Chicago recommendations, hit me up!
 

Edit: Post-trip update posted below https://www.revscene.net/forums/7178...ml#post9130326

I had vacation days to use up for work, and was getting antsy to travel. Wife just started a new job and so didn't have vacation days yet.

Just booked 5 nights in Chicago in like 2 weeks to go solo, with a reservation to Alinea.

Besides that, any suggestions of things to do and places to eat?

So far I have:
- architectural river tour
- place to get Italian beef
- place to get deep dish
- Girl and the Goat

Any ideas let me know!

Chicago was really cold, it's really the windy city for a reason.

Deep dish is famous decent, it is a serious 35 min wait so please be prepared. Giordano's is always the # 1 go to. You have to beware, because if you're expecting deep dish because Giordano’s actually serves stuffed pizza. Do your research.

there's a lot o walking.. the bean, the "married with children" fountain, garrett popcorn is everywhere so you're good for snacks.

you already booked Alinea which is good; definitely go try a few speakeasy in chicago; easy google would pull up 10-20.

Get cheap tickets to check out the Wrigley / cubs since it's still going on.

Not spectacular or a must do, but I don't mind Portillo's for a fun Chicago snack. I do like their fries fresh and hot.

Was going to suggest going up to the bar at the top of John Hancock Center for views, but looks like they closed back in Sept 2023.

Other than that, Walk up and down the Mag Mile. Go up Sears (now Willis) tower. Check out the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the great American art museums, if that's your thing. Ride the L train around the Loop, it's like the Skytrain but a lot slower and weaves in between downtown skyscrapers.

Can't in good conscious recommend any food spots, as it's been ages since I've visited but if you watched The Beef, it's apparently based on a real restaurant in the North side.

So just got back from the trip, and it was awesome. What a beautifully designed city with amazing food.

The architecture (especially after going on the very good river tour) is truly fantastic (and really shows how generic cookie cutter boring Vancouver is). The outdoor spaces in the downtown areas are so well designed and everything is so walkable. Millennium Park is very nice and probably beautiful in the summer.

I was admittedly a bit nervous before going, in terms of how 'rough' the city is. Tbh it's not that bad. The worst you get are some homeless and alcoholics that mostly leave you alone or ask for change. Not the type of unpredictable or aggressive druggies that you can come across in Vancouver in certain parts.

Did many of the sights suggested here, River Tour, Art Institute, Willis Tower, Mag Mile, Architecture Center, L Train Ride, etc. All really solid.

I would definitely visit again with my wife or even as a buddies trip. Full pic dump here: https://imgur.com/a/BEdLs39

If curious about food and drink that pic dump is here: https://imgur.com/a/6bicvpy

Some highlight pics in the spoiler:

Giardano's Pizza
Willis Tower

edit: Thought u were still looking for Rec's

I loved Chicago as well, the city is really beautiful, the architecture is amazing, and I love the design of the city as well. Did you walk the canals?

Haha I went to Giordano's on my last night for dinner near the airport hotel coz the airport bar was closed. Did not plan on it but it was really good.

Yes the River Walk is fantastic, such a well-designed public space. It's crazy you can walk from the river to Navy Pier to the Lakeview trail to millennium park pretty much without having to cross any streets. Great civic engineering.

It's also amazing how clean it was. There are so many underpasses and under-ground paths that if it were in a place like Vancouver or San Francisco would be absolutely littered in garbage or tent cities.

Sonick - Which hotel/area did you stay at?

Wife and I are looking to do some road tripping and Chicago has been on our map for a while. I did a quick Google search and realized hotels in Downtown Chicago are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

River North, Royal Sonesta. Was fine, pretty barebones rooms.

From my research Citizen M seems to be an affordable no frills but comfortable place in The Loop. But I felt staying in River North was the right call for night life.

My Amex had the Fairmont Millennium Park for 30% off however I felt that area was a bit less central to the main entertainment areas.

If you don't mind driving 5 minutes out of down town, there are hotels like Red Roof and things. I was on a broke budget so stuck to hostels and cheap hotels. However this was over 10 years ago, so take this with a grain of salt, just look into the outlying areas. The city is very easy to get around in.

Hotels prices everywhere in the States now are off the charts insane. It's literally the most expensive place to travel now in the world I imagine. With all the inflation, strong USD, tipping expectations and bullshit "resort fees" now I wouldn't be surprised if it were the case.

15 years ago I was in Chicago I paid less than $100/night to stay at the Hyatt Regency on Wacker Drive thru a deal on Priceline. The rack rate for the same room is now $500/nt....$700 after all fees and taxes FailFish

It really is ridiculous in the US right now.

We have a concert in Seattle in July, and my god the hotel prices are fucked. At this rate we'll be staying out in Puyallup :lol

Bump: Our recent US road trip and this thread has inspired us to do a Chicago visit later this summer, perhaps towards the early fall season. Hoping to provide some updates to this thread. :)