Quote:
Originally posted by Dionysus
We're kind of on a budget.  We really don't want to spend more than $150 on lodging including parking. Doesn't it cost a lot to take the cab too? I'm going to talk around some more about cheaper but not fleabag lodgding.
Two more questions.
Ok, Navy Pier - is that open year round? How is parking there?
Where are the ecclectic neighborhoods, like the equivalent to the U City Loop?
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You don't park in Navy Pier. It's a pier. There is parking near there. There is nothing to do there in general unless you count a handful of boring amusement park rides like a ferris wheel and an IMAX theatre really fun.
The tourist things are all downtown. All the general shopping is downtown and so is most of the good food spots. You will see all the usual white women coming out of tupperware conventions eating at the Cheesecake factory. ESPN Zone and all those theme places are downtown. The gold coast area is a part of downtown that has some pretty good spots but is more pricey. My favorite chill place is Elm Street Liquors. It looks like a liquor store outside but inside it's got hip music and it's a good place to see and be seen.
River North is a part of the city that's pretty cool and has some fun spots, but I wouldn't recommend it for a tourist. If you end up there, a good restaurant is Thyme.
Old Town and Lincoln Park are great neighborhoods and have incredible restaurants. Lincoln Park, in my opinion, has one of the best restaurants in the world - Charlie Trotter's. But given that your budget is lower than the cost of a meal there, I'd skip that. Maybe some tapas at Cafe Babareeba? Also the area around the restaurant (Armitage) is young and cool. There is a clothing store Active Endeavors that I like there. Fun bars are on Lincoln Avenue but you'll see quite a few college kids from Depaul - if you like young blonde things, buy one a drink and tell her if she comes home with you she won't have to worry about working in her dad's hot dog truck.
The Wicker Park/Bucktown area is a bunch of over-rated streets with some cool stores (North/Damen area) and ugly ass buildings that are pretty on the inside with a few cool bars and clubs nearby. In fact if you leave the handful of streets with anything cool on them you find yourself in the ghetto. Some of the cool spots are also "buppy" hangouts. Good food places in the area are Feast and Toast - recommended for brunch. Stop by Cans for a drink. Also I think Green Zebra is a part of Wicker/buck and that is the best vegetarian cuisine for its price in the midwest. The people will be retarded "I voted for Nader" types mixed with some angry locals that buy cheap liquor and weird dried meat products with food stamps.
The South Side's only attractions are the Kenwood neighborhood with its mansions and infamous residents, China Town which really isn't that great, and Hyde Park which is cool for sight seeing but has no night life.
Anything else in the city is the outskirts and not really "the city". If you go by wherever the heck Loyola is you'll find immigrant communities and furniture stores and perhaps a couple grimey college bars.
If I were you I would stop by the architectural center downtown and sign up for one of their many tours. You can pick things that even go out to some of the burbs I guess.
Cabs will really eat into your budget if you are trying to stay within it. Downtown has a free trolley service too. Stay downtown, do an architectural tour, go see some stores, and eat at one cool place and call it a day.
For clubs check out Soundbar and Wet.
-Rudey