Chicago??? HELP!!

[UKDaisy]

Tau Beta Sigma is having their NCD conference in Northen Ill. University which is right outside (about an hour outside of Chicago). I have never been but I want to go do some shopping and of course hit up the Hard Rock Cafe. Can anyone point me out some good places to shop for me and the girls? And maybe how not to get lost or any other key points to Chicago???
Thanks!!!!!

[alphachiohmy]

Sounds like you are going to be in DeKalb ... closest shopping thats nice is in Oak Brook - outdoor mall with upscale chains ... awesome Crate and Barrel store. Oak Brook is a western suburb maybe 30 to 45 minutes from NI; with Oak Brook Center its nice.
If you want to stay in suburbs but go a little north there is Woodfield in Schaumburg (again every retailer you could ask for) and a Cheesecake Factory and Rain Forest Cafe. There are also some bars - like the Curragh(Irish Bar), Alumni Club(very collegeish) and others that can be fun.

If you are going to make it into the city, there is Michigan Ave aka the Magnificent Mile with everything from Tiffany's to the Gap and back. There are also several shopping corriders in Lincoln Park and Lakeview that are more retro and not retail.

Check out Metromix.com(for entertainment in the city) and the Chicago Transit Authority webpages (how to get around via trains, buses, etc.) Just type in Chicago Transit in google.com and it should bring it up.

If you know what you are looking for specifically let me know and I will try to help. I have been up here for a year, but am still discovering cool things to do - like tonight I went to two bars in an area called Bucktown (where Real World was filmed) that I never have been to and had a blast.

Hope this helps!

[UKDaisy]

Thank you so much!!!!

[valkyrie]

Ditto what alphachiohmy said about the shopping. Michigan Ave. is probably the most fun place to go if you're not from here, if you can make it into the city, and there's a Kate Spade store in the area (a personal favorite). If you want to hit up downtown and you're coming from DeKalb, the best way to go is to hop on 88 east (which you can get to from Annie Glidden Road or Peace Road in DeKalb) which you take to 290 east (the Eisenhower expressway). That will take you all the way into Chicago, but try to avoid it on weekday afternoons because traffic is horrible. If you want any other information about how to get anywhere, let me know. I've lived in this area my whole life, and I went to law school at Northern.

If you're stuck in DeKalb for any length of time, there are a few sort of fun things to do, and some decent restaurants out there (my favorites are Eduardo's for Mexican, Bea's Wok 'n Roll for stir fry and the Hillside for nice Americany type stuff).

I know a little bit about the club scene, so I can try to help you out if you need more information about that, although I don't usually hang out at the big, huge downtown places.

[AXJules]

Any questions about bars/nightlife in Chicago, I could probably help.....
If you want to go to a bar or club, what age range are you looking for??? Rive Gauche is extremely popular but definitely for like 19-28 y/o (even though its 21 + up). Everyone from out of town is always told to go to Excalibur but personally I think its really cheesy. If you want a more laid back place I'd probably hit up a local bar or something instead of the hybrid lounge/club things (like Nocturnal or White Star) that are popular in Chicago.