Not for FB- Chicagoland recommendations

kidzcare · Apr 5, 2018

Hmmm. My Taco Bell breakfast this morning just isn't cutting it. Sounds quite yummy up yonder.

Come on up! I'll give you a tour!

arlingtonnurse · Apr 5, 2018

Yes! We are planning a family trip the second week in August and I am writing all this down and getting more and more excited for the trip. Never been to Chicago. We are hoping to stay on Lake Michigan and take 2-3 day trips into the city, including to watch a game at Wrigley field. Any recommendations for fun beach towns within an hour of Chicago?

audreysmagic, RN · Apr 5, 2018

I came to Chicago in 2010, intending it to be a temporary "get my life together" home (I have family in the area)...it's 2018 and I've stayed out of choice. I think I'd only ever leave it to go back to the East Coast. This is just such a cool town, and as a theatre junkie, for me, it's the next best thing to NYC.

audreysmagic, RN · Apr 5, 2018

Yes! We are planning a family trip the second week in August and I am writing all this down and getting more and more excited for the trip. Never been to Chicago. We are hoping to stay on Lake Michigan and take 2-3 day trips into the city, including to watch a game at Wrigley field. Any recommendations for fun beach towns within an hour of Chicago?

Definitely check out Wrigley! Even if the Cubs lose, it's just a fun time. Like any baseball game, there are people who will have too many adult beverages and act like fools, but it's overall just a great experience. And the surrounding neighborhood is really cool, mostly residential but has a lot of fun little restaurants and cafes. The Metra, as was previously mentioned, is a fun experience if it's not your everyday commute (it was mine, once, before I moved from the burbs into the city proper). And as most of the L is above-ground, you can get a cool view of the city just riding it. The college campuses are also pretty gorgeous, especially for some of the architecture.

August in Chicago is HOT, but the beach scene by Lake Michigan is a good time. I don't know any particular beach towns outside of the city, but in the city, Montrose Beach is one of my favorites.

And if you're a fan of John Hughes movies, there are a lot of film locations in the near suburbs.

...I guess if I ever get out of nursing, I could become a tour guide.

iggywench, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2018

Is Ed Debevic's still open? I went to a convention in Chicago when I was in high school (1991), and I have fond memories of eating at Ed Debevic's. Nowadays, I bet they don't let high school students roam around the city unsupervised like we did...

kidzcare · Apr 5, 2018

Definitely check out Wrigley! Even if the Cubs lose, it's just a fun time. Like any baseball game, there are people who will have too many adult beverages and act like fools, but it's overall just a great experience. And the surrounding neighborhood is really cool, mostly residential but has a lot of fun little restaurants and cafes.

One of my best friends lives about a mile from Wrigley. I come from a White Sox family (south side!) so I have never been inside Wrigley but I will be going there in September to see Billy Joel!

There's a brick wall by Wrigley that became an impromptu memorial when they were winning the world series. People left chalk there and people wrote names of loved ones who had passed without ever seeing their beloved Cubbies win the World Series. My friend wrote her dad's name on the wall and said it was overwhelming. The rally after the Cubs win was the 7th largest gathering in human history (I have no idea who or how determined this). Even as a White Sox fan, this was an exciting time to be from Chicago.

WineRN · Apr 5, 2018

Yes! We are planning a family trip the second week in August and I am writing all this down and getting more and more excited for the trip. Never been to Chicago. We are hoping to stay on Lake Michigan and take 2-3 day trips into the city, including to watch a game at Wrigley field. Any recommendations for fun beach towns within an hour of Chicago?

How Fun!!!

Like the others said, Wrigley is a fun time all by itself.

A million years ago when I was a teen we used to change into our bathing suits at navy pier and then walk to Ohio Street Beach. It has a beautiful view of the city coast and it never was as crowded as the others. There are the indiana dunes for a more traditional beach town feel, but they are a little over an hour away

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Apr 5, 2018

One of my best friends lives about a mile from Wrigley. I come from a White Sox family (south side!) so I have never been inside Wrigley but I will be going there in September to see Billy Joel!
There's a brick wall by Wrigley that became an impromptu memorial when they were winning the world series. People left chalk there and people wrote names of loved ones who had passed without ever seeing their beloved Cubbies win the World Series. My friend wrote her dad's name on the wall and said it was overwhelming. The rally after the Cubs win was the 7th largest gathering in human history (I have no idea who or how determined this). Even as a White Sox fan, this was an exciting time to be from Chicago.

As a Redsox fan, it was heartwaming to watch!!! We remember many of the same sentiments in 2004~

audreysmagic, RN · Apr 5, 2018

Even as a White Sox fan, this was an exciting time to be from Chicago.

I live in one of the neighborhoods adjacent to Wrigleyville...just far enough away that the streets weren't packed but close enough to feel the energy. I stepped outside after watching the win on TV and one of my neighbors I'd seen but never spoken to laughed and hugged me. Normally, that would have been creepy, but in the moment, it was just a fun Chicago moment. It really was a special night - even people who didn't give two craps about baseball were cheering for that win.

audreysmagic, RN · Apr 5, 2018

Is Ed Debevic's still open? I went to a convention in Chicago when I was in high school (1991), and I have fond memories of eating at Ed Debevic's. Nowadays, I bet they don't let high school students roam around the city unsupervised like we did...

Apparently, they've closed their main location, but they're opening another downtown soon. I'll definitely have to check it out - never been there! I've only been living in the city proper for two years, so I'm still discovering so many cool places, myself.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Apr 5, 2018

For family vacays....

For the major museums, check out any free days/times--call the museum you are interested in. If you have a friend/family that live in Chicago and hold a Chicago Public Library card, you can get a free pass to one of 17 museums that will include general admission for a family of four (two adults and one child under 17 must be included). First come-first served. If you have a friend who is a Chase Private Client, they should have an Arts and Culture card that will get at least one person in free to the Big Five (Art Institute, Science and Industry, Adler, Shedd, and Field). What is free and how many can get in for free varies from museum to museum with the card. It is a small fortune to go to even one museum, unfortunately.

Brookfield Zoo is nice, but there are no trains to it, and it can cost a lot. Try Lincoln Park Zoo, which is free year round and is just north of downtown on the Lakefront.

Take a Divvy Bike along the Lakefront.

Somebody mentioned Margie's in Bucktown/Wicker Park. Take the Blue Line from the loop and get off at Western, then walk a couple blocks. Enjoy your ice cream strolling on the 606 (Bloomingdale Trail), which is Chicago's version of the New York High Line. There is an access point close to the Western stop. Don't go at night.

I'm not a fan of Navy Pier. Boooooring, and the shops have been overtaken by cheap souvenir places.

Blue Man Group has a permanent residency at the Briar Street Theatre in Lakeview. Fun show! Lakeview has LOTS of shops, bars, restaurants, etc. Wrigley is about four blocks away down Clark Street. (Wrigley is at Clark/Addison.)

If you want to go to the beach on the Chicago side, be warned that the water is cold, even during the hottest Chicago days--high 70s water temp on average. The last time I went, I sat on the water's edge with my toes in the water--my toes went numb with cold while my upper body was sweating. Stay away from North Ave and Oak St Beaches on the best beach days. Chicago Park District has a couple dozen beaches, for goodness' sake, don't limit yourself to the two crowdest ones! Try Loyola Beach in Rogers Park. Take the Red Line and get off at the Loyola station, then walk east till you hit the lake!

Eataly is a glorified, expensive food court. Try it once, I guess. Try out Riccardo's on Clark in Lakeview. Authentic, cozy, a mom-and-pop shop--make reservations. Use Uber or Lyft to get there.

If you go during the summer, be sure to check out the neighborhood festivals on a Chicago website. There are literally multiple neighborhood festivals every weekend. Great places to explore a neighborhood and check out local eats. NorthSide "hot" neighborhoods are appropriate for families during the day, but you'll have to navigate drunken college-age people in the evenings.

That's all for now!

dudette10, MSN, RN · Apr 5, 2018

I came to Chicago in 2010, intending it to be a temporary "get my life together" home (I have family in the area)...it's 2018 and I've stayed out of choice. I think I'd only ever leave it to go back to the East Coast. This is just such a cool town, and as a theatre junkie, for me, it's the next best thing to NYC.

Hey, do you have a subscription to Broadway in Chicago? When my kids were little, they would spend one day a week with their grandma. I bought a subscription for a Wednesday matinee, one seat, front center mezzanine. Relatively affordable, and I saw soooo many shows!