Wednesday, April 7, 2010 as of 11:14 AM ET
Cutting-edge architecture, legendary blues, and scrumptious dining? Check. Lavish shopping, world-class museums, and lake views? Check. Glorious parks, major-league baseball, and side-splitting improv? Check...
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Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods give you the chance to shop the globe without ever leaving the city. Just southwest of the Loop is Pilsen, the city's largest Latino neighborhood. A walk along 18th Street between Halsted Street and Western Avenue ...
Gordon and Carole Segal saw a void in the Chicago retail market in 1962, and they set out to fill it by opening the first Crate&Barrel store in an abandoned elevator factory in the then-questionable Old Town neighborhood.
The Matchbox, in West Town near Wicker Park, isn't much bigger than a you-know-what, but the hodgepodge of regulars don't seem to mind. In fact, many claim it's the dark, cramped quarters (we're talking 3 feet wide at its narrowest) that keep ...
At a few major department stores visitors from out of town can ring up a special discount as a shopping incentive. If you show identification to prove you live outside Illinois, you're eligible for a markdown. Score one for the tourist team! Bloomingdale's: go to the visitor's desk on the first floor. With your out-of-town ID you'll get a card for an 11% discount on all purchases bought that day. You can apply for this card on any given visit.
Spa at Trump Spa at Trump. The one thing most Trump hotel spas have in common: They're likely the swankiest places in their respective towns to relax and rejuvenate, with luxe locker rooms tricked out with multi-jet showers, signature gemstone massages (that's right, rubdowns with the essences of rubies, diamonds, and sapphires) and your every need attended to (think heated, lavender-scented neck pillows during mani/pedis or goggles for dipping in the pool in case you forgot your own).
Chicago is, famously, a city of neighborhoods. Chicagoans like to define themselves by where they hang their hat, with attendant pride, snobbery, or aspirations to street cred (of all kinds). For visitors, setting up a temporary base in one of the neighborhoods offers many advantages. This is especially true for leisure travelers. Without an expense account to ease downtown's hotel bills and menu shock, staying right in downtown can get very costly very quickly. When choosing accommodations, it pays to look beyond the Loop and the Magnificent Mile.
Travelers to Chicago take note: more than 1,000 conventions and trade shows are scheduled throughout the year. The National Restaurant Association show in May, the Manufacturing Technology show in September, the Radiological Society of America ...
It seems unlikely that the rough-and-tumble writer and adventurer Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in the manicured suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, a town he described as having "wide lawns and narrow minds." He excelled at writing for the high-...
The historic Bronzeville neighborhood is located between Douglas Boulevard (Cottage Grove Avenue) and Grand Boulevard (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive). History buffs can honor the neighborhood's numerous influential African American inhabitants, ...
Enjoy the Lake San Diego and Los Angeles may have the ocean, and New York its Central Park, but Chicago has the peaceful waters of Lake Michigan at its doorstep. Bikers, dog walkers, boaters, and runners crowd the lakefront paths on warm days; in winter the lake is equally beautiful, with icy towers formed from frozen sheets of water.
There are few better ways to fall instantly in love with Chicago than by touring its picturesque lakefront path. You could do it by foot or by rollerblade, but the best way to take in the sites is by bicycle. You'll cover the most ground, get in...
River North is the granddaddy of Chicago's gallery districts, a more established and refined neighborhood of art-centric businesses than other trendy areas like Pilsen and the West Loop. It's an easy walk to River North from most downtown hotels...
Once a Native American trail, Clark Street is one of Chicago's major arteries, running roughly 12 mi from Chinatown on the South Side to the border with Evanston at the north. A Clark Street pub crawl, with stops in three distinct neighborhoods...
The Great Fire of 1871 could have been the death of Chicago, but instead it proved to be a grand rebirth. Renowned architects treated the decimated urban landscape as a fresh palette for their innovative ideas, sparking a revolution that has ...
Chicago's world-class museums house some of the most famous art anywhere, but don't forget the city's great outdoors. Some of the most impressive art here is outside, in plazas, parks, and other public spaces. The best part? It's all free.
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, Walter Payton, William "the Refrigerator" Perry, Ernie Banks, Sammy Sosa, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. You can't mention Chicago without talking about sports. Chicagoans are fiercely devoted to their teams, whether the...
Important Dates in Chicago History 1673 Chicago discovered by Marquette and Jolliet 1837 Chicago incorporated as a city 1860 First national political convention. Abraham Lincoln nominated as the Republican candidate for president 1871 Great Chicago Fire
Chicago festivals range from local neighborhood get-togethers to citywide extravaganzas. Try to catch a neighborhood street fair for some great people-watching if you're in town between June and September. On some weekends there are several ...
Chicago sometimes seems to have been designed with kids in mind. There are many places to play and things to do, from building sand castles at one of the lakefront's many beaches to playing 18-hole minigolf at Navy Pier in summer. Here are some suggestions for ways to show kids the sights. Museums Several area museums are specifically designed for kids.
It's easy to spend money in the big city: think shopping, museum-entrance fees, restaurants, theater. But if you'd like to put your wallet away for a while, here are some of our favorite options.
So you've done the Art Institute and the Willis (Sears) Tower—now it's time to put away your tourist hat and make like a local. Luckily, it's not hard to figure out what Chicagoans like to do in their spare time. Here's how to follow in ...
Chicago Architecture Tours Every great city has great buildings, but Chicago is its great buildings. Everything Chicagoans do is framed by some of the most remarkable architecture to be found anywhere. The best way to see the sky-scraping Loop towers or the horizontal sweep of the Prairie School is on one of these top tours.
Willis (Sears) Tower Skydeck Take the ear-popping ride to the 103rd-floor observatory, where on a clear day you can see as far as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. At the top, interactive exhibits feature notable Chicagoans. Kids love Knee-High Chicago, a 4-foot-high exhibit that has cutouts of Chicago sports, history, and cultural icons at a child's eye-level. Fearless folks can step out onto the Ledge, twin glass boxes extending 4.3 feet from the Skydeck and suspended a dizzying 1,353 feet above the city.
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