After hearing rave reviews about Chicago for years, I finally arranged my first press trip to the windy city last week (side note: contrary to popular belief, the nickname originally referred to Chicago’s long-winded politicians, not the breeze off of Lake Michigan).
My hubby and I were graciously hosted by the InterContinental Chicago. Originally built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, the building is a newly restored gem. I love me some character and the historic tower has it in spades! And it’s the only hotel with a front entrance that opens directly onto the Magnificent Mile (location, location, location).
The lovely folks at Choose Chicago helped me plan my press trip before I arrived in the city. They’re really knowledgeable and have staff sprinkled throughout the city to help guide tourists as they explore Chicago (you’ll see their blue t-shirts everywhere). The Chicago CityPASS® they provided granted us admission to five of the city’s top attractions. Here are the three we managed to squeeze into our itinerary:
Founded in 1879, the institute has approximately 300,000 works of art in its permanent collection. They also house one of the largest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world (my fave!!!). You’ll need at least a half-day (preferably longer) to get a good look at all their masterpieces. Oh, and they have a beautifully curated Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity exhibit that runs till September 29th – a must-see in my opinion!
The aquarium opened its doors in 1930 and now houses more than 32,500 animals. We loved the Jellies exhibit and the belugas. Thankfully, the CityPASS granted us VIP admission (the lineup was around the building when we arrived).
Take the elevator up to the 94th floor for the best views of Chicago. You can see rooftop gardens, pools, the beach and all of the city’s historical buildings while you’re up there. Oh, and the elevators are crazy-fast (North America’s fastest: 39 seconds to reach the top)! I hear it’s beautiful at sunset…
Other things we saw/did while in Chicago:
Once an industrial wasteland, the area was transformed into a public park in 1997. There’s a lot of art and architecture to explore (for free) in this park. Highlights for us: the 110-ton Cloud Gate (lovingly known as “the bean”), Crown Fountain (two 50-foot glass block towers that project video images) and Frank Gehry’s Jay Pritzker Pavillion (a beautiful outdoor concert venue that hosts free concerts throughout the summer – bring your own picnic and wine!)
Although it’s directly across Millennium Park, not many tourists visit this hidden gem. Home to the largest Tiffany-stained glass dome in the world (estimated value of $35 M), the building is free to enter and explore. They also present more than 700 free programs a year. We went to Stefan Sagmeister’s The Happy Show (which runs till September 23) and absolutely loved it.
This artists’ colony/foodie paradise is filled with tons of boutiques, restaurants and bars. The neighbourhood has character oozing from its every crevice. Take an afternoon walk and stay to party with the locals at night.
One of Chicago’s oldest, largest and most famous blues joints. They have two stages with music playing until 4 am (and 5 am on Saturdays). We had the pleasure of seeing Joanna Connor perform live and she was absolutely incredible.
We took a nice (free) stroll through the conservatory one afternoon. Built in 1907, it’s one of the largest gardens under glass in existence. Bonus: we saw a lot of really cool plants that we’ve never seen before! It’s also a great place to practice your macro photography skills.
Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise
I rarely recommend tours, but if you’re heading to Chicago, this is one you shouldn’t miss out on. The docents are really knowledgeable and will take you through much of the city’s history and architecture during the 90 min cruise down the river. Here are a few interesting facts we learned on our trip: setbacks are mandatory in Chicago to avoid darkness on streets, you can sometimes watch inmates play basketball from the Skydeck, Chicago used to be the catalogue shipping capital of the world and was home to the largest post office, the city is built on marshland so much of its parking is above ground, and the city owes a lot to Aaaron Montgomery Ward who is chiefly responsible for keeping the lake front developmet-free.
One of the top 10 hospitality, dining and retail destinations in the world, this street stretches 13 blocks on North Michigan Avenue. Pretty much every retail store you can imagine is on this street so if you’re looking to do some shopping, this is the place to be!
This landmark was built in 1927 and is one of the largest fountains in the world. We visited during the day, but I hear they have a spectacular water, music and light show every night beginning at dusk (every hour on the hour for 20 minutes).
Chicago is also home to some of the finest food we’ve devoured. We truly didn’t eat anything that didn’t satisfy our taste buds. Here are the restos we dined at on this trip (full reviews coming soon!):
Lou Malnatis (read my full review here)
Osteria Via Stato (read my full review here)
ENO Wine Bar (read my full review here)
Sigh, writing this post makes me want to go back for more! Chicago is truly one of the cleanest and friendliest cities I’ve visited in North America. The well-planned streetscapes, dynamic food scene and character of the windy city are what make it world-class in my books. There’s so much we didn’t get a chance to see and do (Lincoln Park, Au Cheval, Oak Street, Tru, Wrigley Field, Alinea, Civic Opera House, L2O, Pops for Champagne and Honky Tonk BBQ to name a few) so we’re definitely planning on returning soon!
“Eventually, I think Chicago will be the most beautiful great city left in the world.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright
2 Comments
Elisabeth schlage
March 31, 2016 at 5:17 amGood collection !!
Solmaz
April 2, 2016 at 10:48 amThanks Elisabeth!