We were 1st time sightseeing in Chicago for 6 days in the middle of June. We had every single day…read moreplanned and crammed with places to go and see from early in the morning until late at night. We loved our adventures there and can't wait to go back to finish seeing what we didn't have enough time for. Chicago is a busy, bustling and hustling city. I have some tips for you. We did not rent a car because parking space is scarce! We Ubered or taxied or used the Big Bus Chicago. Much less stress on us. From early in the morning til late at night, you see so many people walking wherever you go. Chicago is rich in Architectural Design. It was simply amazing how many skyscrapers there are to see. We tried to go to several of them and it was thrilling. There are so many different restaurants to choose from for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. We chose well, I thought. I will name them for you. If you love shopping, you will be thrilled while walking on the Magnificent Mile in downtown. If you are looking for luxury goods, then go to the Gold Coast. Walk the Chicago Riverfront and enjoy the view and river front restaurants. Don't forget all the museums. Study a "Things To Do List in Chicago". Things we did: 75 minute Architectural Boat Cruise during the day with Shoreline Sightseeing, Tilt on the 360 Observation Deck, RIU Rooftop standing on a piece of thick glass and looking down on Chicago from 103 stories up, Navy Pier for many shops, restaurants, view of the skyline, and the Ferris wheel, the Big Bus Tour, the Bean at Millenium Park, and a couple more. Restaurants we enjoyed: NAIA. Beatnik on the River, Gibson's Steakhouse in the Gold Coast, Giordano's downtown, Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, Lake & Land Kitchen, London House Rooftop, Cloud Bar, the largest Starbucks Reserve in the world and a couple more. And President Obama was in town with hundreds of celebrities at the opening of his new Library!! The traffic was unbelievable and we missed our flight home. We stayed overnight in Rosemont nearby at La Quinta, in case it happens to you. Enjoy!

Hands down one of my favorite cities. It's like going to NYC, every visit you discover something…read morenew. I love everything from The Bean to Lincoln Park, the dying of Chicago River for St. Pat's Day (got to experience it and the city's parade one year...so much fun!), shopping, the waterfront, clubs, restaurants, theatre, I could go on and on. I think my favorite (if I had to choose) would be the Lake Michigan waterfront and beaches. Oh, and not to mention the Italian Beef, Deep-Dish Pies, and Vienna Sausages!

We were supposed to go to to Adler Planetarium Skyline Walk that night to watch the skyline but…read moretraffic was jam-packed, bumper to bumper for 1 hr and we were not even half way on the campus to the skyline. We decided to make a right turn and hoped there was another way out of the chaos and back to hotel. This spot was unintentionally found. It's so worth it now!

The Chicago skyline is one of best skylines of any major city in the US. With it's combination of…read moreskyscrapers and characteristic buildings it provides a great backdrop for views of the city. It is a truly beautiful city.

The Tribune Tower is a 463 ft tall,, 36 floor neo-Gothic skyscraper. The early 1920s international…read moredesign competition for the tower became a historic event in 20th-century architecture. It was built & named for the f Chicago Tribune owner, The Tribune Tower Is a residential & office building. Almost 150 fragments from famous structures & historic sites around the world are embedded in Tribune Tower's first story walls. Chunks of the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramid of Cheops and the Berlin Wall are visible here.

Chicago Tribune Building---Slices of History, Both Inside and Out…read more Spend some time exploring this neo-Gothic landmark on Michigan Avenue. It was built based on a contest that awarded architects prize money totaling $100,000, including a $50,000 first place award which was substantial considering some workers at the time made $1 per day. On the outer walls of the building, there are slices of places from around the world-such as the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Hagia Sophia, the Palace of Westminster, petrified wood from the Redwood National and State Parks, the Great Pyramid, The Alamo, Notre Dame de Paris, Abraham Lincoln's Tomb, Independence Hall, and the Berlin Wall. More recently a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center was added to the wall. So much fun exploring and discovering new landmarks on each visit. On the inside in entrance lobby, the walls have famous quotes related to freedom of speech and the press. More restricted access due to the Tribune Tower being converted into multimillion-dollar luxury apartments. Still a great place to see slices of history.

I stopped by here one evening before grabbing food at a nearby restaurant. I only became aware of…read moreit as I was looking at Google maps and seeing what places were around the area of an event I attended. In today's climate, its importance to have this remembrance of tragedies and the importance of black lives! You cannot get very close to it but close enough to take a picture. I actually had difficulty finding it. It is near a whole alley of murals, which was great. If you're in the area, check it out!

This mural by Michelle Huang has found a home I uptown behind the Chicago Market Coop (you'll see…read moreit from the street, but can enter their parking lot to see it more fully). The history of this piece is interesting: Businesses in Uptown were preemptively boarding up their storefronts in the midst of BLM protests in 2020. Huang took that opportunity to create this work in solidarity. At such time as the boards came down, the neighborhood organization Uptown United salvaged this work and installed it in its permanent home. I live on the cusp of Lincoln Square, Uptown, and Edgewater, so I consider this part of my greater neighborhood. I have a great love of public art, particularly murals. Huang's work is beautiful. I love Chicago's neighborhoods and their strong sense of identity and pride, and am so thankful that Uptown United took the care to preserve this work made to honor these individuals who were taken so violently, and for us to remember. #578 - October 17, 2021

I've lived in Ravenswood since 2009. It's my home in this city. I've thought about moving to a new…read moreplace more than once, but it's hard to think about moving to a completely different neighborhood. To correct another reviewer, Ravenswood is NOT in the suburbs. It was *once* a suburb--established over 150 years ago as part of Lake View Townshop, which in turn was annexed by the city. It began as the Ravenswood Land Company, a real estate group formed with the goal of offering commuters homes near the city. Several of the folks involved in the Company have streets named after them that run through this neighborhood. Before the CTA trains were assigned color-coded routes, the Brown Line was known as the Ravenswood Branch. Ravenswood is a mix of industrial and residential. There was once a musical instrument facility in the Deagan building--where J.C. Deagan lead a business making glockenspiels and other percussive instruments. That business was purchased by other companies in the late 70s, but a mallet and instrument repair company remains in the building. Abbot Laboratories, the medical company, was established here in Ravenswood by Dr. Abbot himself, who ran his own practice and pharmacy. Boye Needle Company, which made needles and other sewing notions, was once in the space that most recently was occupied by Architectural Artifacts. There was once at least one, if not two, Masonic Temples in the area to provide a social outlet for early Ravenswood residents. It's my understanding that after the Great Chicago Fire, Ravenswood experienced a bit of a boom. Poorer residents chose Ravenswood because they needed to build new homes, and wood frame ones that were outlawed in Chicago were the more affordable. The fire caused a building boom in the northern area of the city as well (North Avenue was once the city's northern border). As brickyards started cropping up around the area to supply the construction of the rebuilt city, immigrants (mostly German) came to the area to work and live. In these early days, the intersection of Damen & Lawrence Avenues was a rural, wooded lovers lane; isn't that adorable? All Saints' Episcopal Church at the corner of Wilson and Hermitage is the oldest church in the neighborhood and the oldest wood frame church in Chicago, because the church was built before the annexation. Carl Sandburg lived down the block and once attended this church. The church does a food pantry and meal distribution on Tuesdays in conjunction with Ravenswood Community Services, and they also host the annual Ravenswood Run and Spirits of Ravenswood. Down the street is a Methodist church, which helped victims of Japanese internment when they were relocated to Chicago. That church continues to have a close relationship with the Japanese American Service Committee to this day. There are several arts organizations that have a presence in the neighborhood. Several theatre companies have administrative offices here, and there are several studios for various visual artists. Starshaped Press, a local letterpress, operates out of the Bulldog Lock Company building. The Ravenswood Art Walk showcases this and other artists each year. Access Contemporary Music holds a classical music festival each year called the Thirsty Ears Festival, which I have yet to attend but hope to soon! And for folks who love their beer and spirits, there are several distilleries, breweries to be found in and very near Ravenswood. It's simply a great place to be and my heart aches a bit anytime I think about when we may leave it.

So the Browns would never abandon their city for a richer city. But the Ravenswood…read more Really lovely neighbourhood in the near Northwest suburbs of Chicago with a lot of cool people around here and some great places to eat and pretty much an awesome destination if you like to explore the suburbs of Chicago for all of their great ethnic and exciting culinary and recreational glory - it's just a shame about the damn traffic, but then the same can be said about pretty much the entire freaking region.

Created by Jaume Pensa. It's a water feature with two glass towers that projects faces of folks…read more Very cool thing to see. Interactive art installations are some of my favorite pieces to see. In addition, if you're feeling like you need a cool down from that hot Chicago summer weather...you can take off your shoes and soak your tootsies. To me, the splash pad has no age limits. It's worth the quick walk from The Bean to see it.

Gorgeous! Refreshing to spend time here on a hot day. Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, while also…read morevibrant people watching as kids and adults run through the water. Beautiful interactive fountain and I love seeing the changing and details of the faces. A lovely part of Millennium Park.

Such a cute instagram worthy spot which also had the mirror illusion right around the coner. The…read moreweather was agreeable and we took some great photos for our girl's getaway trip!

Finally got to check out my neighbor during Open House Chicago. This place was really cool…read more If you've ever gone down this stretch of Racine, surely you've seen the oversized door with the big green monster peering out at you. They are a toy test lab for Fisher Price. It was a fun looking workplace with stuffed animals and toys at every turn. Also had a nice small world moment meeting a new art director from SCAD, where my nephew is going to school.

I absolutely LOVE Old Town!…read more Why? Here are just a few out of MANY reasons... Numerous and diverse restaurants Close to Lincoln Park and the Zoo Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Lincoln Park at Green City You can hear the Church Bells toll during the day on the hour Bike Path along Lake Michigan is close by The Chicago History Museum Annual Festivals...Greek, Hot Dog, Wells Street, etc. A few blocks from North Avenue Beach Fantastic Public Transportation Options via 22/36/73/ and other CTA Buses Close to the Brown Line and Red Line Trains Jewel Osco, Plum Market, Potash, and Aldi Supermarkets within a mile or less walking Unique family owned shops, restaurants, and establishments .... Also amazing sunsets from the West Side toward Chicago O'Hare Airport on a nightly basis!