Chicago

[NicRN77]

Any of you live in Chicago? A friend and I are thinking of going there the last week of October. Will it be too cold then? What sorts of things should we do? Which blues clubs are best? Any suggestions would be very helpful!

[Echewta]

All you need to know about Chicago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haAhdtDmsOw)

And this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMvULNt5AcM)

[cosmo105]

see the bean. hug the bean.

[Turchinator]

Kingston Mines for Blues

The Green Mill for Jazz

[NicRN77]

see the bean. hug the bean.

cool structure...looks like Chicago has awesome architecture!


Kingston Mines for Blues

The Green Mill for Jazz

Sweet. This is what I'm looking for. I need to check out the scene. Bars are open until 4am? Wicked.

[cosmo105]

Delilah's. (http://www.delilahschicago.com/) 400+ whiskeys. GO.

[Jane*]

Architectual Boat Tour. Cold but awesome & touristy.
Cocktails at the top of the Hancock Observatory. Also toursity but awesome.
The Art Institute of Chicago is great and there are a few other little galleries in the area.

Wrigley Field but the season will be over... hmm.

Does Sarky still live there?

[jabumbo]

get a tour from razorblade kiss

[Ghouls_Night]

Must eat here.

http://www.kumascorner.com/ (http://jdfvideo.com/)

and here

http://www.marche-chicago.com/ This is my fav in Chicago!



Like cosmo105 posted:
This is my favorite bar in Chicago

http://www.delilahschicago.com

Favorite Dive bars in Trendy area.

L and L Tavern : 3207 N Clark St
Cheap beer and Punk Rock Jukebox.

The Fireside Bowl- Everyone should go and have a shot and a beer there once!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fireside_Bowl

The Exit: A dive but a blast
http://www.exitchicago.com/index.html

[Dorothy Wood]

ahh, delilahs...used to go every monday when I lived near by, but haven't been in years. Naked Raygun dudes work/hang there. (or used to).

I would recommend all the things that the other people have recommended, plus:

if you go to Kumas, a cool place called Longman and Eagle is nearby. and down the road a bit is a placed called Cole's that has art and music with no cover. There are other brand new bars in the area to check out. Logan Square is the neighborhood, and where I live. It's become quickly very popular much to my delight/chagrin. :/ damn kids and their haircuts!

downtown near Millenium Park there's a dive place called Old Timer's that is pretty fun to drink at, but it may be temporarily closed :(

Let's see, Lager House is kinda fun. Loud, and full of rock and rollers.

Oh, if you rent bikes at Navy Pier, you can ride down the lakeshore trail and around on the prairie at Northerly Island. It's near the Planetarium and Soldier Field. Very pretty. Perhaps a bit chilly, but you never know, sometimes it's still nice out that time of year.



And actually, I'd advise against The Exit...unless you are into industrial music or want a good laugh and/or to laugh and dance, and then be ridiculed by very serious goths in the upstairs part. It's just kinda meh otherwise. But down the road kind of hidden is a neato place called The Hideout that has pretty good shows.

I have other ideas, but I gotta go home to my internet-less abode right now. Be back monday, same bat time, same bat place. well, actually more like 10:30 a.m. central time.

[Dorothy Wood]

oh yeah, and eat pizza at Exchequer! do it!

don't go to Giordano's, it blows hard. so so hard.

[jabumbo]

i thought giordono's had good lemonade

[Dorothy Wood]

i thought giordono's had good lemonade

well if you like lemonade better than pizza, go there. if you like pizza go anywhere else.


also, some more stuff:
art institute is free on thursday evenings. all the museums are good.

those city pass things are a rip off because you're supposed to do everything in one day in order for it to be a deal, and that's nearly impossible.

go to happy village for beers and outdoor seating and board games. or you can play ping pong in a big hidden room through a doorway at the end of the bar.

andersonville is a nice neighborhood with cute shops and good restaurants, decent bars like hopleaf and simon's. there are also a few lesbian bars up there, so if you want to meet boys, stay away fromT's especially.

carol's is a good country bar with live band karaoke sometimes. (if you like karaoke, i have many more suggestions).

there's tons of improv comedy around. second city is the biggie, but pretty expensive. check out iO, the annoyance theater, or gorilla tango for cheaper more "alternative" stuff.

oh yeah, and the willis (formerly sears) tower has these glass boxes sticking out that you can walk out into and see everything from way up high. (haven't been, but heard it's awesome).

at the end of october there will probably be several halloweeny type things to do as well.

[JimmyTheScumbag]

I stand behind these statements:

Kingston Mines for Blues
The Green Mill for Jazz
hopleaf
check out iO (Improv Olympic)

Don't go to Navy Pier or that Bean shit.

La Pasadita for Tacos
www.loumalnatis.com for deep dish
jimmythescumbag.com for mustache rides
https://www.fantasycostumes.com/Default.aspx if you need Halloween crap.

It could be miserable and snowy for Halloween, but last year it was 70. Ya never know.

[Dorothy Wood]

I stand behind these statements:

Kingston Mines for Blues
The Green Mill for Jazz
hopleaf
check out iO (Improv Olympic)

Don't go to Navy Pier or that Bean shit.

La Pasadita for Tacos
www.loumalnatis.com (http://www.loumalnatis.com) for deep dish
jimmythescumbag.com for mustache rides
https://www.fantasycostumes.com/Default.aspx if you need Halloween crap.

It could be miserable and snowy for Halloween, but last year it was 70. Ya never know.


La Pasadita for tacos if you like cilantro and onions....


also, it wasn't 70 last year! it was in the low 50's at best. Everyone was freezing their asses off outside. I was even wearing longjohns and a faux fur shawl

proof: http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs080.snc3/14754_178781735757_545260757_2842478_8071753_n.jpg

the year before last it was probably about 65 degrees though. :)

[JimmyTheScumbag]

[QUOTE=Dorothy Wood;1741709]La Pasadita for tacos if you like cilantro and onions....

/QUOTE]

Whoa whoa WHOA!

I will not let you speak ill of The Dita.
You need to get cheese and no onions on them shits.

You're right about Halloween last year. I trick or treated as a sweaty Vader 2 years ago and a cold ninja last year.

[NicRN77]

thanks for all the suggestions! I plan on hitting up a few places you've all mentioned. My friend and I are currently trying to find a decent place to stay. Any suggestions there???


I'm not too worried about the weather. Boston is about the same...if anything, Chicago will just be windier.

[NicRN77]

2 weeks to go! any other suggestions for blues music venues?

[Turchinator]

if you're in the loop hit up Buddy Guy's Legends Club

[Vic Colfari]

South Carolina was originally named by British King Charles II in honor of his father Charles I of England, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. South Carolina was the first state to vote to secede from the Union and was the founding state of the Confederate States of America.

[Dorothy Wood]

did you figure out where to stay?

my only advice is to find a deal while heeding the reviews.


as for events and whatnots, check out chicagoreader.com

I don't really see blues that much, but the ones people mentioned in here are supposed to be the bestest.

[NicRN77]

we're staying at the Doubletree on E Ohio St. It seemed the best price and location.

[Dorothy Wood]

yeah, that's a good location. Never been inside, but it's not a dive.

[NicRN77]

Returned from Chicago last night. I think the city is now my #2 fave in the US...next to Boston of course.

Weather was lovely the first couple of days...close to 80!! Wow! The people we are super nice no matter where we went. I def want to go back.

The best pizza by far is Lou's!!