What is there to do in Chicago

willow

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:04 pm

We might be going to Chicago for 2 full days.
What is there that is fun and appropriate to do? I would love to go to a taping of Oprah Very Happy

but that is not exactly my dh cup of tea Smile

Besides eating (so far thats all my dh's friends are telling us) what is fun and unique to chicago?

ClaRivka

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:27 pm

beach, sears tower, navy pier, museums, acquarium, city tours, spertus museum, botanical gardens, etc.

willow

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:29 pm

Are they all close together?
Is it worth getting that city pass?

ClaRivka

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:30 pm

whats a city pass?

willow

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:30 pm

We'd be going in the beginning of April. Is their anything going on at that time?
Also are the people at the time of year in school/work? I would not want to go anywhere where all we'll see is Untznuis women.

willow

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:31 pm

I don't know but as I as searching on line I saw a few sites mention a city pass. You get a pass to go on a tour of the city and then it goes into the water? Do you have any idea what this is?

ClaRivka

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 12:38 pm

O, the city pass is a tour that goes around the city as a car thingy and then it goes straight into the lake...I went on it when I was like 11, it was interesting.

April will be spring/pesach break. the entire city is non jews, what do you expect to see?
There will be jews but of course there will b ppl not dressed tzniusly. if you want to see ppl who are only tznius I suggest you lock yourself in my inlaws house.
Where do you live??

chavamom

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 1:19 pm

willow wrote:

Have you ever been to Chicago? It's April, not July. You are more likely to see parkas than bikinis.

ClaRivka

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 1:29 pm

So?
Sunday it went up to abt 55 and there were ppl wearing pretty revealing things...and it is March.

chavamom

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 1:45 pm

RivkiA wrote:

So?
Sunday it went up to abt 55 and there were ppl wearing pretty revealing things...and it is March.

Then your original point about staying indoors stands. My point was it is not going to be bikini weather and people won't be on the beach at the lake shore.

ClaRivka

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 1:51 pm

ooooooooooo

except that the beach has a sidewalk that run from milwaukee to indiana and there are always 100s of ppl there running and biking, etc.

cassandra

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 1:52 pm

I liked:

Art Institute of Chicago
Frank Lloyd Wright home

chavamom

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 3:59 pm

We love the Shed Aquarium and the Field Museum. Watching the diver feed the animals at the Caribbean Reef where he has a microphone and can interact with crowd, answer questions, the Beluga Whales and the Dolphin show are our favorite parts.

Fox

Tue, Mar 04 2008, 4:38 pm

The Shedd Aquarium is fun; I'm not such a big fan of the Field Museum. Let me suggest some other ideas:

1. Go to Chinatown -- this is a favorite of my kids, even now that they're teenagers. You can easily take a cab, car service, or even public transportation, and the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce gives tours for about $3 per person. Obviously, the food is not kosher, but there are tons of interesting shops with lots of unusual bargains.

2. Depending on the specific days you're in the area and your hashkofos with regard to sports, drive to Geneva for a Kane County Cougars baseball game. Although it's about an hour's drive, it's literally straight out one of the expressways -- impossible to get lost. The Cougars are the minor-league team for the Oakland A's, and the ball park is very, very family friendly. The non jews who go there tend to be suburban professionals with kids, and they don't want their kids exposed to a lot of rowdiness, either. The park staff is very accommodating. We once asked permission to bring some kosher snacks in with us, and the general manager of the place got on the phone and spent ten minutes apologizing that they don't offer a full kosher menu!

3. Lincoln Park Zoo is about 20 minutes from the Jewish neighborhoods, and is FREE! It's a great zoo, and I like the fact that I don't have to spend all day to "get my money's worth" from the trip. Sometimes we stop in on the way to somewhere else. There is also a lovely Botanical Garden right next to the zoo.

4. Take a Wendella cruise on the Chicago River. The best is the one focusing on the architectural highlights of the city.

5. There are literally 149 museums within a one-hour radius of Chicago. Some of the best-known ones include the Holographic Museum, the Museum of Broadcasting History, the DuSable Museum of African-American Culture, the Oriental Museum at University of Chicago, and the Mexican Fine Arts Center. Most of have nominal admission fees, unlike the big museums and attractions.

6. If you have small kids, the Exploratarium in Skokie is a popular stop. There is an adjacent park for picnics and plenty of chairs for weary grownups.

7. Several people have mentioned the lakefront. If you'd like to walk along the lakefront, I'd recommend going to Northwestern University in Evanston (about 10-15 minutes from Jewish neighborhoods). The foliage is gorgeous, the architecture is amazing, and you can have lunch in the kosher dining room at Allison Hall.

My biggest fault with all the big-name museums and attractions is the cost: for example, going to the Sears Tower observatory is fun, but the cost is approximately $15 per person. That adds up quickly if you're taking the family.

BTW, the "City Pass" that everyone is referring to is a pass that admits you to most of the expensive attractions in the downtown area for a flat $49 -- approximately 50 percent of what you'd pay otherwise. Unless you plan to go to all of the included attractions, I can't see that this is a good deal. I think it's typically marketed for families that are vacationing while Mom/Dad attends a convention -- they are spending at least 3-4 days and want to stay in the downtown area.

Whoosh, I'm worn out even thinking about doing all this!

willow

Sun, Mar 09 2008, 1:20 pm

Fox -wow I have no words. Thank you for typing all that:)

willow

Mon, Mar 31 2008, 1:53 pm

Are there any womens gyms in the area?

Fox

Mon, Mar 31 2008, 2:13 pm

The Bernard Horwich JCC has separate men's/women's workout rooms as well as separate swimming hours. They offer free 2-week trial memberships as well as single-use fees. They're located at 3003 West Touhy (corner of Touhy and Sacramento) and their phone number is 773-761-9100.

willow

Tue, Apr 01 2008, 1:02 am

Fox you rock!!!!

HooRYou

Tue, Apr 01 2008, 2:47 am

If you are looking or something child friendly Kohl's Muiseum is really great! We also like the Lincoln Park Zoo.