Chicago

**Dodge** · 29/11/2006, 11:50 PM

Getting like we need a travel section here but anyway...

I'm off to Chicago on Friday and might as well ask for tips/hints from those who have been.

**Snoop Drog** · 30/11/2006, 12:26 AM

You'll have a ball!

I loved Chicago (was there in 99). Navy Pier is good if you are into the whole touristy thing. As is the John Hancock Building.

Some great bars but can't remember their names...(they where THAT good!)

**Mr A** · 30/11/2006, 1:44 AM

Was there for a wedding in March and really liked the place. Really liked the museum or Science and Industry, which not only has the most kick-ass train set I've ever seen (and I don't even like train sets) but also has an actual U boat captured by the US in WWII. Well worth a visit. You gotta go early in the day if you want to get inside the U-boat though!

**carrickharp** · 30/11/2006, 8:12 AM

Great City go there nearly every summer as I have family there, great buzz there at the moment as the Bears are going well in the football, hard to tell you where to go as it depends where you are staying but as like all good citys it has a metro system, go up the John Hancock tower or Sears Building for a great view of the city and lake.

**paul_oshea** · 30/11/2006, 8:24 AM

ya its cold now though, so some of those things might not be as good, plus it may be snowing when you get there. was there in september for 3 weeks, savage craic, best american city ive been to in terms of going out i think. wriggleyville there are some nice bars around there, the russian district is sorta expensive, south side can be good lots of irish bars there, but i doubt you want to be going there.......

art museum is good ( although look out for these 3 words in every other picture, accentuates, juxta-position and "brings to front and to the background ) , a lot of ****** written about the paintings as tehre is in most museums but the detail of some of the paintings is unreal, particulalry "a london street" by a french artist.

acquarium, is full of ignorant black people, seriouslly not messin they were ignorant as fcuk to us and threatened to call security on us when we questioned them, so id avoid it as not much to see there either, bar the dolphin show ( which we missed - even though we paid for - cos the ignoramouses wouldn't tell us what time it was on at ).

if you want good clothes at cheap prices go to filenes bargian basement and nordstrom rack, one on state street the other not far away. Good designer gear at cheap prices.

finally check out the fado pub its a good spot for food and if you want to catch a football match.

**Newryrep** · 30/11/2006, 9:50 AM

Spent a few days last summer and thoroughly enjoyed it. People seemed pretty friendly for a big city. Had trouble downtown getting a late drink on a sunday night, tried a piano bar but got turned away due to being dressed in shorts/t shirt (it was 80 deg !!). (a Guy tried to tell us this as we were walking to the place but you tend to ignore people who try to talk to you in the middle of a big city 1.00 in the morning)

O Hare Airport - worst international departure lounge i have ever been in . Absolutly nothing the other side of security. Bars consisted of pull carts, dont recall seeing a newsagent/bookshop thankfully had a good book. Pray to whatever god you have that you dont get delayed. Note also before security isnt much better, Pizza Hut McD and a tiny bar. not much of a bookshoop Get a feed before you arrive at the terminal.

**paul_oshea** · 30/11/2006, 1:09 PM

O Hare Airport - worst international departure lounge i have ever been in . Absolutly nothing the other side of security. Bars consisted of pull carts, dont recall seeing a newsagent/bookshop thankfully had a good book. Pray to whatever god you have that you dont get delayed. Note also before security isnt much better, Pizza Hut McD and a tiny bar. not much of a bookshoop Get a feed before you arrive at the terminal.

ya the terminal that you fly out of back to heathrow or dublin is terrible nothing there at all, plus we were stuck there for 5 hours as air india was delayed by that amount of time.

**Dodge** · 10/12/2006, 5:54 AM

Suppose I might as well tell you how it went...

Had a good time. The Aquarium was very good (full of very friendly black people as it happened

), the field museum good (we did both on the one day and kinda felt museumed out by the end. ) Did the Science museum too but found it a bit boring, a bit too much emphasis on kids and having no real interest in science/industry probably didn't help. The U boat was good though.

Navy pier is a load of ****e. Views from the Hancock building and Sears tower unbelievable. Went to see both the Bulls and Blackhawks play. Bulls game was great fun and they put on a terrific show with always something happening. Blackhawks don't do half as much but we had posh seats so the waiter service made up for it.

Obviously bought a load of clothes/presents over there and Ms Dodge was very impressed with that area. Much as I hate Irish bars there's very few other options and a bar called fado was probably the best. The best craic we had was watching sunday night football in ESPN zone and anybody with an interest in sport would probably enjoy a night there.

Oh yeah and it was cold. Windchill factors brought the tempature to 0 F or -20 C while there.

**Fair_play_boy** · 16/12/2006, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

. . . the russian district is sorta expensive . . .

LMAO! I made that very same mistake when I was there. I called it "The Russian Division" the whole time I was there. The night before I left I copped on that it was the area at the intersection of Rush St. amd Division St. - hence "Rush & Division"!
If you are still there, check out the comedy club where Alan Alda got his start. In the jazz area, loads of seriously good blues bars around there too.

**theworm2345** · 17/12/2006, 7:12 PM

In my city, eh? What do you need to know?
EDIT: ****e Im too late

Suppose I might as well tell you how it went...

Had a good time. The Aquarium was very good (full of very friendly black people as it happened ), the field museum good (we did both on the one day and kinda felt museumed out by the end. ) Did the Science museum too but found it a bit boring, a bit too much emphasis on kids and having no real interest in science/industry probably didn't help. The U boat was good though.

Aquarium is great, the people there (besides the dolphin trainers) aren't supposed to know about the sea-life I guess. Did you go to the Field Museum (by the Aquarium and Soldier Field) or the Museum of Science and Industry (South side)?

Navy pier is a load of ****e. Views from the Hancock building and Sears tower unbelievable. Went to see both the Bulls and Blackhawks play. Bulls game was great fun and they put on a terrific show with always something happening. Blackhawks don't do half as much but we had posh seats so the waiter service made up for it.

Was that the Bulls game where Ben Wallace had the headband trouble? Bulls are starting lose again, Blackhawks are on a winning streak

...Navy Pier is much better if you have kids.

Obviously bought a load of clothes/presents over there and Ms Dodge was very impressed with that area. Much as I hate Irish bars there's very few other options and a bar called fado was probably the best. The best craic we had was watching sunday night football in ESPN zone and anybody with an interest in sport would probably enjoy a night there.

Fado is awesome, thats where I go for all the Irish matches, have to pay a $20 cap though

Did you play the bubble hockey game? Thats the best

Oh yeah and it was cold. Windchill factors brought the tempature to 0 F or -20 C while there.

Its warmed up a bunch, we havent had any snow since the 1st

Originally Posted by Newryrep

O Hare Airport - worst international departure lounge i have ever been in . Absolutly nothing the other side of security. Bars consisted of pull carts, dont recall seeing a newsagent/bookshop thankfully had a good book. Pray to whatever god you have that you dont get delayed. Note also before security isnt much better, Pizza Hut McD and a tiny bar. not much of a bookshoop Get a feed before you arrive at the terminal.

Did you go to the food court with the Dunkin Donuts, Panda Express, etc.?
And the Bears are winning again

**Dodge** · 17/12/2006, 9:02 PM

There's a small food court in Terminal 5 (Aer Lingus flights) with Pizzeria Uno, McDonalds and a few others (neiuther of the two you mentioned). Nothing special but what do you expect?

**theworm2345** · 17/12/2006, 9:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

There's a small food court in Terminal 5 (Aer Lingus flights) with Pizzeria Uno, McDonalds and a few others (neiuther of the two you mentioned). Nothing special but what do you expect?

I flew to Dublin last year and I remember there being lots of food, but I may be mixing it with memories of anotehr time as well. I must be thinking of the domestic terminal

**Dodge** · 17/12/2006, 11:59 PM

About 5/6 options for food but overall, a small food court (in terms of seating)

**Newryrep** · 19/12/2006, 1:59 PM

Originally Posted by theworm2345

Did you go to the food court with the Dunkin Donuts, Panda Express, etc.?
And the Bears are winning again

I must of only stayed in Terminal 5 but as international departures go it was pretty poor.

**Newryrep** · 19/12/2006, 2:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

. Nothing special but what do you expect?

After security - a bar would of been nice

**Dodge** · 19/12/2006, 2:05 PM

There is beer after security. Small stnads with fully stocked bars in front of the main seating areas.

**Newryrep** · 19/12/2006, 2:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

There is beer after security. Small stnads with fully stocked bars in front of the main seating areas.

Dodge

I know there is beer after security i mentioned them earlier but a girl behind a pull cart with a limited selection of beer and not alot of ice, no counter, no tables, no chairs, no TV and no atsmosphere does not constitute a bar.

Can you imagine being stuck there any length of time either before or after security ? For a major airport it is **** poor.

**Dodge** · 19/12/2006, 2:38 PM

Was there for nearly 7 hours. Had a book and a few beers. Not saying its great, just not worth complaining about

**paul_oshea** · 19/12/2006, 2:43 PM

it is crap, and it is worth complaining about, when i left it was supposed to b e7.30 it ended up being 1.30, and there was no woman or man or dog selling bear after security, absoloutely nothing. disgraceful considering it is the 3rd biggest airport in the states.....