Who here has been or lives in Chicago?

mantis

Whats up all???
I took a business trip out to Chicago for some Product training. We went into the city every night to eat and site see. My impressions of Chicago is that they are a sports town as I visited Harry Caray's sports bar for some Irish Drinks. They had a very cool Sport Museum there. It's on the Peer.
Food there was excellent. Sausage and Pizza seemed to be the hit of the town. Irish meals in general as well. Shepherds Pie and such. Every other corner had some kind of Irish Pub. Very cool.
The city in general is very clean. Phila is the exact opposite. The people there are also very nice and very friendly. Everywhere we went there was nice people. I was kinda shocked at this but after spending a few days there I got used to how the locals acted.
I would love to live there , everything about that place is nice. I give a huge 2 thumbs up to Chicago.

Dan

nooshinjohn

I don't mind Chitown at all, but it is WAY to crowded for my taste. When the wife graduates from Purdue next year we are headed back to Minneapolis. I have Vikings Season Tickets waiting for me when I get there.

Polkersince85

You haven't seen Chicago until you hit the Blues bars.

Demiurge

Way too expensive to live there.

cnh

You're right Dan,

Chicago is much cleaner than Phillie...at least in the metro parts? I grew up north of Phillie so I've been there many times and I went to school in NYC. Compared to NYC, Chicago is less congested, John.

My wife has two sisters who live in the burbs of the city. There is an abundance of nice townhouses and condos but they can be pricey!

Have you had the Chicago (hot)dog yet!

Also, if you can get to the city in the summer you can attend the 'Taste of Chicago" festival..food galore at stands, music, etc. A fun time for all!

It's a reasonably friendly big city! I still prefer NYC but I'm the eternal EAST-COASTER!

cnh

Rodeo0530

I love Visting Chicago. I could never live somewhere that big, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to visit. There are definitely some great blues places there.

cmy330go

I make it there at least twice a year. Pretty nice town as long as you watch where ya go. Most our time is spent around N Michigan, and we also usually spend a day or two in the NW Burbs.

I have two favorite hole-in-the-wall bars downtown. Pippins and Streeters. They're right around the corner from each other @ the corner of Rush & Chicago. If you make it back, you should check them out.

I've also had some good times at Andy's Jazz Club, but it's been a few years since I was last there.

My only complaint about Chicago is that downtown (other than the bars) get's pretty quiet at night. It kinda has a bit more of a small town feel in that sense. Always makes me long for NYC.

raidersrule76

See thats what happens when you visit the midwest we are all nice people. Glad to see that you had a good time while on your trip, and I would agree you need to go back in the summer if you have time and get a chance to enjoy some more of the city.

Mark

tonyb

Polkersince85 wrote: »

You haven't seen Chicago until you hit the Blues bars.

Ahmen brother. Lived here all my life, while nice, it is way too expensive to live in the city. If your single,good job,then it may be the place for you. If you want to raise a family though the story changes a bit as chicago has far too many hoodlums at night along with gangs galore and one of the nations worst school systems. Glad you liked your visit, next time visit a blues bar where you can sit 5 feet away from a saxaphone and a deep raspy voiced singer, then tell me/us the difference between live music and recorded. I have a few recordings from Mapleshade that seem good at capturing the blues pretty darn close to live. Give some of us a heads up next time your in so we can throw a few back.

Knucklehead

My Co. has a training facility in Buffalo Grove, nice area but O Hare is a p.i.a. to fly in and out of.

NotaSuv

Great city to visit, lots of great bars and places to eat get there every other week for work. Southwest to Midway for the win.

AudioGenics

I visited a couple of times just for the the Consumer Electronic Show.
very nice city !

hearingimpared

I spent a lot of time in Chicago on business where I spent up to months there. I agree with everything you said. The one bad side for me was, at Grant Park (I think it was called) in the winter with the wind blowing off the lake. That cold, going right through to your bones was coldest I've ever felt next to LaCrosse Wisconsin. I'm usually never cold but this was like being in the North Pole.

Slinger182

Chicago is a good time. We love our food and drink around here. Just like most cities you just have to know when and where to go. Winters can get rough here but I've gotten use to em. During the summer there is something goin on all the time and if you don't mind crowds it can be a blast.

concealer404

I enjoy Chicago...

But i'm honestly unsure if i like it as much as Louisville. (Was just down there last night.)

BAD ASP

I've lived in the suburbs NW of Chicago most of my adult life. We raised our family and such. I would tell anyone that Chicago is a great place to live near and visit. There are great areas all over the metro area. If you want diversity in food, music, cultures etc, This is a great experience. Like any major city there are pluses and minuses. Pubic transportation is abundant but like anywhere you must know where you are going and keep your radar up. The lakefront during the summer is a spectacular place. Museums, recreation, swimming and boating are fantastic. Midway airport is far easier to fly in and out of than O'hare for the travel savvy. A short trip up the lakefront is Milwaukee which offers more of the same but with a different feel. If Zoos are something you like than Chicago has two great zoos in Brookfield (near west suburb) or right on the northshore lakefront is Lincoln Park zoo which is small but perfect for a quick visit and again the Milwaukee zoo is on par with the best of the best. Chicago does an amazing job of entertainment on the lakefront every weekend of the summer. Bluesfests, Jazzfests, foodfests, Airshows, watershows, Regattas and on and on. Our great Museums, Aquarium and Planetarium are all on the waterfront and easily accessible by public tranportation, cab or car.There is also a bike path from the far south which can include the Museum of Science and Industry, through the Lakefront proper of Chicago past the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Planetarium,Soldier Field, Navy Pier and Past the best beaches Chicago has to offer through Lincoln Park and quite a ways north. This bike path is about 20 - 25 miles long with no car traffic just spectacular lakefront views and venues if you're in too biking as an example. Google any of the names I've mentioned to see what they are all about.

Just a few observations for those interested......

AudioGenics

and of course Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera House ...

heiney9

I live an hour East of Chi-town and I visit the city a lot.............and love it. It's nice because it's so accesible from where I live, I don;t feel the need to live in the city. Everyone raves about NY being the #1 city in the US, but I feel Chicago could easily share the #1. Of course, just don;t talk about city politics and all the corruption that has gone on for decades..............then it's no longer #1.

zombie boy 2000

I absolutely love Chicago for it's food and culture. But HI is spot on about that wind. I swear it's sent from the very 9th Circle of Hell itself.

I do have several friends that live in the city and try to make my way up there more often than not. I also spent some time living in Rockford as a child, so it was not uncommon to head that way for Cubs games every now and then.

fatchowmein

I miss Uno's and walking around The Navy Pier, the Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain, and the Magnificent Mile. We really enjoyed staying at the Hilton Chicago and walking everywhere and grabbing a Chicago dog along the way. At night, there seemed to be a cop on every corner.

We need to go back because we missed the Shedd Aquarium and the Sears Tower Skydeck (too crowded).

Don't miss the cold though.

mufsoman

I've lived in the Chicago NW suburbs all my life except for 3.5 years, at my age, that means a long time. Great area. Always something going on in the city, not mention Wrigleyville.

Dan, next time your in Chicago, let me know, I'll treat you to a steak on the grill and cold beer from the kegerator, but I will put you to work on making recommendations for improvements with the HT.......

jflail2

I've been there on business a few times, and it sounds like we are in agreement on the city Mantis. I love it there, except of course for the winter (hah and summer) weather. The food is outstanding (I had the best steak AND the best pan pizze I've ever had there), sports are everywhere (I had to catch a White Sox game last time I was in town, as the Cubs weren't there) and the people as a whole were very nice. Definitely a city I don't mind revisiting every year!

heiney9

BAD ASP wrote: »

I've lived in the suburbs NW of Chicago most of my adult life. We raised our family and such. I would tell anyone that Chicago is a great place to live near and visit. There are great areas all over the metro area. If you want diversity in food, music, cultures etc, This is a great experience. Like any major city there are pluses and minuses. Pubic transportation is abundant but like anywhere you must know where you are going and keep your radar up. The lakefront during the summer is a spectacular place. Museums, recreation, swimming and boating are fantastic. Midway airport is far easier to fly in and out of than O'hare for the travel savvy. A short trip up the lakefront is Milwaukee which offers more of the same but with a different feel. If Zoos are something you like than Chicago has two great zoos in Brookfield (near west suburb) or right on the northshore lakefront is Lincoln Park zoo which is small but perfect for a quick visit and again the Milwaukee zoo is on par with the best of the best. Chicago does an amazing job of entertainment on the lakefront every weekend of the summer. Bluesfests, Jazzfests, foodfests, Airshows, watershows, Regattas and on and on. Our great Museums, Aquarium and Planetarium are all on the waterfront and easily accessible by public tranportation, cab or car.There is also a bike path from the far south which can include the Museum of Science and Industry, through the Lakefront proper of Chicago past the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Planetarium,Soldier Field, Navy Pier and Past the best beaches Chicago has to offer through Lincoln Park and quite a ways north. This bike path is about 20 - 25 miles long with no car traffic just spectacular lakefront views and venues if you're in too biking as an example. Google any of the names I've mentioned to see what they are all about.

Just a few observations for those interested......

Excellent post and I feel lucky to live in Rockford where I can take advantage of all the suburbs as well as the city and also the Madison/Milwaukee Wisconsion area which has a lot to offer as well. Rockford is smack in the middle of all three. All within about an hour.

Just recently in a 2 night period I traveled to see one of my favorite artisits perform. 1st was at The Old Town School of Folk Music in Lincolnwood, a suburb just outside of Chicago. The next night I traveled to the High Noon Saloon in Madison to see the same artist, but the show and vibe was different.

H9

cstmar01

hearingimpared wrote: »

I spent a lot of time in Chicago on business where I spent up to months there. I agree with everything you said. The one bad side for me was, at Grant Park (I think it was called) in the winter with the wind blowing off the lake. That cold, going right through to your bones was coldest I've ever felt next to LaCrosse Wisconsin. I'm usually never cold but this was like being in the North Pole.

LaCrosse is nothing. Come to the middle of the state where I live with nothing but snow. I live right across from a patato field and all it does is drift into the aprtments next door. Great Fun. JK WI is pretty cold, but there's always Canada.

And I love Chicago. If I can get a new job in a couple years that is one of the major cities I would like to live. Its a 4 hour drive for me to get down there but when I do get a chance to get down its just fun. The night light, the clubs (Crobar was the last time I got a chance to go to one), the food is awesome. LOVE the pizza. and the city is just fun to walk around in I think. Love Grant park and everything about it.
This thread it making me want to go now. stupid work.