[Travel] Chicago

[Steve Foster]

Hi,

My wife & I are off to the ‘Windy’ city of Chicago next week, primarily (for me) to run the Marathon.

Have any NSC folk been to Chicago? - Our first time.

Would welcome any tips.

Many thanks

 

[bhafc99]

Thanks to Kwasi and Liz, I’d double your initial budget if I was you.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Thanks to Kwasi and Liz, I’d double your initial budget if I was you.

Not an issue for the richest poster on NSC

 

[Garage_Doors]

My Son lives there and been many times, first up its very expensive, but that won't affect you if the rumours are true.
It is very windy but a lot to see. Route 66 starts there but only a sign post to show it.
He is a member of the "statesside Seagulls" if you're planning to watch a game over there.

 

[Comrade Sam]

If it's still going, eat ribs listening to live Blues at Buddy Guys club. Watch the Blues Brothers in your hotel room. Ride a train, gawp at the sky scrappers and eat obscene breakfasts. Only bother with the Blues Museum if you're a fan of Eric 'send them back' Clapton.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

The city has a free zoo in the centre which is nice, and I seem to remember they have polar bears which is worth the visit alone.

If you're in to cycling 'the 606' is a nice route to see the city (but not awfully long).

 

[Lenny Rider]

Go on the Al Capone gangster tour, leaves outside the Hard Rock Hotel a couple of times a day.

If you’re there for an Albion game, try and hook up with the Chicago Seagulls, watched a game with them when I was over there nice bunch of people.

 

[Beach Hut]

The Bean

 

[southstandandy]

See where John Wayne Gacy used to live!

 

[Hamilton]

Hi,

My wife & I are off to the ‘Windy’ city of Chicago next week, primarily (for me) to run the Marathon.

Have any NSC folk been to Chicago? - Our first time.

Would welcome any tips.

Many thanks

Get down by the lakeside and just enjoy the walk.

I loved Chicago a little more than NYC - and I LOVE NYC. It just felt a little more real.

 

[Guinness Boy]

If it's still going, eat ribs listening to live Blues at Buddy Guys club. Watch the Blues Brothers in your hotel room. Ride a train, gawp at the sky scrappers and eat obscene breakfasts. Only bother with the Blues Museum if you're a fan of Eric 'send them back' Clapton.

We’re talking about ‘Steve “send them back” Foster’ here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Machiavelli]

Thanks to Kwasi and Liz, I’d double your initial budget if I was you.

Strangely enough, we were due to go to the States next summer, to NY and Chicago. This is because it's about the ONLY thing our 15yo has asked to do (or for) over the past five years. With the decline in the pound to the dollar over the past year or two, alongside consistent and accelerating falling wages, we were considering whether we could afford it. Given the past week, we no longer can.

 

[Machiavelli]

PS alongside London, Chicago has about the best current jazz scene in the world

 

[Titanic]

The Bean

Better to give that the flick.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Go to a Blues club

Do an El Tour and an architecture walking tour

Hancock tower

River / Lake Cruise / Bean

 

[hans kraay fan club]

My suggestion was going to be, to go and walk around Soldier Field stadium, as I did around 1989 - a fantastic example of a proper historic stadium to rival the old Wembley.

But then I just looked it up, and the philistines pulled it down and rebuilt it in 2002, so don't bother!

 

[Barham's tash]

My suggestion was going to be, to go and walk around Soldier Field stadium, as I did around 1989 - a fantastic example of a proper historic stadium to rival the old Wembley.

But then I just looked it up, and the philistines pulled it down and rebuilt it in 2002, so don't bother!

View attachment 152295

View attachment 152296

Their approach to anything relatively historic is pull it down, modernise and rebuild. Such a shame.

 

[B-right-on]

Hi,

My wife & I are off to the ‘Windy’ city of Chicago next week, primarily (for me) to run the Marathon.

Have any NSC folk been to Chicago? - Our first time.

Would welcome any tips.

Many thanks

You're my inspiration although it's a hard habit to break and it's hard to say I'm sorry.

 

[Weststander]

Not an issue for the richest poster on NSC

There’s another regular poster who not so randomly tells us he’s incredibly successful and wealthy.

Steve Foster’s a distant number 2.

 

[Weststander]

Strangely enough, we were due to go to the States next summer, to NY and Chicago. This is because it's about the ONLY thing our 15yo has asked to do (or for) over the past five years. With the decline in the pound to the dollar over the past year or two, alongside consistent and accelerating falling wages, we were considering whether we could afford it. Given the past week, we no longer can.

A similar story for us, but we eventually made it to NYC this August. At the third attempt after the pandemic ended 2020 and 2021 bookings.

My original plan was NYC and either Boston or DC but, not exchange rate related, the total cost would’ve got out of control. ‘Just’ NYC was a happy compromise.

$1.20 to the £ was the rate we got. A $1.07 tourist rate today, if you shop around.

The US, for several reasons including the exchange rate, has become expensive in general. My parents did many great road trips in the US on the 90’s and early 00’s. They were paying next to nothing for hotels and meals. When we went to Florida 5 years ago, it was different ball game, $100 plus a generous tip for Denny’s type meals for 4.

My advice (which you’re not asking for ) is to tailor it to just NYC and just go. An amazing city, so much to do, we didn’t see it all in 11 days. Grab the cheapest flights and there’s lots of hotel capacity …. cabbies told us the city had never recovered in any shape or form the lockdowns.