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chicago is such a cool city!

The lake is so beautiful. I went to visit my godparents over the weekend and went jogging along the lake ending up at the beachstro. If I lived there, I would try to do this all the time. I am so jealous of those of you who get to do this!

Signed,
an envious Philadelphian.


Sun. Jun 4, 7:10pm

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Yeah, back when the city was being rebuilt, the mayor made legislation that no buildings can be built within the first six blocks of the lakefront. Isn't it great? Chicago is a gorgeous city. Also, check out the outdoor movies in Grant Park over the summer!

In Boston, I guess they close Memorial Drive to cars on Sundays so people can run and bike along the river. I need to check it out now that I live in Somerville...

Sunday, June 04, 2006, 7:56 PM

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Philly is a great city too! I run along East and West River Drives and its just so beautiful there! If you don't live nearby, you should really check it out!

Sunday, June 04, 2006, 9:06 PM

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I just don't get Chicago. Flat and boring.

Monday, June 05, 2006, 6:32 AM

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I live in Chicago (but am not from Chicago originally). It's funny the responses - "it's great," "it's boring." You're all right, it's both!! It's beautiful in the summer, with the great beachfront beaches, restaurants, and bike/running path. There are tons of outdoor restaurants, and multiple festivals going on every single day, and fireworks at Navy Pier twice a week all summer. Then the fall/winter/spring, when it's freezing and no one wants to leave their houses and everything is grey and dull... Totally boring, just b/c it's so damn cold!!

Come visit, but only in the summer!

Monday, June 05, 2006, 10:25 AM

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My brother lives in Chicago.
I've visited in summer and in the colder months...

What I like about Chicago is that it is Urban / Metropolitan, and yet still midwestern in feel. :-)



Monday, June 05, 2006, 10:44 AM

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I've never been to Chicago, mainly 'cuase I've never understood what the allure is...

I"m open minded - would anyone who loves Chicago like to tell me what not to miss if I make a trip out there?

Tuesday, June 06, 2006, 3:19 PM

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I love Chicago, especially shopping there. There are stores there that I don't have at home and there are some great restaurants. It is a great get weekend trip.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006, 4:25 PM

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The architecture is great ... the art museum is fabulous ... people are very friendly ... great theater community ...

Tuesday, June 06, 2006, 4:38 PM

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Chicago is big first of all. A very clean city compared to New York City. And it is right on the lake. The waterfront is accessable which is much more than I can say for Boston or even NY. Chicago has the 2nd largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies- a sign of a very healthy city. The restaurants are superb, the people are friendly, the hotels are great. I'm a cynical Manhattanite and whenever I go to Chicago I think "I could live here"

The air seems cleaner. There is a civic pride. I could go on and on. I love the place.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006, 4:45 PM

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My husband proposed to me at the lakefront in Chicago. We were living in Batavia at the time. Chicago is a great city, and we always enjoy going back to visit friends.

We now live in the suburbs of Philly. Philly is also a great city! It is so under-appreciated. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006, 5:35 PM

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I've been there in the summer. Hot as hell and boring. Sorry, just don't care for it.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006, 5:59 AM

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that last post was uncalled for ... what did that add to the dialogue?

Philly is a great city and keeps getting better. So much history, fabulous musuems and more and more great restaurants. Many artists are moving from NYC because it's more affordable ... so Philly is becoming more hip by the month.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006, 8:56 AM

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Chicago - what not to miss

Millennium Park - right next to the lake, about 2 blocks south of the Magnificent Mile, there are always festivals, food, etc. going on in the summer, and really cool architecture, and it's beautiful. Gotta see the "Bean" and the skyline reflection!

Architectural boat cruise along Chicago river - you get on the boat at the southernmost part of the Magnificent Mile, and architecture students from local universities tell you about the history of some truly beautiful buildings.

The Magnificent Mile - I think it's skippable, but if you love shopping, it's great. There are lots of high-end stores, and some normal stores, but nothing that can't be found elsewhere (they're all chains), though some are more high-end than you can find in some cities.

Hancock Building - Signature Lounge. This is my favorite tourist spot, b/c it's right on the Mag Mile, and you get to go to the top of the Hancock Building and see the sights. You can go to the Observatory for about $10, and look around, and go back down, or, you can go to the Signature Room for a very expensive meal, or you can go to the Signature Lounge (free ride up), for an (overpriced) $10 sandwich or $10 martini, but, I'd rather sit down and get food for my $10 than just take the elevator for a ride! And it's beautiful!!

State Street/Rush Street (my neighborhood!) - home to some fabulous restaurants and famous steak houses, and there's also a park in the middle wiht a Gloria Jean's coffee stand. You can sit there and watch Ferraris drive by all night! It's VERY see-and-be-seen. Gibson's is the most famous of the steakhouses in the area, but don't be surprised if, a month out, you can only get a reservation at 5pm or 10pm! Right around the corner, on Maple Street, though, there's a fabulous Mexican restaurant that's cheap, yummy, and has KILLER margaritas! Blue Agave. One more block north, Elm Street, there's a bar called the Hangge Uppe, which plays 80's music mostly, and is like a Bar Mitzvah for older people! (not saying it's all Jewish, just that it's the same cheezy fun music that everyone knows all the words to! Very popular for Bachelorette parties!), and one street up - Division Street - is a block that's entirely filled with sports bars, also very fun.

Bucktown - an area of cute boutique-y stores, kind of Bohemian and artsy. You can usually actually find free parking on the street. Also, the Bongo Room is the best breakfast ever! (But NOT diet food!)

Lincoln Park - the park itself is pretty, and the zoo is free, and fun. It's not huge and spectacular, like the SF Zoo or anything, but, still fun. Across the street, on Saturday mornings, there's a farmers market.
Also in Lincoln Park, around Armitage/Halstead, there's lots of cute boutique-y shopping, some chains and some local stores. Fun for an afternoon. More ritzy, not arty.

Music - there are concerts in Millennium Park pretty often, and if you don't buy tickets, you can sit in the park and listen to the music. Bring a blanket and a bottle of wine. Same deal at Charter One Pavillion at Northerly Island (near Soldier Field) - people hang on the beach and listen w/o going in. Also, the Chicago Sport and Social Club puts on many concerts, mostly of cover bands, on the beach at North Beach, and again, bring a blanket and sit on the beach and listen.

Museums - there's a ton of them. There's the Museum of Contemporary Art, just off the Mag Mile, there's the art museum, the Museum of Science and History, the Field Museum... All fun. Not NY-quality, but definitely the best of the Midwest!

Chinatown - great dim sum! I've still never been, but I'm hoping to go soon!

The beach - both North Beach and Oak Street Beach are beautiful - North Beach is famous for beach volleyball, there are always people to watch - tons of nets set up all the time! Both have tons of sand for lying out. I'm not sure about the water though - I've seen people go in it, but I personally wouldn't...

Okay, that's about all I can think of off the top of my head, but that's definitely more than a weekend full of things to do! But I definitely recommend visiting in the summer, not the winter. In April, it might be 80* and it might be 30*. In June, it might be 60* or it might be 85*. In July and August, about the same, but more likely hot. You get the picture.... What you consider spring or fall might be beautiful here, but might be miserable too. In the winter, it might be negative...

jilli10582



Wednesday, June 07, 2006, 10:44 AM

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Love Philly

I live in NYC and last year went to Philly for a day for the first time and loved it! I loved how walkable it was, loved BYOBs, loved Italian market, the memory of the Sarcone's sandwich still haunts me. Loved how many non-starbucks coffee shops there. Loved antiqueing. The only thing I didn't like was this weird kitchy mosaics on the buildings of South st?

I owe another visit - Museum of fine arts (for the arts and for the Rocky run :) and Roden museum, and Ritz chocolate buffet, and more great food.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006, 11:20 AM

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