The Official "I'm visiting/moving to Chicago, what should I do?" Thread

[kuyabri]

I am a Chicago native but still clueless as to what neighborhood to rent in. I am looking to pay up to $800 (maybe I am cheap) for a one bedroom near either Western or the el (Blue line pref.). I don't drive so being near a grocery store and night life would be nice. I was looking at Roscoe Village. Any thoughts?

[wickedestcity]

Summer lake front fun for August


http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/s...810.xml&coll=1

[John K]

Hello Chicagoans!

My fiance and I will be spending a weekend in Chicago on the weekend of 8/4. We are staying at Sutton Place Hotel. I believe it is in the State/Rush/Oak St area. My first question is if anyone is familiar with this hotel? I know it's in a decent area, but I was wondering if the hotel was decent because it is one of the cheaper hotels in the area. I have read good reviews on the internet, but maybe the locals have some input.

My fiance has yet to see the beauty of Chicago, so on Saturday we are going to do the usual tourist things (Signature Lounge, the beach, site-seeing, etc).

On Sunday, I want to take her somewhere a little different. I'd like to take her shopping, since (like all college-aged women) she would love that. Probably in an area with trendy boutiques, upscale, but not-so-commercial type stores. No Prada, Armani, etc...Hopefully some lesser-known designer brands.
I'd also like to get a taste of the Chicago culture/lifestyle.

I was thinking maybe Wicker Park...Lincoln Park...or Lakeview?? What do you guys think? Any street suggestions? Are there any can't miss stores/restaurants I should check out? Keep in mind that we are both college students...

Thanks in advance

John

[Kevin J]

Originally Posted by kuyabri

I am a Chicago native but still clueless as to what neighborhood to rent in. I am looking to pay up to $800 (maybe I am cheap) for a one bedroom near either Western or the el (Blue line pref.). I don't drive so being near a grocery store and night life would be nice. I was looking at Roscoe Village. Any thoughts?

I don't know Roscoe Village very well, but I know that $800 will get you a good sized one bedroom in Andersonville/Edgewater. Nothing in the neighborhood is more than a 10-minute walk from the Red Line, and most places are closer. There are 2 Jewels nearby (one at the Red Line Berwyn stop, the other near Clark/Bryn Mawr) and a Dominicks near the Red Line Thorndale stop.

Parts of Edgewater east of Broadway are a little dicey safety-wise (lots of very cheap or subsidized rentals in the area = lots of teens hanging out on street corners), but everything west of Broadway is as safe as any other nicer north side neighborhood.

The train ride downtown is about 30 minutes, which isn't bad, but it all depends on your personal patience level. You mignt find something closer to the Loop in your price range, but you might end up sacrificing safety and peace of mind to get it.

[DeaconBlue]

John K,
I don't know about the hotel but I can give you some tips on good shopping. Wicker Park would be cool, its pretty bohemian so I'm not sure what your style is. Head to the corner of North and Damen. Perhaps an even better place would be Lincoln Park. Go to Halsted street, anywhere from Armitage up to Belden and I think that your girlfriend will be psyched! Good luck,
-D

[John K]

Originally Posted by DeaconBlue

John K,
I don't know about the hotel but I can give you some tips on good shopping. Wicker Park would be cool, its pretty bohemian so I'm not sure what your style is. Head to the corner of North and Damen. Perhaps an even better place would be Lincoln Park. Go to Halsted street, anywhere from Armitage up to Belden and I think that your girlfriend will be psyched! Good luck,
-D

Thanks DeaconBlue - Yeah, those seem like the best areas. I think we might try to cover both areas in the same day. The only thing I am worried about is that we are going on a Sunday, most places around here close early or are closed all day on Sundays. Is this the case for the stores in these shopping districts?
Also, any suggestions for parking?
If we go to Halsted, I am hoping to check out DePaul's campus.

[DeaconBlue]

I know that Lincoln Park is fine on Sundays, everything will be open during the day. Not sure about Wicker Park but I think you'll be fine. Wish I help you with parking...Are you staying downtown? You can get the EL to these areas pretty easily.
-D

Originally Posted by John K

Thanks DeaconBlue - Yeah, those seem like the best areas. I think we might try to cover both areas in the same day. The only thing I am worried about is that we are going on a Sunday, most places around here close early or are closed all day on Sundays. Is this the case for the stores in these shopping districts?
Also, any suggestions for parking?
If we go to Halsted, I am hoping to check out DePaul's campus.

[John K]

I wanted to take the El, but we have to check out of our hotel by noon that day so we probably won't be able to keep our car there. We are staying at Sutton Place which is at Rush and Bellvue, I believe.
Is parking going to be a huge issue? Maybe I could park it in a ramp/lot somewhere and ride the El into LP.

[DeaconBlue]

You will definately be able to keep your car at the hotel, either valet it or just leave it in the garage, they won't care. Parking in LP is basically street parking so I'm sure you can find a spot if you have to, but it's a matter of chance. Good luck!
-D

Originally Posted by John K

I wanted to take the El, but we have to check out of our hotel by noon that day so we probably won't be able to keep our car there. We are staying at Sutton Place which is at Rush and Bellvue, I believe.
Is parking going to be a huge issue? Maybe I could park it in a ramp/lot somewhere and ride the El into LP.

[bnk]

Any ideas on how to best see the air and water show coming up? I am having a couple of frineds from out of town visit and see the show. We have seen it a couple of times before, so I am tring to do it a little differently. We have driven and taken the metra to ge into the city in the past.
I would like to try to get on the water this year. Can we get on a lake cruse that day, with or without a reservation? Any unique way to pull of the air show and see the city sites in one day? Thanks in advance.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by bnk

Any ideas on how to best see the air and water show coming up? I am having a couple of frineds from out of town visit and see the show. We have seen it a couple of times before, so I am tring to do it a little differently. We have driven and taken the metra to ge into the city in the past.
I would like to try to get on the water this year. Can we get on a lake cruse that day, with or without a reservation? Any unique way to pull of the air show and see the city sites in one day? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Your help was indispensable. No wonder everyone says that Chicagoans go out of there way to help visitors. Keep up your great work. I can not wait to tell everyone how helpfull everyone was.
Thanks again.

[wickedestcity]

if you got no responce to your question ,chances are no one felt they had any good advice for you . good luck though and if you find out of a cool way to watch the show out on the water let us know.

the basic spots are always available : navi peir, oak street beach, north ave. beach , you can prob enjoy the air show part from the JHC -with a dif. perspective.
to rent a sail boat check out http://www.chicagosailing.com/

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by bnk

Thanks for all the advice guys. Your help was indispensable. No wonder everyone says that Chicagoans go out of there way to help visitors. Keep up your great work. I can not wait to tell everyone how helpfull everyone was.
Thanks again.

i'm glad we could be of service.

but seriously, the air & water show is one of chicago's events that i simply don't take part in, thus i have absolutely nothing to offer you in the way of advice. sure, i went to one of them years ago, but it isn't one of the regular "chicago" things that i do. perhaps other forumers are equally as ignorant of the show as i am, and thus had no advice to offer you.

rememeber, this forum attracts an extremely narrow cross-section of chicagoans. just because we don't know dick about the air & water show doesn't mean that we aren't willing to help and give advice in areas that we are more familiar with.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i'm glad we could be of service.

but seriously, the air & water show is one of chicago's events that i simply don't take part in, thus i have absolutely nothing to offer you in the way of advice. sure, i went to one of them years ago, but it isn't one of the regular "chicago" things that i do. perhaps other forumers are equally as ignorant of the show as i am, and thus had no advice to offer you.

rememeber, this forum attracts an extremely narrow cross-section of chicagoans. just because we don't know dick about the air & water show doesn't mean that we aren't willing to help and give advice in areas that we are more familiar with.

Thanks for the reply.

[bnk]

cause I though I was dead.

[BFA]

Hi, first time poster here, lurker for a few months. (Found this site via Chicagoist.com)

I live in Lakeview, and will be watching the Air/Water show for the umpteenth time from the area around North Avenue Beach. I'll be somewhere south of Fullerton but north of the "ground zero" action -- which is the beach house on North Avenue. It's a very good spot because you can see the parachuters land, maybe watch some of the 'water' portion of the show, and see all of the planes. I would HIGHLY recommend coming downtown early. 10:30 - 11AM is not too early of a start, anything after noon and you're looking for trouble.

Also, I received a phone call from Bar1Events. These guys own a bunch of bars here in Chicago, and they put together social events -- busses to Bears games, busses and tickets to Jimmy Buffett concerts, Dave Matthews shows, etc. They offered a booze cruise on July 3rd which I participated in. It seems like they have availability on their August 19th Air/Water Booze cruise. I could have sworn the message said the price was $80, but the website says $90.

http://www.bar1events.com/events/detail.asp?eventID=46

Good luck!

[wickedestcity]

Sky's the limit at Chicago Air & Water Show

August 18, 2006

BY CELESTE BUSK Staff Reporter






The threads of patriotism are woven throughout the lineup of the 48th annual Chicago Air & Water Show running Saturday and Sunday centered at North Avenue Beach.


Back from a two-year absence will be the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Considered one of the "best night attack aircraft" the helicopter is equipped with with two 1,900-shaft-horsepower General Electric T700 turboshaft engines for power. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 192 mph; a height of 15 feet, 3 inches, and a range of 260 miles.


"The Apache is interesting because it can be used at night. We're glad to have it back in the show," said Rudy Malnati, program coordinator for the Chicago Air & Water Show.

This year's headliners, always the big crowd-pleasers, will be the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Since 1946 the team has entertained fans with precision flying through choreographed aerobatic and high altitude performance maneuvers. The team is known for its six-jet Delta Formation, as well as the graceful maneuvers of its solo pilots.

The Angels, marking their 60th anniversary this year, fly the sleek F/A-18 Hornet, the first dual-role fighter/attack aircraft currently serving on the nation's front lines of defense.

"These jets are spectacular because they fly 34 inches apart from each other," Malnati said.

The F/A-18 Hornet is capable of carrying out a wide range of assignments, from air superiority to fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strikes. The Hornets have an airspeed of Mach 1.6 (nearly twice the speed of sound) and a combat range of more than 500 nautical miles.

The "coolest" act in the show, says Malnati, will be the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. The Knights will drop from high altitudes (about 12,500 feet above the earth's surface) at speeds of up to 120 mph to targets on North Avenue Beach.

The "fastest" aircraft in the show are the F/A-18 Hornet and the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon. The multi-role Falcon has a top speed of 1,500 mph and a ceiling above 50,000 feet. In air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles, deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft and return to the starting point. Its power includes one Pratt & Whitney F100, P-129 engine with a thrust of 29,100 pounds.

The heaviest aircraft in the show, says Malnati, is the KC-10 Extender, an air-to-air tanker aircraft in service. It has an empty weight of 241,027 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of 590,000 pounds. The KC-10's primary role is aerial refueling and it's capable of carrying 178 tons of fuel in six large fuel tanks, including three wing tanks and three under the cargo floor. It can transport up to 75 people and nearly 85 tons of cargo about 4,400 miles without refueling.

The lightest aircraft is the Stearman PT-17 biplane with an empty weight of 1,936 pounds. The World War II aircraft's power is via a Continental propeller engine with a horsepower of 220 (1943 vintage). It has a range of 505 miles and a maximum speed of 124 m.p.h.

Other military aircraft highlights in the show include USAF A-10 Thunderbolt; USAF B-1B Lancer Bomber; USAF B-52 Stratofortess; USAF C-130 Hercules; USAF F-117A Nighthawk; USAF F-16 Demonstration; USAF F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration; & KC-135 Stratotanker Aerial Refueling, and the USAF KC-10 Extender.

This year's civilian lineup includes the Red Barron Pizza Squadron thrilling audiences in their WW II era Boeing Stearman Biplane; the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, four pilots flying in the WW II North American Advanced Trainer. Also blasting off will be: Air Force Reserve Major Ed Hamill, an aerobatic pilot and F-16 fighter jet instructor, in his red, white and blue "Dream Machine" biplane; the six-plane Lima Lima Flight Team in the T-34 Mentor, and daredevil pilot Sean Tucker and Team Oracle catapulting across the sky in the one-of-a-kind Oracle Challenger.



In between gazing skyward, you can take in some excitement at ground-level, too.
The water show begins at 9 a.m. off North Avenue Beach and the air show runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Although you can see the show as far north as Montrose Beach and as far south as Burnham Harbor, the show is best viewed along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the focal point.

Splashing off in the morning will be the Shell Extreme Water Show, a hot pro freestyle tour. This extreme sporting event features some of the world's finest wave riders competing for the "coolest move" and the "best wipe-out." The Liquid X Freestyle extreme water show kicks off the water show segment, followed by the Munson Ski & Inboard Water Sports "Ski Show Team," a water ski and wakeboard show.

The "Voice of the Air and Water Show," Herb Hunter, will once again announce the show from North Avenue Beach. A 747 pilot for a major airline, this is Hunter's 19th year as show announcer (see sidebar), who once flew in the show as a military pilot.

Play-by-play coverage of the show will air from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on WBBM-AM 780. Also, a 30-minute highlight show will air at 10:30 p.m. Sunday on WLS-Channel 7.


The Navy Blue Angels, daredevil pilot Sean Tucker in his plane Oracle and David Ellison in the Flyboy plane soar over downtown Chicago on Friday, in a preview of the 48th annual Chicago Air and Water Show on the lakefront Saturday and Sunday. Story in Weekend. (JOHN H. WHITE/SUN-TIMES)


CHICAGO AIR SHOW LINEUP
HEADLINERS
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights


CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT
Aeroshell Aerobatic Team
Chicago Fire Department Air/Sea Rescue
Lima Lima Flight Crew
Red Barron Pizza Squadron
Sean D. Tucker & Team Oracle
Air Force Reserve BiPlane with Ed Hamill


MILITARY AIRCRAFT
USAF A-10 Thunderbolt
USAF B-1B Lancer Bomber
USAF B-52 Stratofortess
USAF C-130 Hercules
USAF F-117A Nighthawk
USAF F-16 demonstration
USAF F-15E Strike Eagle demonstration
USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon & KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling
USAF KC-10 Extender
USN P3-C Orion
USAF T-37 Tweet demonstration
USAF T-38 Talon demonstration
U.S. Coast Guard Air/Sea Rescue
U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter
USAF Reserve Pararescue Wing
USAF Stealth F/A-22 Raptor
U.S. Army Apache helicopter


NOTE: Participants subject to change without notice.


http://www.suntimes.com/output/enter...ews-air18.html

[Azn_chi_boi]

I saw the show last year at North Avenue Beach. Way overcrowded. The best place is probably along the lake from 1500N to 1000N (Oak Street Beach to North Avenue Beach). Just walk north along the Magnificant Mile and that beach is Oak Street Beach.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by BFA

Hi, first time poster here, lurker for a few months. (Found this site via Chicagoist.com)

I live in Lakeview, and will be watching the Air/Water show for the umpteenth time from the area around North Avenue Beach. I'll be somewhere south of Fullerton but north of the "ground zero" action -- which is the beach house on North Avenue. It's a very good spot because you can see the parachuters land, maybe watch some of the 'water' portion of the show, and see all of the planes. I would HIGHLY recommend coming downtown early. 10:30 - 11AM is not too early of a start, anything after noon and you're looking for trouble.

Also, I received a phone call from Bar1Events. These guys own a bunch of bars here in Chicago, and they put together social events -- busses to Bears games, busses and tickets to Jimmy Buffett concerts, Dave Matthews shows, etc. They offered a booze cruise on July 3rd which I participated in. It seems like they have availability on their August 19th Air/Water Booze cruise. I could have sworn the message said the price was $80, but the website says $90.

http://www.bar1events.com/events/detail.asp?eventID=46

Good luck!

Thanks, this is what I was looking for. But I already signed on to http://www.spiritcitycruises.com/ch/index.jsp

The booze cruise sound better though and the spirit did not get the best of reviews. Their price was 65$ per person. I will let you know how this trip went.

[nygirl]

Hey Hey Hey. I'm in chicago if any of u suckas wanna get tanked?! Lake N mich