I dunno, Piffka. I've been in downtown Chicago several times and always managed to totally ignore the Navy Pier. Usually too busy heading for the Art Institute or going to dinner at the Pump Room. (I love that place! It's at the Ambassador East Hotel, btw, Gus.) If you want to see Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, don't bother with a tour. Take the el out to Oak Park, a neighboring suburb. You take the Forest Park Blue Line or the Harlem/Lake Marion Green Line. You can't walk two blocks in Oak Park without stumbling over a Frank Lloyd Wright building. There's also a museum devoted to "Papa" Hemingway, who was born and reared in Oak Park. Best jazz in Chi-town can probably be savored at a joint called The Green Mill. When you're having your pre-prrandial cocktail at the bar of the Ambassador East, ask the bartender how to get there. I know how, but I've forgotten the street address. Enjoy, Gus! It's a toddelin' town.
Thanks for the well wishes, Merry. The Green Mill you speak of certainly isn't that pizza chain is it?
edited since I don't want to put someone else's address on here..
<I'll explain that..
I happily showed an aerial photo of my old childhood neighborhood, but got the link by posting our old address, which showed to the left of the photo. It dawned on me that might not be cool for whomever lives there now. So, heh, I thought I'd post our old church's address. But, harrumph, the photo sliced off our block. So, never mind.>
gustavratzenhofer wrote:Thanks for the well wishes, Merry. The Green Mill you speak of certainly isn't that pizza chain is it?
Don't know for sure whether they serve pizza or not, Gus. The last time I was there, the bandleader kept yelling at the audience, "Drink up, drink up! The more you drink, the better we sound." I never did order any food.
Don't forget the
Museum of Science and Industry. It has a lot of hands on exhibits.
Does anyone know if the aquarium still has that life-sized model of a Blue Whale hanging from the ceiling?
I haven't been to Chicago for a long time but...
The Billy Goat Tavern is cool
(Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Cheesburger No fries, chips. No Coke, Pepsi)
Pizzeria Uno or if your near the university Medici Pizza.
Diana's PK 7 Grocery and Restaurant is fun!
Absolutely, positively go hear Koko Taylor sing if it is anyway possible.
The Art Institue is cool. If you can finagle your way into the print rooms it's even cooler. I don't know the criteria to get in. I went to SAIC for a bit so we could get in. Pretend to be a visiting professor.
Go lay down across the street from the Sears tower and watch it sway in the wind.
If there is a thunderstorm hurry hurry hurry to the Hancock building, take an elevator to the top floor and watch the light show.
What is that building across from the Wrigley building -- the one with the stones from all the famous structures from around the world? The Tribune building? Man, that is a day in itself.
Go to the museum of Science and Industry (the only building remaining from the world's fair) and pretend your a kid while you elbow your way into the interactive exhibits.
Chicago is so cool.
I have just noticed that the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois has some capabaras. Just mentioning it in passing, y'know.... just an off-hand sort of statement....
And another unrelated thought: any of our Chicago friends regularly listen in to Police frequencies?
The Union Stockyard, Chicago is
The Wrigley Building, Chicago is
One town that won't let you down
It's .... my kind of town
Since I might go to Chicago eventually next year, The Green Mill (thanks Andrew!) is already bookmarked.
Merry Andrew wrote:I dunno, Piffka. I've been in downtown Chicago several times and always managed to totally ignore the Navy Pier.
You might find the Navy Pier is cooler than you think, Merry, if for no other reason than it is a good way to get a two-mile walk in downtown Chicago without breathing traffic fumes. The view from the end of the Pier back towards the city is incredible and free.
You can go down to the South Side and watch the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
Gus, there's a neighborhood of Chicago you may fit right into. It's called "Boy's Town." You can tell them Tom Cruise sent you.
I ate at Gino's Pizza. Not bad, but I've had better. I also checked out the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute, the Navy Pier. I was quite impressed with what they're doing on Michigan Avenue. A very impressive stretch of road. The new outdoor music stage is quite cool as well as that gigantic reflective orb.
I have a photo of myself riding one of the lions outside the art institute. Actually two photos. One has me in a pose like I'm riding a bucking bronco and the other one shows several security guards removing me from the lion.
Chicago is my kind of town.
osso, one of my favorite paintings in the Art Institue was Van Gogh's "The Drinkers"
A very nice piece of art.
The guy in the middle reminds me of myself at an earlier age.
I wish I would have taken Piffka's recommendation concerning the river cruise, but the timing wasn't right. I did watch some of the boat traffic from an overpass and it looked quite tranquil.
And I would like to thank Soz for directing me to the Shedd Aquarium. I happened to go there on a Tuesday so the main indoor part was free. (as well as the Art Institute) My favorite part in the Shedd Aquarium was watching a gang of funky looking, slate -gray fish with mean looking prehistoric faces. The moved in a beautifully choreographed fashion, round and round, and while they didn't do anything criminal, as far as the fish world goes, like eating smaller fish on their rounds, they did have a very sinister presence.
