Best Hacks for Chicago, According to Our Readers
Do you know the movie ” Chicago” , Sinatra’s song “Chicago” and the band Chicago? They are all based on a real city! And when we asked the residents of that city about their best tricks in Chicago , they gave us hundreds of them. Here are some of the best.
For visitors
First, it is technically Willis Tower now, but just call it Sears Tower. And it is still the tallest building in America, aside from the World Trade Center hat .
Now let’s start with Andyjamesdie’s tips for navigation and favorite places:
Here’s another guide from Heavy Metal Lawyer:
And another one from PoopedTheBed:
And a cluster of cheap and free videos from tfpHumorBlog:
Check out the guide ” three-dollar tour” Bruno Crimson Jones , guide Chris , a long list of museums and attractions of Pope Wan Twi , as well as a list of cases (including BBQ Supply Co, Hoosier Mama, and turtle races at Big Joe) from AaronAM .
Fatherjabroni’s detailed travel guide has some caveats about the public transport system and roads, as well as some favorite music venues:
Subway, Empty Bottle, Lincoln Hall, Shubas, Vault, Old Town Folk Music School, Park West. Avoid Aragon. The Green Mill is nice but gets crowded on Fridays and Saturdays. SPACE in Evanston is a great place but small. SPACE can be reached by transport, but it’s a bit of a hike. Plan accordingly.
Dailylife knows the best way to see the city from Hancock (and Lorem Ipson recommends coming around five for this):
Bypass
ViewoftheSouthSide and efrog2.0 give some driving tips:
Some readers noted that the cellular service in the city center is poor. So here’s a tip for analog navigation from blipsman :
Examine the grid – State & Madison, in Loop – 0/0, from which all direction coordinates originate. Every 100 increments is 1/8 of a mile, with major streets every 1/2 of a mile. Knowing your coordinates or address, you can quickly determine where you are in the city. And get to know the main roads and order in the areas you frequent.
Sherist warns: “Everything is going fast and aggressively while driving” at a speed on the left edge of 75-80 miles per hour. “Your safest strategy is to stay in the far right lane if you don’t know where you are going.” She and oldasempire agree that cops don’t do much (at least with white drivers) on expressways. (According to oldasempire, this is because the state police are responsible for the interstate, not the Chicago Police Department.)
For parking, efrog2.0 offers the ParkChicago app. Dad Van Twi loves parking for $ 22 a day at Millennium Park, and Steeb offers discounts on SpotHero or ParkWhiz .
You can take the train, Dem_Boots_Tho says, but be careful:
Hold onto the handrails L and the bus. I’ve seen too many people (usually visitors) fall.
Or use a bike rental (just don’t ride on the sidewalk, says fennelbrith , and avoid the lakeside paths on weekends, says Bob McLennan ):
Or even by water taxi:
Study of
Get the most out of Chicago museums:
“Chicago is a city of neighborhoods,” says Heffomit , “and much of its charm lies in the diversity and character of these neighborhoods.” For instance:
Walk down Devon Avenue and buy spices from a South Asian grocery store, fresh tortillas on the Blue Island in Pilsen, an overnight Korean BBQ on the northwest side, jollof rice that will make you dance in your place in Bronzeville.
Dem_Boots_Tho recommends Chinatown:
Chinatown Chicago is AMAZING. It is the ideal location for a day trip outside the city. Sip Boba, eat your weight in Dim Sum at Triple Crown, and enjoy viewing all the beautiful architecture. (Extra points if you take a water taxi)
John77 likes Logan Square:
Logan Square quickly turned into the new Wicker Park (hipster / hip neighborhood), but it quickly outgrew the label. Logan is a good place for bars and food. Wicker is now a good place for brunch and shopping.
Choosing a restaurant
From this Burnslikephoenix account (which got a lot of responses for rejecting Portillo’s serving):
Lou Malnati’s for a deep dish and Gene & Jude for a good hot dog. Gino’s East is fun too, and Downtown Dogs is good too. If anyone recommends Portillo’s, remove them from your friends list.
BlueRing has ice cream:
Otetsdzhabroni said: ” Burgers Ezo in Evanston first-class.”
Kevin Ngo loves coffee at the Chicago Athletic Association (but don’t forget the dress code).
QADude recommends Twin Anchors stiffeners.
And do some BYOB, says geffomite :
There are a myriad of BYOB restaurants throughout Chicago, from humble Mexican, Thai and Cuban restaurants to gourmet Michelin-starred restaurants such as Ruxbin and Goosefoot.
As for the deep platter pizza, read the commentators’ discussion and decide for yourself.
For local
Know your way in the spacious, gated Pedway building that helps Chicagoans escape the winter chill, he says very discreetly . ( Read this map in PDF format. )
Kevin Ngo says the water taxi isn’t just for fun:
Choose the best route to Wrigley Field:
Be very careful when towing:
Locals may like these two tips from John77 ‘s long travel guide:
Pack a hammock, rent a bike, and follow the lakeside trail. I spent many, many summer days swinging a little in a hammock with friends on the lake.
Take a look at 606 Trail. This is an old railway line converted to a jogging / cycling track that runs through many areas on the west side. It is new and offers good views of the different areas from the higher elevations.
That’s all for Chicago – except for over a hundred comments on our original post. Check them out! Leave your own, in that post or right below that.
Come back Monday and share your tips for our next city, a scenic palm-lined parking lot filled with aspiring waiters.