I plan on visiting the Sears tower but what else is there to see / do?

I'll be visiting the Chi Town area for a weekend and need some help on some fun and safe places to visit.

What are some areas to stay away from?
Is the Down Town area usually pretty busy on the weekends?

 

Navy pier is the ultimate out of towners spot. if you are taking your gf, wife. she will like the magnifcent mile, there is a restraunt named shinanigans which is pretty good from what i hear. I really do not go into the city unless i have to. Hope this helps.

 

if you're planning on driving downtown don't. the "L" hits all the hotspots and landmarks and parking is simply rape anway.

 

Yeah, get a hotel and just go to the L. Parking in the city is crazy expensive. Not to mention you DO NOT want to drive in downtown especially if you aren't used to big city driving, you will get smeared.

There are tons of things to do in Chicago, it all depends on what stuff you like to do. The Shed Aquarium is awesome, the art museum has a lot of cool stuff and the museum of science and industry is neat as well. Navy pier is a big tourist hotspot and the Sears tower. There are tons of good restaurants. You can take a boat tour which is pretty cool. You can go hang out at the beach. The list could go on and on... lol

Downtown is busy all the time. Weekdays, Weekends, it doesn't matter. If there are any festivals or parades going on in downtown on the weekend it can get pretty crazy down there.

As far as areas to avoid... just stay in the downtown area where the people are. Try not to wonder off the beaten path and you will be fine. The North side of the city is typically ok, and there are some cool little bars and things up there. I would try not to wonder too far south and definately avoid the west side of the city.

 

i went to the museum of science and industry that was the most amazing place i've ever seen, they have a captured WW2 german u-boat inside!!!, sears tower, navy pier, Donny's Bike Tour, and geno east side for some authentic deep dish zaa. stay outta the south side, my gf and i went there and we were seriously the only white people and we got some baaaaad looks hahaha

 

watching a sunset from the sears tower is awesome
also at night getting to see the city lit up from the air is cool

 

Thanks for the info guys

 

go to Midevil times man !!

 

hey i resent that stay outta the south side **** born and rasied on 35th and indiana. sorry you guys got mean mugged but you gotta understand it's different now since the peoples been cracking down on bronzeville and making it a respectable neighborhood again. anyway the best food in and around chicago can be found in some of those great ethnic neighborhoods.

 

I see Oak Brook is west of Chi Town ...that where I'll be staying.


Does this city fall into the AVOID areas?

 

Oak brook is the suburbs, that is actually a really nice area.

 

cubs game, say whatsup to all the bleacher bums for me!!!

 

I like to stay at the Swisshotel on Upper Wacker Drive. If you search the internet you can usually get a reasonable rate there and the hotel is first class in every way. The Palm restaurant is in the Swisshotel and that is my favorite place for steak although it is expensive. Other great places for a steak are Gene and Georgetti's and Sullivans.

For lunch, you cannot miss The Billy Goat. It is on lower Michigan Avenue - one level below the street. The cheeseburgers are awesome. Saturday Night Live used to spoof this place in the 1970's.

I would recommend the Museum of Science and Industry for the captured WWII German U-boat - the U-505. It is worth the price of admission alone.

The Shedd Aquarium is also excellent if you are into fish. The last time I was there, they has a Komodo Dragon.

 

oak brook is an awesome area but expensive as hell.

 

there's tons of cool things to do in chicago. make sure you also make a trip to wrigleyville. just dont' go too far and head off to halsted. that's boys town. unless you like that kinda thing.

 

The Museum of Science and Industry was Very Cool.
I wasted 2 days in there.

What's the name of the Big, Thick Pizza? Giardono's ?(sp)?

 

yea check out navy peer for sure, if you walk to the end of it there is a good sea food place to eat, its called bubba gump shrimp. theres always the shed aquarium too if your into that kind of ****..

 

haha north side, south side, etc. are referring to the city....

but there is a million things to do. ppl talked about the museums...you can get museum passes that are discounted and give admission to multiple...
you can buy a weekend L pass for like ($10?) there is the art institute, millenium park, mag mile, navy pier, restaurants (Brazzaz and Grand Luxe are my 2 favs), boat rides off navy pier, hit the neighborhoods for amazing bars and food (i vote bucktown, wicker park, etc.)

A cubs game will be hard to catch because they are away most of september

 

I just moved to Chicago this weekend. I'm only 3 blocks from the beach, so I was there most of the weekend. I'm just north of downtown, in the Gold Coast area. I literally have like 8 bars within two blocks of my apartment. It's pretty sweet.

I was up in Wrigleyville also and it was crazy. There was a Cubs game that afternoon, and people we were partying that night from it.

I'm so excited to be living here. Too bad I move back home in December.

 

Well welcome to Chicago, going to school in the city or??

To the OP have fun in Chicago, when you coming down? Plenty of places to check out! As said above the museums are great, Shedd Aquarium is nice, Navy Pier definitely, theres a couple zoo's around the Chicagoland area, if you want to go a little north theres Six Flags Great America. Food is all over, great pizza, burgers, and such.

 

I'm up here for an offcampus semester. I have an internship at a theatre up in Skokie, then classes once a week. It should be pretty sweet. I'm so excited to be in the city!

 

Blue Man Group
Dick's Last Resort

 

Cool, cool. Enjoy!
Blue Man Group: Yes!
Dick's: HELL YES!!!