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Started By
Message
Heading to Chicago for the first time
Posted on 8/29/23 at 6:11 pm
Posted on 8/29/23 at 6:11 pm
My son is graduating from boot camp in Great Lakes Friday so we’ll be checking out Chicago. I know it’s a crime ridden city etc but what kind of recs do y’all have for someone who hasn’t been? I’ve heard about an architectural boat tour, water taxis and a science and industry museum.
8
Posted on 8/29/23 at 6:27 pm to AllDawg
Travel Board Chicago link
There was a Chicago discussion a week or so ago.
There was a Chicago discussion a week or so ago.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 6:27 pm to AllDawg
Double post; deleted.
This post was edited on 8/29/23 at 6:29 pm
Posted on 8/29/23 at 9:44 pm to AllDawg
quote:
I know it’s a crime ridden city etc
This is not true for the majority of the city and suburbs.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 11:28 pm to AllDawg
quote:
I know it’s a crime ridden city etc
Lol... Petty crime can happen anywhere in a big city, but you're a tourist that will be several miles from the violent crimes in certain, pocketed neighborhoods (i.e. Englewood, East/West Garfield Park, North Lawndale) that the news likes to push. Realize that Chicago is a big place with dozens of fantastic neighborhoods. Never want to speak in absolutes, but I've been here a decade and yet to fear for my personal safety.
ETA: For recommendations, use search on this board and F&D. You should find plenty over the last year or two.
This post was edited on 8/30/23 at 10:46 am
Posted on 8/30/23 at 8:57 am to AllDawg
quote:
I know it’s a crime ridden city
Just stay in the north side and you are fine. Wrigleyville, North Park, etc are all perfectly fine
If you want to do the touristy thing, 360 Chicago or sky deck, the bean and navy pier
Other fun things are renting a boat and going to the playpin or taking a boat architecture tour
Tones of great restaurants and shopping if that’s your thing
Posted on 8/30/23 at 9:29 am to AllDawg
quote:
I know it’s a crime ridden city
If you go in with this mindset, you're going to have a terrible time.
Chicago is not a crime ridden city. It is an enormous city with bad areas.
Posted on 8/30/23 at 9:44 am to AllDawg
the downtown/tourist areas certainly feel safe and it's very clean compared to other major cities I've visited.
top notch museums, restaurants and shows.
If by chance the Cubs are in town, the games are awesome and greatly exceeded my expectations.
top notch museums, restaurants and shows.
If by chance the Cubs are in town, the games are awesome and greatly exceeded my expectations.
Posted on 8/30/23 at 11:28 am to nctiger71
Thanks for the link buddy
Posted on 8/31/23 at 11:42 am to AllDawg
2 restaurants you may want to look at and try ....stuff thats not very good in La ....Monteverde(Italian) and Frontera Grill(Mexican) ! You will not be disappointed!
Posted on 8/31/23 at 12:59 pm to rowbear1922
quote:quote:
I know it’s a crime ridden city
Just stay in the north side and you are fine. Wrigleyville, North Park, etc are all perfectly fine
Former resident here for over ten years.
This was how Chicago was prior to ~2016 or so. It is not that way anymore. There is violence in the Loop, Mag Mile, Gold Coast, etc... It is not as bad as some areas, but downtown and the north side are not as clean as they once were.
To the OP, you don't have to fear for your safety but be aware of your surroundings and people with their eye on you. An afternoon cubs game is probably very safe. A late night walk to a hotel from a restaurant is a time to keep an eye out.
Posted on 8/31/23 at 1:43 pm to tadman
quote:
There is violence in the Loop, Mag Mile, Gold Coast, etc... It is not as bad as some areas, but downtown and the north side are not as clean as they once were.
Clark/Division around Gold Coast has always been a bit sketchy - that's nothing new. It's more late night that you need to keep your head on a swivel, but I doubt many tourists are wandering around at those hours. It's an interesting dichotomy because that entire border of Gold Coast and Old Town has been gentrified to hell, and packed with bars that attract a lot of recent grads, but easy to forget that it's close to the old Cabrini-Green.
Crime in The Loop tends to be petty, but it has gotten dangerous a couple times when droves of teens descended on downtown to do nothing but steal, vandalize and assault people. That's really only happened, like, one night each year over the last couple, so I wouldn't let that deter anyone from moving around. However, if you see a loud crowd causing a disturbance, probably best to just move the other way.
In general, much of the violent crime that news perpetuates daily is happening far outside confines of where tourists spend their time. Like any big city, though, theft and other petty crime can happen anywhere.
Posted on 8/31/23 at 3:15 pm to hoopsgalore
Chicago information
LINK
There is a theater district with many theaters with good live plays and productions.
LINK
Also, I enjoyed thoroughly walking thru the only captured German WW2 U-Boat on display at the Museum of Science and Technology.
LINK
Don't miss the Chicago Hop-on. Hop-off big bus tours. There are two tours every day...the daytime red tour and night time blue tour. There are both goodl
LINK
A visit to the Observation Deck/Skydeck at the top of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is very interesting. The quiet and very quick operation of the elevators is amazing.
LINK
A tour of Frank LLoyd Wright's home and working studio is most interesting.
LINK
LINK
There is a theater district with many theaters with good live plays and productions.
LINK
Also, I enjoyed thoroughly walking thru the only captured German WW2 U-Boat on display at the Museum of Science and Technology.
LINK
Don't miss the Chicago Hop-on. Hop-off big bus tours. There are two tours every day...the daytime red tour and night time blue tour. There are both goodl
LINK
A visit to the Observation Deck/Skydeck at the top of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is very interesting. The quiet and very quick operation of the elevators is amazing.
LINK
A tour of Frank LLoyd Wright's home and working studio is most interesting.
LINK
This post was edited on 9/4/23 at 9:35 am
Posted on 8/31/23 at 6:06 pm to Harahan Boy
Enjoyed our night and morning in Indianapolis. Pretty clean for a large city downtown and the older neighborhoods were cool to walk around this morning. Wife said she’d like to come back and get a house for a week.
Chicago we drove through. Oh dear lord that traffic shite show makes Atlanta look like child’s play. Might check out Milwaukee or Kenosha tomorrow as opposed to driving to Chicago again.
Chicago was beautiful though went down Michigan and lake Avenues. The difference between Atlanta and Chicago just driving through appears to be the city of chicago is atleast making an effort it appears.
Chicago we drove through. Oh dear lord that traffic shite show makes Atlanta look like child’s play. Might check out Milwaukee or Kenosha tomorrow as opposed to driving to Chicago again.
Chicago was beautiful though went down Michigan and lake Avenues. The difference between Atlanta and Chicago just driving through appears to be the city of chicago is atleast making an effort it appears.
Posted on 9/1/23 at 10:15 am to AllDawg
quote:
Chicago we drove through. Oh dear lord that traffic shite show makes Atlanta look like child’s play.
One of the big issues is a construction project on the Kennedy. Absolute hell and supposed to run through 2025. I'm sure it was budget issues, but annoying to think they started on the project this year, when travel was expected to break records, and not when the roads were empty.
quote:
Might check out Milwaukee or Kenosha tomorrow as opposed to driving to Chicago again.
Head to Milwaukee and enjoy the weather along the river and lake. A lot of great taverns and neighborhoods, including Bay View, Lower East Side and Third Ward.
This post was edited on 9/1/23 at 10:22 am
Posted on 9/1/23 at 7:38 pm to AllDawg
If you are into classic cars try the Volvo museum north of the city.
Posted on 9/5/23 at 7:37 am to hoopsgalore
quote:
Clark/Division around Gold Coast has always been a bit sketchy - that's nothing new. It's more late night that you need to keep your head on a swivel, but I doubt many tourists are wandering around at those hours. It's an interesting dichotomy because that entire border of Gold Coast and Old Town has been gentrified to hell, and packed with bars that attract a lot of recent grads, but easy to forget that it's close to the old Cabrini-Green.
They may have rebuilt "ghetto jewel" but the bathroom is still a nightmare... used to shop there and you gotta hold it if you need to go at the grocery.
I lived on the north end of the former Cabrini and its amazing what that area has become and how different it is. I don't know that I love it because its so commercialized and kind of phony, and I don't know that, socially, the destruction of Cabrini did much for the residents.
Posted on 9/5/23 at 9:08 am to tadman
Go to the beginning of Route 66 in downtown. 
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