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Trip to Chicago (1 Viewer)

NDyse10

NDyse10

Footballguy
My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Chicago in mid-march. Neither of us are very familiar with the area, so I thought I would turn to FBG for some help.We were planning on staying for 3 nights (leave on a Monday morning, leave on Thursday). We were looking to keep it cheapish on the hotel side of things ($180/night max), but we also wanted to be in downton and in an area where we can walk to most places to eat/do things. One place we saw that was at the very top end of the $180 was Hotel Lincoln. Do any FBGers have any suggestions about a good place to stay and then some fun things to do?Any help would be much appreciated.

 
What are you into? Lots if good nightlife, theatre, great museums downtown. March may be too early to really enjoy the lake shore but hopefully nice enough to get outside.

 
As in St. Patrick's Day mid-March, or some other weekend? 'cause that will make a big difference.ETA - Nevermind. Initially read it as weekend trip, not mid-week.

 
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Great idea for a thread!! I don't think anyone has ever asked the question before so don't bother with the search function.

 
You can get nice rooms downtown 4 star (the Hyatt, fairmont) or rush area (sutton, ambassador ) for $100 - 120 a night through naming your own price on Priceline. I would suggest bidding on areas north of the river as it is a bit easier to walk Michigan and rush streets in that side.

 
Hotel Lincoln is fine, but it's a short cab/bus ride to River North/Gold Coast/Downtown. You'll be close to the zoo (which is free) and a short walk from North Avenue Beach. There's also some gems in the neighborhood, like Second City, Old Town Ale House, Twin Anchors, Bricks Pizza. But like I said, if you want the typical visitor experience, you'll be a bit north of Hancock, Water Tower, Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, etc. So you won't be walking out of your hotel and be right there in the middle of the action.

 
'pantagrapher said:
Hotel Lincoln is fine, but it's a short cab/bus ride to River North/Gold Coast/Downtown. You'll be close to the zoo (which is free) and a short walk from North Avenue Beach. There's also some gems in the neighborhood, like Second City, Old Town Ale House, Twin Anchors, Bricks Pizza. But like I said, if you want the typical visitor experience, you'll be a bit north of Hancock, Water Tower, Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, etc. So you won't be walking out of your hotel and be right there in the middle of the action.
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What would some hotels be near Magnificent Mile and some of the other areas you mentioned? I think we would enjoy the "typical visitor experience" so a main want in a hotel would be someone near some of the main attractions.
 
'mr roboto said:
What are you into? Lots if good nightlife, theatre, great museums downtown. March may be too early to really enjoy the lake shore but hopefully nice enough to get outside.
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I think I would be interested in museums, maybe a Blackhawk game and she would be interested in shopping and we both are interested in good nightlife/restaurants. Walking down the lake shore would be fun as well as I wouldn't think it would be any colder than it is in Minnesota.
 
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'NDyse10 said:
'mr roboto said:
What are you into? Lots if good nightlife, theatre, great museums downtown. March may be too early to really enjoy the lake shore but hopefully nice enough to get outside.
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I think I would be interested in museums, maybe a Blackhawk game and she would be interested in shopping and we both are interested in good nightlife/restaurants. Walking down the lake shore would be fun as well as I wouldn't think it would be any colder than it is in Minnesota.
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Well I moved from MN to Chicago (burbs). It's a little better, but not by much. I don't know nearly as much about the city as others here, but we really enjoy the city in the spring-fall.
 
'mr roboto said:
'NDyse10 said:
'mr roboto said:
What are you into? Lots if good nightlife, theatre, great museums downtown. March may be too early to really enjoy the lake shore but hopefully nice enough to get outside.
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I think I would be interested in museums, maybe a Blackhawk game and she would be interested in shopping and we both are interested in good nightlife/restaurants. Walking down the lake shore would be fun as well as I wouldn't think it would be any colder than it is in Minnesota.
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Well I moved from MN to Chicago (burbs). It's a little better, but not by much. I don't know nearly as much about the city as others here, but we really enjoy the city in the spring-fall.
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Best times to visit is in the spring or early fall. Summer can get hot and humid while the winters suck. If you want to hit up the attractions then look into a city pass or go chicago card. The City Pass gets you into the major things with a few perks and roughly half the cost otherwise. The Go Card gets you into a lot more. Without kids or special interest in the particular areas, you can hit up the Adler, Shedd and Field in one day (all same place) and even the Sears Tower too. Musuem of Science and Industry is pretty cool but down the road a bit. With kids, pretty much one a day.
 
'NDyse10 said:
'pantagrapher said:
Hotel Lincoln is fine, but it's a short cab/bus ride to River North/Gold Coast/Downtown. You'll be close to the zoo (which is free) and a short walk from North Avenue Beach. There's also some gems in the neighborhood, like Second City, Old Town Ale House, Twin Anchors, Bricks Pizza. But like I said, if you want the typical visitor experience, you'll be a bit north of Hancock, Water Tower, Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, etc. So you won't be walking out of your hotel and be right there in the middle of the action.
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What would some hotels be near Magnificent Mile and some of the other areas you mentioned? I think we would enjoy the "typical visitor experience" so a main want in a hotel would be someone near some of the main attractions.
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there are hotels on every block around therehttp://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=chicago+hotels+magnificent+mile&fb=1&gl=us&hq=chicago+hotels&hnear=0x880fd356c8a1e8af:0xbe8a96546a9e59f3,Magnificent+Mile,+Chicago,+IL&sa=X&ei=RocAUfGXJ8ixqgGXtoGABw&ved=0CPoBELYDmag mile is around michigan and chicago avehotel lincoln is about a mile north at north ave and clark stI don't know what kind o stuff you like but there's an architecture boat tour on that river right there, and a new casino out by the airport.
 
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You should listen to Abraham's sage advice and use Priceline's "Name Your Price" feature to get a hotel on Michigan Avenue. I've done this several times in Chicago, and I've always ended up staying in really nice 3.5 or 4 star hotels on Michigan Ave. for right around $100 a night. Anywhere that they put you in the North Michigan/River North bidding region will be a great location to stay for the activities you are looking to do. You should check out the betterbidding.com forums to get a feel for what you should bid for different hotels. Also, as a former Chicagoan, my #1 food recommendation would be to get a pan pizza from Pequod's. It's my favorite pizza of all-time, hands down. I miss that Pequod's pizza more than any other food in Chicago.

 
'Buckfast 1 said:
You should listen to Abraham's sage advice and use Priceline's "Name Your Price" feature to get a hotel on Michigan Avenue. I've done this several times in Chicago, and I've always ended up staying in really nice 3.5 or 4 star hotels on Michigan Ave. for right around $100 a night. Anywhere that they put you in the North Michigan/River North bidding region will be a great location to stay for the activities you are looking to do. You should check out the betterbidding.com forums to get a feel for what you should bid for different hotels. Also, as a former Chicagoan, my #1 food recommendation would be to get a pan pizza from Pequod's. It's my favorite pizza of all-time, hands down. I miss that Pequod's pizza more than any other food in Chicago.
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I have gotten better deals using Hotwire than Priceline.
 
always wanted to check out pizza and ovengrinder but never got around to it.

anyway, hear it's good, and it's near hotel lincoln, if you actually ended up staying there.

pequod's is a hot property, and on the pizza tour, but I find it pretty overrated -- no offense to anybody.

felt like I was eating a focaccia bread.

 
yeah, I don't know what you eat up in minnesota, lutfisk or whatever, but I'd check out a beef while you're here.I think downtown your best bets would be portillo's (chain), or maybe mr beef on orleans.

 
'Kool-Aid Larry said:
always wanted to check out pizza and ovengrinder but never got around to it.anyway, hear it's good, and it's near hotel lincoln, if you actually ended up staying there.pequod's is a hot property, and on the pizza tour, but I find it pretty overrated -- no offense to anybody.felt like I was eating a focaccia bread.
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:goodposting: The Chicago Pizza and Overgrinder is an amazing place with very unique pizza and atmosphere.
 
'BeaverCleaver said:
'Kool-Aid Larry said:
always wanted to check out pizza and ovengrinder but never got around to it.anyway, hear it's good, and it's near hotel lincoln, if you actually ended up staying there.pequod's is a hot property, and on the pizza tour, but I find it pretty overrated -- no offense to anybody.felt like I was eating a focaccia bread.
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:goodposting: The Chicago Pizza and Overgrinder is an amazing place with very unique pizza and atmosphere.
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I like Ovengrinder alright (who wouldn't), but I would put Pequod's, Gino's, Malnati's over it if someone was visiting for 3 days and was only doing Chicago pizza once.
 
'Buckfast 1 said:
You should listen to Abraham's sage advice and use Priceline's "Name Your Price" feature to get a hotel on Michigan Avenue. I've done this several times in Chicago, and I've always ended up staying in really nice 3.5 or 4 star hotels on Michigan Ave. for right around $100 a night. Anywhere that they put you in the North Michigan/River North bidding region will be a great location to stay for the activities you are looking to do. You should check out the betterbidding.com forums to get a feel for what you should bid for different hotels. Also, as a former Chicagoan, my #1 food recommendation would be to get a pan pizza from Pequod's. It's my favorite pizza of all-time, hands down. I miss that Pequod's pizza more than any other food in Chicago.
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I'd agree on Pequod's! Best pizza around, and always the standard to which I measure a place.
'boofatty said:
Go to portillos. Dear lord if we had a portillos in GA I'd weigh 400lbs and love every minute of it.
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This guy knows things. Portillo's rocks. $12 for lunch of burger/fries/drink, but rockin. Also try out Kuma's Corner for a bad ### burger
'Kool-Aid Larry said:
always wanted to check out pizza and ovengrinder but never got around to it.anyway, hear it's good, and it's near hotel lincoln, if you actually ended up staying there.pequod's is a hot property, and on the pizza tour, but I find it pretty overrated -- no offense to anybody.felt like I was eating a focaccia bread.
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Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder is great as well, and a different experience for anyone who has never been. They use too many green peppers for me, but its still great, and the mushrooms are killer.
 
Appreciate the help. I will have to take a look at the Name your Price at Priceline. Do you essentially put in a max price and the program finds various hotels for you?

 
'NDyse10 said:
Appreciate the help. I will have to take a look at the Name your Price at Priceline. Do you essentially put in a max price and the program finds various hotels for you?
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see biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com for Priceline and Hotwire tips
 
Someplace within a mile of the river is undoubtedly the best option for a first time visitor but we've had a great time staying further North near Wrigleyville. There's more going on at night than downtown and it's not that far from the touristy stuff via the L.

 
'NDyse10 said:
Appreciate the help. I will have to take a look at the Name your Price at Priceline. Do you essentially put in a max price and the program finds various hotels for you?
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Here are the steps that you should use for Priceline "Name Your Own Price" in Chicago:(1) Click on the "Name Your Own Price" tab at Priceline.com.(2) Select the "North Michigan Ave./River North" area to limit your search to the area that most people have suggested here, which is a central location that contains tons of restaurants, bars, shopping, and easy access to public transportation to museums.(3) Select what star level you want for your hotel. I would recommend starting at 4 stars and then only drop to 3.5 stars later if you are unable to get a 4 star hotel within your price range. (4) Decide how much you want to bid on a hotel per night. When a hotel has unsold rooms, they will place their rooms on Priceline with a secret price that is sufficient to sell the room to a bidder on Priceline. Once you enter your credit card information and place your bid, Priceline will tell you whether your bid as been accepted by a hotel. Although you do not get to pick the specific hotel you stay at, I have never had a bad experience when bidding on 4-star and 3.5-star hotels, especially in Chicago. You should check out the Chicago forum at BetterBidding.com to get a feel for what price people are winning certain hotels in that area. For example, that forum shows that people on Priceline have recently won 4-star hotel rooms in the "North Michigan Ave/River North" area for $58 per night at Hotel Felix, $77 per night at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel Tower, and $80 per night at the Dana Hotel and Spa. So, a starting bid of $75-80 per night would likely get you a very nice 4-star hotel in a prime location in Chicago. (5) If your bid is not accepted initially, you either need to raise your bid or change some aspect of your bidding details. I would recommend that you try increasing your price first with the same bidding details. Next, if you are still unsuccessful, you can expand your location radius to include "Millenium Park/Loop/Grant Park" area, which is downtown Chicago just south of "North Michigan Ave./River North." If you are still unsuccessful, then you can lower your star rating from 4 stars to 3.5 stars. Be aware that you can lower your bid price if you adjust your bidding details, so you don't overpay for a 3.5 star hotel. It seems scary at first bidding on a hotel not knowing exactly what hotel you will get, but I now do this almost exclusively and have had great success staying at very nice 4-star hotels for very cheap prices -- often cheaper than you could stay in a 1 star motel paying the full regular price. Good luck on the bidding!
 
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'Eephus said:
Someplace within a mile of the river is undoubtedly the best option for a first time visitor but we've had a great time staying further North near Wrigleyville. There's more going on at night than downtown and it's not that far from the touristy stuff via the L.
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This is true. The "Lincoln Park" region on Priceline would be another good spot to stay, although there are just not as many hotels in that part of town. There are tons of restaurants and bars in Lincoln Park, and it is much less touristy than Michigan Avenue. However, you likely won't feel as if you are staying right downtown in a big city, as it has more of a neighborhoody feel and is farther away from the major museum attractions. I guess it just depends on what you want.
 
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Chicago is a big city, so I would start by mapping out places you definitely want to go to. I can think of multiple areas withing walking distance of food and things to do. What things do you want to do? Any places you want to eat at?

 
Hotel Felix is where I stayed last month and while it wasn't bad (within walking distance if Gino's and Michigan ave) It is my least favorite of the four hotels I've stayed in recently.

 
I don't know, i live .25 mile from Portillos so maybe I'm just too familiar with it. Like their chopped salad though.

 
If you like Jazz, Mrs and I went to Andy's Jazz Club tonight. We 'sat' (stood) at the bar and had drinks and enjoyed very good live jazz. I would recommend getting a table though. It's a small place and the bar is right inside the door so it gets pretty cramped. It's just north of the river on Hubbard just east of State.

 
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Thanks for all the help guys. I think we are going to use the Name your Price on Priceline and hope we get something we both like (which from the sounds of it shouldn't be an issue).I was doing some looking on my own and came up with a short list of things that sounded interesting.Sears TowerMuseum of Science and Industry- would the Field Museum be better?Second City- sounds like a comedy club?Millenium ParkMagnificent MileShedd AquariumAdler PlanetariumArt Institute (not my thing, but maybe Gfs)Tour of Wrigley Field- looks like they only offer Tours on weekends that earlySome good "Chicago style pizza"Nightlife/barsWould also probably go with the Chicago CityPass.Pretty sure all of this couldn't be done in our time there. What would be a good thing to cut out? Anything I missed?

 
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'NDyse10 said:
Thanks for all the help guys. I think we are going to use the Name your Price on Priceline and hope we get something we both like (which from the sounds of it shouldn't be an issue).I was doing some looking on my own and came up with a short list of things that sounded interesting.Sears TowerMuseum of Science and Industry- would the Field Museum be better?Second City- sounds like a comedy club?Millenium ParkMagnificent MileShedd AquariumAdler PlanetariumArt Institute (not my thing, but maybe Gfs)Tour of Wrigley Field- looks like they only offer Tours on weekends that earlySome good "Chicago style pizza"Nightlife/barsWould also probably go with the Chicago CityPass.Pretty sure all of this couldn't be done in our time there. What would be a good thing to cut out? Anything I missed?
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You can get all of that done in 2-3 days. If its cold out, skip the WF and Millenium Park. Second City is where most of the original SNL cast performed. Since you are going mid-week, don't take the express elevator to the Sears Tower skydeck, it will not be that crowded. I would recommend going on a clear day, arrive about 90 minutes before dusk. You can get some fantastic pics as the sun sets. Not far from there and I think is a must-see is Billy Goat's Tavern, the original is on 430 N Michigan, by the Tribune Towers. If you like Blues, Buddy Guy's Legends is great. If you were going in the summer, i would recommend Navy Pier and the Wrigley Field tour.
 
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