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Hello everyone! I'm from Florida and have never been to Chicago. I will be visiting for the first time with my girlfriend this upcoming weekend. This was a spur of the moment decision as I found a last minute deal online today that was too good to turn down. We will be staying in a nice hotel downtown in the Magnificent Mile area. We are a young couple in our late 20's and will be visiting just for a few nights.
Can anyone give us a 20's somethings perspective of things to do? What about nightlife? Any places to go out Fri and Sat nights that aren't super expensive? We are more into bars/lounges than clubs, but are open minded. We want to go where the action is.
We want to tour the city during the day and try to see as much as possible in only 4 days. We won't have a rental car and will mainly just be in the city. What are the can't miss sights? What are the best restaurants? We want good value, not overpriced fancy places. I have been told Chicago is known for its great food. I'm looking forward to trying some real Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. Not this artificial UNO stuff they have down here in FL.
Also, it looks like the weather is going to be cold there. Its funny that most people are trying to come down to FL to escape the cold. Well we are heading north to escape the heat!
Last edited by Nolefan34; 04-22-2012 at 03:52 PM..
Can anyone give us a 20's somethings perspective of things to do? What about nightlife? Any places to go out Fri and Sat nights that aren't super expensive? We are more into bars/lounges than clubs, but are open minded.
We want to tour the city during the day and try to see as much as possible in only 4 days. We won't have a rental car and will mainly just be in the city. What are the can't miss sights? What are the best restaurants? We want good value, not overpriced fancy places.
Good decision for not renting a car. For where you'll be, there's a lot around there and also there's trains that can take you to many places and numerous cabs always circling.
First, I'm going to recommend an architectural boat tour. A few companies like Wendella and Chicago Architectural Foundation. You cruise along the river (one goes into the lake) and you get a guy telling you the history. There's a bar onboard too. Tickets are $25 or $30/person for a 90 minute tour. It's pretty cool though.
Second, if you want a cool view, go to the John Hancock Tower and go to the Signature Room on the 95th floor. You can get drinks there, but it's more expensive. The views are great though and I recommend going during the day or right before sunset. When it's night out, it looks like a bunch of street lights from up there, so during the day it looks much better IMO.
From there if you want to see some cool old mansions and are into that, then head to State/Division and head north on State. The Original Playboy Mansion is there, although it's been converted to a few condos. It's just a quiet area full of cool late 19th and early 20th century architecture. Not much to see except that honestly.
As far as nightlife goes, if you want bars...they exist of course near where you're staying, but there's also a lot of clubs. I'd say many are a bit more touristy. If you're looking for a good lounge near you, upstairs of Le Colonial on Rush near Oak. Candlelit place and the drinks might be semi expensive (like $7 or $8 for a beer and $10 for a cocktail) but it's pretty chill up there. Who knows, you might be chilling next to someone famous.
As far as bars go though, I'd recommend going up to Lincoln Park, Lakeview, or Wicker Park areas for that. I swear there's bars everywhere in those places (especially Lincoln Park and Lakeview) and up near Wrigley. You will find a lot of newly graduated people in those areas though (and current college kids sometimes). Some of the bars near Wrigley field are a little "fratty" too. Many bars in those areas which are just normal bars and aren't expensive.
Wicker Park and Bucktown are kind of "hip" areas and where hipsters will go, but there's a balance of hipster and non hipster. Lot of normal bars.
As far as "best restaurants" go, well many of the "best restaurants" are extremely expensive (i.e. Alinea will cost you probaby $400-$500 with wine per person). Some places around you I recommend are Purple Pig and Xoco. Xoco is one of Rick Bayless' places (look him up if you don't know who he is). Great, great casual food. Another one on here people will recommend is Hot Doug's. It's a little bit out of the way (probably have to take a few buses or cab to get there), but it's pretty much the best sausage/hot dog place in Chicago. The wait can be really, really long though if you dont' get there at the right time and it's cash only.
Thanks for the reply. $5 per beer and $10 per cocktail is about what we pay down here, so that's doable.
$400-500 per meal though is a bit beyond our price range. Actually that's outrageous! There are kids starving in Africa for cryin' out loud! I guess we're looking for good local places in the $15-30 per meal price range for dinner. Is that unheard of? Or is everything in Chicago through the roof? We'll probably just eat light lunches because we'll be walking around all day touring.
For nightlife, I'm inclined to go out near out hotel for convenience unless there is some great strip of bars and clubs that's worth going to. We're not looking for the recent college grad crowd. We want more of the Young Professional crowd. I suppose sometimes you get mixed crowds and you take the good with the bad. Clubs are doable, but I don't want to stand in line like a herd of cattle and pay $50-100 cover to get in the joint. I actually like places that have an indoor/outdoor theme going on with inside bars and outdoor decks, with heat lamps in the cold. If that makes any sense. I guess maybe you could recommend a cluster of bars that have low cover charges that you can hop around between. That would be ideal.
Is that unheard of? Or is everything in Chicago through the roof? We'll probably just eat light lunches because we'll be walking around all day touring.
Chicago has 3 million people in it and almost 10 million in the area. People have to eat, so $15-$30 is doable just about everywhere. My point was making a distinction about the "ABSOLUTE BEST PLACES TO EAT" (ones that are ranked in the top 100 or 200 in the *world*) will cost you an arm and a leg, but most places you can get dinner for $12. I'd say $30 for dinner not counting drinks would actually be considered pushing the upper end for Chicago.
You'll have no problem finding it.
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For nightlife, I'm inclined to go out near out hotel for convenience unless there is some great strip of bars and clubs that's worth going to. We're not looking for the recent college grad crowd. We want more of the Young Professional crowd. I suppose sometimes you get mixed crowds and you take the good with the bad. Clubs are doable, but I don't want to stand in line like a herd of cattle and pay $50-100 cover to get in the joint. I actually like places that have an indoor/outdoor theme going on with inside bars and outdoor decks, with heat lamps in the cold. If that makes any sense. I guess maybe you could recommend a cluster of bars that have low cover charges that you can hop around between. That would be ideal.
I didn't mean that everyone is newly graduated. Most people out in the areas are between 22 and 30. The newly graduated crowd are young professionals with jobs, maybe a year out and there's many people in their upper 20s.
There's no such thing as a $50 or $100 cover in Chicago. The most I've ever paid was $20 for a club where you'll find pretty much only models going to. Most places don't have covers, and the ones that do you'll expect to pay $10 on average to get in.
For Rooftop bars, there's one at Rock Bottom Brewery, Citizen Bar, theWit hotel (on the 27th floor or something), and Vertigo SkyLounge at the Dana Hotel. All of those are in walking distance.
If you want a cluster of bars near your hotel, then I guess either Hubbard Street would be OK or maybe Rush/Division area. In all honesty though...Lakeview and Lincoln Park is pretty much all bars. You can easily hop on the Red Line train at Grand/State, ride for 15 minutes and be up in those areas. It's safe and again, most people inhabiting those are 22-30 year olds (and some older) and it's very happening in certain areas. ALso if you like Blues music, then there's a few blues clubs on Halsted Street in Lincoln Park (Kingston Mines and B.L.U.E.S.) near the Fullerton red/purple/brown line stop. Closer to your hotel is the Underground Wonder Bar on Clark Street which does live brazilian jazz. Cover is $10 still I think.
I understand your want for wanting to stay downtown, but Chicago is huge and there's so much more to Chicago than downtown that it's not even funny. It is safe in many areas..it might be a little intimidating at first, but just keep it in mind.
I know Chicago is huge. I did not mean we aren't willing to venture out of downtown away from the hotel. I just meant I don't want to kill myself to go to Joe Shmo's bar in an outer suburb when there are better places closer to my hotel that are easier to get to. If you say those are good areas, then we will go. We want to go to the hottest areas, or best areas with good nightlife going on that aren't an arm and a leg.
For restaurants, the best ones aren't always the most expensive ones. But I'll rephrase my original question: What are the best restaurants for the money in the $15-30 range?
Clark Street is what I mentioned about Lincoln Park and Lakeview. The area is lined with bars. Easiest way is a short train ride or cab.
Ok I'm gonna take this recommendation. It sounds like this is a good area to go out. On a map it looks like Clark Steet goes for a long distance. Is there any specific area of Clark St?
I know Chicago is huge. I did not mean we aren't willing to venture out of downtown away from the hotel. I just meant I don't want to kill myself to go to Joe Shmo's bar in an outer suburb when there are better places closer to my hotel that are easier to get to. If you say those are good areas, then we will go. We want to go to the hottest areas, or best areas with good nightlife going on that aren't an arm and a leg.
For restaurants, the best ones aren't always the most expensive ones. But I'll rephrase my original question: What are the best restaurants for the money in the $15-30 range?
Don't worry, nobody on here in their right mind would ever recommend a place in the burbs or a far reaching area of town. Since you said you won't have a car, you'll find everyone will recommend something either within walking distance or easily accessible by the train.
Anyway, yeah there's a lot of different areas. Downtown have many bars and many are half nice bars (The Kerryman, Sable, Bull & Bear, Rockit, Public House, Paris Club, Hubbard Inn, Nacional) and clubs (i.e. Crescendo, Spy Bar, Sound Bar, Excalibur, Ontourage, Underground, etc). You will find some normal pub-style bars. I gave the recommendation to head up north to Lincoln Park and Lakeview because most of the places up there are more regular pub-style bars where the drinks aren't $8-$10 a pop. The clubs you will find west of State Street mostly in River North and if you want to do that, then go to that area. The area on Hubbard Street has bars too i.e. Rockit, Howl at the Moon (the piano bar), Social 25, etc. If you go up to Rush/Division too there's stuff up there too.. A lot of it is older people with $$$ on Rush and Division turns into a collegetown-type atmosphere really randomly. Le Colonial is in the area, and I do love the upstairs (Like this, but darker and also has a small bar: http://images.citysearch.net/assets/...OzwCLbe54.jpeg )
The stuff in Lincoln Park and Lakeview is again, the more pub-ish style bars, but the drinks are cheaper on average of course and good for bar hopping. You will find the nice place there, and Wicker Park kind of the same thing, maybe a little hipper but yeah. Some clubs in the area and also some lounges (i.e. Violet Hour which is one of my favorite cocktail lounges in the city).
As far as restaurants go, yes I was getting to that point about the food. I will start with a few suggestions in the area in that price range, and this is without drinks at your dinner.
If you want Chicago style pizza too there's many options in the area i.e. Gino's East, Lou Malnati's, Pizano's, Giordano's, Pizzaria Uno/Due (word to the wise: Uno and Due are the same exact things), etc.
Also if you want massive omelettes and such open 24 hours, then Tempo Cafe on State & Chestnut.
Many, many, many great restaurants out of downtown though (most of the best rated (just saying, just making an exaxmple) internationally are not in downtown). These are just some listed that are within walking distance of you.
There is also a Greektown here which is near Illinois-Chicago Univ and has some good stuff, and also a Chinatown south of downtown on the Red Line and also a little vietnam (Argyle) semi near Wrigley Field north of downtown if you like Pho.
Last edited by marothisu; 04-22-2012 at 05:23 PM..
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