also do a hybrid river/lake cruise. Really though, all three companies are good and they pick up from similar areas (CAF and Wendella are across from each other, and Shoreline is from near Navy Pier).

Also, if you like architecture you should go to the Gold Coast, which is downtown. There's a lot of big mansions from the late 19th or early 20th centuries in there, including the original Playboy Mansion (1340 N State Parkway). The easiest way I can tell you how to do this is to go to the intersection of Division and State, and walk north from there on State. You'll start to see some nice mansions and/or nice old town homes (they look nice, but not huge, but trust me they're actually huge houses). Honestly just walk around there and side streets i.e. Schiller, Banks, Astor which runs parallel to State). Some great stuff. It's very residential and you won't feel like you're in downtown except for the small handful of high rise condo buildings mixed in there. There one or two Frank Lloyd Wright houses there too.

Also on the corner of Wabash and Erie is the Driehaus Museum. It's basically a 24,000 sq foot old mansion from the 1800s that's now owned by a wealthy guy who has filled this place with Tiffany and expensive paintings. I had a tour there once, and it was eh. The house and its contents were of course really, really nice, but yeah..found it still boring. If you just want to see it though, it's a nice big old house. The cool part is that diagonally across the street is another mansion owned by the same guy (Richard Driehaus), which I believe doubles as his office for whatever financial wizardry he does.

If you want to see some pictures, go here: Chicago's Gold Coast* -* Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger, Sheboygan, Wisconsin


Also if you like nice, fast cars there's a Lamborhini, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Bugatti dealership on the corner of Pearson and Rush. You can go inside, but don't touch anything ;-) Ghiradelli and Hershey's also have stores right around there if you like chocolate. Ghradelli has some good shakes, sundaes, cones, etc you can order, or just chocolate bars, etc.

I'll check out and research the boat tours more carefully and I'll definitely roam around those neighborhoods. I have lots of time to waste during the day.

Thanks for the advice, I'll surely be using it.

[scguy89]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

My one contribution: You can go up to the Signature Room on the 94th floor of the Hancock and have a drink for the same price as admission to their observatory and much less than the Sears (I don't call it Willis) and have the same view!

I would also stop in for a beer and a burger at Miller's Pub on Jeweler's Row near the Palmer House; that's a fun little place with some local flavor.

Take a tour of the Palmer House when you're there; it has an amazing history.

Cool info about the Hancock.

We will definitely stop by Miller's Pub then for a meal one day and take a tour of the Palmer House. We didn't realize it had so much history until we starting looking in depth about the hotel.

Thank you.

[jdiddy]

Assuming River hotel has the same layout as Club Quarters, expect very small rooms. But since you aren't in Chicago to sit in a hotel room, it shouldn't be an issue.

[scguy89]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

Assuming River hotel has the same layout as Club Quarters, expect very small rooms. But since you aren't in Chicago to sit in a hotel room, it shouldn't be an issue.

Yep. I saw that in the reviews but we're okay with that. I'm expecting an even smaller room because ours has a king bed. Hopefully we won't be in there too often and we get to see a lot of y'all's great city.

I'm also glad they have baggage storage for guests.

[Attrill]

I would keep the camera easily accessible, but not hanging around your neck at all times. Don't worry about looking strange photographing buildings, but there are the rare snatch and grabs and sometimes you'll get bugged by panhandlers more looking like a tourist. I've lived here for 20 years and I use my Nikon SLR to take photos all over the city all the time.

There are some great places for lunch downtown that are relatively cheap - XOCO and Slurping Turtle are both good bets. For bars you'll be close to the Gage, which is both a good restaurant and a great bar. The beer selection is excellent and the clientele is a mix of tourists and people there for business meetings, laid back in general. If you feel like getting a snack and some good beer it's right by you. Monk's is also pretty good. Kinda 80's divey, but friendly and with a good drink selection.

The Architectural boat tour is a must, and it's also worth taking any walking tours by the Architectural Foundation that look interesting as well. They also have a few free exhibits downtown that are worth checking out as well. The Cultural Center across the street from Millennium Park is free and worth checking out as well. The exhibits rotate pretty frequently, are generally solid, and the Tiffany Dome is worth checking out, the room it is in also offers a unique view of the park.

If you have time I'd try to get out of downtown to some neighborhoods at some point. Take the Blue Line or Red North towards anything that interests you.