After visiting Chicago (a correction made on the suggestion of Carlomiraz) during the summer season, we decide to try the thrill (and the word really fits!) of visiting the city during the New Year holidays as well. Winter in the north of the United States is a real winter: cold, snowy, extreme. Below are some tips for anyone who decides to visit this splendid city, even braving January's extreme temperatures.
Flight
We flew Air One from Rome, via Milan Malpensa, directly to Chicago. The flight went well, on time, although the seats are rather "narrow". But in the end you can't complain.
Hotel
We booked the Hotel71 on the internet (An excellent hotel, very central, just a few steps from the blue line of the metro ("Clark" station) that comes directly from O'Hare airport. We paid a splendid double room 52€ a night. For a small supplement you can choose to have a room with a view over the Chicago River. I must say there isn't much need because the view over the city is wonderful anyway. On the top floor (the 38th) there is a wonderful Ballroom you can access 24 hours a day to admire the 360° view of the city. Other services available to guests are high-speed internet stations and a gym. Of course all services are available 24 hours a day. There is also the possibility of having breakfast at the hotel but the prices are really exaggerated. If you go down to the street 20 metres to the left of the hotel there's a splendid place for breakfast.
The hotel rooms are very large and clean even if not very modern. There's no minibar but there is a TV, a stereo, a hairdryer, an ironing board and iron.
Location
The hotel's location was perfect because it is in the northern part of the Loop (that is, the downtown / centre of Chicago) and just a few steps from Michigan Avenue, the paradise of shops and shopping lovers. Very well connected by public transport, both by metro and by lots of buses, to reach all the places in Chicago in a few minutes.
Eating
It's impossible to give suggestions for eating in Chicago. You can eat anything at any price. Walk and look around and choose! I can only give you some impressions of what we did. Mexican cuisine: "Su Casa" (49 E Ontario Ave, At N Wabash Ave) on a side street off Michigan Avenue. The food is excellent, family atmosphere, lots of people and great dishes (not to mention the Margarita, in the "Frozen Strawberry" version). On average you spend about $20 a head to come out really full. Chinese cuisine: you simply can't not eat Chinese in Chinatown. Find the place you like most and that inspires you, go in and... dive in! Don't do as in Italy, where you order 10 different dishes to taste them! The portions are enormous and you won't manage to eat everything. Southern cuisine: Heaven of Seven (An excellent Louisiana restaurant. Again, if you go at peak time you'll wait to be seated.
Enormous dishes (be sure to try the famous Jambalaya).
Shopping
The shopping street par excellence is certainly Michigan Avenue North, also known as the "Magnificent Mile", which includes the two red line metro stations "Grand" and "Chicago" (an area that also has lots of bars and restaurants). The shops you find on the Mile are the big brands and the prices are quite interesting, whether because of the favourable dollar exchange rate or the economic crisis that forced US shops to bring forward the seasonal sales. One tip: if you love shopping, set off with an "empty" suitcase. Trust me: you'll buy everything on the spot.
Music
This is the city of blues and jazz. For blues, we heard good things about the House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn) but we went to a place where, on the suggestion of the Chicago tourist office, jazz is played, and which is a little off the traditional tourist routes and destinations (like the House of Blues). The venue is called Andy's (11 E. Hubbard St.) and it's a very nice place. You pay $5 to get in and, if you want, you can eat (decently, they tell us) or go to the bar to have a drink and listen to live jazz (3 hours of concert). At the House of Blues, just to give you an idea, they asked us $45 a head for the Sunday morning concert (1.5 hours) and brunch. It seemed really too much to us.
Skyline
To best admire the magnificent Chicago skyline, we'd point you to the following places. One tip: also plan sunset visits, because the spectacle of the lights coming on will leave you breathless. - Navy Pier. You can reach it with buses 2, 29, 65, 66 or 124. This is Chicago's entertainment area, with an amusement park and Ferris wheel, and a restaurant and shopping area that's enjoyable even in the cold because it's indoors. The food isn't good and it's usually very crowded in summer, when there are lots of outdoor tables. I'd point out as characteristic the restaurant "Bubba Gump" (remember the film with Tom Hanks?). An excellent place to admire the skyline and, in summer, to take boat trips on the lake or rent bikes and roller blades. - North Avenue Beach. From the Magnificent Mile you can get there with the following buses: 151, 147, 146, 145.
It takes 10 minutes and this is Chicago's north area with a very large beach. Great views over the city. - Greektown or Little Italy (Racine metro stop). Take a wander around those parts and you'll admire the skyline from the Sears Tower side.
Sears Tower
Admission $12. Watch out for the queues (which can be quite long). It is currently the tallest building in the USA (after the destruction of the Twin Towers) and I'd recommend a ride up to the 103rd floor, over 400 metres above the ground.
Loop
This is Chicago's office district, where the tallest and most beautiful skyscrapers meet. It's very busy by day but much less so in the evening. In the Loop, the elevated metro is worth seeing (and using) (if you've ever seen an episode of E.R. you know what I'm talking about). There are several places to eat lunch and lots of fast food. Be careful in the evening because some streets can be rather "desolate" and little frequented.
Old Town
Northern part of Chicago. A very nice neighbourhood to see together with the chic area of the Gold Coast (Astor Avenue). This is where the most beautiful houses in Chicago are concentrated and it's certainly one of the best kept. In the Old Town I wanted to point out a beautiful shop that sells many kinds of spices, The Spice Town (1512 North Wells Street) I recommend it, you won't be able to resist.
Day 11 Jan 2009
Ethnic neighborhoods
You can't miss taking a tour of Chicago's "ethnic" neighborhoods. We had no problems, we went during the day and even without seeing many tourists around, no one bothered us. - Chinatown (Chinatown-Cermak subway stop). It's a rather large area of Chicago, dedicated to hosting the city's enormous Chinese community. Everything is Chinese: from the signs on the shops to the menus of the restaurants and stores. It's worth seeing and of course if you like the cuisine don't miss a taste - Little Italy. Rather small, with tidy houses and street names that have been dedicated to Italian-American figures with surnames that evoke distant mafia memories. There isn't much to see beyond a few shops and a few restaurants, but honestly it's nothing comparable to the Chinese area - Greektown. It's the neighborhood that hosts the enormous Greek community.
Lots of shops and restaurants offering the typical dishes of Greek cuisine. Many Greek flags displayed in the streets. - Bronzeville. It's the neighborhood that hosts the black community. We didn't go because we were advised against it by both the hotel and the tourist office. They told us clearly "why risk it needlessly to see a neighborhood that has nothing to show but social hardship?" So we gave up.
Millennium Park
Here you'll find the park the city so badly wanted in order to honor and celebrate the new millennium. Construction began in 1998 but was only completed in 2004 (and they say Italians!), apparently (from what we're told) not only amid controversy over the delay but also over the (enormous) costs borne by the community for its realization. The park is dominated by Chicago's "monument" (if you can call it that): the mega mirrored bean (!). In the winter season, two rinks are open in the area for ice skating (very crowded!) and there's also a large Pavillon that in summer is used for concerts and events.
Public transport
It's extremely convenient and you'll use it a lot if you don't want to take taxis (which, by the way, aren't very expensive). The subway/bus ticket costs $2.25 per ride but I recommend the 1, 2 or 3 day cards. The one-day card costs $5.50 and lets you roam the whole city far and wide for 24 hours from the time you validate it (so it carries over past the day, something not to be underestimated). There's also the option of getting a card from the automatic machines and deciding how much to load. You can even get just one and use it for several people. You load it up to $100 and then no more problems. Buying a single ticket is possible but on the bus it's more expensive (and there's also no possibility of getting change).
Climate
In summer it's cool. In winter it's freezing cold. The week before Christmas the high was -35° C. When the blizzard comes down, the icy wind from the north meets no obstacles and plunges into the city center, which faces directly onto Lake Michigan. It's no coincidence that Chicago's nickname is The Windy City because the wind is incessant and in winter it lowers the perceived temperature enormously. We always had highs below zero: it ranged from -1°C down to -10°C. At night (or rather, after sunset, which in winter comes around 4 in the afternoon) the temperature is even more bitter. The perceived temperature (as highlighted by Weather Channel) reaches -17°C. The wind shows no mercy. A tip for all those who want to visit this beautiful city in winter: you must never forget scarf, gloves and hat. Without them you have no escape.
Chicago Trolley
If you want, there's the option of taking the Chicago Trolley (that is, a tourist bus (heated in winter) to take a beautiful tour of the city and get on and off as you please. The ticket costs $29 each and is valid all day. You'll also be given a booklet of discounts at shops for purchases and small snacks (including, among other things, $1 off to enter the Sears Tower). The only downside: in winter the runs aren't frequent and you risk waiting (in the freezing cold!) for 20-25 minutes before the next "trolley" comes.
If you'd like, I'm available for any questions. Feel free to contact me.
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