You definitely won't be attacked/have to worry about being attacked but it is just odd that a scary looking set of stairs leads to some of the best pizza in Chicago! A few years back my current wife/then girlfriend met myself and some friends celebrating my birthday when she got done late with work. She said if I hadn't told her that was a pizza place down there she would not have walked down the stairs, so I've added that disclaimer whenever I describe where it is.
A neighborhood snippet from yesterday. Breakfast at a tiny Rogers Park spot, owned by a little old Korean lady. Allegedly open at 9 AM but we were there at 8:15, the door was open, and she was tidying up. She has no employees ... she is the only one who works there. Three egg omelet with kimchee and bulgogi, hash browns, toasts, and coffee (unlimited refill of course, not the French per-cup system) for $8.25, tax included. Walk three blocks to Royal Cafe, owned by an Ethiopian couple who demonstrate that all Ethiopians are not whippet slender. $1.50 for a small coffee, ah nice, while Suzie's diner brew poured from the Mr. Coffee container was fine, it's good to taste the real thing. We'll take a pass on the Ethiopian breakfast dishes because we just ate, but looks good. In the car, driving a few blocks west, at Clark Street a Mexican guy is out (on 9 AM Sunday) with a pushcart. Not sure what he's selling but there's a line. Across the street, there's a kosher deli and bakery. Lox anyone? The most diverse section of the city, for me, is north of Devon, between the lake and say Western or so. I left off the Indians, Pakistanis, Koreans, Jamaicans, Africans, Lebanese, Turks, and so forth.
Just saw this. Is your trip still in the future, or is it in the past? The architecture boat cruise is a very good one that many Chicagoans and visitors like. If you don't do that, be sure to take a water taxi as the view from the river is very cool and quite a bit different from street level. There are a lot of great neighborhoods, but old town will probably give you a good feel for a Chicago neighborhood with a lot to do as well. I always like going to Second City which is in Old Town as well (and I'm not normally a big comedy club guy.) The Chicago History Museum is also in Old Town and worth a visit. Just North of there is Lincoln Park and the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's actually a nice (free) urban zoo. To bad you don't like meat. Some of the classic Chicago spots involve meat. Ex: http://jimsoriginal.com/jimsoriginal/Welcome/
I swear, she used to be on Irving Park Rd just west of Southport. If I didn't just get home from eating some terrific falafel, your post would've made me cry.
thanks for the very good tips. i leave work in 4 minutes, go home, walk the dog, pack, eat, sleep, and catch my flight at 6:35 tomorrow morning!
Fantastic. Enjoy the city. Here's a link to the architecture tour: https://www.architecture.org/rivercruise
The cost is close to double what I paid about a decade ago when my wife and I took one of these: and I'd willingly pay it to take it again,.
The architectural tours, either walking or water taxi (which are different -- do both), are very much NOT for tourists only. I've done them several times, they are great. I was going to write a loooong post detailing Chicago walk that starts at Daley Plaza and ends at Wrigley, but that was too much work. I'll just take guignol instead if he and his womynfolk are man enough (so to speak) to cover the miles.
Weather and time permitting, I'd walk to a couple Fire matches per year. Well, when I lived at Polk and Damon, I'd walk to most of them. Fewer when I lived at Clark and Montrose or when I lived at Damon and Wilson. Still would get to a couple on foot each year. The point of course being that I'm a bad ass I'm a walking MACHINE baby Chicago is an incredibly walkable city.
Everyone here knows that you are a badass. I was thinking as I was planning the tour for guignol that there's not much difference between tourist Chicago and residents' Chicago. Yeah OK I don't go up the Sears Tower or ride the horse carriages. But the architecture walks, the public sculptures, the museums, State Street, Mag Mile, the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park Zoo, etc. -- the mainstays of tourist Chicago -- are all very much what locals do, too.
Thanks for all the info, guys. Remains to be seen if I'll be visiting this summer, but probably some time in the next few years.
i had a great time and want to thank john publicly for the great welcome and great tour: he obviously loves his city very much and now i do too! and my daughter even more! a few comments: * i might have gone up sears willis tower... if it didn't cost 20 bucks a head and mean a two-hour wait. * 80° weather and snowy days are equally common here in lyon. but not both within 24h. * fresh eggs out of the henhouse, homemade goat cheese, all within sight of the kedzie green line station? check. * i saw a pair of northern cardinals and they are beautiful birds. * what kind of planet is it where starbucks and mcdonalds are on every corner and there's only one valois? * it would be naïve to say chicagoans are less racist than anyone else but i've yet to see black and white interact so amicably and naturally anywhere else. * and the final and definitive answer to the BIG question... thin crust.
You had me right up until the end. Two follow ups. You went to a Cubs game correct? How was that. Hoping it was the 80 and not the snow day. Second, did you get a chance to do the architecture tour? Willis tower is overrated by a long shot. There are other options for great views of the City. One that many people don't know about is the law library on the 29th floor of the Daley Center right in the heart of downtown. It certainly isn't well publicized as they don't encourage tourists, but it is open to the public. Great to hear your impressions on race here. There are PLENTY of problems, but I think you are right to the extent that in everyday life (for most of us) there is very normal interaction. I would throw in the large Latin population as well. Unfortunately, we still self-segregate to a great degree, and there are institutional issues that lead to worse public education for minority students and certainly much more dangerous neighborhoods.
i didn't do the boat tour but i did see most of the buildings i wanted. i kind of had a head start about the architecture. had fine weather at the friendly confines and the game was good. cubs went up 4-0 then two longhairs who looked like twin brothers came out of the pen to combine for a 5-run bucs 7th. cubbies loaded them up in the bottom of the ninth with 1 out to make the end interesting but went down with neither bang nor whimper. i think howie mandel sang TMOTTBG. on the za let's agree to dis. that will be thinnest, err, best..
You know @JohnR and I live very close to each other, but I am too intimidated to ask him on a real date.