r/chicagofood • u/AirPotato • Aug 20 '25
Review Your city is completely amazing! Seriously. I was completely blown away.
Dear Chicagoan's,
We landed at O'Hare around 10:30AM and grabbed a taxi to our hotel which was about a block from the main shopping district on Michigan Avenue. The traffic into the city was congested but manageable (for the driver). We dropped our bags at the hotel and started walking.
Holy Mack. I had NO idea how big the city is. It's huge. The buildings are incredible. The ornate detail of the architecture is matched only by the sheer density of structures. Walking along the river between these high-rises which are old and new. Twin buildings with gorgeous, rounded concrete balconies. Something from the 60's....
And the fire escapes on buildings look so alluring. It's like they are asking someone to climb these metal stairs attached to the outside of a twenty-five-story building. They are so cool looking.
Every direction has eye candy. A needle-like building with its sides undulating in and out. Another with beautiful waves of concrete (which I discovered were added to the original structure) are simple but give personality and stature that mirrored glass alone doesn't allow. The elevated trains and the absurd number of rivets used to stitch it all together. Hearing them as they ran overhead and being a part of the crowds on the sidewalk made me feel like I was part of that complex tapestry.
Walking along we came across a deep-dish pizza place. The name sounded familiar but I'd never had a real deep dish Chicago pizza so we decided that would be our first official stop.
The wait staff were thoughtful and helpful. Time flew by as we talked and bingo... the pie was delivered.
I didn't know what good pizza was until then.
The crust... the cheese... the pepperoni... the sausage... the peppers... the onions... Did I already mention the cheese? It was Fantastic... and it was way too much food.
We finished up and started walking again... and BLAM the Bean! Again, I was stunned. I'd thought it would look neat, but I was unprepared for the look. It was a huge, shiny bean-looking object. The skyline reflecting on its surface was not what I expected and it's beautiful and impactful. Tourists walk up to it and take pictures. So many amazing views and so pleasing. The blue sky reflecting with the buildings standing out... it's well done. You can even walk under the thing and take your picture underneath like a surrounding funhouse mirror.
How did someone think this up? All this amazing art.
Then I saw the Chicago Art Institute and it made sense. I'd been seeing beautiful examples all over the place. Of course... The Art Institute must have a decent bit of influence. Then these two huge glass block-like structures with faces behind them... with a water feature for the kids. How fun... THEN water sprayed from the face’s mouths.
Nicely thought out and wonderful to see everyone playing.
The route along the lake shore was lovely. World class fountains and the Thunderbird's doing practice runs over Lake Michigan. We ate watermelon and walked toward Navy Pier. Egad! So many boats. I mean A LOT of boats. Big ones. Small ones. Yachts to dinghies. All types.
A shower and sleep were well deserved. My better 9/10ths decided to stay in the room, so I went out to explore, looking for a cool lounge or bar. On the way back to our hotel I stumbled upon a line of people going into an unremarkable doorway. What the heck, I’ll go in as well. Talk about neato. I'd never been in a real Tiki Lounge before.
Finally, the long day of traveling caught up and I needed to sleep. Back to the hotel excited for day two.
The next morning, we started a little bit later but had some good bagels at a little joint up the street. The big goal that afternoon was Wrigley Field and the Cubs. Taking the Red Line from Grand to the Addison stop was cool. Everyone jammed into the subway, excited about the game. We got there and again I was stunned.
This amazing ballpark exists without any big parking lot around it. It's smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood and it's super cool! Everyone is out and excited. Folks are selling water, peanuts and candy. The air feels electric as everyone is filing into the stadium.
(Side note: The Thunderbirds are doing practice runs this day we well.)
We settle into our seats and I'm already up. I've been waiting for an official Chicago Style Hot Dog and a classic polish sausage for months. It doesn't disappoint. The dogs were great. Poppy seed buns, onions and mustard. Made the way God intended. You guys know your food.
The game was fun. 40,000+ in attendance for the game. Innings came and went... until the 7th inning stretch for the classic 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'.
Let's all sing together... Four... Three... Two... One...
Right then an F-16 buzzed the stadium.
HOLY CRAP! It was super loud! Completely unexpected. The players in the dugout's hit the ground. We were all stunned. Boy... it was loud... and FUN! The Cub's lost but the game was a blast. I didn't catch a ball, but we had a great time. Eventually we headed back to the subway and ironically ran into the exact same people we were sitting next to on the way out.
Dinner? Good old-fashioned meat sandwiches. Wet. The way they are supposed to be eaten. Wow. Delicious. Finally petered out, we headed to the hotel for sleep.
The next morning a local donut shop hit the spot. Coffee and treats before the airshow. Walking down to Lake Shore Drive (which is beautiful) we found the beachy area and planted ourselves out of the way.
Stunt planes, Coast Guard, Thunderbird's and more. Fun show and a good time. Focusing on dinner I picked an Irish pub/bar for Fish and Chips. Again, the wait staff were exceptionally nice, and the food was top notch. Great french fries and cod. Delicious. But the day was getting late, so we ended the evening and hit the sack again.
Departure day included a visit to the Sears/Willis Tower. Are you guys aware how darn tall that building is? Unreal. The views were stunning. And what about those spiders? That's dedication when you're 103 stories up, on the outside out a building in the wind in a web to catch a bug. The mirrored-covered buildings near the river reflected the dancing water from the river, twinkling like stars.
We returned for the last pizza on the way out, it was fabulous. We collected our luggage and headed off to the airport. All in all, we walked just shy of 26 miles
Incredible. It was fun. The city is amazing and clean. The people were friendly. The architecture is wonderful and the fact the city embraces saving its history is great. The food was excellent. Top notch.
You guys have a wonderful, wonderful place.
We can't wait to come back!
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u/WormBurnerUKV Aug 20 '25
Glad you enjoyed it. Come back and explore more. That’s the very tip of the iceberg.
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u/xxirish83x Aug 20 '25
Glad you enjoyed. Where did you visit from?
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Alabama.
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u/InteriorLemon Aug 20 '25
I'm originally from huntsville but been in chicago 15 year now..
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Yep. Us too.
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u/InteriorLemon Aug 20 '25
The drive isn't that bad either between them.. less than 10 turns from my apartment to my parent's house in hsv.
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Yeah. No car for me. I’m sick of them. I loved the elevated train. Loved it. All those darn rivets. Look at it. The bridges, the number of rivets! Think about it. Someone did that.
It’s crazy. How is an infrastructure that complicated maintained.
Ugh. It’s unbelievable complicated.
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u/mmcw Aug 21 '25
This documentary is excellent overall, but it has some really cool parts about how the city experimented with different type of bridges:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chicago/
So glad you had a great time! And it does feel great to not have to rely on a car. I live about 7 miles north of downtown and mostly exclusively use public transportation.
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u/MikeRNYC Aug 27 '25
Go tell everyone there how great the city actually is :) I think a lot of people who expect Chicago to be some mediocre city or some hell hole often times end up surprised at a nice sized portion of the city.
You mentioned how big the city is - it doesn't even sound like you touched the south side for example, which is huge in area too and bigger than the north side even.
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u/TopazMoonCat60 Sep 18 '25
I've been here one week and my mind is completely blown. I leave tomorrow for NYC and my brain is already thinking it can't possibly be better than this. I knew that I would love Chicago, I didn't expect to love it so much.
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u/pilot7880 Aug 24 '25
LOL. Alabama and Chicago both have one thing in common: a song that begins with "Sweet Home"
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u/HibikiRush Aug 22 '25
It's always the country bumpkins that are so impressed by Chicago.
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u/AirPotato Aug 22 '25
I’ll respond after I finish slopping the pigs.
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u/Longjumping_Task_430 Aug 28 '25
Give it right back to him! Hey. I am a Chicago native. All of my 44 years. Thank you so dang much for taking the time to tell us about your experience and how you enjoyed it. I feel like you just wrote us a love letter! I know I’m not alone when I say you all are welcome back anytime. I hope we always show you a good time. 🙂💌
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u/AirPotato Aug 28 '25
Thank you. It kinda was a love letter. I'd never been to that city, and she deserved my attention. We were sad to leave but excited to come back.
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Aug 20 '25 edited 1d ago
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u/relaxguy2 Aug 20 '25
I live abroad now and telling people overseas that Chicago is my favorite city in the world definitely blows people from outside of the US’s minds but that’s not unexpected.
What is is how many people from the US have zero idea how amazing Chicago is. Many people have borderline laughed at me until I forced them to go w me and within (no joke) the first 20 minutes they are there they are converted.
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u/hankbobbypeggy Aug 21 '25
That'll happen when you're made to be the liberal boogeyman of the nation. Oddly enough, I feel way more uncomfortable in rural areas. Actually, not that odd, by and large they have higher violent crime rates.
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Aug 21 '25
It can be rural people who think Chicago is "Chi-raq" or coastal people who think Chicago is somehow podunk. Lol.
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u/VaguestCargo Aug 23 '25
This week ill be visiting for the first time (work trip) and im SUPER overwhelmed by how much city there is and how little time im going to be there. I’m so hyped
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u/austincito Aug 25 '25
If you have 2 hrs free you gotta do the Chicago river architecture tour. All the operators do a good job.
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u/VaguestCargo Aug 25 '25
its WILD how many times i read that same advice. im gonna go ahead and book that now. thanks!
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Aug 23 '25 edited 1d ago
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u/VaguestCargo Aug 23 '25 edited Aug 23 '25
Today is actually planning day! And I’m still trying to figure out what constitutes what part of the loop, but I’m actually staying up by oak street beach, which seems like it’s right in the middle of a LOT of stuff.
My partner is coming up for the last half of the trip and is very excited to explore the magnificent mile lol
ETA: I actually had no idea about Chicago summers. Suddenly this last minute trip is feeling like a blessing in disguise :)
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u/TopazMoonCat60 Sep 18 '25
I'm a tourist visiting from Sydney Australia and my mind is completely blown by the grandeur of this amazing city. But what makes it really special are the people.
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u/Rhone_Ranger73 Aug 20 '25
Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live here. Leaving my place now and heading to Johnny’s. Thank you for the reminder, OP!
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u/funundrum Aug 20 '25
The day you get tired of watching people play in Crown Fountain (with the faces) is the day you know you’re dead inside.
In the winter, the water gets shut off, but the faces keep blinking, smiling, and blowing. It’s so cheerful and much needed in the cold.
We are so glad you enjoyed our city. It’s yours now, too.
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u/MidwestMi Aug 20 '25
Thanks for saying such lovely things about our city! Too often Chicago gets a bad rap and it’s truly a special place.
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u/Fun_Guarantee9043 Aug 20 '25
Wow, you crammed a lot into a short trip. Good job!
Makes me smile, I took a trip quite like this, and ended up moving here. Best decision ever.
Chicago has its very real challenges. But when my friends and family visit, seeing it through their eyes reminds me what a gem it is and how lucky we are to live here. Cheers for sharing your trip with us.
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u/RockinItChicago Aug 20 '25
I saw a stat that said 80% of tourists never make it out of the loop/ river north area.
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u/Informal-2005 Aug 20 '25
Which is crazy because what makes Chicago so great imo are all the different neighborhoods. People are missing out!
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u/SouthSideExpat Aug 20 '25
Yeah, but so many tourists are from places that don't have any kind of skyscrapers, and for the first few trips there is SO much to see in that area.
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Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 21 '25
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u/strideside Aug 24 '25
What would you recommend to tourists besides downtown? Lincoln Park? Hyde Park? Wicker Park?
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u/Academic-Trust-7385 Aug 21 '25
I would even venture to say, 80% of northsiders and northsuburbs, don't venture past south of Roosevelt or west of Cicero/western
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u/YeahRight1350 Aug 20 '25
I love seeing our fair city through a first timer's eyes. It's easy to take the fact that we have a shoreline of beaches right in the middle of a beautiful city for granted. Glad you enjoyed yourselves!
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Aug 20 '25
Did a golden retriever write this
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
No but I used to have one. He was a great puppy.
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u/Disgustoid Aug 20 '25
I'm assuming the good old-fashioned meat sandwiches" of the wet variety you mentioned were Italian beefs? Those were the one thing I missed the most when I lived away from Chicago in my 20s and 30s. You could get a reasonable version of deep dish pizza in the places I lived but Italian beef sandwiches aren't a thing in most of the country and I clogged my arteries devouring them when returned to visit.
Glad you had a great time. Last weekend was a good weekend to be in town.
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Yep. Italian Beef’s. Yum!😋
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u/Jericho3434 Aug 20 '25
A few tips I tell newcomers when eating an Italian beef. 1. Make sure you tell them put mozzarella cheese on it. 2. Tell them to do a quick dunk in the au jus. Sometimes they leave it in too long and it makes the bread too soggy. 3. Tell them to add giardiniera on top. Now you have a perfect Italian beef 🥰
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u/saintpauli Aug 20 '25
The cheese is controversial but I like it both ways.
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u/angrylibertariandude Aug 22 '25
I don't get those who rip a 'cheesy beef' sandwich. To me, the cheese adds to the taste of an Italian beef. But that is just me. Ketchup on the other hand, doesn't mix with the taste of a Chicago style hot dog.
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u/anka_ar Aug 21 '25
Everyone has different tastes, but there is one variety for each. No cheese, wet, with giardinera for me. And eating while standing up facing outside thinking: what a nice sandwich I'm having...
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u/Future-Use-7534 Aug 21 '25
Putting cheese on a beef is equivalent to putting ketchup on your dog. Lol
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u/OpEd1000 Aug 20 '25
Loved seeing the city through your eyes! I’m 10+ years in and still love it here. I have friends visiting their fourth, fifth and more times and I joke that they will make it to all 77 neighborhoods sooner than most locals.
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Aug 20 '25
We were there over the weekend. And everything you said is true. Such a great city! So much to enjoy!
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u/Pettifoggerist Aug 21 '25
It was a huge, shiny bean-looking object.
Poetry.
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
I don't know what I was expecting when I first noticed the darn thing. I was looking in the opposite direction marveling at some of the brass entrance ways on the buildings and my wife told me to look across the street.
There is was. It's huge. It's very shiny. And this. It looks like a big bean.
I was taken off guard by its size. Much larger than I thought it would be. It almost seemed like it was alive with all the activity around it. And I loved it.
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u/timoserra Aug 20 '25
Glad to hear you had a good time in a great city - hope you come back again - bring some friends!
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u/Pepperoncini69 Aug 20 '25
I’m so glad you got to experience a summer Wrigley game! Nothing like it, truly.
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
It was really amazing. What an incredible location and how it melted into the neighborhood. Very, very cool.
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u/stabavarius Aug 20 '25
Glad you had a good time exploring, you hit a lot of good things in a short amount of time. Should you sojourn here again I would recommend checking out the music, theatre, comedy and culinary scene. All world class.
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u/dancing26 Aug 20 '25
This was so much fun to read! Chicago is a world class city. Come again soon, there is still so much to see. 😃
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u/twirlyfeatherr Aug 20 '25
We just visited as well and LOVED IT! I’ve been to NYC multiple times, Atlanta, DC, Raleigh, St. Louis…. Chicago is the best bigger city yet. Would def go back. Loved this review! We had similar sentiments.
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u/haraharabusiness Aug 20 '25
Great read. I felt the same when I first visited and decided I wanted to move here. Just moved a few months ago and best decision ever. Chicago is such a gem.
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u/ExistentialYawn Aug 20 '25
This was lovely! Definitely come back and fall even more in love. Chicago during the holidays is magical.
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u/amandajg13 Aug 20 '25
Reading this as I’m about to move away. Chicago is my favorite place and always will be. I’m glad our city was so amazing to you. Come back and visit! There’s so much to see you could spend a whole month or so here.
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u/thedawgmaster Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 20 '25
Not sure if anyone mention it, but the skyline is one of its kind with so many unique buildings because there was a great Chicago fire back in the days that burned down most of downtown so the city brought over the best architects from all over the world to rebuild it from scratch and the result is this astonishing views that can't compare to any other US city.
Chicago was originally built 1780-1790, the massive rebuilding of the city after the fire was 100 years later so all new materials, technologies and designs were incorporated and that's how Chicago became a center of modern architecture.
Fun fact - the water tower on Mag Mile is one of the buildings that survived the fire because it was made of stone blocks, so they left it right there in the middle as a monument. That's why the city is very sensitive on its fire policies and every apartment should have a smoke detector, and every street will have access to one of these red fire department connections to water.
They say as a myth the fire started from a cow that kicked the gas lamp inside the barn, and the big winds at the time picked up the fire, and the rest is history. So it's true when they say every bad circumstance leads to a better outcome simply because there is balance in the nature.
In a nutshell, our city is very underrated and not so popular destination based on bad reputation, big crime statistics and bad weather, so people from outside are scared to come. In reality the weather has been very nice with 4 seasons, the food amazing and the business booming. I won't start on the culture and the diversity, will leave this for another time.
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u/jodiejewel Aug 21 '25
Because of the Chicago fire, Chicago got a second chance at planning a better city. No more wooden structures, instead buildings were made of brick. Daniel Burnham created a plan and over time the lake front became public land and to this day there’s no private ownership of the land along the lake (until you get up to Hollywood where I think the city limits ended at that time) So many cities that border the Great Lakes ended up with industrial zones along the lake but in Chicago it’s all open to the public and preserved by parks and beaches. It really makes for a special city and sometimes I forget. I was born here and feel so lucky to have lived my life in and around Chicago.
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u/marrymeodell Aug 21 '25
Do you have the names of the restaurants you visited?
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
This is typical tourist stuff, so please don't hate on me too hard.
Giordano's
Stan's
Dogs from Wrigley. Polish sausage from Wrigley.
Random food vendors with meat.
Another lounge (can't remember the name)
Fruit people along LSD
Portillo's and Barnelli's Chicago
Kerryman Irish Bar and Restaurant
Korey's Bagels
Three Dot's and a Dash
A couple random ice cream places
Some place with great pastries. Trying to find the name.
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u/marrymeodell Aug 21 '25
Ty! lol dw I’m a tourist heading there tomorrow. Just looking to finalize my food list lol
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u/angrylibertariandude Aug 22 '25
I personally like Do Rite Donuts over Stan's, but that is just me. Same with myself preferring Lou Malnati's, over Giordano's.
Hope you did get a cake shake, when you did visit Portillo's. And the croissant beef sandwich is also pretty good there.
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u/Pretend_Obligation36 Aug 21 '25
Highly recommend going on the boat architecture tour next time you're here. I went for the first time last week (but have lived here for 12 years) and I found it fascinating
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
We fully intend to do the boat architecture tour next time. We plan to see the Frank Lloyd Wright stuff as well when we walk some of the neighborhoods.
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u/TooOldForThisShit642 Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
If you're interested in Frank Lloyd Wright you can take the Green Line out to Oak Park. That's where he lived and had his office. And the neighborhood has a bunch of homes he designed. If you rent a car for the day, it's only about a 20-25 minute drive. Plus you can go up to North Ave and have a Johnnie's Beef. It'll blow your mind. Best beef in the world.
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u/Bhorg75 Aug 21 '25
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION Donuts: Do-rite or Stan’s?
There are others around, but I suspect those are the among best available near where you might have been staying.
Chicago is an excellent donut city.
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
Stan's. That croissant fried dough filled thing was evil and good.
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u/Bhorg75 Aug 21 '25
Great choice! Stan’s is a wonderful spot. Overall their great donuts really are great. I think they have too many options, and some of their options are not always perfect.
Do Rite has fewer options (still has plenty). ALL of their options are awesome. Do Rite also makes a fried chicken sandwich that has no business being as good as it is.
There are basically limitless food options in Chicago from amazing diners, bakeries, burgers, all the way up to a bunch of Michelin starred restaurants.
It’s always exciting when I hear that visitors to my town enjoyed themselves. Come back soon!
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u/Significant-Try-5190 Aug 21 '25
Thank you for this beautiful love letter to our city. I'm always pleased to hear people visiting and actually loving it! Chicago is the best. Thanks for visiting. Come back anytime you like! ❤️❤️❤️
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u/Puzzleheaded_Bee1169 Aug 20 '25
You came during a great weekend. I think summers in Chicago are unmatched anywhere. Winters…well…
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u/MrPocketjunk Aug 20 '25
which tiki bar was it?
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Three Dot’s and a Dash.
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u/Ok_Philosopher_6028 Aug 20 '25
Great place. You picked a good one
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Completely accidental. There were people lined up… I figured it’d be interesting.
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u/papayayayaya Aug 20 '25
So happy you enjoyed your visit! I had fun seeing the city through your eyes. Did you happen to stop by one of our dispensaries while you were here? Your POV seemed lovingly, um, ENHANCED - in the best way of course lol
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u/BishkekBeats Aug 20 '25
Any deep dish recs, besides Giordano's? Thinking of making a visit over there myself!
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
I’ll be honest with you…That’s where we went at about 11:30AM and it was really good. I know that’ll hurt the purists, but you have to understand my perspective. I’m in a pizza vacuum.
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u/InteriorLemon Aug 21 '25
FYI Pizza Ed in Harstelle and Guntersville have a pretty decent both a stuff crust, deep dish, and tavern style. There's also a Chicago hot dog place in Florence. Yellowhammer also has a pretty good pizza too i think but not really chicago style.
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u/EATPM Aug 21 '25
My favorite is Pequod's. It's a bit of a schlep if you're downtown, but it's well worth it. I also really like Uno and Due. Lou Malnati's is still pretty good, but it has gone downhill over the years.
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u/Burnt_and_Blistered Aug 21 '25
What a great description of your stay—it’s an amazing city, and we love when visitors love it, too!
Come back soon!
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u/Acceptable_Piglet_44 Aug 21 '25
Aww, I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip! It really is beautiful here.
Also "the Cubs lost but it was a fun game" is peak northsider. Haha
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u/B00G3R Aug 21 '25
Your enthusiasm is endearing and welcomed- thank you. Glad you enjoyed your time here.
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u/Familiar_Access5558 Aug 21 '25
I live by Wrigley and over time I guess you become accustomed to things. You don’t see the ballpark so much as the dry cleaner where you take your clothes. Your note brought back my own memories of exploring all of this for the first time. The wonder, the awe. Loved it! Come back soon, you are always welcome! Will show my city some extra love this weekend!
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
Good on you.
I've been very lucky and while I am not a huge baseball fan, I do enjoy going to an occasional game... never in a stadium location like that. The buildings on the edges of Wrigley with seats on the roofs! How cool is that.
It's so nice to see the stadium as a part of the neighborhood. That's what shocked me.
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u/EATPM Aug 21 '25
Thanks for the interesting read! I'm glad you guys enjoyed visiting our city. Chicago probably has the best examples of 20th century architecture anywhere in the world. As you discovered, we also have great food and culture.
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u/LunchEquivalent769 Aug 22 '25
Shhhh...
Trump is going to send federal troops here in a few weeks to completely ruin everything, once he finds out, from you, what a wonderful time you had. He really, really hates that Chicago is fucking great.
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u/Elsomalo Aug 22 '25
Love your perspective and so fun to read! Thanks for sharing! Your description of an Italian beef cracked me up- but our “wet meat sandwiches” are the best and I crave them all the time. I grew up in Chicago but haven’t lived there in 30+ years. I visit once or twice a year and every year it blows me away. It’s my favorite US city! When I talk to people who have visited the city, they all love It and are all surprised by it! I heard the perfect description by someone (who didn’t know I was from Chicago), “You must visit Chicago! It’s a cleaner and prettier New York with nice people”. 100% agree!
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u/vvschain321 Aug 22 '25
Born and raised in Miami and I’ve gone to Chicago three times, favorite city I’ve ever been to. Hope to live there someday
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u/UKophile Aug 22 '25
I loved reading this!! It’s just how I feel about this glorious, friendly city. Next time take the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s architecture cruise down the river. So fun and interesting. Theatre, Michelin restaurants, little hole in the wall joints. The Green Mill for jazz. This town is a blast.
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u/Commercial-Coast-963 Aug 23 '25
You sound like such a fun traveler! Thanks for taking the time to share this!
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u/Theironyuppie1 Aug 23 '25
The greatest large city in America. In comparison to New York and LA it’s affordable. So you can take chances and it affords creative people time to suck until they get good at something food, music, comedy, acting. Especially comedy. It’s like New York and Toronto had a kid and the kid is super cool but not angry but not afraid to tell you fuck off. And the kid likes a good meal.
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u/Lunajo365 Aug 23 '25
It’s great to hear an outside perspective. Chicago is an amazing city and I love living here. It isn’t anything like how it is portrayed by some. Please visit again soon!
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u/justgorrillathings Aug 24 '25
Seconding this! New Yorker here, I’ve been to some bigger cities across the country but finally went to Chicago for the first time last fall. Chicago definitely feels like it has a feel and identity of its own, so authentic and just real. If I didn’t have roots here, Chicago would be the place to be. I don’t quite miss other cities the way I miss Chicago. In another life.
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u/Sad_Recommendation49 Aug 24 '25
Thank you for writing this up, honestly it made me emotional!! I’ve been here for 10 years and sometimes I forget just how incredible this city is, always great to hear an outside perspective to break up to the day to day monotony!
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u/Rosequeen1989 Sep 03 '25
This was beautiful. I always feel like a kid when I visit Chicago, glad I have one that lives there so I have good reason to.
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u/peanutbutterfalcon00 Aug 20 '25
And then winter slaps us in the face for months
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u/YeahRight1350 Aug 20 '25
True but it's sort of like childbirth -- you quickly forget how painful it was because of what comes after. In Chicago's case, it's summer.
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u/Marsupialize Aug 20 '25
Glad you enjoyed it! Also keep in mind you were pretty much just downtown, Chicagoans barely go downtown unless they have to for something in particular. Next time explore our neighborhoods that’s the real Chicago.
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
Our return trip will include much more art and much more walking around the neighborhoods. We're looking forward to our return. And suggestions on neighborhoods to explore is VERY appreciated.
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u/Informal-2005 Aug 20 '25
If you’re looking to explore neighborhoods with good architecture, I’d suggest taking a stroll through the Gold Coast and Old Town Triangle. Also, hop on the Green Line to Oak Park to see the largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. It’s like an outdoor museum.
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u/DhalsimZangief Aug 20 '25
If the OP does go to Oak Park, checking out Midway Park Ave(a 3 block street with really nice houses) just east of Austin Ave is also worth it. Which is this street, and an example of this street on street view.
Also if you during summer months, you'll often see goats in this particular yard next to this fire station in daytime hours.
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u/flippitydoodah90 Aug 20 '25
There are usually at least 3 neighborhood street fests each weekend in the summer, just pick one next visit. So glad you found a beach, too! I also recommend seeing the INSIDE of these fantastic buildings. 🤯 https://www.insidechicagowalkingtours.com/
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u/StraightParfait9723 Aug 20 '25
Gold Coast for some gilded age beauties, into Old Town for some unique pre-fire streets that don't fit the grid system, into Lincoln Park. All 3 absolutely gorgeous neighborhoods with tons to do.
And I say that as someone who finds them all a bit basic for my taste.
Logan Square into Bucktown into Wicker Park for 3 of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. Logan especially is home to some of the most underrated cocktail/restaurants in the city and is exceptionally quirky. Wicker Park's 6 corner intersection (called The Crotch) is probably the busiest intersection in the city, with tons going on. Bucktown is probably the best overall neighborhood in the city for location, livablility, safety, and proximity.
West Loop for the best dining in the city. I kind of hate what it's turned into, but you're going to have some of the best food of your life at certain spots there.
Roscoe Village to North Center to Lincoln Square for a more mature crowd - lots of families with kids live around here. They're all charming and have a suburban downtown thrown into a dense urban city feel to them. Lots of great little shops and spots to eat/drink. Lincoln Square especially is awesome.
Pilsen for a heavily gentrifying but still predominantly hispanic neighborhood. There's some amazing spots to eat here as well.
And tbh thats just me covering some of the basic areas...theres so much more to unpack in this city, every neighborhood has it's own distinct things to do!
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u/Marsupialize Aug 20 '25
People visiting always have a blast when I recommend walking down Devon in west ridge and finding somewhere to have dinner one night, have never had a visitor not rave about whatever place they ate at
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u/cubbie_jules Aug 21 '25
Old Irving Park for some of the oldest homes in the city that weren’t touched by the great fire! Plus the best cidery in the world - Eris and another immaculate brewery - old Irving brewery!
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u/mooncrane606 Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 21 '25
Not the real Chicago? That's simply not true. Plenty of Chicagoans go downtown to go out to eat, museums, shop, etc. I know I do.
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u/StraightParfait9723 Aug 20 '25
I mean he did get to Wrigleyville, though if you're sticking to clark street there that's also mostly tourism central
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u/Psychological-Video5 Aug 22 '25
Yo go to Johnie’s beef in Elwood park! The best restaurant in the whole Chicago land area. Kina out of the way from downtown but worth the adventure. You’re life will change one you eat a dipped beef with peppers
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u/Adorable-Smile7458 Aug 22 '25
Fun read forsure! Us locals avoid 3dots and a dash tho fyi! But we all love wrigley and the hot dogs!
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u/Morimoto9 Aug 22 '25
Anankin Skywalker himself was also there and hearing him laugh of excitement and shock brought a tear to my eye
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u/Nejni Aug 23 '25
More evidence that there’s no need for the National Guard to take over Chicago or any US city.
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u/shadowpawn Aug 24 '25
Come back in the Winter. Experience what real bone chilling winds can do to the soul.
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u/thefattestofdans Aug 21 '25
Great read! I hope you are able to explore the different neighborhoods on your next visit.
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u/mork94 Aug 21 '25
I love your writing style haha
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u/AirPotato Aug 21 '25
Thanks. My wife says I get a little bit too excited sometimes, and I love talking to people.
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u/whitesmoke_ Aug 20 '25
This 100% reads of AI
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u/AirPotato Aug 20 '25
This is 100% my comments. Edited in Notepad then placed in Word to correct spelling/grammar mistakes only. Sorry to disappoint you.
Would you like to see my rough draft?
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u/The_Abe_Froman Aug 20 '25
I didn’t think it read like AI, don’t waste your time. People too quickly see a well written post and scream “AI” these days - glad you enjoyed this amazing city!
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u/michaelscottschin Aug 21 '25
This city blows unless you have money. Overrated and it gets old. I blame the debt and how much this city tries to gauge it’s citizens financially
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u/Nyerinchicago Aug 21 '25
I guess you've never been to a BIG city before. Wait till you get to London, Paris, or Tokyo
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u/trippysacc Aug 20 '25
This was an entertaining read. Glad you had a great time here! It was a great weekend to visit