Lonely Planet Pocket Chicago , livre ebook

Contents

QuickStart Guide

Welcome to Chicago
Top Sights
Local Life
Day Planner
Need to Know
Chicago Neighborhoods

Explore

The Loop
Near North & Navy Pier
Gold Coast
Lincoln Park & Old Town
Lake View & Wrigleyville
Mixing It Up in Andersonville & Uptown
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
A Night Out in Logan Square
Near West Side & Pilsen
South Loop & Near South Side
A Bookish Day in Hyde Park

Best

The Best of Chicago
Skyscrapers & Street Art
Mansions, Beaches & Greenery
Architecture
Eating
Museums & Galleries
Parks & Gardens
Live Music
Sports & Activities
Drinking & Nightlife
For Kids
Gay & Lesbian
Comedy & Performing Arts
Shopping
Tours

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Chicago
Getting Around
Essential Information
Behind the Scenes
Our Writer
Welcome to Chicago
Take cloud-scraping architecture, lakefront beaches and world-class museums, stir in wild comedy, fret-bending guitars and very hefty pizza, and you've got a town that won't let you down. The city center is a steely wonder, but it's Chicago's mural-splashed neighborhoods – with their inventive storefront restaurants, fringe theaters and sociable dive bars – that really blow you away.

Chicago skyline from below | JOE DANIEL PRICE/GETTY IMAGES ©
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Chicago Top Sights

Art Institute of Chicago
Marble halls filled with masterpieces.

Art Institute of Chicago | BARRY WINIKER/GETTY IMAGES ©


Chicago Top Sights
Millennium Park
Park with whimsical public art.

Millennium Park | AMADEUSTX/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Chicago Top Sights
Willis Tower
Views from Chicago's loftiest skyscraper.

Willis Tower | DAVIDE GIANNUZZI/500PX ©


Chicago Top Sights
Wrigley Field
Iconic ballpark full of tradition.

Wrigley Field | BRUCE LEIGHTY/GETTY IMAGES ©


Chicago Top Sights
Field Museum of Natural History
Mammoth and all-encompassing museum.

Field Museum of Natural History | BUSARA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Chicago Top Sights
360° Chicago
Views high in the sky.

360° Chicago | SORBIS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Chicago Top Sights
Lincoln Park
Chicago's biggest park and playground.

Lincoln Park | LEVKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES ©


Chicago Top Sights
Navy Pier
Carnival on the wharf.

Navy Pier | STEVE CUKROV/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Chicago Top Sights
Museum of Contemporary Art
Museum of audacious, thought-provoking works.

Museum of Contemporary Art | PETER MCCULLOUGH, © MCA CHICAGO
l
Chicago Local Life

Insider tips to help you find the real Chicago After checking off Chicago's top sights, seek out the bohemian jazz clubs, brainy bookstores, doughnut bakeries and arty shops that make up the locals' Windy City. Count on neon-bathed dive bars and cool galleries also popping up.

Mixing It Up in Andersonville & Uptown
y Antique shops
y Al Capone's speakeasy

KRIS DAVIDSON/LONELY PLANET ©

A Night Out in Logan Square
y Neighborhood bars
y Street art

CHARLES COOK/GETTY IMAGES ©

West Loop Wander
y Hip cafes
y Contemporary art

LAURA PEARSON/LONELY PLANET ©

A Bookish Day in Hyde Park
y Scholarly bookstores
y Famous architecture

HENRYK SADURA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Other great places to experience the city like a local:
Daley Plaza
SummerDance
606 Trail
Pleasant House Pub
Doughnut Vault
Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter
Green Door Tavern
Crisp
Happy Village
Handlebar
R
Chicago Day Planner

Day One
M You might as well dive right in with the big stuff in the Loop. Take a boat or walking tour with the Chicago Architecture Foundation and ogle the most sky-scraping collection of buildings the US has to offer. Saunter over to Millennium Park to see 'the Bean' reflect the skyline and to splash under Crown Fountain's human gargoyles.
R Stay in the Loop for lunch. The Gage dishes out pub grub with an inventive twist. Explore the Art Institute of Chicago , the nation's second-largest art museum. It holds masterpieces aplenty. Next head over to Willis Tower , zip up to the 103rd floor and step out onto the glass-floored ledge. Yes, it is a long way down.
N The West Loop parties in the evening. Walk along Randolph St and take your pick of hot-chef restaurants, such as Roister or Little Goat . Bars are chockablock too. Haymarket Pub & Brewery pours great beers. Or sit on the glittery patio sipping a glass of bubbly at RM Champagne Salon .


Day Two
M Begin in the Near North with a stroll on Michigan Ave – aka the Magnificent Mile – where big-name department stores ka-ching in a glittering row. Mosey over to Navy Pier . Take a spin on the high-in-the-sky Ferris wheel and heft a mighty slice of pizza at Giordano's .
R Spend the afternoon at the South Loop's Museum Campus (the water taxi from Navy Pier is a fine way to get there). Miles of aisles of dinosaurs and gemstones stuff the Field Museum . Sharks and other fish swim in the kiddie-mobbed Shedd Aquarium . Meteorites and supernovas are on view at the Adler Planetarium .
N Hop the Blue Line to Damen for a meal at retro diner Dove's Luncheonette in Wicker Park. Wander along Milwaukee Ave and take your pick of booming bars, indie-rock clubs and hipster shops. Quimby's shows the local spirit: the bookstore stocks zines and graphic novels, and is a linchpin of Chicago's underground culture. The Hideout and Empty Bottle are sweet spots to catch a bad-ass band.


Day Three
M Get some fresh air this morning. Dip your toes in Lake Michigan at North Avenue Beach . Amble northward through the sprawling greenery of Lincoln Park . Stop at Lincoln Park Zoo to see lions, zebras and bears (the polar kind). Pop into Lincoln Park Conservatory to smell exotic blooms.
R Make your way north to Wrigley Field for an afternoon baseball game. The atmospheric, century-old ballpark hosts the Cubs, a team that had been cursed for a century but whose fortune, recently changed. Afterward have a beer at Gman Tavern or one of the many rowdy bars that circle the stadium.
N Head to Andersonville & Uptown in the evening. Hmm, mussels and frites at Hopleaf , or southern-style chicken and dumplings at Big Jones ? Andersonville has several fine taverns to hang out at and sink a pint, like Simon's . Jazz hounds can venture to the Green Mill , a timeless venue to hear jazz, watch a poetry slam or swill a martini. Al Capone used to groove at it.


Day Four
M You can learn a lot in Hyde Park. The Museum of Science & Industry isn't kidding around with its acres of exhibits. There's a German U-boat, mock tornado and exquisite dollhouse for starters. Groovy university bookstores like Seminary Co-op and Powell's offer shelves of weighty tomes. Architecture buffs can tour Robie House , Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style masterpiece. Have lunch at Valois Cafe, Obama's old hangout.
R See what's going on in the chichi Gold Coast. There's boutique shopping, of course. The Museum of Contemporary Art always has something odd and provocative showing. And you can't leave the 'hood without getting high. For that, ascend to the 94th-floor observatory at 360° Chicago or the 96th-floor Signature Lounge .
N Spend the evening among locals in hip-happening Logan Square. Sip whiskey while waiting for a table at Longman & Eagle . Knock back slurpable beers at Revolution Brewing . See what arty band is playing for free at wee Whistler .
Need to Know


Currency
US dollar ($)

Language
English

Visas
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days for visitors from most EU countries, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Check www.state.gov/travel for details.

Money
ATMs widely available. Credit cards accepted at most hotels, restaurants and shops.

Cell Phones
The only foreign phones that will work in the US are multiband GSM models. Buy prepaid SIM cards or a cheap pay-as-you-go phone locally.

Time
Central Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus six hours)

Tipping
Expected at most places. Restaurant servers: 15% to 20%. Bartenders: 15% per round (minimum per drink $1). Porters: $2 per bag. Housekeeping staff: $2 to $5 per night. Taxi drivers 10% to 15%.

1 Before You Go

Your Daily Budget
Budget: Less than $100
A Dorm bed: $35–50
A Lunch specials: $10–15
A Transit day pass: $10
Midrange: $100–300
A Hotel or B&B double room: $150–250
A Dinner in a casual restaurant: $25–35
A Architecture boat tour: $46
Top end: More than $300
A Luxury hotel double room: $400
A Dinner at Alinea: $285
A Lyric Opera ticket: $200

Useful Websites
Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/chicago ) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveler forum and more.
Choose Chicago ( www.choosechicago.com ) Official tourism site with sightseeing and event info.
DNA Info Chicago ( www.dnainfo.com/chicago ) Detailed news about sights, bars, restaurants and events, broken down by neighborhood.

Advance Planning
Two months before Book your hotel. Reserve at mega-hot restaurants such as Alinea and Girl & the Goat.
Two weeks before Reserve a table at your other must-eat restaurants, and book tickets for sports events and blockbuster museum exhibits.
One week before Check www.hottix.org for half-price theater tickets.

2 Arriving in Chicago
O'Hare International Airport ( ORD ; GOOGLE MAP ; www.flychicago.com ) is 17 miles northwest of downtown. Chicago Midway Airport ( MDW ; GOOGLE MAP ; www.flychicago.com ) is 11 miles southwest of downtown. O'Hare is bigger and handles most of the international flights. Both airports have easy El train links into the city.

From O'Hare International Airport
The Blue Line El train ($5) runs 24/7 and departs every 10 minutes or so. The journey to the city center takes 40 minutes. Shuttle vans cost $35, taxis around $50.

From Chicago Midway Airport
The Orange Line El train ($3) runs between 4am and 1am, departing every 10 minutes or so. The journey takes 30 minutes to downtown. Shuttle vans cost