Beginners Guide to Chicago

As a military brat moving from base to base, I learned early on that home was always changing. When my younger sister decided she wanted something more stable, she set up a permanent home in Chicago. Since I was still in college, I was excited visit the Windy City and see what a real stable home was like. Since it was my first trip to the city, I did some research to stay within budget and see the hottest Chicagoattractions. 

The Magnificent Mile

The Magnificent Mile runs along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street and is part of an area known as The Loop. Once I decided what to see, staying somewhere near the Mag Mile just made sense. I was staying in a hotel because I didn’t really fit into my sister’s tiny one bedroom with her new husband.

I wanted a place that was comfortable, but not too expensive. For me, that place was the Fairfield Inn & Suites in downtown Chicago. Technically, the Fairfield sits in Streetville, which is a few blocks off Mag Mile. The advantage of staying near the Mile, but not quite on it, was price. The Magnificent Mile is the place to be in Chicago and hotel pricing reflects that. By staying just off, I still got the benefits of downtown while saving a few dollars. The Fairfield offered a nice breakfast, free Wi-Fi and location, location, location. It is also near the “L,” which was the easiest main public transportation option to get to my sister’s downtown apartment.

CityPass

Since my sister was new to the area and this was my first trip, we were not exactly sure what sites to see. One of her friends recommended we take advantage of the ChicagoCityPass. The CityPass gives you VIP admission to five must-see attractions in the city. It is a very ‘touristy’ thing to buy, but for a first trip, a viable option. By using the pass, we got into:

·         Shedd Aquarium

·         Skydeck Chicago – Sears Tower

·         The Field Museum

·         Museum of Science and Industry

·         The Art Institute

       

Of these five, my favorite was the Art Institute. If you are an art lover, the Institute is something you don’t want to miss. The only other tourist site we saw was the Navy Pier which offers restaurants, rides, live entertainment and a fabulous beer garden.

Shopping

Shopping is one of the high points of The Magnificent Mile. This is the Rodeo Drive of Chicago. You can find anything and everything along Michigan Ave. We window-shopped Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth, Graff Diamonds, Manrico Cashmere many other designer boutiques. If you want to shop in style, the Chicago Loop offers New York designers and urban one-of-a-kind shops.

Restaurants

While I was in Chicago, we were able to eat at one place that stood out, Schwa. Schwa is a trendy, hard-to-get-into restaurant in Wicker Park. On the outside, Schwa looks like a rundown store, and the interior is not overly elegant, but it’s the service that makes the experience special. The menu is limited and varies by season. Each meal is nine courses. We had fancy food, loud music and great service at Schwa. It you go, Schwa is BYOB, bring your own bottle – we opted for two bottles of white wine!

For something less high-brow and more accessible, try Hot Chocolate on North Damen Avenue or Kuma’s Corner W. Belmont Avenue, both offer the best burgers you’ll ever taste. We had a great time at both and spent a lot less than at Schwa.

Since that first trip to Chi-town, I’ve been back a few times. Each time is a new experience with new sites. That is the one of the nicest things about Chicago, diversity. You can go a hundred times and still not see it all.