Travel info  Travel tips Travel advice
*Travel Tips>>>Chicago Travel Tips

Best of Chicago for people in their early 20s-dinning, entertainment, sights and shopping?


Travel Info
We'll be in Chicago for about 3 days in July for the first time. We want to maximize our time there. We'll mainly be in the downtown area. What are the best restaurants (all prices ranges- upto $30 per person), museums/sights to see, locals favorite spots, and shopping areas. Where's the best pizza at?

Tips about Chicago and getting around.

Travel Tips
The musuem of Natural History, the Planaterium, and Shedds Aquarium are all in the same area and walking distance from one another. This is a good place to start as you will be right on the lake also. Depending on when you will be down there the tast of Chicago may be going on. It will be very crowded but is worth the walk through as they have a lot of food places from all over Chicago and there is live music and what not.

Pizza- Ranalli's is good, Aurelio's Pizza, Giordano's Pizza, Pizzeria Uno, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria these are all places downtown. There is better pizza than what suggestions that I gave you but it would be a drive or an "L" ride to get to them.

If you like a good beef sandwich then Al's beef is a great place to go. Depending on where you are from you may not have a Portillo's Hot Dogs in your area this is another great beef sandwich place.

Thai- Vong's Thai Kitchen

Grill - Wildfire

Itialian - Leona's Restaurant, Tucci Bennuch

Sushi - Sushi Wabi

For Shopping you will have the Water Tower Place that is full of stores also just walk up and down Michigan Ave. and you can't go wrong.

Just a few suggestions. I just moved away from Chicago about 6 months ago after living there my whole life. Hope that this helps

Others
depending on when in July you will be here...Chicago has a "taste of Chicago" that runs the week of the 4th. if your here then good luck...the city is a complete mess. streets are closed traffic is insane....anyway...museums are a must...we have the Chicago Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, Museum of Natural History. For shopping there is the "Magnificent Mile" which is Michigan Ave....great shopping there as well as Water Tower Place. For nite life i would head to Rush Street...any cabbie will know where. Rush is a great place with all kinds of club. You have to go to Navy Pier...its a must when in Chicago. Lincoln park zoo is fun and a few steps away you can go for a swim in the lake or (my advise) a walk along the beach. Restaurants...thats a tough one....so many different cuisines....i would go somewhere fun Harry Carry, Rock and Roll McDonald's...yes McDonald's. Michael Jordan's...Charlie Trotters...Blackbird...but for pizza i would definitely go to Pizzeria Uno or Gino's...depending on the day of the week there could be a long wait up to two hours....have fun....also look on line at chicagotourism.com good luck hope this helps
Chicago magazine has a whole section on bargain dining (http://www.chicagomag.com/me2/dirmod.asp... and it involves a lot more than just pizza. There are great places to eat all over the city. Try to experience more than just that when you're here.

Everyone else will tell you about the museums (Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, blah blah blah). I recommend the Mexican Museum of Fine Art (off the beaten path) and the Garfield Park Conservatory (http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/).... As far as locals favorite spot, since you'll be here in July, pick up a copy of The Reader or New City and look for the street fairs. It's a great way to see a REAL Chicago neighborhood and see REAL Chicagoans, instead of the same old tourist areas. july is street fair season, so there will probaby be about three or four street fairs each weekend. There's music, great food, little booths selling trinkets and it usually cost only about $5 to get in. There'll also probaby be a city event going on like Taste of Chicago (depending on when in July you're here). It's located downtown in Grant Park. It's big, loud and crowded as hell. I personaly avoid going there, but lot of people like it. Tons of food booths selling every type of Chicago food imaginable, great famous musical acts, etc. it might be worth experiencing once.

As far as shopping, check out State Street downtown (lots of new outlet shops selling designer clothing), north Michigan Ave. (expensive, but if you've got the bucks...), Wicker Park (small boutique shops), Belmont and Clark area, and i would also recommend taking a trip up to Evanston (one ride on the CTA Red Line). It's becoming a great shopping area.

Anyway, hope you have fun.
The first week of July is the best!!! I'm from Chicago and every year my friends and I head downtown for "The Taste of Chicago" Its great for people of all ages. Especially our age!!! The food is great and the entertainment is great and free. The best pizza places is Giordano's Pizza, Lou Malnati's, Home Run Inn Pizza and the list goes on!! At the taste all of the places listed has a booth where you can taste each one, the ticket cost $7.00 for eleven I believe. You use the tickets to buy food, drinks, desserts and all. Also in the same area is where most of the musuems are located. I usually take the trains which is know as "The L" the "L" stands for Loop in Chicago Loop. There are many clubs depending on what type of scene you like, Raggea, Hip Hop, Rock, and so on!! You picked the best time to visit because theres not place like Chicago in July!!!
Check out these two links for a list of restaurants you can eat at, and hotels you can stay at while visiting Chicago. It's a guide for other stuff in Chicago as well.
http://www.chicago-life.com/restaurants....
and
http://www.chicago-life.com/restaurants....
Chicago Business Directory
http://www.chicago-life.com/
dont go to cabrini green
Tags
General - Travel Atlanta Austin Boston Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit
Related Links
  • Best of Chicago for people in their early 20s-dinning, entertainment, sights and shopping?
  • Someone friendly chat wit me about relocating to chicago! IM me now!?
  • Best shopping in Chicago?
  • What city did John Coltrane play in?
  • Theme hotels?
  • Thinking of Relocating to Glendale Heights,ILL Anyone know anything about this place. How about Chicago?
  • For those who live in or Near Chicago.. can you tell me the pros and consd as you see them?
  • I have a six hour layover in Chicago. What should I do?
  • How is traffic in Chicago?
  • I am moving to Chicago, what are some good affordable neighborhoods to commute to the city?
  •    

    Travel Info Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster