trip report fri 1st--fri 8th

fri 1st checked into hotel (club quarters on adams) in aft..started

pouring down ! ate at hotels bar(elephant and castle) in eve.

sat 2nd out early for 9am open top bus from sears.also did the ethnic tour which is included.lunch at bennigans(just off wacker)check out the mini cheeseburgers !! navy pier in aft..water taxi back to sears.back to np at night.ate at riva and watched the fireworks

sun 3rd bf at lou mitchells which was great.it was already busy at 8am ! went to wrigley field as the cubs were playing.didnt go to the game as i have been to a game before in s.f. and didnt understand it...seemed to be a good atmosphere around the ground.went to castaways bar for lunch on north beach.down to navy pier late aft and went on seadog speedboat(didnt seem to go as fast as we thought it might)the gospel music festival was on in mp so we shot over and sat and watched that for a while.ate at lou malnattis at night which was good(great cheese garlic bread)

mon 4th aquarium and field museum in morning(ate at corner bakery in mus) tried to get into soldier field for a look round but all locked up.why no ground tours? shopping in aft...usual suspects -levi store,niketown,adidas,macys. went on the odyssey dinner cruise in evening.good food and service.we paid the extra to book a window table and thought it was worth it.

tue 5th c/out hotel and moved to hilton towers on michigan(dvd put us on to a good deal but more about that later) fox and obel for lunch.very good.shopped at np for chicago souvenirs and got water taxi to aquarium.10 mins walk from hotel.ate at hotel bar,kitty o sheas and went to see wicked in eve..very good show.nice theatre.

wed 6th lincoln park zoo in morn.great zoo for no admission fee.lovely park.walked back to beachstro on north beach for lunch(great waffle fries)on the way up we walked thru gold coast area houses and down the beach on way back.both great walks. aft architectural boat tour..spoilt slightly as it started raining.in eve went to chinatown which we would say was dissapointing. seemed a bit rough and not all restaurants were open.having said that we did have a nice meal in royal dragon.

thurs 7th easy day ! boiling hot.sat out on oak beach in morning.went to signature room for lunch.we opted for the buffet at $18 which was good. rode the el round loop in aft on brown line just to see things differently.stopped off at grant park to watch some bands at the blues festival not really my thing but they were good.ate at carmines on rush st in eve.we thought that was only ok.

fri 8th packing in the morn.went to grill in the park for lunch(great kobe burger) and thats it..all thats left for me to say is thanks to all you local experts but especially dvd and dave 148...they really do know their stuff...chicago is a great city and anybody thinking about going stop thinking and book it

trip report fri 1st--fri 8th

also forgot to say....went down to the oceans 13 prem on illinois st.didnt really see much but it was a laugh..and also saw jerry springer in the hancock centre !!! go jerry

Thank you, Chicago experts!

We had a GREAT vacation in Chicago, thanks to the advice on this board. Hotel was an incredible value and in a very convenient location (Hotwire%26#39;s mystery 4-star on Michigan Ave, aka Westin), and the restaurants suggested here suited our needs and tastes perfectly.

I also have to say that the helpfulness of strangers was remarkable. You only have to stand on the sidewalk and look confused for a second before someone asks if they can help. Not what we expected in a big city.

Thank you to all who advised us. We look forward to returning soon.

Thank you, Chicago experts!

Yay! :) Glad the Westin worked out and glad you enjoyed your trip!

Hope you%26#39;ll be able to make it back to Chicago soon and glad we could help.

EL Parking?

We%26#39;re planning a trip to Chicago that would include the Brookfield Zoo and Oak Park F.L . Wright district, so our best lodging option might be to stay in that area and commute downtown on the days we want to visit.

What%26#39;s parking like for non-regulars at CTA stations on the Forest Park, Cermak or Midway lines on weekdays? I mean, do the regular commuters fill them up by 8:00 each morning, or is there a station where there%26#39;s pretty much always some parking available?

EL Parking?

I don%26#39;t believe that it will be a problem to park at Forest Park during the week. While I don%26#39;t regularly take the ';L'; during the week, the times I have there has been plenty of parking. The Forest Park station has room for over 1000 cars. I think that most ';L'; commuters tend to either walk or take a bus to the stations.

make word remember

Best Bars

My husband and I are going to Chicago with 6 others and want to go out on the town and drink the night away. We are wanting to have a decent dinner somewhere to start the night out. Suggestions on dinner are welcome. We of course will most likely be going to the Rush Street area and I would like a few suggestions from those who have experianced different bars themselves. We like more laid back bars where we can actually hear each other when we talk to one another. I wouldn%26#39;t mind dancing too but maybe something still where they have a seperate area to relax and hear one another talk. We would prefere ones without cover charges if at all possible.

Best Bars

Rockit Bar and Finn Mccools are exactly what you describe, except I don%26#39;t know if there are any bars that aren%26#39;t loud on the weekends in the rush street area.

Best Bars

They%26#39;re all loud on Rush St, and the people who come to those bars really leave that area a mess afterwards. The River North area (such as Rockit, mentioned above) is what I%26#39;d recommend more.

If your more interested in Lounges and Wine Bars than Bars. And want to stay in the area.

I would suggest:

BIN 36

339 North Dearborn

Pops for Champagne

601 N. State St.

Lounge at

SushiSamba Rio

504 N. Wells St.

Where to stay?

My wife are making our first trip to Chicago in mid July. We are taking in a cubs game and going to enjoy the city for a weekend. We have looked and looked for a quality hotel at a reasonable price. Could anyone give some advice

Where to stay?

What are your dates of travel and what is the max you want to spend per night on a room? Once you provide these details, I%26#39;d be happy to do some research and make some suggestions.

Where to stay?

We are flying in on July 13th and staying until the 16th. I would love to stay around $150 but not sure that is possible. I have checked several places out but just not sure... Best Western Grant Park? Any others?

Wyndham Glenview Suites

Hi everyone! As an anniversary gift, I was thinking about planning a trip to Chicago. I was hoping for some feedback on this idea. I was searching for a location that is close to all of Chicago鈥檚 museums and theaters, but also a relaxing environment since we are both always on the go. I came across the Wyndham Glenview Suites and was wondering if anyone has stayed there before and if this hotel would suit our interests? I would appreciate any information regarding the Glenview Suites. Thanks. Ben

Wyndham Glenview Suites

I haven%26#39;t stayed there, but Glenview is a nice area and it is close to the train. I would also highly, highly recommend heading over to the nearby Chicago Botanic Gardens (chicagobotanic.org) in Glencoe, which is a beautiful place for a romantic walk (quite a few weddings take place there, too.) Depending on when you%26#39;re coming, you could also take in a concert at the famed Ravinia Festival (ravinia.org.)

A really nice newer hotel (although one that would be further North) is the Westin North Shore. Aside from the Wyndham, other nearby hotels include the Hilton Northbrook and, in nearby Skokie, the recently renovated Doubletree.

Wyndham Glenview Suites

Actually, what that hotel is close to is Hwy. 294. It is near the forest preserve, though, and a nice historic area owned by the Glenview Park District. It isn%26#39;t a bad area, but it%26#39;s not what I would call ';close to Chicago%26#39;s museums and theaters.'; I

Staybridge Suites in Glenview is right next to the North Glenview (';The Glen';) train station. That will get you downtown in 40 minutes, but you%26#39;ll be tied to the train schedule. If you really want to be out at night, and have only a short visit, get a room downtown via Hotwire, hotrooms.com or another discount site.

good makeup

Nice but Inexpensive Dinner Suggestions?

My husband and I will be going to Chicago during the 4th and are staying at the W Chicago Lakeshore. I am wanting to go to dinner at a place where we are not going to spend $100 to $200. Can anybody suggest a good resturant moderatly priced in the Magnificant Mile area or close to our hotel? We like casual settings with a good atmosphere and style of food is limitless.

Nice but Inexpensive Dinner Suggestions?

Mag mile for dinner will be expensive. You can probably stretch your money a little bit further if at lunch if you%26#39;re really looking for a bargain.

OYSY is a sushi place on Grand just east of Rush street. They have a good, creative menu, and plenty of rolls in the $8-12 range.

Boston Blackie%26#39;s serves up a killer burger. They%26#39;re also on Grand a bit east of Michigan. It%26#39;s been around for ages, and for good reason.

1492 serves up some creative tapas in a beautiful old mansion on a tree-lined street. They have a fair amount of outdoor seating as well. Tapas start around $5 or $6, and there%26#39;s plenty to choose from under $10. They%26#39;re on Superior just past Wabash.

Also check out Metromix.com a longer list of suggestions.

Nice but Inexpensive Dinner Suggestions?

Yes,

checkout metromix.com

In addition you can use http://chicago.menupages.com/

You can usually find the restaurant menu with prices.

Thank you so much and I will be looking at those sites

a little over a month ago, this very topic was discussed...if you do a thourough search on this board you%26#39;ll find some suggestions.

Outside of the restaurants Skeeter tends to suggest and steak places, most other restaurants discussed on here will run you under $80 for a couple including tip.

Some of the best downtown values are Cafe Iberico, Wildfire and any of the pizza places.

If you specify some of the cuisines you%26#39;re looking for you may also get more recommendations.

鈥ripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g35805-d4鈥?/a>

I think you would like the Grand Lux Cafe, 600 N. Michigan at Ontario. The entrance is on Ontario between Rush and Michigan. What a nice place, great atmosphere and menu, but not super expensive. Try to get a window seat, but it%26#39;s all good.

Check out the reviews.

The hotel itself has a decent outdoor area with pretty good food. Nice views of the lake.

Advice for ';inside fun'; in Chicago anyone?

Hi, I%26#39;ll be staying around Chicago for about three weeks

from mid June to early July. I read thru several posts

and saw many recs to museums, pier, tower, etc., but

I was wondering if any local expert could give tips in

other local fun that travelers miss out on. For example,

I live in Atlanta and I see travelers go to Coke Museum, CNN

and such but real fun isn%26#39;t really in visiting such places.

You know what I mean? This is my first time visiting Chicago

If you could help me out, that would be awesome!

Advice for ';inside fun'; in Chicago anyone?

Grab a good book. Walk slowly down Astor Street between Division and North. Take detours if you want, but above all, admire the mansions (the last one at North and Astor is where the Cardinal lives). When you get to North, cross the street, and meander around Lincoln Park until you find a nice place to sit. Read the book you%26#39;ve been schlepping around all this time.

Advice for ';inside fun'; in Chicago anyone?

While the museums here are quite wonderful, good for you for wanting to see some the off-the-beaten track fun that Chicago holds. You%26#39;re bound to have a good time with that attitude!

Here%26#39;s a few ideas:

Make time to walk along the lake with the runners, bikers, and sun worshipers. It%26#39;s a whole different side of Chicago (which is very neat to see). Start in the south, and finish by turning off at North Ave. Continue your walk just a couple blocks through the entrance of the free - and very cool - Lincoln Park Zoo. Take a break to sit in the flower gardens lining the other exit on th park%26#39;s west side.

One of the best views of Chicago can be found for free on the north steps of the Planetarium, which drop into Lake Michigan. Meter parking is available (though you might have to circle a few times). Grab some take-out (or a Chicago pizza), and have one of your meals there. Ideally at night where you can see the lights - and sometimes fireworks over the lake. Mid June to early July is perfect for this, as the weather makes this much less possible most other times of the year.

Take the El (the train system - called the El because it is elevated over downtown). It%26#39;s easy to understand, though nice people around are often willing to help you if you have questions. Really beats sitting in Chicago traffic. Best deals come with the passes.

Check out local festivals, concerts, and events that will be going on while you are in town in the Chicago Reader: http://www.chicagoreader.com/

Great book stores, zine shops, record stores, restaurants all around.

If you give more of an idea of the kind of ';inside fun'; you are looking for, I bet many on this board will have ideas.

I would suggest looking at metromix.com. And finding summer festivals that will be going on while your here. Each weekend there should be at least 3 festivals.

In addition I would suggest hanging out at the lake front. you can bike, run, etc... There is also Castaways Bar %26amp; Grill along the lake. You can hang out at.

I would also suggest hanging out at the bars in Lincoln park, wrigleyville, wicker park, that have outside dining.

I am guessing nice weather is not a big thing in Atlanta. However in Chicago its a rare thing. So we have to take advantage of the summer.

Pickup a local newspaper when you are here, they have listings for all the festivals and special things that are going on that week. The Tribune has listings in both Thursday and Friday%26#39;s paper, not sure about the Sun Times. Also the Reader which is free at bookstores and record stores (if any of those still exist!)

Summer is festival season in Chicago, there%26#39;s the big ones like Taste of Chicago and Blues Fest but also lots of fun neighborhood festivals.

yee0890, I%26#39;d suggest that you do some of these items first, because they are pretty special. Even though they can be considered ';touristy';, the locals do these as well.

Go on the Chicago Architecture Foundation%26#39;s River Cruise;

Have a (pricey) drink in the Signature Lounge (try to go at sunset, if you can);

Visit the Art Institute (and any of the other museums you wish);

Visit Millennium Park - go to a free concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion - good time for a picnic;

When you go to the above, do go to Buckingham Fountain in the evening for the light show (on the hour, every hour)

Walk along the Lakefront Path;

Explore Lincoln Park - the Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory are free every day.

See the City%26#39;s Independence Day fireworks on the evening of July 3rd. (There is a HUGE, HUGE crowd of people who will be there, though, so I%26#39;m forewarning you.)

Now for the ';off the beaten path'; places:

There are free concerts all around town: Daley Plaza (';Under the Picasso'; at noon weekdays); the Chicago Cultural Center; Navy Pier at the Beer Garden. Also concerts at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Art Institute, where you pay a charge. The neighborhood festivals usually charge some gate fee or ';donation'; - the entertainment on the stages are free. On the latter, if you have the chance to see these local entertainers, do so: The Jesse White Tumblers, the Chicago Gay Men%26#39;s Chorus, the Midnight Circus, and, especially, Redmoon Theatre troupe.

Try to take in a performance at the Theatre on the Lake in Lincoln Park. The tickets are very inexpensive and, naturally, they go fast - but these are performances by some of the city%26#39;s best troupes. Great opportunity to see them at a reasonable cost.

The Chicago History Museum has a nice traditional 4th of July celebration, usually followed by a short time when the entrance fee is waived to the museum. Make sure you stay for the musket firing at the end of the ceremony, if you go.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is an easy day trip - take Metra. If you go on the weekend, they have a special $5 fare (covers travel to and from).

Wrigley Field has tours on certain days on/around the weekend, when the Cubs are away. And the Police will be having concerts at Wrigley Field around the 4th.

If you go to the Museum of Science and Industry, you could always explore Hyde Park and the University of Chicago. When you are there, look into visiting the Oriental Institute as well as the Smart Museum of Art. Also, if you wanted to take a scenic little side trip if you are at the MSI, go visit the Osaka Japanese Garden (only a couple of blocks away, over the Clarence Darrow Bridge).

The Old Town School of Folk Music (in Lincoln Square) has some very nice concerts. Take a look at their schedule.

Maybe you%26#39;d like to take a cooking class? The Chopping Block has a couple of locations (at the Merchandise Mart and in Lincoln Square). Also, about cooking - we have a little thing going on when you are here called the Taste of Chicago. In addition to eating food and hearing world-class and local entertainment, there are many cooking demonstrations by local chefs (and nationally known ones as well) in the tent down by Buckingham Fountain. By the way, they give out free little cookbooks (while supplies last) of the recipes demonstrated.

Graceland Cemetery is located at the intersection of Clark and Irving Park in Uptown. It is the final resting place of many of Chicago%26#39;s famous, including Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan (who designed the Getty Tomb also located there), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Palmers (of the Palmer House fame), Marshall Field...the list goes on. This is a lovely, park-like cemetery with beautiful statuary, masoleums (some with stained glass windows) and it%26#39;s own man-made lake in the middle. The Chicago Architecture Foundation does have scheduled tours of it but you can pick up a map (for a small fee) at the cemetery%26#39;s office. See their website for details as well as photos.

If you decide to go to the above, or even if you don%26#39;t, I recommend that sometime during your stay, head over to N. Southport for shopping, dining and seeing a movie at the Music Box Theatre (about 3.5 blocks SW of Graceland Cemetery). The Music Box is a mini-movie palace built in 1929 which plays art films, foreign, docs, classics - and also where the sing-a-long movies are held (such as The Sound of Music, Grease, etc.). It has matinees as well as midnight showings.

Speaking of movies, the Outdoor Film Festival is held in Grant Park (when the Taste of Chicago isn%26#39;t there). Take a look at their schedule.

Visit one or more of the neighborhoods with a Chicago Greeter.

SummerDance is held on S. Michigan Avenue. Lovely way to spend some time in the evening.

But, the BEST thing you can do is simply relax and take it easy when you are here. So many visitors come to Chicago for a long weekend-type of visit and try to pack too many things in a short period of time. They miss the essence of being in Chicago. You, on the other hand, have the luxury of time. Enjoy!

ittwit

Music Scene in Chicago

Hi.

Me and a few friends are coming to chicago in july. Can anyone recommend where i can find out which bands are playing around this time?

Also, we are travelling on from Chicago to New York with a few stops in between, so any recommendations here would be appreciated.

Thanks

Music Scene in Chicago

Chicago Reader: http://www.chicagoreader.com has it all.

Time Out Chicago (http://www.timeout.com/chicago/index.jsp) and Metromix (http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/music) are both ok.

What type of music are you hoping to see? Tons of it to be found.

Also, Time Out NY is a great resource for NY (http://www.timeout.com/newyork/)

Music Scene in Chicago

Thanks very much. Just looking for rock-type music, We are coming from England, so are just hoping to maybe see a few of the bands that are pretty big over here, and just trying to make it in the US, or a few up and coming american bands.

Chicago%26#39;s a fine town if you like the rock.

The Empty Bottle on Western is a really good club to know of, as are the Abby Pub and Schubas, and, to some extent the Metro. Many, many others.

Depending on when you are coming, you might be able to take in some festivals. Pitchfork (http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com) has a really nice line up this year.

Best with it!

Thanks again!!

We are coming at the end of July, so just miss the festival unfortunately.

There are 5 of us, all 25 year old males, first time in chicago. Only there for about 5 days. We want to hit the bars and pubs,

Where is the best area to stay for bars? and any recommendations on bars to go to?

';Where is the best area to stay for bars? and any recommendations on bars to go to?';

The best areas to stay from a tourist standpoint are the Magnificant Mile (Mag Mile) and River North areas. You%26#39;ll be within walking distance (or a short cab ride) of numerous watering holes. I%26#39;m sure someone else will chime is with specific bar recommendations.

Depends on what kind of music (and what kind of Chicago) you want to see.

Want to see touristy? Stay in the Magnificent Mile or Gold Coast.

...but there are many other options for seeing Chicago besides ';touristy.';

It all depends what sort of accommodations you prefer.

Do you want decadence or just a place to sleep and keep your suitcase safe? Chicago has this and everything in between.

How do you envision your stay? Do you want to be in the shopping district, or in more lived-in Chicago? If music is a key interest, you should know that that offered in the more touristy areas are generally much more, um, touristy.

The last poster had some great suggestions...to that I%26#39;ll add the Double Door, Subteranean for more of an indy rock scene, and The House of Blues and Joe%26#39;s Bar for more of a mainstream scene.

The House of blues and Joes are the only ones located near mag mile...though most of the others are within el access.

You might also want to check out the Aragon (aragon.com) or the Riviera (centerstage.net/music/clubs/riviera.html). Both venues are in the Uptown neighborhood and are right across the street from the Green Mill (greenmilljazz.com) which is one of Chicago%26#39;s oldest and most famous jazz clubs (if you are into jazz).

Need Help driving thru Chicago from Milwaukee to IN & back

Hi! This is a great board full of information. I am looking for help with our driving route. I have read a few posts that mention road construction and would like to find the best routes.

On the morning of Monday July 9th we will be leaving Manitowoc Wisconsin (attending wedding) and driving to Chesterton Indiana. I need the best way to get to Chesterton and through Chicago hoping to avoid construction, etc.

On the morning of Wedneday, July 11th we will be leaving Chesterton and going to the Swiss in Chicago (dropping off rental). What is the best way back into the city?

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you.

Need Help driving thru Chicago from Milwaukee to IN %26amp; back

If you use Mapquest, the routing will take you around the construction by taking the Tri-State toll road (94/294). You%26#39;ll hit a bit of construction along the toll road. But it%26#39;s nothing compared to the Dan Ryan mess.

From Chesterton to Chicago - Mapquest has you taking the IN toll road into the Chicago Skyway/Dan Ryan. It%26#39;s really not that bad of a route. You%26#39;ll be hitting the Ryan after the morning rush.

Chicago Baseball trip

My son (10 years old) and I are coming to Chicago to see a White Sox game and then a Cubs game - July 29 and July 30. We are looking for a decent (but not too expensive) hotel in the heart of the city that is near the El (We were told we could take the El to both stadiums?). We would also like to be near some of the tourist attractions. Any suggestions on things to see during the day would be great also.

Chicago Baseball trip

';Decent, but not too expensive'; can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Please be more detailed (max budget? are you checking out the 30th or 31st?), so that the folks here can provide more specific recommendations on hotels.

Chicago Baseball trip

I was hoping to keep it between $100 - $150. We are looking for Cable TV, 2 beds and close proximity to EL and attractions.

We are checking out on the 31st.

Could be tricky due to:

Jul 29-Aug 1

Institute of Food Technologists - IFT Annual Meeting %26amp; Food Expo®

McCormick Place South

Delegates: 22,000

However, Hotwire is showing availability at a couple of spots for $159/night.

Yes, the CTA red line train will get you to either ballpark. Visit transitchicago.com for details. A visitor transit pass might come in handy for your visit.

The Red Roof Inn on Ontario is showing double rooms for $130 before tax. That is a basic hotel but a good location, a short walk to the Red Line trains at Grand Avenue. You can also walk to Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park and Navy Pier. Best strategy is to make a reservation that can be cancelled, then look for a better deal.

In terms of the Hotwire offerings, the 4* in North Michigan Ave/Gold Coast/Water Tower area seems most promising. It should show up as a ';customer favorite'; with fitness/business/restaurant and internet. I%26#39;m seeing it for $156, but you may see it for a slightly different price.

Need hotel Aug4-6

Coming for another visit Aug 4-6. Want to stay downtown but looking to spend around $175 or less if possible.

There will be two adults and two teenagers, so we%26#39;ll have to be sure to have at least 2 double beds.

Thanks for any help. :)

Need hotel Aug4-6

$175 will be difficult (if not impossible for a 2 bed room) for these dates, as the Lollapalooza Festival is taking place during this time period (3rd-5th) and rates are going up all the time as more and more festival ticket holders book their rooms.

The only hotel I%26#39;m seeing in this price range is the Hyatt McCormick Place for $199. This is a very nice hotel, but it%26#39;s South of the city a bit of a ways, and really not terribly convenient for a tourist. There%26#39;s nothing right around it, aside from McCormick Place. It would not be a far trip to the Museum Campus though, which is just to the North.

You would have to use the hotel shuttle to make the trip downtown, taxi or use the Metra Electric train from the McCormick Place stop.

My other thought would be to try to bid for a 3* or 4* on Priceline in the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park or River North/North Michigan Ave. You would want to bid for 2 rooms, as Priceline only guarantees 1 bed. So, you would want to try for 2 rooms @ a bid of $85 per room per night. If you have never used Priceline before, it is a non-refundable deep discount service where you ';bid'; for a hotel at a certain star rating in a certain area. If a hotel in that star rating (4*, for example) accepts your bid, you are automatically booked in a non-refundable, non-changeable reservation at that hotel. You do not pick your hotel

Another option would be to stay in the burbs, which offer much cheaper hotel rates. And there are some very nice suburban hotels, such as the Hyatt Lodge @ McDonalds Campus in Oak Brook (www.thelodge.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp), which has paddleboats and nature trails.

Finally, if you are willing to split your stay between two hotels in the same general area, I could figure a way for you to stay in a better area for around $200 or slightly less.

Call the Westin River North and ask them about promo code Z2H, which is 20% off a 2 night stay with a Saturday arrival. If you look up this code online here: starwoodhotels.com/promotions/鈥?/a> The site says that a regular 1 bed room would be available for $207 with the discount (more than you wanted to spend, but maybe something you may consider), but no 2 bed regular rooms are available. If you are interested in this deal, you could call and see if any 2 bed regular rooms have opened up and if you could use the promotion to get the $207 rate.

Need hotel Aug4-6

Thanks for the help...thought there might be some event going on.

Maybe we will try priceline.

Dvd....thought I%26#39;d let you know, I did try Priceline. I had to bid $100 and asked for a 2*. Ended up with a 3*....the Allegro. Looks like it will be nice. We ended up getting 2 rooms, jus to make sure we were covered for beds.

I %26#39;ll let you know how our trip goes.

Your help has been very much appreciated!

Awesome! :-) The adults will also get to enjoy a free wine reception for an hour at night @ the Allegro. Also, if you%26#39;re coming by train from Michigan, the Allegro is an easy walk from Union Station.

This may be a silly question but here it is.....You said Union station is within easy walking distance of the Allegro which is terrific.

It must not be uncommon then to see people with overnight bags or luggage walking around then, right?

%26lt;%26lt;This may be a silly question but here it is.....You said Union station is within easy walking distance of the Allegro which is terrific.

It must not be uncommon then to see people with overnight bags or luggage walking around then, right? %26gt;%26gt;

Nope, not uncommon at all (and you can really see that elsewhere, as well.)

I could probably walk from Union to the Allegro in less than 5 minutes (well, maybe a minute or two more if I was lugging luggage). It%26#39;s maybe a 4-5 (short) block away. It%26#39;s probably the closest hotel to Union Station, aside from the nearby W City Center.

How cool is that!!! I am so excited!

I%26#39;ll let you know how it turns out. :)

good makeup

Chicago in 7 days!

Hi, I will be in town for only seven days and would like to visit all the great sites and restaurants. Any suggestions would be helpful!

Chicago in 7 days!

7 Days should allow you a comfortable amount of time to see the major sites and also enough time to browse around some of the neighborhoods such as Chinatown and Lincoln Park.

Please provide some specifics so we can provide more detailed recommendations:

1. What are your likes/dislikes? Are there any kinds of things you are not interested in seeing/more interested in seeing?

2. Where are you staying, so we can provide directions and better give you a sense of distance.

3. What dates are you staying? So we can maybe suggest some things going on during the time.

You should have no problem seeing a lot in 7 days, though.

Chicago in 7 days!

Please take a look at the introduction to Chicago section on this web site. There%26#39;s also a downloadable best of Chicago section.

Take a look at metromix.com for ideas of things to do. You can enter the dates of your visit to see what%26#39;s happening here. You can also do dining searches there and at chicagoreader.com.

Public transit information - transitchicago.com. A CTA visitor pass might be handy for your visit.

Feel free to ask more specifc questions and we%26#39;ll be happy to help.

dog

Uptown Hotels

Hi..

I%26#39;m planning on a trip to, among other things, hit the clubs in the Uptown area.. Does anyone have any ideas on reasonably priced hotels in the Uptown section of Chicago. Thanx

Uptown Hotels

Uptown isn%26#39;t really a hotel-rich location. You%26#39;d probably be better off downtown, or maybe Evanston.

Uptown Hotels

If you want to keep it close and cheap, there%26#39;s a Days Inn in Lincoln Park.

I stayed at City Suites in Lakeview last time. I was looking for something a little closer in...

There isn%26#39;t much for clubs in the Uptown area...There are two theaters that have various types of live music and a jazz club as well as a couple small bars with one or two of them having laive music. The Heart O%26#39; Chicago hotel is nearby in Andersonville which isn%26#39;t the nicest of hotels but based on reviews i%26#39;ve read, is clean and cheap. Public transit to uptown would take about 15 mins and should be easy. www.transitchicago.com

Try Hawthorne Terrace- 3434 Broadway.It is a Days Inn property. I got married last year in Andersonville- just west of uptown (about five blocks) and this was where we had people stay.

Champaign - What to do?

Heading to Champaign via Indy on June 8th so my son can attend a wrestling camp at U of I. Will stop off to see some relatives in Southern Illinois but then looking for things to do for five days or so while in Champaign. We are active foodies with interests in arts, history and music. Saw a reindeer farm listed on the Champaign Chamber site but not much else. Any advice? Should we drive to Chicago instead - and how hard/long of a trip would that be?

Champaign - What to do?

http://www.visitchampaigncounty.org/

It%26#39;s not too long a drive to Springfield - http://www.visit-springfieldillinois.com/

Chmpaign to Chicago is about 2 1/2 hours. There%26#39;s quite a bit of construction on the Dan Ryan expressway as you approach the city.

Champaign - What to do?

Make a trip to Springfield!!!

Abraham Lincoln%26#39;s home is here, there%26#39;s an incredibly high-tech (think holograms!) AL museum, plus he%26#39;s buried here.

Need something interesting for your palate? Have you tried a horseshoe? Think meat of your choice...buffalo chicken, hamburger, ham, etc., served on a piece of bread, smothered with a Welsh rarebit (cheese) sauce and covered with fries. Heart attack on a plate. Unless you%26#39;re a VERY hearty eater, go for the pony shoe instead. It%26#39;ll fill you. THE place is D%26#39;Arcy%26#39;s Pint...Irish bar %26amp; grille. But on a Saturday evening, be prepared to wait an hour. It%26#39;s worth it.

Springfield%26#39;s a fun town and only about 90 minutes west of Champaign-Urbana on interstate 72, and it%26#39;s easy to get around.

History buff? We%26#39;re the Illinois capitol, with the Old State Capitol building right here, too. Likely, while you%26#39;re in Illinois, the legislature will still be debating the budget...they haven%26#39;t got it sorted out as of 6/6.

Feel free to ask more, or send a PM to me if you want to know more about Springfield.

Lee

Thanks, guys! Leaving tomorrow and planning to use all the good TA tips. Horsehoe sounds like a must - I leave my healthy eating ideals at home when I go to Illinois. And I mean that in a good way. LOL!

Okay, if you see this...and you are in D%26#39;arcy%26#39;s Pint (on Stanton Ave. in Springfield) Saturday night, you%26#39;ll likely see us there.

Ask for Pam the waitress and have her point out Lee the weatherman...we%26#39;re in there every Saturday night.

A trip to Springfield is good for one day, or if you spend the night, stay at the Clarion State House, and try Cafe Brio or D%26#39;Arcy%26#39;s, as suggested. Not much else there other than Lincoln sites, along with the New Salem ones - Dana Thoms house if you like Frank Lloyd Wright. The University in Urbana-Champaign is in summer session now, so there are still things going on. Check the website at uiuc.edu. Krannert Center and Art Museum are both good, you%26#39;ll have to check on events. There is a nice university bookstore on Wright St., walk through Campustown on Green between Wright and Neil Sts. Mostly suburban chain-type restaurants (Chipotle, Potbelly, Starbucks). There is a great independent bookstore on Neil (Rt.45 S) called Pages for All Ages, and a little further south than that is a nice miniature golf course at Old Orchard Lanes. The mall is off Neil, north of I-74, and N. Prospect beyond I-74 has all the chain sprawl (Target, Pier One, Best Buy and the like). Downtown Champaign has many fine restaurants/clubs/bars, and a nice cinema. Quite a scene there at night. Go to Monticello, IL, about 15 minutes away east on 1-72, nice little town, Allerton Estate is there and there are a few nice eateries on the square.

Hope this helps!!

Dining in Lincolnshire IL

I am planning a reunion at the Marriott in Lincolnshire and I am trying to find a good restaurant near by for one of the dinners since we do not want to eat at Kings Wharf both nights. Any suggestions?

Dining in Lincolnshire IL

I%26#39;ve eaten at the Wildfire in Lincolnshire several times and have been pleased, it%26#39;s steaks, chops and seafood

http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/

Depending on how far you want to drive, there%26#39;s also a batch of restaurants on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling (maybe 15 minutes south?) including Pete Miller%26#39;s Steakhouse, Osteria di Tramonto and Bob Chinn%26#39;s.

Dining in Lincolnshire IL

If possible, I%26#39;d skip Kings Wharf altogether. You can do better elsewhere.

My favorites in the area are: www.flatlanders.com and www.simonlins.com.

You can read reviews and do your own dining searches at metromix.com and chicagoreader.com.

Cubby Bear North on Milwaukee isn%26#39;t bad.

Best suite for bachelorette party?? HELP! Hotel Allegro??

I am planning a bachelorette party in the city for the end of July. We were going to go with the Hotel Allegro because it looked really cute on their website with lots of extras (robes, free wine bar).... but then I looked on this website and saw bad reviews for it, saying it was old, outdated, and I looked at some of the users pictures... not really what i expected.... Anyways,

I am looking for a great hotel in the city that has a cute ambiance for a bachelorette party. Our price range is about $350-$400 for a suite. Any extras are great too! I went to the old House of Blues Hotel before they changed it for another bachelorette party and it was very cute, kind of what I am looking for.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Thanks!

We also have been looking at Best Western River North... it looks clean, and newer... any thoughts?

Best suite for bachelorette party?? HELP! Hotel Allegro??

A Best Western for a bachelorette party? I don%26#39;t think so.

Take a look at the W Chicago Lakeshore instead. The HOB is now the Hotel Sax. It%26#39;s open, but still under construction.

Best suite for bachelorette party?? HELP! Hotel Allegro??

%26lt;%26lt;The HOB is now the Hotel Sax. %26gt;%26gt;

This is interesting. Why did the HOB sell out? Hotel business not good?

%26lt;%26lt;This is interesting. Why did the HOB sell out? Hotel business not good?%26gt;%26gt;

Hotel business in Chicago is too good. Lots of hotels changing hands, being bought for high prices.

%26lt;%26lt; I am planning a bachelorette party in the city for the end of July. We were going to go with the Hotel Allegro because it looked really cute on their website with lots of extras (robes, free wine bar).... but then I looked on this website and saw bad reviews for it, saying it was old, outdated, and I looked at some of the users pictures... not really what i expected.... Anyways,

I am looking for a great hotel in the city that has a cute ambiance for a bachelorette party. Our price range is about $350-$400 for a suite. Any extras are great too! I went to the old House of Blues Hotel before they changed it for another bachelorette party and it was very cute, kind of what I am looking for.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Thanks!

We also have been looking at Best Western River North... it looks clean, and newer... any thoughts?

%26gt;%26gt;

The Allegro gets a mix of reviews - wouldn%26#39;t call them bad - the W City Center a few blocks away is what I would consider ';bad';.

What I would recommend instead of the Allegro for a bachelorette party is another Kimpton Hotels property, the Monaco, which is by the river. The James Hotel would be another idea, as would be the Amalfi. The Hotel Indigo (although I don%26#39;t think they really have suites) would be what I would consider the city%26#39;s ';cutest'; hotel.

As mentioned before, would definitely not consider the BW RN.

beach vacation with kids

I want a Caribbean style beach vacation in a hotel on the beach in Lake Michigan. Is this possible? It is really hard to search for on the internet because unlike other beach areas the Lake Michigan area is divided up into so many small towns and a couple of states. So I can%26#39;t just go to expedia and get full a list. Recommendations would be appreciated.

beach vacation with kids

I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll find a ';Caribbean style beach vacation'; in IL, IN or MI. Can you be a bit more specific as to what you%26#39;re looking for? There are some Caribbean themed indoor water park resorts.

beach vacation with kids

Just a hotel on a beach with blue water and waves, a beach chair or cabana. The kids playing in the sand and water while I read a book.

Kids activities, a pool, hottub and breakfast would be nice extras but not necessary.

Mabey I should have said Florida style instead of Caribbean.

Take a look at the travel section at Michigan.org.

I must say that although Michigan, (where many Chicagoans spend the summer) has some nice places, I would never liken them to anything remotely Caribbean or Floridian. The lake is fresh water and not tidal, therefore it%26#39;s not like ';real'; beaches, in my opinion.

A lot of friends go to Union Pier, St. Josephs and around that area. (I don%26#39;t, because I bump into people who live around the corner here!)

If you%26#39;re looking for blue water then Lake Michigan isn%26#39;t it. Sometimes up near Holland MI the water looks blue, but down this way it%26#39;s more of a greenish brown most of the time. Caribbean it most definitely is not.

good makeup

database

Favorite restaurants for kids

I still need to fill in some gaps for lunch and dinner in my itinerary. What would be good options for kids (11, 7 %26amp; 2), around Michigan Avenue or Embassy Suites Lakefront?

So far I%26#39;m considering:

Gino%26#39;s or Uno%26#39;s for deep dish pizza

Ed Debevic%26#39;s

ESPN Zone

Favorite restaurants for kids

Please do a search for kid friendly or child friendly restaurants on this forum, the topic has been covered before. You can also do a search at metromix.com and chicagoreader.com for restaurants.

Favorite restaurants for kids

Don%26#39;t forget the Rain Forest Cafe on Clark street. I woldn%26#39;t sit too close to the gorillas as the little one might get scared.

If you%26#39;re visiting the Lincoln Park zoo, they have a nice small restaurant above the store - it only sells pizzas but they%26#39;re delicious. There%26#39;s also a bigger food court and you can get a table outside most of the time.

The Cheesecake Factory on Michicagn Avenue has a nice menu, but the portions are enormous - even the lunch time ones, which are supposed to be smaller.

The Rainforest Cafe would be a lot of fun for your kids. There%26#39;s lots to see and the menu is child-friendly. Even my teens had fun here. Also, if you can make it a late lunch or an early dinner, you%26#39;d probably enjoy it more since it won%26#39;t be as crowded.

There%26#39;s a Friday%26#39;s on Erie just east of Michigan and a Corner Bakery on Erie 1 block east of Michigan. And Charlie%26#39;s Ale House @ Navy Pier is good, too with outdoor seating.

How do you ride the L around the loop?

I%26#39;ve read that riding the L around The Loop would be fun for the kids. How do you do this? Looking at the CTA map it looks like it makes a loop and then goes towards the North again. If we board at Madison or Randolph, for example, after seeing Millenium Park, will we be able to go around and end at the same point or maybe get off at Washington and take a Wendella river taxi to River East Plaza.

How do you ride the L around the loop?

Two easy ways.

Board a Brown Line (which goes ';counter-clockwise';) and ride until it leaves the Loop, next stop Merchandise Mart. At Merchandise Mart you can cross over to the other platform and get another Brown Line, which will end up where you started. You have a nice view over the Chicago River before and after Merchandise Mart.

Or, board an Orange Line (which goes ';clockwise';) and ride IT until it leaves the Loop, next stop Roosevelt Road. Then just get a return Orange Line train on the other side of the platform.

On Saturday mornings you can take a free Loop Tour Train, that starts at Randolph %26amp; Wabash and makes 3 circles around the Loop. It is free but tickets are required; get them at the Cultural Center (Randolph %26amp; Michigan). This is a guided tour with commentary, so a good choice if your kids will be quiet and listen. If they%26#39;re chatty, better to just ride a ';normal'; train as described above.

How do you ride the L around the loop?

Actually, if you wanted to just keep going around the loop in a circle, board a Pink Line train at either Madison or Randolph and take that to Washington. At Washington, transfer to an Orange Line train. So long as you transfer from Orange to Pink before Adams and from Pink to Orange before Washington you could ride around the loop until the trains stop running.

%26lt;%26lt; f you wanted to just keep going around the loop in a circle, board a Pink Line train at either Madison or Randolph and take that to Washington. %26gt;%26gt;

Great idea! Only suggestion would be to change on Quincy instead of Washington, because the Quincy station is a showpiece: it%26#39;s been restored to its 1897 appearance, including woodwork, tin ceilings, and even vintage ads.

Thanks! Just one last question, I hope I can explain this. When going from Orange to Pink and vicecersa, do we need to go upstairs/downstairs at the station or will we find the other color line where we%26#39;re standing? Will we need another ticket? First time using a train system.

Orange to Pink is simple: just get off the one train, and wait for the other, in exactly the same place. You do not need to go anywhere, they are on the same platform.

If you used my earlier suggestion to change at Merchandise Mart, you would have to cross over to the other side via a stairway. (But the Orange/Pink idea is better...) Either way, no extra ticket or fare required.

Great! Thanks again.

wcities.com/en/鈥ecord.html

Just a fyi, there was/is a Loop Tour train too. Either try the above link or do a search (above left) with LOOP TOUR TRAIN.

Getting from Greyhound bus stop to O'Hare

Hello, I am taking a greyhound bus from Wisconsin to Chicago and then need to get to the airport to fly to Boston. What is the closest Greyhound stop to the airport? And how would I get from that stop to the airport? Thanks for your help!

Getting from Greyhound bus stop to O'Hare

The closest Greyhound bus stop to O%26#39;Hare would probably be at Cumberland. I say probably because I am not very familiar with Greyhound, but I know that I%26#39;ve seen Greyhound buses stop there. From there, it would be easy to take the Blue Line train to O%26#39;Hare.

Getting from Greyhound bus stop to O'Hare

You do not specify your origin in Wisconsin. Is it feasible and/or better to take a VanGalder bus directly to O%26#39;Hare? That%26#39;s got to be more convenient than Greyhound to Cumberland w/ x-fer to the CTA blue line.

I%26#39;m actually coming from Minocqua, WI and my friend said she could drive me to Wausau to get the Greyhound bus from there. Do you know if the Van Galder buses go that far north?

http://www.coachusa.com/vangalder/

I did a little checking out of curiosity. It looks like you would have to transfer in Milwaukee to get to Chicago. You could take Greyhound to the Milwaukee Airport and transfer yourself to Van Galder (rather than going all the way to downtown Milwuakee and transferring to another Greyhound bus there). Of course, if you haven%26#39;t purchased your airline ticket yet, you could just fly back to Boston from Milwaukee instead (that%26#39;s what I%26#39;d do).

Clean Lodging near a subway line?

We%26#39;re looking for a clean hotel/motel that is within walking distance of a subway line. Is the Super 8 near Loyola a good choice??

We%26#39;re not fussy- and not afraid to walk. Just want a clean decent place. We love your city!

Clean Lodging near a subway line?

I%26#39;d much rather recommend considering bidding on Priceline or looking at what Hotwire has to offer, as - depending on the day - you may be able to get a far better hotel for the same price or not much more than what the Super 8 is charging.

Chicago Hotels w/2 bedroom suites?

We%26#39;re looking for a hotel room w/ 2 bedrooms, either in the downtown area, or within 5-6 blocks of any subway line. Thanks!

Chicago Hotels w/2 bedroom suites?

The Residence Inn comes to mind. Otherwise, 2 BR suites are limited.

Chicago Hotels w/2 bedroom suites?

The Sheraton - starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/鈥?/a>

The Westin - starwoodhotels.com/westin/鈥?/a>

The Four Seasons - fourseasons.com/chicagofs/guest_rooms_and_su鈥?/a>

Yes I agree with the Sherato Chicago,

odp.net charakterset

museum with dinosaur

Heard about a dinosaur exhibit with a dinosaur named Sue????

Any info.?

Thanks,

Casa,

aka Sue

museum with dinosaur

www.fieldmuseum.org

museum with dinosaur

thanks-had just found

I am reading mixed reviews. Is King Tut exhibit still there? I have seen this KTE.

Advice for museum?

No more Tut.

At first I thought you meant the City council. -) . Oh you mean the Field Museum. easy to walk to.

Bill VAs

good makeup

Trip Report 5/29 -6/5 LONG!

First off I want to send out a big thank you to everyone on this board, I read this forum daily to prepare for our trip and the suggetions on here were spectacular! So Thanks!! A little about us, my wife and I are in our late 20%26#39;s/early 30%26#39;s, and both travel a lot for work and pleasure, so we are very glad we found this site. Somehow this great city eluded us until two weeks ago (we have no idea how we had never made it to Chicago before.. always have wanted to go, but it just never happened.. Chicago was our last major US destination and it looks like we saved the best for last (coming from 2 people who LOVE New York!!)

Flew UAL out of JFK and landed at ORD around 10AM on May 28th. My wife had some vouchers for a Limo service, so we hired a town car to take us to our hotel. We used ChicagoLand Limo and they were pretty good. Got the job done and it was much better than a cab. We stayed at the Peninsula on Suerior and I must say this was one of the very best Hotels we have stayed in world wide. Check in was friendly and fast, and everybody on staff was superb at each of their functions, and they even knew our names by the end of our stay. World class spa as well.. Our room was very large and had a great bathroom, I could go on about this place but I just couldn%26#39;t say enough. It was early afternoon, so we decided to get my wife%26#39;s shopping out if the way. We walked over to Michigan Ave and walked north to Chicago and then all the way down to Madison and over to state and then walked back North to the hotel. Lots of great shopping and it was pretty crowded everywhere we went. Kind of like 5th avenue in NYC. It was almost 8 by the end of this marathon spree so we decided we wanted to eat casually on our first night, so we went to Giordanos down the street for Chicago Pizza.. We had a stuffed Pizza and Good God was it good! W both love our NYC pizza, but I think we are now Chicago Pizza fans!! This was spectacular (we also did deep dish and this later in the trip, all was excellent!!). After dinner we wlked North on Rush and had a few drinks at some bar with a huge outdoor patio, met another couple there from Sweeden and they were raving about Chicago as well...

5/30

Woke up early and went to Orange for breakfast.. Pretty good, had the fruishi and split some french toast kabobs. Walked to %26lt;illenium Park (very cool place), buckingham fountain and Navy Pier. Great walk along the Lake, at this point we decided to set aside a day and really walk it up North.. From NP, we got a cab down to the Field Museum, and quickly walked through there (you really almost need a whole day there, great museum though). It was 2 at this point, and we had cubs tickets for that night and we wanted to experience wrigleyville so we grabbed a cab and headed up to Wrigley. Walked down Clark street and went into Goose Island for lunch and a few drinks.. After that we bar hopped (Central, Barleycorns, Bernies and Murphys??). Met tons of great people, met some die hard cubs fans, and quite a bit more who siad they were die hard but didn%26#39;t really seem to know anything about teh team.. Still, everyone was very nice and we had fun. Somehow we got roped into doing shots at Bernies with a group of people my wife made friends with... Needless to say our walk to Murphys was accompied by a nice buzz. Murphy%26#39;s was jammed, beers were like $35 each (actually I think they were $7 for a can if bud Lt, but not sure), but a really fun time. We had seats in section 123 abut 4 rows back, great seats. I ran into a business associate of mine there which was kind of funny, small world. Wrigley is a very cool park, I caught myself just sitting there soaking it in. Bathrooms were a little nasty (avoid wearing sandles), and we saw two fights while were were there. Anyway, FLA won the game 9-0, and my wife and I went out to the bars up there with associate after the game and stayed out way too late, bars were packed at 1AM on a tuesday. Only negative about our experience was it seemed many of the younger cubs ';fans'; just went to the game to get obliterated, way too many obnoxious people completely smashed out of their minds. Not that my wife and I don%26#39;t tend to get oversevered on occasion, but some of what we saw was out of control. But the kindness and fun of 80% of the people up there made it a great night!!!

5/31

Slept in!! Woke up and decided that drinking until 2AM was not the brightes thing to do.. went to some place rec%26#39;d by the concierge for a super greasy breakfast at Lou Mitchels??? Really good though. Decided on one of the 1,436 starbucks in our block area and grabbed some coffee. Had tickets for the Arc. Boat tour and it was great.. What a beautiful city, we highly suggest this tour.. Got off and walked around the loop for a while, loved the business district. A lot of beggers, but you see that everywhere. Had reservations at North Pond that night, and we decided to cab it up to Licoln Park Zoo, and then walk to the restaurant. Zoo was free, and was really nice. We then walked up t the restaurant and we had an excellent dining experience, this place was very good, service was great, wine list great, views great, HIGHLY suggest this for a great dinner. After dinner we walked over to wells and down towards North Ave (I know and remember the streets becuase I am a freak when it comes to knowing where I am, so I study maps before we travel... I know, very weird, but it really comes in handy). On the way down we stopped at some bars for a couple drinks, and had a great margarita at Adobo grill (had some guac too, VERY good). Decided to have a night cap at the Hancock, great views and good drinks. Nothing like an $18 4 oz martini... we enjoyed ourselves though.

6/1

We had reservations at Alinea this night, so we got up early and rode the el to different neigborhoods to shop. Went to bucktown, Wicker park (damen ave shopping), then over to Lincoln Park to shop on Armitage, and my wife had a blast. Grabbed lunch at a place called Sai Cafe, great sushi. took the El back down to the hotel (got a bit confusing, but it was because we didn%26#39;t read anything, thought we were on the red, but we got on the borwn, etc... anyway, had to get a cab from Chicago ave to the hotel. Once back, the hotel had left us a bottle of Veuve in our room for our ';anniversery';. Only problem is our anniversery is in October, so I called the desk to tell them they made a mistake. They just laughed and said enjoy it if we want it. No problems with that! Got a cab up to Alinea and had the best dinner of our lives. We got to meet the Chef Grant Achatz who was younger, and much more hip that we expected. Dinner here was really expensive as expected, but well worth it belive me. We did the tour menu with wine pairings. It was 5 hours of the most inventive dining ever.. place blew us away. So did the bill, I think it was $750ish with tax and tip... Again though, well worth it. We were tired so we went back to the hotel, but decide to walk down Michigan Ave at night. Can%26#39;t say enough about Chicago and how much we love it there... We had a very lovely walk.

6/2

We got an envelope under our door the night before with 2 tickets to the cubs game for our ';Anniversery';.. laughing I called down to the desk to alert them of their mistake, and they laughed and sais they sent them up for a laugh, and we should enjoy the game. Again, No problem!!. This time took the red line up to wrigley around 10AM, grabbed breakfast at a place called Sonyas?? Really good, very eclectic crowd. Walked up sheffield and clark, and as we passed Barleycorn, I heard my name called out. As I turned I saw an old college buddy who was in town for the Braves/Cubs game.. was kind of weird I randomly now ran into two friends on one trip. Went into barleycorn, and it was a University of ILL fest (turns out it was Illini day or something). Hung out at bar until game, and went in. Place looks even better during the day.. Peninsula gave us great tickets 118, row 16. Saw Piniella have his annual LouPlosion, great game and good times. Met my friend and his wife after the game at Sluggers for a quick beer. We had reservations at Avenues that night, and agreed to meet out aftewards. Went back to hotel, thanked the staff again for the tickets, and got ready for dinner. Restaurant is in the Hotel, so no need for a commute. WOW. This place was spectacular, service, food, everything. Had an awesome entree (tuna three ways or something else they called it...). Wine was great. Chef Bowles is really one of a kind. And dessert was smashng too, I could have ordered another dessert round. We hit the bar in the hotel after dinner and waited for my friend and his wife (she is from chicago). I think I told my wife 736 times how great dinner was the last two nights. Our friends met us, had a drink and then went to Rockit. Really cool place, by the time we left it was jammed and there was a hefty line out front. We then went to Le Passage for the rest of the evening and caught up. We both had a really good time.

6/3

We decided to take it easy on this day and we slept in until 11. Went to Ralph Loren%26#39;s for lunch and it was really good. We went to the art museum for a few hours (great museum). After the museum, we walked all the way up to fullerton on the lake path (Again, LOVE this city...) Views were great, people were out running, beaches were crowded, boats were out... Man. (Before our Walk we grabbed lunch at Lou Malnatti%26#39;s ordered a small deep dish and small thin... very, very good..). So that is why we walked so far, to burn off the 34,327 calories we consumed at lunch. After we got back, we got ready for dinner, which was at Spiaggia that night. Spiaggia was great italian food. I was expecting a bit more, but it may have been because I spoiled myself the previous two nights... not to bring down spiaggia at all, it is world class. Chef Mantuano (sp?) is oobviously one of the best. After dinner we wlked over to the drake and had a drink there, nothing special, looks like thta place has seen its best days. Walked down St%26#39; Clair, walked by TRU (one of the other places I wanted to go to dinner..) and then walked back to the hotel.. Ended up in the bar for a nightcap, and met a very nice couple from LA. We ended up talking pretty late and called it a night...

6/4

My college friend called us early and told us he had white Sox Yankees tickets for that night.. even though I am a mets fan and detest all things Yankee related, I happily agreed (I love baseball as you can probably tell, plus I have always like the white sox for some reason). Only problem was, we had reservations at NoMi for that night and I REALLY wanted to go there.. Anyway, we come to find out they have a lunch menu from 12-2:30 so we shot over to the Hyatt and had a GREAT lunch... Need to hit this place for dinner, views were great too. Friend was staying at his sister-in-law%26#39;s condo in Lincold park, so we took a cab up there around 2PM. They drove us around a bt and showed us some of the neighborhood. Some great single family homes there, very cool neighborhood. My wife and I then talk about how much we would love to live in Chicago (this is actually on on-going converstation, that is how much we loved this City!!). Friends wife was meeting some of her friends at a tailgate at the game, so we headed down on the Red Line at about 4:30. What a great experience.. tons of people beforehand drinking and grilling, playing catch, tossing ';bags';. We met so many interesting people before the game, it was great listening to some of the die hards talk about the 2005 world series. We had a blast before the game. Went in about 20 minutes beforehand, and frined leads us to seats right behind the sox dugout (first row) as a surprise, I guess his wife had a good business contact. Now I had always heard in the past how much of a sterile park the sox had (I called it Us Cellular, and some of the older guys in the lot yelled that it will always be Comisky...) but this place was great!! I have been to about 20 of the MLB parks now, and I would have to say this was in the top 7 easy. I was then told they did a bunch of renovations and I thought it looked great. Fns were great too, everyone was really into the game and knew what was going on. Food was very good (I think I gained 15 pounds at the game itself). Player intros were very cool, scoreboard montage, Thunderstruck, fireworks. We hit the bar in right field for one inning (very cool) and walked around the concourse. The OF concourse is crazy, it%26#39;s like a mini party out there. Game was great, Big Jim hit a HR, so did Paul Konerko. Sox won 6-4 and anday the Yanks lose is a great day... After game we luckedout with a cab right down the street, and we went up north with my friends wife to meet a bunch of her friends. Ended up bar hopping with them until WAY past our bed time, but we had a great time, and went to some very cool bars in LP and Wicker Park.

6/5

Got up late, checked out and tried to figure out how and why we drank so much on vacation (we like to have a few drinks and maybe one long night, but running into friends can really lead to hang overs..) Our flight was at 5PM, so we grabed a quick bite and our car picked us up right on time.

Again, we loved Chicago! We have been fortunate to travel all over the world and we are being sincere when we say Chicago in our favorite. City was clean, people were wonderful, great sorts fans (both sides of city), architecture is fabulous, food is world class (better than NYC IMO.. I may get beat up for that by friends in NY), I just can%26#39;t say enough. How this city eluded me for 31 years is beyond me, but we are seriously thinking about moving there. Regardless, we already made plans to come back in August for 5 nights and are already excited. Thanks again and we love your city!!!!

(wow, just read this, sorry about the length and the huge amount of spelling and grammar errors...)

Trip Report 5/29 -6/5 LONG!

Alinea (the full tour) and Avenues back to back?

You people know how to live.

My wife and I once did Taillevent and Lucas Carton back to back, and I thought that was as good as it gets. For food though, I will take Alinea and Avenues any day.

Trip Report 5/29 -6/5 LONG!

That%26#39;s one of the most detailed reports I%26#39;ve read. Glad you had a good visit.

No kidding, great dining vacation, sounds like you guys had a blast. NoMi is great for dinner, and TRU is great too (used to be better IMO), but you should still go there.

Glad you liked comisky, they have really improved that place a ton in the last 5 years. The neighborhood has vastly improved as well..

Skeeter - Yeah, as you can tell we are major foodies, we love to try different restaurans in different cities. I have to say Alinea and Avenues are in the top 5 places we have ever eaten (Alinea is the best..). North Pond was VERY good too, but not at that level.

Dave - I had so much more to include, but it was getting so long I ddn%26#39;t want to bore anyone. I forgot to mention Our friends drove us to a place in the suburbs called Johnnies for lunch. This was my first ever Italian beef snadwich and it was unbelievable, we have been craving one ever since. We also did a Chicago Style Hot dog at Portillos, was very good (we split a beef there too, but not as good as Johnnies). You guys have the best food ever...

JVoll - We really did love Sox Park, very cool place. (Wrigley was awesome as well). On our next trip, we are making reservations at NoMi, TRU and possibly Everest. Any other suggestions? SKEETER, you have any other suggestions for dinners? We were thinking Trotter%26#39;s, but heard it wasn%26#39;t as good as it used to be.

Again, thanks to everyone, such a great city!

UES, glad you had such as great time here! Your first trip will be a hard act to follow but methinks Chicago has a lot more surprises in store for the both of you...

Let us know when in August you will be visiting. Keep in mind that there are a couple of major festivals then, in which you might have interest...The Air and Water Show and the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Oh, forgot to mention these:

For dinner: Schwa; Blackbird; Kevin; Moto (if you really like experimental cuisine); Frontera Grill/Topolabampo; Boka has a new chef - been hearing very good things about Guiseppe Tentori - but haven%26#39;t been there recently. (By the way, Boka is right around the corner from Steppenwolf.)

Casual: Hot Doug%26#39;s (the Sausage Superstore and Encased Meats Emporium). Take a look at Doug%26#39;s website - recommend especially the daily game offerings. Go on Friday or Saturday when he offers the duck fat fries. Doug waits on you himself. He has his own theme song, too, now. Enjoy!

Glad you enjoy our food.

I agree on Blackbird, Kevin, and Moto.

Blackbird%26#39;s food is great. but the room is very loud and the tables are way too close together. Not a comforbable place for a meal.

Kevin has become a favorite. A great mix of French and Asian. An interesting note: At Avenues, you will see a real emphasis on how the plate looks. It is artistic, and the food lives up to the appearance. At Kevin, I get the impression that the chef really couldn%26#39;t care less what the plate looks like as long as it tastes good. And it is very good.

Moto is the inverse of Kevin -- appearance and creativty are everything. Moto is an interesting meal and well worth a visit, but the food for me just didn%26#39;t live up to the presentation.

I would definitely do Charlie Trotter%26#39;s. Chef Trotter is no longer cutting edge, but he remains a master and one of the few who I consider a genius.

NoMi is very good. Others like it more than I do. I am a huge fan of breakfast there. You get great views to to the east. The food in the morning is outstanding. I need to have another dinner there to form a real opinion as to dinner.

Topo is also a great place. It is amazing what Chef Bayless does with basic Mexican ingredients and techniques. Just incredible food. I actually prefer Topo during the winter. For a short time you forget what it like outside.

As a Cub fans who plans his vacations around Cub games I really enjoyed your trip report.

Alinea, Avenues, NoMi and Spiaggia punctuated with generous helpings of pizza? I’m envious, and I could theoretically do that on a regular basis.

If I can offer my opinion, check out Copperblue in Lake Point Tower (right by Navy Pier). We met chef Tsonton while we were there, and he went so far as to email us the following day with recommendations for our upcoming trip to Paris. (Like his own restaurant, his recommendations didn’t disappoint). It’s a fairly new place, but the cuisine is extraordinary. The duck is not to be missed.

A short hop west on Illinois street is DeLaCosta. Chef Rodriguez is a somewhat arrogant transplant from New York who knows how to cook. His dishes are full of surprises – tart when you expect savory, spicy when you expect sweet, and so on. He puts it all together spectacularly. I recommend starting with Chicharrones or marlin tacos (or both), and moving on to the tuna.

Regarding Trotter’s, “not as good as it used to be” means it doesn’t reign as undisputed champion anymore. It’s still one of Chicago’s top restaurants, but it has more competition now.

great post and loved the honesty... many of us have been there done that with the ... oh why did I do that?? the next day LOL.... really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing. I agree with the comment, you guys know how to live.

hotel advice for museum area

My husband and I and our 13 year old daughter will be in Chicago 7/2-7/5 with tickets for Wicked! We plan to go to the Field Museum and Museum of Science and Industry as well, and to Navy Pier, the Hancock Observatory and possibly the Shedd Aquarium. Is it better to stay cheaply 20 miles away and pay to park, (I don%26#39;t know what traffic is like either) or pay the extra to stay close by and pay for parking at the hotels too? We could go up to $200/night (I%26#39;d like to keep it there or under), but I really don%26#39;t want to spend too much, nor do I want to stay somewhere I%26#39;m really sorry.

Any suggestions are most appreciated. I%26#39;ve never been to Chicago before.

hotel advice for museum area

That seems like a pretty jam-packed itinerary you%26#39;re planning. Unless I had a hotel downtown, I would avoid bringing a car downtown on those dates if at all possible due to the Taste of Chicago (especially on the 3rd and 4th) and its incumbent traffic.

hotel advice for museum area

The only two hotels I%26#39;ve stayed at in Chicago were Hotel Burnham and Westin on Michigan Avenue. We took cabs to all attractions and it didn%26#39;t cost us a bundle. I recommend either of those hotels.

You will need to get to the museums at opening time to avoid waiting in line. This, plus the number of things you have planned, should convince you to stay downtown if you can. Traffic will be very bad around the museum area, with several streets closed for Taste of Chicago.

If you do stay in the suburbs, you may want to look in Evanston, Glenview, or another suburb, where you have the option of public transportation.

Hotwire is showing a lot of availability under $200/night downtown.

You don%26#39;t need a car here. Traffic downtown will be crazy during your visit.

Public transit is easy and abundant. transitchicago.com. However, if you must have a car, plan on paying up to $40/day for parking.

Thanks for everyone%26#39;s help. We booked at the Sheraton Downtown/Magnificent Mile. We will have our car with us since we%26#39;re driving up from GA on our way to MI, but it will be nice if mass transportation is able to get us around to the museums or if walking is an option too.

The loop versus the magnificent mile

If price was no object which is a better location to get a hotel: the loop or the magnificent mile? If you would please be so kind, as to site specific reasons as to why one location is superior to the other. Thanks in advance.

The loop versus the magnificent mile

If you are coming to Chicago to be a tourist, you%26#39;d want to be on the Mag Mile, especially on the weekends. The Loop is dead on the weekend because it%26#39;s primarily office buildings. Mag mile has tons of choices for shopping and dining, plus lots to see and do close by (Navy Pier, Hancock Observatory). The Art Institute is down by the Loop, but the other museums are a bit of a hike from either location.

The loop versus the magnificent mile

They are both close to one another, so there%26#39;s really not a big distance if you wanted to walk from one area to another. The major hotel that%26#39;s furthest South in the Loop is the Hilton and Towers on South Michigan Ave. That%26#39;s about a 25-30 minute walk up Michigan Ave. to get to the Mag Mile area.

The Mag Mile area has more nightlife and more shopping, but is a farther walk to museums.

The Loop area has little nightlife (and some areas can get very quiet later at night), but you%26#39;re closer to museums and there is shopping on State St. during the day.

Personally, in the majority of cases, I wouldn%26#39;t consider whether the hotel was in the Loop or Mag Mile, and would just look for the best deal.

No one ever seems to want to do this when I%26#39;ve suggested it, but if you%26#39;re spending a longer period of time in Chicago, you may want to break up your stay - 1/2 in the Loop, 1/2 in the Mag Mile, to be closer to what each area has to offer during those days.

What dates are you considering and what would be the max you wanted to spend per night?

The Mag Mile/River North area is just north of the loop. There are more hotels in that area.

The loop has several hotels. But the general area consists mostly of office buildings and retail establishments. It%26#39;s also a bit quiet during the evening and weekend. Most theaters downtown are in the loop.

Downtown Chicago is fairly compact. It very easy to walk from the loop to the Mag Mile. Public transit is abundant.

If you want to be a tourist and have no concern for nightlife, shopping or dining, go to the loop. You%26#39;re closer to the attractions you%26#39;ll want to visit. If dining, nightlife, and shopping are a concern and you want to experience the people and vibrance of Chicago, you%26#39;re best bet is the mag mile. Business people have complained about the lack of dining options in Chicago and I can%26#39;t say I%26#39;ve ever spent an evening in the loop of Chicago unless I was going to the theater or Millenium park.

scratch that...I do remember wandering around drunk in the loop trying to retrieve my laptop from work after a company outing once....

I don%26#39;t know what these people are smoking on here. Stay in the North Michigan Avenue area, wich is known as the Miginificent Mile.

the Loop as it is called is a good healthy walk for those that do it, but even then you still have to walk past the wrigley buillding before you really get to the shops on Michigan Avenue. Plenty of hotels there and lots and lots of people walking at all hours.

The loop stores on State are horrible except for Marshall Fields, and during the weekend, I have not seen that many people around, like I do walking on Michigan Avenue.

Bill Vas

Although I don%26#39;t think the loop is nearly as dead as some are making it sound, I would still recommend staying north of the River on the Mag Mile or in River North because you will likely end up eating there/going out there and it%26#39;s better to be closer to your hotel at night when you want to go back and go to bed.

The hotels just south of the River are fine too in terms of location, the Hard Rock, The Hyatt on Wacker, the Renaissance. I think that the closer you are to Michigan Avenue, the better located you are for public transport and you%26#39;ll generally find more people there.

Recommendations for tour to see Chicago highlights :)

Hi :) - We will only have 2 days for our 1st trip to Chicago. We are going to a Cubs game and would love to do a tour to see the highlights of Chicago - I broke my leg last year, so we can%26#39;t handle alot of walking ..... Thanks in advance for your help.

Recommendations for tour to see Chicago highlights :)

If you like architecture and being out on the water, try one of the architectural river cruises along the Chicago River.

For bus trips, there%26#39;s a double decker bus or Grayline but I%26#39;ve never done either since I live here.

Recommendations for tour to see Chicago highlights :)

Since you only have a short time, the flexibility of this tour might work for you - https:/鈥?/a>

bird

Lollapalooza - disruptions?

Hi! My 9 year old son and I are coming to Chicago from Aug 4-6. We booked the Swissotel through a previous Travelzoo deal. I have just learned that Lollapalooza will be going on while we are there. How much of a disruption, if any, will this be for us? I would hate to go that weekend and not visit Grant %26amp; Millenium Parks - plus I think the Swissotel is close to the site, and I%26#39;m worried about that as well.

Lollapalooza - disruptions?

You won%26#39;t be able to go to Grant Park because the fest will be on the grounds, but Millenium should not be a problem. There will be many people around the area so that may be considered a disruption. Out of towners may be staying at your hotel, especially with the deal they offered, so it will probably be crowded with music lovers, but hopefully that won%26#39;t be a problem for you. I wouldn%26#39;t worry too much, there is plenty to see in Chicago besides Grant Park.

Lollapalooza - disruptions?

Parts of GP will still be open, I believe. Last year it took place further South in Grant Park. Millennium Park will be no problem. Lollapalooza should be pretty contained; I don%26#39;t think you should have any problems if it was anything like last year (I%26#39;ve talked to people who went; I didn%26#39;t go myself.) Your hotel may be crowded with people who are likely paying twice (if not more than) what you paid.

$259 for Swiss on these dates right now. I%26#39;m surprised it%26#39;s not higher or full-up, given Lollapalooza. I%26#39;m guessing it will be by the time that weekend rolls around.

I%26#39;m paying $109 through the Travelzoo deal (which is no longer on their site). I%26#39;m not sure if it was you, dvd, or Dave148 that posted it, but I got the deal from this forum! (just like I got the deal for Courtyard Mag Mile when I came in April) So thanks!

Anyway, I%26#39;m glad to hear that it shouldn%26#39;t be a big deal. We will go to Grant Park on Monday. Buckingham Fountain wasn%26#39;t running on my last trip, so I really want to go see it this time!

I believe BF is on the South border of the Lollapalooza area, so you should definitely still be able to go by it with no issue (it won%26#39;t be closed, in other words.)

$109 is an amazing deal for the Swiss on a very busy weekend, glad the forum could help! :-)

Again though, I would definitely not worry about Lollapalooza and enjoy your weekend here.

Hopefully you will get to Buckingham Fountain. It is in the center of the fest, so you wouldn%26#39;t be able to get to it during Lollapalooza %26amp; not sure how quickly they tear everything down once its over.

Is The Tasting Room still a good?

Hi. We are coming to your wonderful city this weekend!! We are both really excited.

We would like to find a classy place without a lot of attitude to have a couple glasses of wine, etc...that is also near other night spots, etc...

I%26#39;ve heard good things about The Tasting Room but lately it seems as if all the reviews being posted are negative. Can anyone advise on whether The Tasting Room is worth the trip or if there is another option that is better in terms of what we are looking for.

We will be flying in Friday afternoon and this would be for Friday night. We are staying at the Palmer House.

Is The Tasting Room still a good?

I have been to the tasting room once.

And I just went and read the reviews on metromix. Overall, I do not think they are too bad. Or too far from being correct.

I think its very expensive. But what in Chicago is not. The sizes of food are pretty small. But this is not a dinner place.

People are complaining that they cannot yell, and run around and act stupid in the place. Well, this is not the place for that. It is more or a quiet, relaxed place. Very nice for someone my aged. There are lots of other places in the city to yell, etc...

Overall, the upstairs is comfortable. Lots of seating. Limited wine list. And expensive.

You had said you wanted a place with lots of places around it. Well, the tasting room is really at the end of the west loop. Really not much around it. It might be better to go to:

BIN 36

339 North Dearborn

Pops for Champagne

601 N. State St.

Is The Tasting Room still a good?

I love the Tasting Room, especially the upstairs. Surprisingly great views for a second floor location. Juicy Wine company at 694 North Milwaukee is popular/fun, too. You might want to check out metromix.com.

I go to the Tasting Room quite often and I really like it. The upstairs has comfortable and inviting seating with great views of the city! They also have some good food to snack on while you drink wine. It definitely can get expensive. I often go on Monday nights when wines by the glass are 1/2 price. There aren%26#39;t a lot of night spots, if by that you mean clubs or bars, but there are many restaurants along Randolph that would be a short walk from the Tasting Room. Some of them have nice bar areas where you could just have a drink. Many of the restaurants are fairly expensive but good. Some of the restaurants in the area include Red Light, Sushi Wabi, DeCero. Greek town is also just a short cab ride away. To get an idea of what is in the area do a search for the River West neighborhood on chicagoreader.com.

Cheaper to take LIMO or TAXI from airport to Knickerbocker?

Hi - would it be cheaper to take a taxi or rent limo/towncar from O%26#39;Hare to Knickerbocker? ....... thanks :) - what would the price be close to?

Cheaper to take LIMO or TAXI from airport to Knickerbocker?

A cab will usually be cheaper than a limo. Cab fare from ORD to downtown is around $35-$40ish. A limo will run you around $60.

Cheaper to take LIMO or TAXI from airport to Knickerbocker?

do you have a limo company you would recommend?

I use - www.ohare-midway.com

Parking in North Rush Street

We are staying at the Conrad in July for a few nights. I don%26#39;t know what they charge for parking (am waiting to hear back) but I assume it is suitably outrageous. Are there any other parking options nearby? Also, any good places for breakfast in that area?

Parking in North Rush Street

The Sterling Self-Park Garage

(located between Clark and LaSalle on Kinzie)

312.341.3463

$24 per day

In by 7 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $14

In by 9 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $18 per day

After 3 p.m. and weekends - $6

I believe it%26#39;s gone up a couple of bucks.

Breakfast:

Tempo Cafe

6 E Chestnut St.

(312) 943-4373

Original Pancake House

www.originalpancakehouse.com

22 E Bellevue Pl.

(312) 642-7917

Parking in North Rush Street

Actually the Conrad has a pretty good deal. $29.00 self park no and out (who needs a car?)

Valet with in/out is $41.00

Both are on the lower end of the scale for parking

There is a self park ramp also on N. Rush/Ohio. Entrance on N. Rush between Ohio and Ontario as I recall. That is about 2 blocks N. of the Conrad. I believe the rates are simliar to the Sterling Ramp that was quoted.

under eye concealer

camping

What is a really family friendly campground that is no more then 2 hours away from Decatur, IL? We need one that is shady and has a pool and activities for kids. Also need full hookups. Have a 29 ft. travel trailer. Thanks!

camping

While I can%26#39;t answer your question, this might help - http://www.enjoyillinois.com/

camping

Try www.campingillinois.net There are reviews of the campgrounds. Lookup Weldon Springs in Clinton 20 minutes north of Decatur. Good fishing. Nice bathhouse.

Overnight parking near museum campus/Hilton

Ok...so we got the great price on hotwire for Hilton. I knew ahead of time that if it did end up being the Hilton, hotel parking is listed on their site at like $40/45. We will be there on Thursday night, 6/28.

On ChicagoParkingMap.com I can see that there are a lot of parking garages nearby, but of course no prices are shown.

Without getting into our itenerary now, I need some safe, cheaper parking for Thurs afternoon/night. And then when we check out of Friday we will need to load our bags up and then be at Field/Shedd all day.

What advice on the overnight parking? Also how is parking at Shedd/Field?

Thanks!!

Lisa

Overnight parking near museum campus/Hilton

How about the Millennium Park lots to the North? About $20 for 24, I believe.

Overnight parking near museum campus/Hilton

Glad the Hotwire hotel was the Hilton.

There%26#39;s a parking garage in the Museum Campus area. Just follow the signs. Visitor parking in all lots on the Museum Campus is $15.00 per day. This includes the Adler Lot, the North Garage, the Waldron Garage and the East Museum Lot.

Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile or Renaissance

We are spending a long weekend in Chicago and deciding on either staying at Marriott Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile or Renaissance Chicago Hotel. I am leaning towards staying at the Marriott Downtown. Does anyone have any opinions?

Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile or Renaissance

The Renaissance would be the nicer hotel, but the Marriott would be the better location (although there%26#39;s not a huge difference in distance between the two.)

Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile or Renaissance

I am a big Marriott fan and have stayed at both. Definately the Magnificient Mile one......although last time I stayed there I thought it was very noisy, heard sirens all night long. It is just a much better location to all the action and a much more lively hotel. The Renaissance is nice but I think too much of a walk to all the good stuff. I do have to say another favorite is the Residence Inn on Walton.....not the newest or plushiest, but I like the bigger rooms (1/2 bedroom suites). Also free happy hour and munchies during the week. Good location and quiet.

I have not been to the Renaissance, but I have been at the Marriott. Great location. Close to many restaurants, right on the Mag. Mile, close to Navy Pier and the red line. Very nice lobby and hotel bar. Rooms are just OK. Nicely decorated, but small for the price. I also agree with the previous poster about the Residence Inn. It%26#39;s about a half mile north and a block off of Michigan Avenue, near the Hancock tower. The location isn%26#39;t as good, and it doesn%26#39;t have all of the full service ammenities that the Marriott has, but they do have a pretty good complimentary hot breakfast, the rooms are much bigger, and it usually a log less expensive. I guess it just depends on what kind of hotel ammenities you are looking for and how much you want to pay.

We stayed at the Marriott Memorial Day wwekend and really enjoyed at. We had a room on the 29th floor facing west. The window is over 6%26#39;, almost ceiling to floor. It was the best view I have ever had downtown. We also enjoyed the exercise room. They have a nice pool, hot tub, and steam room. The staff was very friendly and helpful. And as stated, the location is great.

As a Marriott Rewards Gold member I have stayed many times at both locations. I think the Renaissance is a more elegant hotel. The lobby area is pretty and serene with plenty of comfortable seating. Even when it鈥檚 crowded you don%26#39;t get the OVERWHELMING noise that always fills the lobby at the Marriott. The second floor restaurant and lounge is circular with tables lining the windows overlooking the river. The views are very nice, especially at night. The rooms are a little bigger over all with a small sitting area, (some have river views). It sits in the heart of the Theatre District literally just across the river at State %26amp; Wacker. It鈥檚 a five minute walk, (at least for me) between the two hotels. I also like the Marriott with it stark contrast to the Renaissance. This is the epitome of a big city hotel, huge lobby and lounge, (it鈥檚 all just one big area) crowded and bustling 24/7. It sits on Michigan Ave and the rear entrance on Rush, a great location for shopping and dining. Both have great beds. Usually I just stay at whichever hotel has the better rate