Chicago MMXII

Nicks either.

Smart Bar seems pretty out of place on that list.

I first went to Nick's when Jeff and I came to Chicago on a pre-move recon mission. I met a cute Mexican dude on the train and we went to Nick's where we made out and dry humped the night away hangar-like main bar area. The bros were in force but nobody messed with us.

I mean, the guy writing the article sounds no less douche-y than the bars he describes, in his own way.

A lot of those bars are pretty bad, but that's pretty OTM, E.

yeah it's important to remember the list is in Complex which has its own inherent douchefactor

Somehow Jeff ended up with a subscription to Complex at our old apartment and every time I came tumbling out of our mailbox I would just get the rage.

This probably makes me a terrible person but this photo is cracking me up:

http://i.imgur.com/IVHlG.jpg

"Coll3tte Hylk@, religious education coordinator, shows the copper cross that was damaged outside the rectory at St. Mary of Perpetual Help."

You kind of have to see the photo in context of the other 1,000 photos of the damaged copper cross.

http://www.suntimes.com/photos/galleries/index.html?story=11691504

"Okay, we've got 15 pictures of the cross, but let's get somebody out here to point at it."

That's some Pullitzer-level photojournalism right there.

Oh, I'd never heard of Complex.

That lady looks like she's in the process of bending the cross.

needs video of her saying "well isn't that special"

She looks like she twisted the cross herself, just by pointing at it.

does anyone know if Uri Geller has been in Chicago lately????

Btw, I posted about the 1940-era occupants of my apartment building here:
The 1940 U.S. Census

I'll be at the Globe at 7:30.

Me too.

The Lincoln bus goes all over all kinds of weird places.

I think I will not make pub quiz tonight as I am going to collapse in my bed right now. but good luck!

Hey, any recommendations for reasonably priced decent hotels in a location that might be good for first time visitors?

I'll be at the Globe at 7:30.

Just leaving work now, so I'll be there closer to 8.

I am on my way back to you, Chicago.

ENBB, You can usually stay in a boutiquey hotel in the mag mile area for ~$100-125 a night.

Public Hotel opened this past winter and has been running deals around that price. I think you could Priceline a room around $100 Loop/River North/Mag Mile and get a nice place. Also, the James.

Also, keep an eye on Jetsetter.

We totally won pub quiz, you guys.

Hi 5! Team name?

I Regret Eating My Placenta

:D :D :D

Aw yeah. Did it cover your bar tab? Did you slay the Curb round?

We each got about $20 off our tab, which didn't entirely cover it (drinks there aren't cheap, and a couple of us had food), but definitely went a long way.

And yeah, we got perfect rounds on both Curb and MLB Managers.

bitchin'

Jeff, Eazy - Thx! Sorry to crash your thread btw. I realize there's probably a tourist thread about Chicago but this was my first instinct. Will look for tourist thread as I've never been and need ideas on what are things that need to be seen if you only have 2 days.

Congrats on the quiz win!

Erica, I think there are probably threads like that in the archives, but feel free to post here, too! I didn't respond to your question about hotels, because honestly I don't know, but I'm happy to help otherwise. When are you coming?

This is a good thread to ask about Chicago stuff! Eric and Jeff's hotel advice is v. sound.

Crash away. Best place to watch dogs:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wiggly-field-chicago

Also, what are you interested in doing? Museums? Bands? Shopping? Drinking? Touristy stuff? Non-touristy stuff?

I'll throw out the Museum of Surgical Science, as that sounds like something you might be interested in - https://www.imss.org/.

And THEN if it's warm, you can have a drink and lunch at Castaways Bar & Grill, which is a bar shaped like a boat that sits right on Lake Michigan. It's kind of bro-y, but my love of buildings shaped like things that aren't buildings is stronger than my distaste for bro immersion. And THEN you could go to Lincoln Park Zoo and/or the Lincoln Park Conservatory, both of which are free. There are also places to eat/drink in that area that aren't shaped like a boat.

Avoid these bars, however: http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2012/04/the-25-douchiest-bars-in-chicago

Also, you can use Priceline or whatever the au currant cheap hotel finder is to get the best deals on hotel rooms. Generally unless there is a specific neighborhood where you want to stay, the Mag Mile hotels are a good bet and relatively central. But if you're really lucky/adventurous, you can stay at Longman and Eagle, which is a nice B&B in Logan Square with toilets in their shower cubicles - http://www.longmanandeagle.com/sleep/.

Have you been/do you know people that have been to the L&E inn?

No. I've eaten there, but that's it. I tried to get my parents to stay there but they ended up not visiting.

Regarding the boutique hotels on the Mag Mile, the Tremont is usually one of the cheaper ones. My parents recently priced it though and it was $159 a night, but this was on Memorial Day weekend. It's also sort of a crappy hotel.

xp Also my dad would probably rather stay in an alley then stay in a room with a toilet in the glass-walled shower.

Oh god the Treemont. I stayed there when I took the bar exam and it was not great. I only recommend it if cheap is your absolute number one criteria for lodgings.

We'll be there Sat April 28th - Monday April 30th. It'll be me, RS and his parents. We thought it would be fun to show them somewhere else in the US besides Boston and NY and the fact that neither of us have been to Chicago either is an added bonus. We found a good deal on flights yesterday and just booked them last night.

Museums? Bands? Shopping? Drinking? Touristy stuff? Non-touristy stuff?

We like all these things! Maybe not bands because his parents will be along for the ride but they are big tourists, shoppers and drinkers so those are all good. Also, I guess the non-touristy stuff can be saved for the next time we visit and maybe we should see the standard stuff this time. So, yes. Ideas on museums, restaurants, bars, sites and ares to stroll around and shop in are all welcome.

I swear I remember Jesse mentioning a Pierogi restaurant - I want to go there!

CA - the boat place/zoo idea sounds AWESOME. It's on the list now. That museum sounds like it would be my favorite place ever but I'm not sure they'd love it. lol. Next time.

BTW thanks so much for the recs - I'm really excited! Maybe we'll even be able to squeeze in a mini FAP or something at some point. :)

Seriously, unless there's a dental convention in town, there's a glut of midpriced boutique hotels (Public, James, Dana, the brand-brand-new Hotel Lincoln (which may be have specials because it's still in a soft opening)) that you don't need to settle for a crappy one.

The Lincoln one could be nice because you're a) on the park and b) Mamet lived out of this hotel in the 1970s.

Then again, with the parents, anything Gold Coast, Mag Mile, Streeterville, Loop will put you in walking distance of a zillion parent-friendly things.

I'd say do:
- a casual breakfast or lunch at Xoco.
- Millennium Park
- the Chicago Cultural Center (wow building).
- The Art Institute of Chicago is right next to ^^ those two
- Early happy hour or lunch/afternoon at 95th floor Signature Room
- You could go see The Iceman Cometh before it likely goes to Broadway
- Or get any other theater tickets for half-price at Hot Tix

Maybe we'll even be able to squeeze in a mini FAP or something at some point. :)

I'll be in NYC. :/

Man I'll be in NYC next week. Everyone is going to NY this month!

If you want stuff outside downtown:

- Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
- If you stay at the Hotel Lincoln, you'll be right near the Lincoln Park Zoo (I'm with Jenny - it's free and fun) and, on Saturday morn, the Green City Market (big farmers' market).
- Sunday night, 7 p.m. - Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind - we could FAP, see that, gather at Simon's/Hopleaf/whatever before or after.

Hotel Lincoln looks cool, and I think you can get pretty good deals for it on hotwire/priceline.

and congrats on the pub quiz victory!

I'll be in NYC the 23rd through the 28th.

Hey - awesome! I have a grant deadline right now but I'll check in later today. Thanks again for the ideas. I trust you guys so much more than any dumb guide book.

Maybe we'll even be able to squeeze in a mini FAP or something at some point. :)
I should hope so!! In fact, I will not participate in this vacation planning unless I am assured of the opportunity!