Alexandra's Trip to Chicago
What did you do in Chicago?
I traveled to Chicago to visit a friend for the Labor Day weekend. I spent most of my time in the Lakeview area but did spend some time down town. We celebrated my Birthday in the lake view area at Mickey’s Bar and the Hangge Uppe. She showed me the famous “bean” and the surrounding area around lake Michigan. I got a tattoo at a local shop, great artists and prices!! It was a quick weekend but it inspired me to eventually go back for more!
What’s a must see in Chicago?
Down town is a must see! There is so much diversity and culture. There is great shopping, restaurants, and amazing architecture. They offer river tours, bus tours, walking tours, and even Segway scooter tours so your bound to find the most preferred way to tour and learn about the city. Navy Pier was a very busy and interesting place, lots to do for kids but great people-watching and a great tourist attraction. Also, the outer edges have so much to offer (Lake View, Lincoln Park, etc…). My friend lives in a neighborhood known as “Boy’s Town” where there is a high population of gay males. There is so much diversity in this neighborhood, I loved it!
Most unusual thing you saw or did?
I’m from Colorado and we don’t have a defined gay neighborhood like “Boy’s Town”. I am very accepting of these relationships but it was unusual for me to see so much gay culture in one area. I loved it!!
What sucked?
Honestly, this city is do-able in a VERY BUSY weekend but it sucked that I wasn’t there longer. I feel like at least a week is a good amount of time to discover a city and start to begin to feel comfortable and start understanding directions and locations. I feel like I missed a lot of the great aspects of Chicago.
Favorite thing in Chicago?
My favorite thing was seeing the hustle and bustle of the city goers on public transportation. Most people walk from place to place and when their destination is too far they hop on a bus, train or in a taxi. This was new to me because Colorado doesn’t rely heavily on public transportation. It was fun, almost like an amusement park and I got great people-watching out of it!
Craziest thing that you saw or did?
Craziest would be how each neighborhood is so different and it can go from rich to ghetto in a matter of a couple of blocks. My friend warned me to be aware at all times, especially at night and she explained how after a certain hour walking is no longer an option and we’d have to take a taxi to make sure we’re safe. Again, a huge difference from Denver.
What was the culture of the city like?
The culture was very diverse. All races, genders, sexualities, etc. There is china town, little Italy, a huge Polish population and so on. I did notice, though, that even with the general diversity, there is an obvious separation. It is clear that certain races, sexualities and cultures claim their space and they seem to like to keep it that way.
Best places to party?
I only partied in Lake View at Mickey’s and the Hangge Uppe. Mickey’s has awesome personal fish bowls for only $10…good deal for a substantial amount of alcohol (and tasty too!). The Hangge Uppe is a late night bar, so once the party dies down at one place everyone heads there to keep the party going. They had two floors of music and dancing. I liked it a lot!
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Things to Do in Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago and The Chicago Cultural Center are a must for art lovers. Read more »
Dining in Chicago
With more than 7,000 restaurants (and, as Chicagoans claim, all of them good) all over the city, you’ll never go hungry in Chicago. Read more »
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