Is Chicago a 24 hour city? (Lincoln: to rent, neighborhoods, college)

[CrazyJerzyKidUNO]

Hey,

IM from the New York City area and I have been looking forever for a place to rent but everything over here is so expensive. I love it over here though. Ive looked everywhere from Miami to Philly and just can't seem to find a city that is as lively as New York and is cheap. How is Chicago? I know the rents are way cheaper but is it a 24 hour city? Meaning if im hungry can I go out at 4 in the morning and get chinese food? Also how is nightlife? Does it shut down at 12 like Philly does or is there always something to do? Any input is appreciated. Thanks

[DonkeyTeeth]

It's lively and you can stay out late, but I still don't think it compares to New York. Bars in the Lincoln Park/Lakeview neighborhoods are usually open until 3 or 4, although the crowd at that time of night is very college-like. Plenty of food establishments stay open to cater to that crowd - think chili fries and pizza by the slice, but most real restaurants don't keep hours like that.

Chicago definitely won't let you feel like you're being sent to bed early, but if you want a truly 24 hour lifestyle, I think NY is still unique in the US.

[Steve-o]

Id agree. Only NYC and Vegas have the tru 24 hour feel. However, outside of NYC Id imagine Chicago would be the only place that resembles NYC in terms of nightlife, shopping, arts, etc. Allow yourself a week-long visit and see what you think, Im sure youll love it. Think NYC on 1/2 scale.... maybe 1/4 scale.

[jjbradleynyc]

I've got some friends who live in Chicago and they love it. They love the neighborhood-y feel and the big city feel all at once. You can definitely get something to eat at all hours of the night--but it depends on the 'hood. Chicago is a big city, but as mentioned, it pales in comparison to NYC. Population says it all: NYC 8.3 million vs Chicago 2.75 million. Apples to oranges really. Chicago can hang, though, in some respects.

[rgb123]

I know of a 24 hour Korean restaraunt...not so sure about Chinese

[Drover]

It's not a 24-hour city wall-to-wall. If you want something other than fast-food at 4am, chances are you'll have to wander a bit. But, the 24-restaurants are out there. Some that aren't 24 hours will stay open until an hour or two after the bars close -- there's a burrito joint just down the street from me that stays open until 5am on weekends. I think most of the 24-hour places around here are either Mexican restaurants/burrito stands or greasy-spoon hamburger/Italian-Beef type joints. Most of the chain grocery stores are 24-hour if you need a bag of chips to cure your munchies.

[CrazyJerzyKidUNO]

i think i am going to visit for a week that would be a good idea

thanks

[CrazyJerzyKidUNO]

Also im wondering. Does the "L" run 24/7?

[j33]

Most 'el' lines run 24/7 but not all of them.

[Drover]

Actually I think only the Red and Blue lines run 24/7, but those two lines serve the substantial majority of the night life districts anyway. The one other line that also serves night life areas is the Brown Line, but most of its coverage of nightlife areas is redundantly covered by the Red Line. The notable exception is the Lincoln Square area, which is served by two 24-hour bus lines (Western and Lawrence). And even still, the Brown Line operates between between Belmont and Kimball up to 2am, and picks back up again at about 4:15am, just in time to haul weekend bar hoppers home. (Service to Loop generally stops at 1am and resumes at 5am.) So public transportation pretty adequately serves all the night life spots well into the night/early morning. And failing that, cabs are generally available in the nightlife areas 24/7.