Chicago Guide

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody!

So, before my Chi-town cred completely runs out, I shall reveal my not-secrets to how I managed to not run out of things to do in the awesome city that is Chicago. (An admittedly not-so-difficult-task, given the magnitude of Chicago’s awesomeness.)

1)  Transportation:  The CTA is really the way to get around town.  Yes, the trains are slow and dirty, but gas is pricey, as is parking, and you really should be doing more reading anyways, right?  Just accept the extra 1-2 hrs of round trip commute time as the sacrifice you’re making to have fun and reduce your carbon footprint.  Learning the bus lines will extend your range dramatically, and always, always, always wash your hands before you eat.  I will confess, cars are pretty handy for getting to places not on your subway line, and parking is rarely that hard to find (unless you are trying to find a place in the Loop or River North,) but why not just take the train?  Biking around the city is fairly easy as well.  Just remember to wear a helmet, have some lights, and watch out for car doors.  (Oh, and obey the traffic laws.)

2)  Finding stuff to do:  Chicago’s free alterna-weeklies are your friends:  Chicago Reader, NewCity, TheOnion.  CSMag (monthly) is good if you’re into fashion and the lifestyles of the rich and not-so-famous.  If you’re willing to shell out some cash, a very valuable subscription to ChicagoMag can be had for around $15, and if you can afford a bit more, The Chicago Tribune has a WRFSu subscription that is chock full of adventurey goodness within and without the city.  Metromix, the freebie version of the Trib is also quite handy, though less useful for long-term planning.

3)  Summers:  Productivity plummets during the summer, when there is finally a)  good weather and b) a plethora of street festivals, art fairs, and music festivals.  Use the resources mentioned above to find out what is going on and make sure to subscribe to Millennium Park‘s email list to stay up to date with the free concerts downtown. Pro-tip: Don’t go to Taste of Chicago, just…don’t.

4)  Getting around 2:  Know your grid:  Chicago is super easy to navigate because a) the streets are almost all oriented along the cardinal directions, and b) 0,0 is at Madison and State, and the street numbers just increase as you get further away.  It is also helpful to be able to associate major streets with their numbers, so that if you ever hear about a cool bar/restaurant/show, you can have a general sense of where it is.

5)  Food:  Chicago is home to a wide variety of fantastic food.  Grant Achatz, Rick Bayless, Charlie Trotter, and Graham Elliot are the big names that I know of, but you’ll most likely be eating the hundreds (thousands?) of high quality local eateries.  I have a terrible habit of not revisiting restaurants, but here are some places I would have no problems going back to:  Xoco (Mexican), Hot Doug’s (Sausages), Sticky Rice (Thai), Bop’nGrill (Korean/Diner Fusion), Lao Sze Chuan (one of the few good Chinese places), Tank (Vietnamese), Spring (New American/Seafood), Art of Pizza, Nuevo Leon (Mexican), Smoque(BBQ), Prairie Grass (Localvore), Khan BBQ (Indian), Uncommon Ground (Localvore), 90 Miles (Cuban), Maxwell St. Market (Mexican), Over Easy (Brunch), Las Tablas (Columbian)…and…I’m gonna stop now before I start drooling all over my keyboard.  Deep dish pizza is best consumed in moderation.  (ie, once every 6 months, max)  Also, call me a heretic, but Italian Beef and Chicago Hot Dogs aren’t really my thing.  Give me a cheesesteak any day.

6)  Museums:  Everyone knows the big 4:  The Shedd, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field, the Art Institute.  Make sure to check out the smaller ones too though (Columbia College, National Museum of Mexican Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Surgical Sciences, National Veterans Art Museum, the Stained Glass Museum, SMART, Robie House, etc. (I, sadly, have not been to all of these)).   Everyone raves about the AIC’s Modern Wing, but if haven’t done it yet, why not take advantage of the outdoor museum that is Chicago and go on the Chicago Architecture Foundation River (Boat) Tour (unless it’s freezing/raining outside)?

7)  Explore your neighborhoods:  Each neighborhood has its own flavor and own assortment of shops/restaurants/activities.  Print a Chicago Neighborhood Map and buy a Walking Tour Deck.  Get off at a random CTA stop and wander around.  Be Safe.  If grid numbers aren’t your thing, associating points of interest with the various neighborhoods is the way to go.

8)  Theaters/Music/Dance/Culture:  The Harris Theater and the Auditorium Theater consistently bring in amazing out of town shows/performances.  I’ve seen good shows at the Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespheare Theater, Collaboraction, and the Steppenwolf.   The Universities often have great speakers and performances (likely for cheaper).  The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is great, as is the Lyric Opera (though I’m not sure it’s my cup of tea.)  Millennium Park has tons of free music and occasionally dance/theater performances.  The Chicago Cultural Center often has free things going on as well.  Ravinia is the other big outdoor concert venue up in the North Burbs.  I don’t know the Music Scene very well, but I hear about the Hideout, Double Door, Empty Bottle, Schubas, the Metro, the Subterranean, SPACE(Evanston), the Green Mill (Jazz), Kingston Mines (Blues), BLUES (Blues) and Buddy Guy’s Legends (Blues) all the time.  If you have the chance, go listen to Buddy Guy while you still have the chance.  He is freaking amazing.  Your best chance is to brave the cold and head down during his annual January residency.  The Gene Siskel Film Center always has something interesting playing.  Finally, when it comes to comedy, Second City is deservedly famous, but The Improvised Shakespheare Company at iO is infinitely funnier.  Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at the Neo-Futurarium is quirky and will gain you +2 “Chicago cred” points.

9)  Bars/Clubs:  Um yeah.  Not exactly my area of expertise, but I’ll give it a shot.  Chicago is definitely more of a Bar town than a Club town, but does have its fair share of lounges/party rooms.  Hopleaf has good Belgians, and allegedly good food.  Map Room is also supposed to be good for beers, but beyond that, I’m at a loss for good bar recommendations.  I think there are a few tequila bars and wine bars and…yeah.  There’s a pretty wide assortment of “mixologist/fancy drinks” places, the grand daddy of which is The Violet Hour and the new starlet of which is Grant Achatz’s The Aviary (both of which I would love to go to.)  I’ve been to the Drawing Room and drank something tasty with one very large and fancy ice cube.  During the summer, the SummerDance festival throws the city’s most diverse and chill dance parties with free lessons and live bands 4 nights a week.  As for clubs, I usually spent my time swing dancing at Fizz or blues dancing at Bluetopia (or both at CodeBLUE), but two places that have a killer “I’m just here to party” vibe are EvilOlive and SmartBar (as opposed to the “meat-market/grope-fest” that pervades most places.  Not to say those things weren’t going on.  It just wasn’t forced upon you.)

10. Groupon/LivingSocial/Bloomspot/etc. – Groupon started here, so it’s got a huge reach in terms of restaurants, stores, activities. Don’t go too wild with the spavings (spending+savings), but getting the chance to try out a new place at a 50% discount is never a bad thing if you’ve got the cash.

11.  One last tip for students.  Most of the theaters/cultural institutions in Chicago have student tickets ($10-$25).  Sign up on their mailing lists to keep up to date.  Yes, you are poor at the moment, but this is seriously the one chance you will have to experience  world class dance/music/theater on the cheap.  (Unless you go for another degree in say…New York)  You may also be able to volunteer as an usher and get in for free. (Links:  Lyric Opera, CSO, Millennium Park, Auditorium, Harris (No student tickets, but there are often discounts))

Ok, that’s it.  I’m done.  All out.  Go.  Shoo.  Stop reading and DO SOMETHING FUN. (In the cold…)