Chicago Honeymoon Advice

[tech_monkey]

So the fiance and i are looking to do the honeymoon thing in Chicago in mid-May. I was looking at the Choose Chicago site and wanted to get a native, near native or visitor's opinion on places to go or see, places to eat/drink, random things to do in town. It looks like the day before we want to leave there is a Sox vs Cubs game so we will look into that as it's been more than 10 years since i watched a ball game live (not counting HS football). So, yeah, any suggestions are welcome.

[csquared]

Some good advice here.

[DaDairyDruid]

Gino's East Pizza.

[FuzzyKitten99]

If you have the means, PLEASE try to eat at least at one of the following:

The Purple Pig (I did eat here and LOVED this place when DH and I were there last summer)
Charlie Trotter's
Alinea (big $$ but if you love molecular gastronomy, this is your deal)
Publican
Tavernita
Bar Toma

I can dig up more places if I text a few former classmates and exec chefs I have worked for if you need some places that aren't as spendy.

[trailerparkmedic]

I did my honeymoon in Chicago (see above thread) We've been back twice and we want to move there.

Get a CTA pass. It's far cheaper than taxis and rental cars. You can catch the train at either airport and if you have a smartphone with Google Maps, you can get around the whole city just fine.

I'd recommend the City Pass. You can do a lot of touristy things for a decent price, and you get to jump past the lines with it.

Go up in at least one of the two tall buildings. The first time we went to Chicago, we did The Ledge. We paid for one of their cheesy pictures which was my favorite picture from our honeymoon. The second time we went we got drinks at The Willis Tower; the view was worth the wait and the pricy drinks. Check out the view from the women's bathroom.

If you have any passing interest in art, check out the Art Institute. We spend most of our time in the modern art section, but they have a room full of Van Gogh and lots of famous paintings I recognized from my Art Appreciation textbook, like American Gothic.

The Navy Pier isn't that great. If you have any dislike of heights, DON'T go on the ferris wheel. I don't really like heights to begin with, and then the wind started swaying us, and all I could see was the lake so it seemed like we weren't moving at all... that's the closest I've ever come to a panic attack.

Do you like improve? There's Second City and IO (formerly Improv Olympics). IO has a show called Improve Shakespeare that is AMAZING. You should seriously check it out, and it's fairly cheap. I've been to a few other shows at IO and can't remember the names, but have never been disappointed. Second City is more famous and therefore more expensive, but was lots of fun.

For other random fun theater stuff, I saw Jersey Shore: The Musical two weekends ago. It's moving to the Greenhouse Theater and should be playing when you're there. You don't need intimate knowledge of Jersey Shore to enjoy the show. When I saw the show, it was BYOB but it was in a different theater. I never saw any of the serious stuff, but that's just my tastes, not because they're bad.

I greatly prefer Ginos East to the other pizza places (Lou Malnatie's and Pizzeria Uno). Avoid the one on the Magnificent Mile, as there is always a huge wait.

Do you like craft beer? I hit a few bars and got to try some tasty local stuff, but I'd have to look them up. Let me know if you want me to find them. If nothing else, try a Goose Island Brewpub. They're apparently the big local brewery.

My favorite thing to do in Chicago is check out different neighborhoods. I love Lincoln Park (stayed there once with a friend), Lincoln Square is cute and has a good bookstore and fun German restaurant with good beer, Wrigleyville is a good party place, Wicker Park is very hipster (independent coffee, record stores, independent book stores), whatever area University of Chicago is in (way south of everything else) is very picturesque.

Chicago in May can be COLD. If you're near the lake, it's 10 degrees cooler than the weather says it is because of the wind. Pack some warm clothes.

[Cookie]

Lots of good suggestions so far. Gino's East is where tourists get pizza. That and Uno's. A local will be opinionated about the matter and it won't be either. My favorite is La Villa. This thread has a lot of my input on things to do in Chicago and getting around so I won't rehash it all.

Goose Island was recently bought by Anheuser-Busch/Inbev and has been getting more "meh". Two Brothers, Metropolis, and Half Acre are some good local breweries for beers to try. I'll warn you, though, Half Acre folks LOVE their hops. I mean holy cow hops.

I mentioned Koval distillery in the other thread for local spirits. North Shore is another good one.

[Racket_Man]

If you have most of a whole day go to the Museum of Science and Industry (near Univ Of Chicago).

Yes the Sears Tower (now named something else after it got sold) or the John Hancock building is a MUST. Do not remember if the Amoco bld has an observation deck or not.

the Lincoln Park Zoo is pretty neat and free (I think that may have changed)

[reimero]

The Field Museum (natural history) is a fun visit. I also agree with the Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry. If you're in the Millennium Park area (which is right next to the Art Institute), there's also the Chicago Cultural Center, which is worth a quick stop. It's the former public library building, and it's absolutely gorgeous.

If you like baseball, do go to Wrigley Field. It should be on every sports fan's bucket list. Public transportation will get you right there quickly and easily. (As an aside, if you want to get tickets to a game, a "box" seat is in front of the support beams and a "reserved" seat is behind. In other words, "reserved" seats run a moderate-to-high probability of having an obstructed view.)

If you want to get out of the city proper, Brookfield Zoo makes for a fun excursion.