Chicago Recommendations

Dear All

I wondered if I could pick your collective brains? I am planning a trip for my wife and I to Chicago early next year and wondered if you had any recommendations about which shops/places should be on our visit list. I am very much in to my leather jackets, jeans and engineer boots etc. but love anything where craftsmanship really shines through. My wife likes slightly more contemporary clothing, but is also in to her jeans, Redwings and vintage motorcycle jumpers.

Your suggestions and advice would be much appreciated.

Rigs

@ton312 might be of help here.

Rigs said:

Dear All

I wondered if I could pick your collective brains? I am planning a trip for my wife and I to Chicago early next year and wondered if you had any recommendations about which shops/places should be on our visit list. I am very much in to my leather jackets, jeans and engineer boots etc. but love anything where craftsmanship really shines through. My wife likes slightly more contemporary clothing, but is also in to her jeans, Redwings and vintage motorcycle jumpers.

Your suggestions and advice would be much appreciated.

Rigs

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Rigs,
Head to Wicker Park..specifically Milwaukee Ave. Go to Mildblend. Great denim and leather. The whole stretch of that street has tons of shops where you can find new and vintage leathers. I believe there's a Schott dealer there too. If you have any questions before your trip PM me!

Go see the U2 as well - amongst other great things there.
Have not been back for a while, sans the O'Hare-port, but it is a great city in spite of it's awful leadership - and I live in a state that makes even Illinois look well-run.
There are Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, museums, and as @ton312 said, a nice street that caters to American made (*and others) goods...

I strongly recommend the Architectural Tour on the Chicago River but be sure to wear warm clothes this time of year.

If you are into fedoras & other proper headwear, check out Optimo inside the Monadnock building. Optimo was described to me when I came to the Lounge a decade ago as Mecca.

There ia also Chicken pot pie at the Walnut Room inside what is now Macy's.

ton312 said:

Rigs,
Head to Wicker Park..specifically Milwaukee Ave. Go to Mildblend. Great denim and leather. The whole stretch of that street has tons of shops where you can find new and vintage leathers. I believe there's a Schott dealer there too. If you have any questions before your trip PM me!

Click to expand...

That^. On that strip I also like Ula Mae, and Goorin bros. DRESS WARMLY. Great city. Awful December thru February.

Thank you all so much for all your suggestions, really looking forward to it now. It certainly looks like a hugely interesting and varied city. Given the dire weather warnings it sounds like perfect jacket hunting conditions.

Fanch said:

I strongly recommend the Architectural Tour on the Chicago River but be sure to wear warm clothes this time of year.

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^ This

Garrett Popcorn - shops all over the loop and some suburban locations. Excellent! Great gift for friends.

Shops:
-Garrett's Popcorn (a Chicago staple), the best gourmet popcorn you've ever taste!
-Macy's on State Street (in the historic Marshall Field's and Company building) In turn, visit the Walnut Room restaurant for lunch. It's a tasty, and relatively inexpensive place to grab a bite to eat.
-Optimo Hatters on Jackson St. It's conveniently only a block away from a Garrett's Popcorn store, so you can knock out those two birds easily in one trip.
-You CAN visit the Mag Mile shops if you like, but don't expect anything very unique. It's very commercial with retail shops you can find just about anywhere in the country.

Restaurants:
-Al's Beef (various locations)
-Pizano's on State Street. Great pizza, both deep dish and thin crust. For dessert, I recommend the chocolate chip cookie pan. It was one of my favorite childhood treats.
-Old Crow Smokehouse on North Lasalle St. Great Chicago barbeque. I'd recommend the pulled pork egg rolls as your appetizer.
-Harold's Chicken- local fried chicken chain.
-Chicago is a great food city, so really feel comfortable stepping into anything. You're chances of being disappointed are low.

Sights:
-Museum Campus is a MUST. The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium all make up the campus.
-The Museum of Science and Industry is a great stop if you're into vintage industrial science and machinery.
-The Art Institute is lovely, with plenty of famous American art to enjoy.
-Lincoln Park (and the zoo there, too) as well as Brookfield Zoo. Both are beautiful zoos with many enjoyable sights. Lincoln Park Zoo is free, so don't worry about the cost of visiting two zoos.
-Chinatown. Fun shops and great restaurants.
-Navy Pier. Used to be really boring and commercial, but they've spiced it up the past few years into something really special. Be sure to try the Centennial Wheel! It's even bigger than the old ferris wheel.
-Chicago Cultural Center. A beautiful architectural location. One of the most beautiful building interiors in Chicago!
-Harold Washington Library, if you're into libraries.
-The skydeck at the Sears Tower (not Willis Tower). Go on a clear day, and you're guaranteed to be able to see straight across the lake to Michigan state.

Just wanted to say thank you to Ton, Bushman and everyone else who provided such helpful advice regarding places to visit in Chicago. We have just returned and loved every minute of it. Wicker Park and it’s unique shops and coffee houses was a favourite, but the recommended architectural boat tour is also a must do. I think we took the cold UK weather us, so perfect jacket and walking conditions.

Thank you again, it really made our trip.

Rigs

I also really like Central Camera Shop in Chicago, an original and un-improved family run camera shop with loads of historic file models right out where you can see them. https://centralcamera.com/

Lots to see and do. Get to know the "L" and you'll be good to go.