Chicago vacation - last few questions (Blue Island, Lincoln: condos, hotel, safe area)

[MoItaly]

All right, getting ready here, I am flying in two days from MIA to CHI. I think I prepared everything I could, have a plan all should be fine.
I only have a few extra questions that only people who live (or lived) in Chicago can answer (also because the guides are normally politically correct, so they can't be too upfront).
Anyway:

1-I plan to walk to dinner almost every night, expect when I'll go to Jazz Showcase and maybe another night spent somewhere else). I am considering as a reasonably safe area to walk even after dinner for a drink or two anything inside this square:
North: Division (or Oak?)
West : La Salle
East: Lake Shore
South: the River

What do you think?

2-Navy Pier. It's part of the Go Chicago Card 3 day pass. I am already thinking I should have bought the 5-day pass, but it's late now. Anyway, I have the visit to navy Pier planned for Friday moroning but it will be very short. They open at 10:000 a.m. and at 11:30 I will take the Shoreline Cruise. Do you think I should find the way to reserve more time to Navy Pier, instead of just an-hour?
Is it better to do it in the evening?

3-I was looking at the map and it seems (I haven't realized that before) that Pilsen and Greektown are pretty close to each other. I plan on taking the Pink to 18th and walk eastward from Ashland to Halsted, then go north on Halsted I think up to Adams or the next street north. On the map it looks feasible on foot, what do you think?
And I am assuming that this walk should be done during daylight, right? (I wasn't planned to do it at late night but was wondering if it could be done in the afternoon so that we can dine somewhere in Greektown and then take the El back to our area).

4- Final question for the experts: can you suggest a sport bar to watch NFL games? Does not have to be by my hotel because we will be out anyway, but I guess somewhere in River North-Loop-Near North area.
I am talking about those sport bars where they show all the games, not just the local (okay, I confess, I don't want to miss the Dolphins-Saints game).

Thanks for helping.

[OrangeAndBlue]

1 - yes, that area should be pretty safe even at night. You can go beyond that as well (well, not to the East because you'll get run-over and then wet). Anywhere you are, you should stay alert, but you will generally be fine anywhere downtown. You'll probably get the feeling that you're walking into a dead area and will want to turn around long before you get into anything that is considered "dangerous".

2 - An hour at Navy Pier should be more than enough. Many (most?) locals would consider Navy Pier a giant tourist trap. If you decide to eat there, you'll find mostly cheesy chain restaurants who overcharge. There is a decent beer garden at the end, if you feel like hitting the sauce at 10AM.

3 - Not that it's impossible, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that walk, especially at night if you're not used to urban environments. You'll walk through some interesting areas on 18th street through Pilsen, and then through University Village on Halsted, but much of this walk isn't through what I would call an interesting area to walk through. Take a look at it on Google Street View and decide for yourself. I'd probably take a bus or cab from about 18th / Racine to Greek Town.

4 - There are probably better recommendations for sports bars in River North, but off the top of my head, I am thinking: ESPN Zone, Bull & Bear, Rock Bottom, Mother Hubbard's, Theory... The last 3 of those are pretty close to one another, and there are plenty of additional bars along Hubbard Street, so if you decide that you don't like where you're at, you can always just move on.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

All right, getting ready here, I am flying in two days from MIA to CHI. I think I prepared everything I could, have a plan all should be fine.
I only have a few extra questions that only people who live (or lived) in Chicago can answer (also because the guides are normally politically correct, so they can't be too upfront).
Anyway:

1-I plan to walk to dinner almost every night, expect when I'll go to Jazz Showcase and maybe another night spent somewhere else). I am considering as a reasonably safe area to walk even after dinner for a drink or two anything inside this square:
North: Division (or Oak?)
West : La Salle
East: Lake Shore
South: the River

What do you think?

2-Navy Pier. It's part of the Go Chicago Card 3 day pass. I am already thinking I should have bought the 5-day pass, but it's late now. Anyway, I have the visit to navy Pier planned for Friday moroning but it will be very short. They open at 10:000 a.m. and at 11:30 I will take the Shoreline Cruise. Do you think I should find the way to reserve more time to Navy Pier, instead of just an-hour?
Is it better to do it in the evening?

3-I was looking at the map and it seems (I haven't realized that before) that Pilsen and Greektown are pretty close to each other. I plan on taking the Pink to 18th and walk eastward from Ashland to Halsted, then go north on Halsted I think up to Adams or the next street north. On the map it looks feasible on foot, what do you think?
And I am assuming that this walk should be done during daylight, right? (I wasn't planned to do it at late night but was wondering if it could be done in the afternoon so that we can dine somewhere in Greektown and then take the El back to our area).

4- Final question for the experts: can you suggest a sport bar to watch NFL games? Does not have to be by my hotel because we will be out anyway, but I guess somewhere in River North-Loop-Near North area.
I am talking about those sport bars where they show all the games, not just the local (okay, I confess, I don't want to miss the Dolphins-Saints game).

Thanks for helping.

1) The area set off by La Salle/Lake Shore/Division/River is reasonably safe. You may encounter a character or two, but they're usually harmles.

2) IMO, Navy Pier is more alive in the evening. But I'm guessing you'll still see all there is to see in the morning. Honestly, most Chicagoans are kind of baffled that Navy Pier is such a popular tourist destination. I guess it's just one of those places you go as a tourist, kinda like nobody in NYC cares about Times Square but it's somewhere you go as a tourist becase, well, just because. Next time I'm in NYC I plan to hit Times Square.... just because.

3) That walk is probably a lot farther than it looks on a map. Total trip is about 3 miles.

4) Some bars are team-specific; which team would you be cheering for? There may be a "Saints" bar and/or a "Dolphins" bar in town. If you're still looking for "all" the games and don't necessarily want to be among primarily fellow Saints or Dolphins fans, ESPN Zone is your best bet.

ETA: Doh! Let me guess, you're a Dolphins fan, what with you flying in from Miami... I have heard, but can't verify, that Crabbby Kim's (yes, that's three b's) is the "Dolphins" bar here. Perhaps a call to confirm or deny would be in order.

[Drover]

According to The Chicago Bar Project, the following is a list of bars with NFL Ticket programming:

* Bird's Nest
* Cinner's
* Cortland's Garage
* D'Agostino's Pizza & Pub
* ESPN Zone
* Fearon's
* Gamekeepers
* G-Cue Billiards
* Globe Pub
* Halligan Bar
* Jake Melnick's Corner Tap
* Joe's on Weed St.
* Lawlor's Bar
* Lincoln Tap Room
* Mary's Rec Room
* Newport Bar & Grill
* Mother Hubbard's
* Rebel Bar & Grill
* Trinity

[NearWestSider]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

3-I was looking at the map and it seems (I haven't realized that before) that Pilsen and Greektown are pretty close to each other. I plan on taking the Pink to 18th and walk eastward from Ashland to Halsted, then go north on Halsted I think up to Adams or the next street north. On the map it looks feasible on foot, what do you think?
And I am assuming that this walk should be done during daylight, right? (I wasn't planned to do it at late night but was wondering if it could be done in the afternoon so that we can dine somewhere in Greektown and then take the El back to our area).

Your itinerary is definitely doable on foot if you are up for a hike, and the afternoon would actually be the best time.

If you want to do a mini pub crawl, Simone's (18th and Morgan) is an excellent place to stop in for a beer and a breather. Its a very nice bar, nifty interior design, very friendly, and about half way. Another good place to stop for a beer is Morgan's on Halsted at Maxwell (about 2/3 of the way), which is a total sports bar.

If you want to do a cafe crawl, Jumping Bean on 18th and Bishop is where the local slackers hang out. Kristoffer's on Halsted is famous for baked goods. Caribou is at Maxwell/Halsted if you want to laugh at stressed-out students trying to study. You could also stop at the student center east at Polk/Halsted, which is the neve center of the UIC campus, and has good coffee at the Pier Room on the second floor on weekdays.

If you decide you don't want to walk the entire way, the Blue Island Bus will take you from 18th/Ashland to Harrison/Halsted, which is one block south of Greektown. Another possibility is the 18th Street bus (which you can catch anywhere along 18th) to Roosevelt/Halsted (the UIC Pavilion, roughly 4-5 blocks south of Greektown), or to Maxwell/Halsted, two blocks further south. You then either hoof it through the UIC campus or take the Halsted bus to Greektown.

I have no idea why O & B would not recommend your walk, but I suspect he is either not the adventursome type, is distance-challenged, or simply does not know his way around this area very well.

[OrangeAndBlue]

Originally Posted by NearWestSider

I have no idea why O & B would not recommend your walk, but I suspect he is either not the adventursome type, is distance-challenged, or simply does not know his way around this area very well.

It's not that I don't recommend the walk, I'm just saying parts of that walk aren't what I would consider interesting - i.e. Halsted between Roosevelt and Greektown and parts of 18th St as you get closer to Halsted don't have a whole lot going on. If I was going to go on a 3-4 mile walk in Chicago, I don't think I'd pick the UIC campus to walk through, that's all.
The other point is, I can see how Pilsen may be "intimidating" to walk through at night for someone who is not at all used to walking around in urban areas. I have always felt very comfortable there, and I'm not trying to suggest to the OP that it's dangerous, but it's not like Lincoln Park either.

Btw, if you're hungry while walking by on 18th St, I highly recommend checking out Honky Tonk BBQ or Nuevo Leon. Either one is a way better choice than anything you'll find in Greektown if you ask me. Enjoy!

[It'sAutomatic]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue

It's not that I don't recommend the walk, I'm just saying parts of that walk aren't what I would consider interesting - i.e. Halsted between Roosevelt and Greektown and parts of 18th St as you get closer to Halsted don't have a whole lot going on. If I was going to go on a 3-4 mile walk in Chicago, I don't think I'd pick the UIC campus to walk through, that's all.
The other point is, I can see how Pilsen may be "intimidating" to walk through at night for someone who is not at all used to walking around in urban areas. I have always felt very comfortable there, and I'm not trying to suggest to the OP that it's dangerous, but it's not like Lincoln Park either.

I agree absolutely that Halsted between Pilsen and Greektown is a lame walk. It's 100% urban renewal, i.e. formerly vibrant neighborhoods that were torn down in stages to make the UIC campus and condos. There's no way to bypass it completely, but if I was you, I would take a walk through the Taylor Street neighborhood. You can go left on Racine from 18th street, and walk up to Taylor Street. Then take a right, walk on Taylor street for some time, and then take a left and wander through the side streets heading northeast. I say wander because I can't think of any particular streets worth seeing offhand, but the neighborhood is pretty cool and I look forward to opportunities to hang around there. Doing this will allow you to partially skip walking past ugly new buildings and parking lots on Halsted, but the stretch between 16th and Taylor Street is plenty ugly too. You'll walk past some mixed-income housing projects on Racine there, but you'll be safe during the daytime.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue

Btw, if you're hungry while walking by on 18th St, I highly recommend checking out Honky Tonk BBQ or Nuevo Leon. Either one is a way better choice than anything you'll find in Greektown if you ask me. Enjoy!

Nuevo Leon is a disgusting grease pit. I don't get all the high praise for that place.

[MoItaly]

Thanks all, great stuff.
Man, I am already in love with Chicago. How can you not love a city that has a "Bar Project"??

[Avengerfire]

This can be combined with this :

http://www.city-data.com/forum/chica...go-people.html