Posted: 7/11/2005 3:24:34 PM EDT
I'll be deployed to Chicago most or all of August for work there on the Great Lakes.......Wondering what there is to do around there that is any kind of fun. I know its a liberal city but I'm used to NYC and Boston too unfortunately. Thanks  ......Jon.......... |
| Nice - definitely gonna hit up the Pizza.........any good "historical" sights to see - kinda intrigued by the Al Capone legacy and other nefarious types lol. It may be my only trip there but I expect it to be 2-5 weeks in the area around Chicago and the Great Lakes nearby.......thanks..... |
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The Shedd Aquarium is real nice. As nice or nicer than Baltimore. Field Museum is right next door. Super crowded on weekend, hell everything is crowded on the weekend. Lots of good bars and restaurants by DePaul University area, more locals than tourists. Downtown is real crowded with stores and shopping. $$$$$. Navy Pier is ok for dates and with kids but my opinion a tourist trap. One of the best things to do downtown is go to the bar on top of the Hancock building. Just buy a super expensive cup of coffee with a free, can't buy nowhere view. You will pay more to go to the observation floor compared to the coffee. Not worth going to the Sears tower as there is nothing there by the financial area. Love going downtown a few years ago but now I really don't like the crowds and cost. |
| Chicago sucks. Too liberal, too dangerous, too crowded and too dirty. The food is second to no other city however, that is true. Most sailors from Great Lakes hang out at Gurnee Mills Mall so if you are looking for a place to find chicks that dig sailors, that's the place. There is also a Bass Pro Shops there. You will actually be a little over an hour north of Chicago. You will be closer to Wisconsin then Chicago. I live about a half hour west of Great Lakes, I often buy surplus from the DRMO at Great Lakes. |
I live out in the suburbs, and Al Capone's grave is about 3 blocks from my house. The museums are good as well as the aquarium. The downtown area is nice and clean, but crowded and expensive. If you have never been here you should see the city. If you need any specifics, shoot me an IM when you get here. |
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J_Smith You want to hit up in NO PARTICULAR ORDER: -Museum of Science and Industry -Shedd Aquarium -see if you can take in a Sox game Don't even waste your time with the Field Museum or Adler Planetarium, not really good places to go to IMO. Also, I'd reccomend not going to Gino's East. The location in Oak Lawn(a burb not too far away from me) changed managment. The managment turned it to sh$t and it is closed. Pizza? Go to Giordano's or Home Run Inn  I may have said this to you before, but go to Ed Debevics, which IIRC is on Wells. 50's cafe with good food. (sidebar) Yes Chicago is a liberal city but it still is a nice city. I was born and raised there. (sidebar) Have fun! Deej86 |
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ETA-As patriot said before, if you are gonna be around Great Lakes Naval you should go to Gurnee Mills. Lots of sailors go there on the weekends. It is west of I-94 on Grand. Gurnee Mills is a great mall...lots of shopping oppritunities if that's your thing. Downtown, you might want to stay the hell away from Millenium park, place is stupid. |
Thanks for the offer - we run like the rest of the military though - I can't take my duty weapons outside of work.......otherwise I'd love to shoot. |
| Thanks everyone for the responses and info so far. I expect to stay in the city somewhere - usually at a decent 3-4 star hotel. Possibly outside the city but normally we book up in a decent hotel and commute to work. Thanks again for all the info. I'll probably be stuck there the ENTIRE month - hard to tell - lol - so I'm looking for ANYTHING fun to do. |
Hell well come on out if we're having an outing. You can shoot my guns and I'm sure others will offer theirs up too if you need some trigger time. I should be able to get you in for a ride along at work some evening if you're interested. |
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An alternative to Chicago would be Milwaukee. I recommend the Miller Brewery tour. Tour is not as good as Anheuser-Busch in St Louis but you get a lot more free samples. I think like 4 or 5 12 oz. At Anheuser-Busch you get 2 little dixie cups. Best of all it's free. You will have a hard time trying to get Cubs tickets but it is a treat. Wrigley is just awesome. I would definitely recommend a Cubs game but Brewers tickets are easier to get and they have that new stadium with the retractable roof. There is a good casino in Milwaukee as well, with more reasonable minimum bets. Chicago has riverboats near by but my god they have crazy minimum bets on the weekend. Good luck trying to find a $15 blackjack table Thurs-Saturday nights. |
If they're that worried about gangbangers, why in God's name are they putting you in Gary!???!? |