A traveler's guide to Chicago
Use the lake as your compass. Sleep near a train line, spend one day downtown, and give the neighborhoods the evenings.
Chicago is a grid that opens onto the lake. The Loop is the postcard, the neighborhoods are the reason to stay, and the architecture boat is the one tour worth taking. Come hungry. The city still cooks like it means it.
When to go
Late spring and early fall are the walks you came for. Summer festivals are excellent and crowded. January is brutal and beautiful if you like museums and beef. Avoid judging the city from a convention hotel in February wind.
Neighborhoods
The Loop and River North for the first skyline hour. Lincoln Park and Lakeview along the water. Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Pilsen when you want streets rather than sights. Hyde Park if the museum and the university quads are the point.
Eating
Deep dish is a stunt you do once. The real meals are tavern burgers, a jibarito, a red-sauce room, and whatever the neighborhood is grilling. Book the serious dinner. Walk into the rest.
If you only remember this
- A Ventra card covers the L and buses.
- The pedway is how locals cross the Loop in January.
- Divvy bikes on the lakefront path are the best cheap tour.
- Cash tips are still expected at the bar.