24 hours in Chicago…?
This is our first visit to Chicago… Me and the guys are on a road-trip from Canada, and Chicago is only 4 hours out of the way… So we’ve decided to swing through, as this could be our only chance to visit… We’ve ONLY got 24 hours to see Chicago, so what should be at the top of the list of things to see/do???
Where’s the best place to go for a great view of the city??? The best place to eat??? The best sports-bar to watch the game??? The best night clubs??? The best shopping???
If it helps, we’ll be arriving mid-day this Monday, and leaving about the same time on Tuesday… We’re 6 guys in our mid-late 20′s… Any advice would be appreciated…
Best view: Signature Room at the top of the John Hancock Building, NOT the observation deck. Go to the south side of the buidling and take the elevator up. There’s a bar up there. Go there, have a drink and enjoy the best view of the city, nearly 360 degrees, for free… well, there is the price of the drink.
Best place to eat: C’mon, man, this is Chicago… TOO many places to name. But, fine, I’d say try Piece pizza place on North Ave. near Damen. They make a pretty nice pizza, not the thick gloppy deep dish stuff (kinda overrated) and they have their own on-premesis brewery and make a pretty good beer. It’s a bustling, popular place so you should have fun.
Best place to watch the game: What game? If you’re here on a Monday,there aren’t any big games going on . If you mean Monday night football, you can watch that anywhere. But I’d try the area around Wrigley Field. There are about five bazillion bars there, so if you don’t like one or there’s no “action” happening, you can move to the next. And they have a lot of drink specials to stay competitive, so you can drink for cheap. And they all have TV sets tuned to whatever game you want.
Best night clubs: Again, too many. It depends on what kind of music you want and how much money you want to spend. There are clubs that charge $20 admission and clubs that are free. I’d try the Wicker Park area. There are a few places in the area and if you don’t like one, walk to the next.
Best Shopping: For high end shopping, try Michigan Ave. For midrange shopping, try State Street. For off-beat shopping, try the Belmont/Clark area or Wicker Park again.
The best thing you can do is pick up a copy of Time Out Chicago magazine as soon as you get here. You can find it at almost any bookstore. It lists everything going on in the city for the week, from the best shopping to bars and restaurants (from old-man bars to swanky clubs) to music, etc. It also tells you the price of admission and the location of each place. It’s pretty handy to have.
Party on, Wayne…
Soren McCarthy “Sports Bar” Samples
