Chicago trip ideas

[zarnold56]

Wife and I planning a trip to Chicago Sept 11-14. Plane to arrive by mid-day on the 11th. Going to Cubs game on the 12th during the day, but everything else is open at this point. Looking for some recommendations for where to stay, cool stuff to check out, and places to eat. Looking mostly downtown with an easy way to get to Wrigley for the game. If there is a place to the watch the ISU game on Saturday, that would be a plus (if I can convince wife to watch it).

 

[Cyched]

Red line takes you from downtown to right next to Wrigley, so you won’t need to drive and park.

Pequods is a good pizza place on the north side.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Murphy’s Bleachers is the ISU bar in the city proper and it’s in wrigleyville.

Are you looking for touristy things? What’s your budget for hotel? What do you guys like to do generally speaking?

Will help a long ways in giving recommendations

 

[Gonzo]

If you're staying at a hotel downtown just valet your car when you get there and Uber everywhere.

If you're not staying downtown, Hotel Zachary is literally across the street from Wrigley and a nice spot to stay. They have valet parking too, or you can self park in their parking garage.

For a great hangover breakfast/brunch, I'd recommend the Twisted Spoke. It's in River North neighborhood so not far from downtown. Excellent bloody bar and brunchy menu. Their fried egg sandwich changed my life.

 

[NorthCyd]

What do you guys like? Music, art, theater, museums, shopping? Lots of things to do depending on your interests.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

If you're staying at a hotel downtown just valet your car when you get there and Uber everywhere.

If you're not staying downtown, Hotel Zachary is literally across the street from Wrigley and a nice spot to stay. They have valet parking too, or you can self park in their parking garage.

For a great hangover breakfast/brunch, I'd recommend the Twisted Spoke. It's in River North neighborhood so not far from downtown. Excellent bloody bar and brunchy menu. Their fried egg sandwich changed my life.

If you go to River North and expect to find Twisted Spoke, you’re gonna have a bad time.

 

[zarnold56]

Murphy’s Bleachers is the ISU bar in the city proper and it’s in wrigleyville.

Are you looking for touristy things? What’s your budget for hotel? What do you guys like to do generally speaking?

Will help a long ways in giving recommendations

We haven't set a budget but probably under $300 a night. We like good food, museums, comedy shows. Also just walking around and seeing what we can find. My main thing is the Cubs game.

 

[Gonzo]

If you go to River North and expect to find Twisted Spoke, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Lol, my mistake, West Town? Been a while.

 

[BACyclone]

I know one time we've actually stayed downtown we got a decent price at the Renaissance Chicago hotel. It's a Marriott property and right at Wacker & State next to the river.

Lincoln Park, Navy Pier, walking Michigan Ave are the general touristy highlights I can remember. As others have said, you can stay just about anywhere and ride the red line to/from the Cubs game as easy as anything, but plan for it to be a zoo when you get to Wrigley.

Lou Malnati's is my pick for favorite pizza in town, it has a location downtown along with just about every other type of restaurant. I'd generally recommend just walking around and being open to go somewhere on the fly unless you have something specific you're after.

 

[FarmerCy1]

We haven't set a budget but probably under $300 a night. We like good food, museums, comedy shows. Also just walking around and seeing what we can find. My main thing is the Cubs game.

As far as food goes, Lou Malnalti’s is pretty good pizza. If you’re looking for a date night type meal, try Chicago Cut or Erie Cafe. Both are similar to a 801 Chophouse in DSM. If you’re looking for comedy shows- try to get into a Second City show. It’s improv, but it’s also a feeder for a lot of up and coming talent to get onto SNL.

 

[KidSilverhair]

I second @Gonzo with the plan to just park your car and use Uber/Lyft if you’re staying downtown. Hotel parking rates can be insane - I recommend using an app like SpotHero to reserve a space near your hotel, it’ll save you money.

There are lots of places to stay downtown, although a lot of times they can be really pricey depending on what’s going on. We like River North/Streeterville; we’ve stayed at the Courtyard Magnificent Mile on Ontario Street, the Marriott on Michigan, the Embassy Suites on State Street, the Residence Inn or Springhill Suites River North (they share a lobby in the same building), among several other hotels.

- I can’t recommend the Architecture Institute boat tour highly enough. They cruise up and down the Chicago River and give you neat information about the history and designs of the buildings

- There are also scenic boat tours along the lakefront if you’d prefer that

- The Art Institute has the original American Gothic painting, plus the Seurat painting from Ferris Bueller (and a ton of other stuff)

- If you like the view from tall buildings, I prefer the 360 Chicago (formerly the Hancock building) over Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). Willis Tower is taller, but the Hancock is closer to the lake and I just think it’s better

- The Museum of Science and Industry is incredible (its south of the Loop a ways near Hyde Park)

- Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum are also fantastic (near Soldier Field at the south end of Grant Park)

- Don’t Miss Grant Park/Millenium Park, just to walk around and see the skyline from there. Buckingham Fountain (featured in the opening credits of Married With Children), Cloud Gate (or “The Bean”), it’s a neat park right in the middle of the city

- Second City comedy club is a good time, in Old Town between downtown and Wrigleyville

- There are so many good restaurants, whether you’re looking for high-end fine dining or a dive bar with good pub food. Pizza is, of course, big in Chicago … our favorites include Pizanos (the north State location) or Lou Malnatis … we get the thin crust at Malnati’s and have them overbake it to get it really crisp

 

[NorthCyd]

I've done the museums plenty. The Field Museum is a world class museum that you can spend the whole day in if you really wanted to. Lots of great natural history exhibits. Museum of Science and Industry is great but probably more for kids. The one exception is the submarine exhibit. It's really cool and if you are any kind of WWII buff it's a can't miss. Shedd Aquarium is a pretty good aquarium if you are into that kind of thing. You could also go to the Art Institute and relive some Ferris Bueller moments with the art featured in that scene.

 

[HFCS]

Red line takes you from downtown to right next to Wrigley, so you won’t need to drive and park.

Pequods is a good pizza place on the north side.

I used to take red line in that area all the time and even to/from Cubs games. It's fine to go to Wrigley anytime, but you don't want to leave the game and go immediately to the red line. Better to go get some food or drink and then 45-60 minutes after the game try to go on the platform if you want to take it again. I made mistake of going directly to red line platform after 9th inning once or twice and then never again.

The Art Institute is underrated as an American and world museum IMHO. I think it's the best art museum in the USA in many respects and I've been to quite a few in about a dozen US cities.

 

[PineClone]

This doesn't fit your criteria, but i'll add it anyway. We were just in Chicago last week and the highlight was spending a little time in Geneva. Cool historic downtown, lots of good shops and restaurants. Ducked into a place called "Alchemist" during a thunder storm and had some very nice cocktails. If we ever go back, we'll probably stay in Geneva.

 

[GMackey32]

Take a gummy and go to Shedd Aquarium. Stare at the Jellyfish for an hour.

 

[Cyientist]

I've done the museums plenty. The Field Museum is a world class museum that you can spend the whole day in if you really wanted to. Lots of great natural history exhibits. Museum of Science and Industry is great but probably more for kids. The one exception is the submarine exhibit. It's really cool and if you are any kind of WWII buff it's a can't miss. Shedd Aquarium is a pretty good aquarium if you are into that kind of thing. You could also go to the Art Institute and relive some Ferris Bueller moments with the art featured in that scene.

Spot on. The U-Boat in the Science and Industry Museum is a phenomenal tour. I'll mention that the Shedd Aquarium has beluga whales which sets it apart from many other aquariums.

For dining I'll throw Joe's Seafood, Steakhouse, and Stone Crab out there. I think Corteva picked up the check when I was there though...

 

[Nor'MidWester]

Chicago Athletic Association is a neat hotel and has a couple cool bars including a rooftop bar that looks over Millennium park.

 

[JP4CY]

Good chance the weather is still solid then, take a Wendella river boat ride.
I'd stay at Intercontinental (google the pool) or Embassy.
There is a Trader Joes and Whole Foods there to get a few items.
Don't be afraid to go into Rossi's no matter how gross it looks from the outside.

 

[HFCS]

Spot on. The U-Boat in the Science and Industry Museum is a phenomenal tour. I'll mention that the Shedd Aquarium has beluga whales which sets it apart from many other aquariums.

For dining I'll throw Joe's Seafood, Steakhouse, and Stone Crab out there. I think Corteva picked up the check when I was there though...

Probably my favorite steak/seafood place I've been to. Shaw's Crab House is great too. Right after ISU I waited tables for a restaurant in same group and two months a year I could eat at any of their places 50% off, it was a group of like 20 restaurants.

 

[Peter]

Take a gummy and go to Shedd Aquarium. Stare at the Jellyfish for an hour.

If it is a weekend, avoid the Shed like the plague. That place is a madhouse. The Museum of Science and Industry is fun. The Nazi U-boat tour is pretty eye-opening. You have to book in advance, though. Very competitive to get those tickets.