Just be careful of the buses and if you drive anywhere. :P The traffic can be insane. ^^

You know how white people complain about the traffic police? Chicago Drivers are fucking nuts. We act like we're on the Midwest full of open roads, so they're very reckless and the traffic gets congested often. We don't obey traffic lights, we move by our own rhythm. DO NOT JAYWALK. Don't jaywalk until you've been in the city a few months, and can feel the rhythm of the drivers.

This sounds like my experience during my vacation in New York. My family got into a cab to go to my hotel and the cab driver was all over the road. Luckily there weren't drivers because we got there right before Hurricane Irene hit (literally we were on the last train heading up there along the east coast).

Also, thanks, that comment about feeling the rhythm of the drivers made me think of "Why should I worry?" from Oliver and Company.

Eeep, good to know! Jaywalking is par for the course where I live - pedestrians are *stupid* about it, they'll just suddenly stride into the road in front of oncoming traffic and assume that the cars will stop (which, amazingly, they always do). Thanks for the tip!

Love the coat the squirracal is wearing!

Omg so happy to meet you finally at mff *bounce happy*

Eeee... Chicago! Really loved every time I was able to visit that place. For Restaurants, one thing you gotta try while there (and many places do a great job of it) is the deep dish pizzas they're famous for. SO good. One extremely tasty place is the Chop House (http://chicagochophouse.com/) - incredible food and atmosphere, though not cheap so one of those "do it once to say you did" kinda places, heh.

Oooh, I think I've heard of those deep dish pizzas! Thanks for the tip, I'll have to give that a try :D

They are SO good. :3 Just don't order a big one - they're very filling. Oooh! Another thing to try if you can find it on tap - Goose Island Brewery's Honker Ale. While it's made under contract in a few others places in the US, that's the only city to get it at where it's the real stuff. If you like ale, that is.

Check out the picasso statue just off michigan ave

Woah, you sound like you really know the place! That's a tip I'll have to write down to remember XD Thanks!

spent a week there last year haha

Get out into the neighborhoods. Andersonville is nice. Check out some of the art downtown if you can. There's a bunch of cool public art along the lakefront, too.

If you go to Andersonville make sure you stop by the Swedish Bakery VERY yummy pastries and baked goods.

Awesome! Wandering out looking at outdoor public art sounds like a great way to see the city and chill out, which we'll probably need X3 Thanks!

If you're only gonna be in town for a few days but you still want to be able to get to see some of the local color, you should go to any CVS pharmacy or grocery store and ask at the customer service desks for Ventra passes. You want to get the unlimited ride passes for a few days. All you have to do is tap your card on the reader and you can go on any bus and train by the CTA (not the Metra or PACE - those are different things).

Also, if it hasn't been talked about already, the Museum of Contemporary Art on the north end of the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Avenue) is doing a retrospective on David Bowie called "Bowie Is_____". I'm dying to go to that myself, so you should see that while you're in town

I live here, here being Chicago. Step one, no one ever goes to Navy Peir... it's nothing but a tourist trap and honestly it represents nothing of the city... honestly the only thing it's good for is the fireworks display on the 4th.

I'm not one for the comedy scene, sorry, can't be much help for you there... That said if you can, see a show that interests you in the Chicago Theater, if only to see the decor. That's honestly what I love about my city, the architecture, the old school and the new, millennium park, so on. Sucks you're here in this time of year when the weather turns... well to shite.

Eateries, The Billy Goat is a must go [the original on lower wacker drive, not the tourist bullocks one in the loop] if you've any interested in historical chicago mafia anythings. That place literally saw the likes of Capone and others, with pictures of them in said restaurant to prove it. Was also a speakeasy during prohibition. Idk I guess that's the detractor of living here, it's home, I don't really see the everyday as a place to take tourists. I mean the standby of going to the top of the Sears Tower [call it Willis tower and i'll find and bite you], take a walk around some of the chicago undercity, or along the riverfront. Visit the old train stations for more building porn... Honestly I'd say just stick around the loop and wander a bit, you'll never know what's around the next corner, from a good authentic Irish pub to a vinyl store it's a city, and a good one at that.

Thanks so much! That's a lot of good information :3 The Billy Goat sounds fantastic, and you're right, we should definitely try to see a theater show while we're there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair

Cool, thanks! I'm always up for a bit of history ^.^

FIELD MUSEUM and the MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY are must-sees, as is (if it's open, which I doubt) the Shedd Aquarium. :)

I hope to see you there- watch for a tall guy with brown hair and glasses with the badge, 'Sorien'.

Thanks for the tips! And I'll see you there :D

Chicago is alright but it is nicer when it is warmer out. There is a zoo and a nice walk along the lake and a lot of nice places to visit. But when its cold as balls, I'd rather stay inside all day.

There is also a nice jazz bar in northern Chicago if you are into that scene.

Don't forget to meet up with me! I'll expect a hug and a photo, maybe some shared foods!

Yay! Absolutely :3

Looking forward to it!

I've only been to Chicago a few times and the most memorable places I visited that I'd recommend would be:

- Sears/Willis Tower: Go to the skydeck and you can get a panoramic view of the city skyline and the port that enters Lake Michigan.
- Lake Michigan Waterfront: If can get around easily I would recommend stopping by the waterfront to get a close up view of the lake. Only trouble as MFF is in December the lake could be frozen partially or holelly.

If I may add I like the expressions the characters have. Nothing like a couple of Canadians in US exploring. Hope to meet you at MFF Ermine!

Frozen waterfront... ... ... Have you any idea how pretty that actually is? Bundle up and go...

Also half tempted to bite you...

[Continues to grumble about how it's the god damn Sears Tower...]

Thanks! :D And yep, I'll see you there!

The Shedd aquarium is fantastic, and the museum district is all great, the natural history museum is stellar. :)
Do be super super careful about bedbugs. Check out the bedbug registry online because Chicago is massively infested and a lot of the hotels have problems (MFF hotel had them in some rooms as well). http://www.bedbugregistry.com/metro/chicago/

Oh my goodness, those are great tips, the last especially! I will check that out right away... icky icky gross!! >.< Thank you!

I giggled.
What part of WI?

Chicago local from 1999-2003

O.o I have no idea how much the city has changed but if you are in for some god food, Sammy's Subs are always great. Lot of food for little price. Now if you are in Chicago, you must get the Chicago style hotdog at Fradillio's , Especially near Algonquin.. And of course or deep dish pizza >.< ( I really miss chicago)

IF you just want to sight see then the Sears Tower is a good check (ps FK Willis)

Shed Aquarium
Field Museum
Navy Pier
Museum of art.

Have fun and don't let ctOS watch you for too long XD

Awesome, thanks! :D Looks like I'll have no trouble filling up our two days there, hehe!

Im sure!

Just don't wear anything with any sports stuff on it. Especially Cubs or Sox. O.o I can't remember what side of town is what, but they are quite hostile with others wearing the opposing team. But you get that with any big city and sports. (they all suck in my opinion)

Anyhow have fun and be safe.

Cubs is Northside. Sox is southside.

Lol, no worries there, I'm completely clueless when it comes to sports. I... actually don't even know what sport those teams belong to XD Oh - is it baseball?

Yupp. I don't watch sports or really care, but when you live there for so many years, you tend to pick up on it.

Sox and Cubs are the two baseball teams
Bears is the Foot ball team but due to how close you are to Wisconsin, you get the Green Bay Packers fans as well.
And don't forget the Bulls which is the Basket ball team.

u.u yeah it is shameful I know all this but again, it you tend to pick such things up.

XD I honestly miss the food and that reminded me, Dogs and Suds. Great little fast food joint found around the area. Now depending how long you are staying and wish to go. O.o Visit Kenosha, WI there a great drive in diner there called Andy's (Aka The Spot) Makes some killer rootbeer from scratch and good hotdogs and burgers.

Please be carefull there, its not a nice place.

I live on the far north side, Lincoln Square, and have to tell people from Europe over and over that no, I'm not about to get shot, or a Michael Bay or Chris Nolan explosion. If you're thinking of gangs, that's miles and miles from me.

The Shedd Aquarium is awesome if you have time.

I've got some relatives in the Chicago area, so...

I'd try the Science and Industry museum as a stop on your trip. It's got some pretty interesting exhibits.

I'd suggest the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union, but that might be a little out of the way. Don't know if they've got any trains or streetcars running right now either.

The Union Railway Museum are actually closed until they open operation back up in mid May.

I'll second the Science and Industry Museum, but make sure you clear a day for it.

I need to get back to Union sometime. It's been a while since I've seen some live steam. XD

Yeah they haven't posted their 2015 dates yet.

Doesn't seem like they have their normal christmas steamup this year either... which is sad.

I'm still waiting for Mic-Continent to get their steam back up and running.

An hey, at least Union had their Frisco engine running this year. ^^

I recommended the rest of hyde park to round out that day... It's a fun neighborhood, but pretty far off. Like if a fair chunk of Manhattan was in the middle of New Jersey.

Cool, thank you! Several people have recommended the Science and Industry museum, that sounds like a must-see :3

If you go to the Museum of Science and Industry please remember: it's HUGE! If you think one day is enough at MIS (sadly, no) at least get to see some of the attractions in it. I believe there are costs and certain times of the day:

The Coal Mine
The U505 Submarine exhibit
Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle (WONDERFUL if you like miniature exhibits!!!!! The BEST!!)


Here is a link for "First Time Visitors" http://www.msichicago.org/nc/visit-.....ents]=1&tx_msipyv_pi1[show_demos]=1

Museum INFO: http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the.....m/museum-info/

Admission Prices: http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the.....ission/prices/

BUY Tickets: https://www.msichicago.org/buy-tickets/


Will see you at MFF!  dineegla

Ah, thank you! That's most helpful :3

Being a lifetime dweller of this wonderful city, I'd suggest hitting Museum Campus, not too far from the downtown area. You'll find the Museum of Science and Industry, among others. Also, have a go at the Art Institute. No tour is complete without that. :3

Ah yes, I forgot one thing....DEEP DISH PIZZA FTW. Lou Malnati's was rated best in the country. Best way to round out an evening.

Perfect! Thanks for the tip :D

Come to NwUniv. Enjoy a good scenery, but may little disappointed that students are all taking finals.

As someone who lived in the area for many years:

Don't bother, just stay the fuck out of Chicago. I'm serious. Yes, I have a negative attitude and other people from there aren't going to like it because a lot of folks from there live in this weird "OMG greatest city in the world GO CUBS GO SOX GO BEARS" state of delusion. I don't care, I'm just telling you the truth. It's a shithole of crime (both organized and random street-style) run by a piece of shit mayor and it emanates enough corruption to have made Illinois one of the worst states in the union.

Good luck.

You're not wrong, and I am actively in the process of moving out of IL for that reason. One of the highest costs of living in the union, highest tax rate in the union, second highest property tax rate in the union, laughable stance on firearms, rampant crime.

However that is to someone who resides here. To a visitor there are plenty of things which can be enjoyed and done, not to mention most of downtown Chicago is policed to all get out. Do I suggest that you visit Cicero? No... West Side? Nope...

Am I defending our politics and problems? Nope, is everywhere else not rampant in one problem or another? Now who's delusional.

I bet you moved to Seattle or Portland to 'get away' didn't you.

No, I moved there because military service stationed me there.

Having made my escape, though, I figured I'd seize the opportunity to just never go back. ;)

Don't go south of the loop.

At least that's what my friend who lives there has to say on the matter.

That's a wussy attitude that leaves out the fun parts of Columbia College Campus and the Harold Washington Library and Printer's Row and Museum Campus. The border for tourists is to never go south of Roosevelt Road or west of Wells or the river.

Never been myself, only reporting what I was told.

Check out Chicago Coal Fire Pizza near Grand Ave. and Ogden. Best pizza in the city.

I'm not a big fan of cities and stay out as much as possible. Though I do have a few places I suggest. Shedd's aquarium is always fun. As for a place to eat, Manny's is always good. Both the corned beef and rueben are the best available. http://www.mannysdeli.com/

Thanks! I feel the same way about cities X3 But I figure it still deserves a look! It sounds like there's some really cool stuff to see there, too :3

Hope you enjoy our fair city! (Though I'm not that familiar with the downtown area.) However, I can say that Navy Pier can be a real pain, although it is nice.

The aquarium was great when I was there back in '04, and make sure to try as much food as possible, especially the gyros.

For restaurants, if you're a fan of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", check out http://www.flavortownusa.com/map?q=60601 which has an interactive map of all places featured on the show, which includes about 20 in the greater Chicago area (a good site to check wherever you're traveling if you like the kinds of eateries featured on that show).

If you like museums, some of the best to consider are the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, a couple of art museums, and others. I would guess Brookfield Zoo is open year round, though December is likely not the best time of the year weather wise.

Cool, thank you! Yeah, it sounds like Museum Campus (I think that's what it's called) is really the place to be :3

My picks:
Eat gumbo and other Cajun food at Heaven on Seven (at 111 N. Wabash in the loop, 7th floor).
During December if you stop by Daley Plaza in the loop you'll get to see a great outdoor Christmas fair full of German goods and foods.
In the comedy genre, I'll plug the Neo-Futurists. Friday nights they do a production called Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, which contains 30 plays in 60 minutes.
See about visiting some Frank Lloyd Wright houses. There are a number of them that you can get tours through.
And make sure you look around and pick up a physical copy of The Onion.

Awesome! Thank you, those are very useful bits of advice - I'll get Googling to find out more :3 And heh, I had no idea there were physical copies of The Onion produced anywhere, I'll definitely try to grab one of those! XD

Stop and get a pictures by the *route 66 starts here* sign. I know I want to do a route 66 road trip sometime and that is a nice little bit of travel goodness to get a snap of. Otherwise pizza and some *go cubs* merchandise, bears need your love :)

Gaia bless and sorry you wont be at FE ;/
Pakesh_De

Awww I am too! :( Next time I do come, though, I want to do this for Toronto too. Ever since I got back I've regretted not seeing a bit of the city proper while I was there! Hopefully when I come back to FE next, I'll have a more flexible schedule and budget and can take my time :3

For eats: You must try Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, or Uno Pizzeria for authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. Many Chicagoans will have a strong opinion about which is the TRUE Chicago deep dish. But in all honesty, any of those three places will work. For Chicago hot dogs, hit up a Portillo's while you are in the city. If you're not a hot dog person, their Italian beef sandwiches are the best!

For Comedy clubs, hit up Zanie's or the Laugh Factory. Their schedules won't be out until a few weeks before the convention, but keep a watchful eye on their websites.

I have a friend who works at the Planetarium, I would highly recommend going. There are so many museums and so much to see at each one, you will be hard pressed to visit them all. Pick out a few that interest you and have at it. You will be entertained for hours, I promise.

Go to the Sky Deck in Willis/Sears Tower. It'll cost about $15-20 to get up there, but the view is breath-taking, especially on a clear day. The Navy Pier is beautiful as well, especially the Gardens.

Don't go south of Soldier Field/The Loop. South Chicago is just trouble waiting to happen.

I hope you have a wonderful time in Chicago and don't hesitate to note me or reply here if you have any questions about the city =^^=

Thank you very much! That's all useful information *takes notes* :D

I'm very much a museum person, so there's some bias here, but the Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, and the Art Institute are all top notch. I don't known much about places to eat, unfortunately. Just don't put ketchup on a hot dog, or you risk getting shot!

Local here - it's hailing pretty hard right now for a soggy halloween, so the picture is hilariously ironic.

Lou Malnati's (Illuminati confirmedis the most authentically chicagoan pizza place. But Giordano's and Uno Pizzeria are good in a pinch! And I find it hilarious... most of our pizza consumption is normal, but we have a masochistic pride in our signature foodstuff. Our Irish Pubs are also quite grand! Also, the joke we all have - you can use a New York pizza to make a very good Chicago Pizza Box. X3

I see someone else has already recommended "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind," so I'll second that notion! Anything Second City is involved in should be good. I assume from your inquiry into comedy that you'd love to know that the Billy Goat Tavern, inspiration for the legendary SNL sketch, is on South Wacker (underground). No Fries, Cheeps.

As for the museums? The Art Institute of Chicago is an incredible - and first on my recommended list - museum. Amazing collection of Indian art, the Impressionists are well represented, and there's some famous pieces ("American Gothic," "Nighthawks," "La Grande Jatte") that, for all their fame and endless reproduction, don't emanate the magic the original had at the size and color the artist applied. I'm biased because my great-great-grandmother was maid to Mrs. Potter Palmer, turn-of-the-century real estate baron, and kept after most of that famous collection... Renoir's "Juggler Girls with Oranges," Singer Sargent's "Portrait of Mrs. Potter Palmer," Homers, Monets, the whole lot. HIGHLY recommended, that whole museum. It's gotten a new Modern Wing.
South of that, on Museum Campus, The Field Museum is what always compels the visitor, so I'll say to visit that. It's an incredible museum by any means. The Shedd Aquarium is also a wonderful place to go through, quite comprehensive.
In the summer, the Bean, the fountains, and Pritzker Pavilion are usually very fun, but you can still go around it and marvel. The Harris Theatre, downstairs of the Pritzker, is the best big theater in Chicago, if you can find tickets to anything from ballet to recital to orchestral performance. The Chicago Theater, Bank of America Theater, and Oriental Theater are amazing - the last one is the site of the deadliest theatre fire in America, so if you want to hunt ghosts there... ^u^"

You can do some shopping down the Magnificent Mile, which is quite fun - the shops are gorgeous. The Museum of Contemporary Art is free on Tuesdays. Michigan Avenue is the ideal street to saunter down, for the tourist.
But the most fun to have is walking down State Street in the loop, the shops are all of them fantastic - sauntering south takes you past numerous good theaters on the side streets. (Michigan Avenue facing Millennium Park is okay, but not as fun. Full of shops selling Abe Froman t-shirts.

Things to avoid? Navy Pier is a vastly overrated tourist trap, the Adler Planetarium is rather laconic. I can see why you'd want to go, but their special events are much better than their regular exhibits (it's like PBS: the Museum for the most part). Comiskey Park is rather isolated and Wrigley Field, though there are many amazing small shops nearby it, is surrounded on all sides by bars and assholes (and one out of the like three Taco Bells in the entire Chicago area - that's a franchise we're proud to not have).

The Museum of Science and Industry, the Robie House, UIC Campus, the Oriental Museum, Henry Moore's memorial to the site where the Atom was first split in the 1930s, and Laredo Taft's "Movement of Time" (and it's really quite fun to walk around the former site of the Columbian Exposition, now a public park) are in a small oasis on Hyde Park, far on the south side. Those are best done together.

The Neighborhoods on the North side? Andersonville has the Swedish Bakery and some great stuff, Paulina has some incredible stores and the renowned Dinkel's Bakery, Southport, from the Music Box Theatre on down to the Brown Line Stop, has some of the best small clothing shops and restaurants in town. Lincoln Square also has great shops.

I also don't recommend playing "Blues Brothers." The cops are sick of that. And the Sears Tower (tip: NEVER CALL IT THE WILLIS TOWER IN FRONT OF A CHICAGOAN, that's the second worst thing you can say around hear besides saying 'Milady' while you tip a cheese hat.) does not let you imitate Cameron and lean your head against the glass. Too risky.

Wow, that's a ton of info! Thank you so much - I'm going to have to re-read that more carefully later and take notes X3 What's the deal with the Sears/Willis tower thing? Everyone keeps mentioning it... I've heard of the Sears Tower (unless I'm thinking of a different Sears Tower!), but not the Willis Tower... has it been recently re-named?

Concision is no challenger to comprehensiveness!

Forgot to mention the Chicago dog - relish, mustard, tomato, onion, sport peppers and celery salt on a poppyseed bun, ideally the sausage is Vienna Beef. Two feet from me is a poster with a giant chicago dog labeled "NK-17 (No Ketchup over the age of seventeen)," which always bugs me because you could spell it Catsup and preserve the acronym.

And the Sears company built the tower, but it was renamed by new management a few years ago. Still the same building. But we refuse to call it that, the owners not being local. The natives still call it thw Sears Tower, but anything pro or official will call it the Willis. Ironically, the Amoco/Aon building changed its name like four times and no one gave a shit. (The other building we're very mad at is Trump Tower... not only does it cut off the view of everyone west of them at that river neck, but Don last year installed "TRUMP" in badly kerned letters fifty feet high visible all down Wabash. He insists it was always ibtended to be there, in spite of the blueprints containing no such thing, but at least half the city wants that eyesore gone.)

Ergghhh... Don't get me started on the Trump tower... that thing is an eyesore even without the lettering...

Along with the 'Center for Jewish Studies" on Michigan Ave... Pretty historical Gothic building iconic of Chicago, pretty historical Gothic building iconic of Chicago, pretty historical Gothic building iconic of Chicago, pretty historical Gothic building iconic of Chicago, pretty historical Gothic building iconic of Chicago, BRIGHT SHINNY MIRROR'D WAVY NEW AGE 'Modernism/sudo art deco' HEY LOOK AT US!!!... ... pretty historical Gothic building iconic of Chicago.

Just... who approved that building and then the next question is who was paid off to let it happen...

I've never liked that steely cold blue look. Far too hetero for my tastes. Something about how crass it is. It looks like the most uncomfortable castle surrounded by actual buildings.

And it is a Center for Jewish Studies, I don't know why you put it in scare quotes.
The beaux-arts/proto-Chicago style stuff that flanks it I've never cared TOO much for, myself, but I can see the fondness for it! The contrast... that's the thing that leaves me cold about this building. As someone who loves the IDEA of Mies Van Der Rohe (and adores the 880 Lake Shore Drive), the "give your eye a break from all this detail and let something be pure and clean again" school of architecture, the use of surface break AGITATES the eye even worse than the surrounding buildings. It defeats the whole purpose! It looks like a cruel mockery of New Age. (Incidentally, the word is spelled "pseudo," as befits the hellenic root. It's still cool, but TMYK.)
And what "historical Gothic?" After the Great Chicago Fire, we built the whole town back again within two decades (suck it, Toledo.) These were flashy contemporary fashion items, they're not like castles or anything. It's the only building not owned by a college or hotel within a five block stretch of Michigan Avenue, of course they want it to stand out! They had a very clear motivation to make it look the way it did, and seeing as how the shatter part is simply a facade held aloft by steel, the city's cool with it, no severe safety concerns. And really, who can stop them? The awful part about city planning is that you can't reject something based on aesthetics. When you start, it looks awful and unfun. You sort of have to trust the good taste of humanity (awful laughter).
(Source: Columbia College student. Most of the stuff you see in my gallery was scanned in the scanners of the library, literally two doors south of the building in question. I pass it daily.)

Man, it sucks when cities do that! I've seen cases where the city planners and architects planned deliberately to avoid that kind of horrible juxtaposition - so new buildings in an old area would be designed to fit with the older style, and all those steely, modern flights of fancy would be kept within their own district - but alas, nine times out of ten it's not the case >.<

Gah, that Trump tower does sound ghastly! Thanks for clearing up that bit of recent history for me, it's good to know these things for sure :3

If you hear people use the terms, it's the exact same building. Just east of Union Station, across the river.
I can't kid you with how bad this guy is... You remember the Chicago Spire, the Santiago Calatrava that would have been the tallest building this side of the Burj Dubai, which had an infinite spotlight instead of a spire (the owner of the site went bankrupt in the recession, now the dug foundation sits there in Streeterville with nothing built)?
Donald Trump, who was in the early stages of building the tower that would compete for riverside Condominiums? He went on record saying the tower would be a target for terrorists, and it therefore shouldn't be built. "But of course Al-Qaeda won't target me. Everybody loves Trumpy!"

Seriously, don't bother going east of Michigan Ave on the north side of the river. It's nothing, NOTHING but condominiums. Not worth your time.

Around mff time there's a German winter market that is open. it gets super busy on the weekend but it's literally an open air market that has become a tradition for me and mine. You can find out more about it at www.christkindlmarket.com. I suggest bringing cash and check the weather :)
Enjoy the city!

I forgot they'll be there in december. Christkindlmarket seconded! It's like a great little splash of German christmas, complete with cider and wooden puppets. Fairytale place.

Ah yes, of course! I should have thought of that - I used it as an idea for the MFF conbook cover ;3 Thanks!

Looks like you got books worth of advice here, so I won't add any more. Enjoy your time here! =)

Thank you! :3

Just FYI, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind plays at MFF every year, Saturday at 4pm. We can save seating for you! Also can get you Giordano's on Sunday night, if interested as we feed our staff that evening.

Oooh, yes please!! Several people have recommended that, I would love to get to see them at MFF! :D And if you're sure you wouldn't mind us crashing your staff party, then yes please to that, too! ^.-

Whatever you do, any of the Museums downtown in the Museum "Complex" are beautiful and rewarding.

Some are closer to Grant Park. The others, like The Museum of Science and Industry, are much farther South along Lake Shore Drive. The were all part of the World's Columbian Exposition, May 1, 1893–October 30, 1893

Links Here:
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohist.....ages/1386.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%.....ian_Exposition

How do I know all this? I'm an Historian at our Local Historical and Cultural Centre in Niles, a small suburb just north of Chicago

Crazy! I think I've been through there, actually. I'm up on the north side in A-Ville, myself.

Used to live near there. Now I live inda SOOBERBIAH!

Come see us again! We're haunted, you know...

This I didn't know! I went on one of the ghost tours downtown, but everyone on my bus was drunk and that did not a very spooky ghost tour make. Kinda belchy, farty, and gross. >_>

Sometime within the next few weeks we've got the Guys from Chicago Paranormal coming out for a one-nighter. Just to see HOW HAUNTED we really are. The Center used to be the old Cook County Sheriff's Building. It does have two cells in it. John Wayne Gacy's papers (BOXES of them) were stored there when he was incarcerated someplace else.

It can get really spooky there at night, especially with all the mannequins on the different floors. I stick to the Office when I work there at night. Just in case.... *weakly laughs*

Spooky really isn't my thing. I stick with my good old standby things - good books, tea, warm blankets.

Scones? Dear you MUST have scones with your tea! I do...

Blueberry! They're my favorite!

Such a cute piece here. :D

Glad I'm not the only one going that likes to sight-see

Go see the Shedd aquarium, skip the planet arium. if the line is too long for the qarium, try the field museum. I also like the Lincoln Park zoo (they have yeenas) and if you have the time and money, try to go and catch the Blue Man Group

Ah, and for food, take a cab to Ginos East for some authentic deep dish. All of that and maybe a trip into FOA Shwartz on the mag Mile, and you've had a pretty good tour of the city.

Thanks for the tips! :3

I'm a big fan of public transportation. Look into day passes if you plan to go multiple places. I think this would be cost effective. Just take trains. Not buses. Most things are in, near, and around the loop area

I agree with millennium park and taking a picture with the bean and walking Michigan avenue /magnificent mile. No cost except getting three.

Agree with Lou Malnatis for food.

Agree with field museum, aquarium, and science and industry museum if you want to museum. First two are easier via pub trans

The fact that there's not a Lou Malnati's in the loop to my knowledge saddens me... There's one just north of the river and one on State street just south of Balbo, a stone's throw from my dorm, but nothing in the loop proper.

The Lou Malnati's north of the river says it's half a mile from the Midway/Clark station (where I'd transfer from the orange line from Midway to the bvlue line to the airport).

Is it a bad idea to try walking it with what may obviously be Luggage (medium rolling case and one shoulder bag)? I guess taking the brown/purple line to Merchandise Mart and walking the short block from there is better?

My first plan was Gino's East a couple of blocks away, but I've been convinced by the locals in this thread to detour just a tiny bit. :) It's literally on the way to the con for me...

By airport, I assume you mean O'Hare...
Chicago isn't as dangerous to tourists as you'd think. The luggage may be more inconvenient than anything else. I recall once in my teenage years when I walked, in full suit and jacket, at noon, in June, from Navy Pier to Merchandise Mart. Not one of my brighter decisions.

As someone whose regular commute goes past Merchandise Mart, I can say that yeah, it's totally short. You can see it from the stop. It depends on if you have an all-day pass to the trains. But don't get on and off trains just for the pizza - Clark and Lake is only five blocks south and two blocks east of the Lou Malnati's. If they don't sell it by the slice, bring the rest with you to the hotel.
After Lou's, if your feet really hurt, you can get on the brown line. Then take it easy - the brown line goes counterclockwise around the loop, so you can either get off at Harold Washington Library and walk southwest to Lasalle blue line, or you can ride all around the loop again, drink it in with your eyes, before you get back to Clark and Lake and walk to the blue line. If you're new to the city and want to soak it up from above the streets, the latter is recommended.

Gino's is just Gino's. Lou Malnati's is Chicago. Detour for the best!

Cool, thank you! The transportation tip is good to know, I honestly hadn't given it any thought (being from a town where you can walk from one side of downtown to the other in fifteen minutes... XD)

Some people like to walk around Chinatown and browse around all the stores. There are a bunch. Could be inexpensive unless you buy something. It's a short train ride south of the loop

They are so cute together!!!!!!! =^^=

I guess I may be the only one, but back when I actually went to MFF it wasn't a complete trip for me unless we stopped by Gameworks. Which is a bit of a distance from the current place the con takes place in, and is near the old hotel in Schaumberg an outer region of Chicago. Eh, I love video games. =^.^= Especially when once you stay late enough, they kick all the kids out and allow you to carry alcohol around anywhere. They usually have the latest and greatest and all the classics in arcade-dom.

Way back in the 90's these places (see also: Dave & Buster's) even had dress codes. x3

http://www.gameworks.com/

I was hoping to go to Mitsuya (japanese market) if I could find a ride, and that's very close to Gameworks, which is right next to LEGOLAND! How can this not be a great Thursday night? :) I better post in the con's boards about this... Thanks!

Oooooh! I miss Mitsuya! Mmmmmmm proper udon...

Best restaurant downtown: If you like hole-in-the-wall diamond-in-the-rough type places, there's a little place called "Devil Dawgs" on State St. I only know about it because the campus is nearby. It's fantastic and kind of a local secret. They make wonderful wiener-based foods, but my favorite by far is the chicken sandwiches they make. Some really weird/good/interesting mixes there. (I recommend "The Clucker" sandwich.) It's cheap, good, and has a bunch of shake choices for dessert.
http://devildawgs.com/eats/

Also, the Field Museum (about a mile away from Devil Dawgs, actually) is one of the best natural science museums I've ever visited. A major part of the first floor is an exhibit on animals and includes thousands of taxidermied ones in various exhibits. There's three floors of stuff to do, and so much you can't do it all in one day unless you speed-walk it. Right now I think there's a temp exhibit for biomechanics and how life uses energy to do stuff.

Willis/Sears tower is fun if you don't mind heights. On the elevator ride up you get to see how many Obamas tall you are. And then once up there you can see the entire city for hundreds of miles because it's flat as hell up here.

Be careful walking around downtown! People try their hardest to avoid stopping for pedestrians. Try to follow crowds if you can: they tend to know what they are doing and they get noticed more by traffic. And, as a tourist, you are going to be unavoidably noticeable to people on the street, no matter how you try to hide it, so keep your wallet/cash/card somewhere easily protected. The crowds will keep you from getting singled out by panhandlers. Tight pants, wallet around the neck, even those little chains people have on their money holders are good deterrents. A good pickpocket can make it past that stuff, but you just want to make yourself less of an easy target.

Usually that's not much of an issue, but after working security jobs I've become super paranoid about it. XP

Cool, thanks for those tips! I hope the biomechanics exhibit is still on when we go there, that sounds really interesting. And I have a chain-wallet anyway, being the type of person to lose anything that isn't physically attached to me; but I'll be sure to keep a close eye on it, even so!

Shit, man, I can see Devil Dawgs from my dorm window as I type this. Where you studying?
And whoever else reads this and wants to go, the Oreo shake and the breakfast burger are fun.

I don't personally study there, but I was interested in Columbia for a while. I might still go there some time soon. My roommates go there, though, and I like to ride in with them and visit Devil Dawgs on off-days.

I'm pretty partial to the butterscotch shake myself, but I haven't tried a lot of those out.

I only moved here... last week, but I've been here a lot and I kinda like the area, especially the cold (I was raised mostly in Alaska, and this is the closest I can get to home. XP) I'm still learning about the area, but I really love trying restaurants out and I have locals who point things out for me to test.

For comedy, I've been to Second City several times and have never been disappointed.

Chicago born, raised, and still here ;D

I'll spare ya the deep dish pizza, Italian beef, & hot dogs as I'm sure ya already know of those. IMO, Lou Malnati's is the best tho ;D Another food favorite is also Eli's Cheesecake if ya like some pretty bomb cheesecakes and Garrett's Popcorn. Get the Chicago Mix cheese and caramel combo. Heck I might even stop by if your table and give ya a bag. It may just be the best thing from Chicago. :)

As far as sight seeing goes, if some out of town folks come in, I usually like to take them to The Bean in Millennium Park and the hustle and bustle of the Mag Mile. Kinda touristy, but I think folks like the oddness of the thing. Then, barring the weather, if it's not cloudy and overcast, The Sears Tower or John Hancock observation decks are fun.

Then of course, perhaps a museum of your interest :)

Lincoln Park Zoo - a bit North of downtown, a FREE admittance zoo :)
Art Institute - Art history
Field Museum - Natural history
Museum of Science & Industry - Science!
Shedd Aquarium - dolphins, penguins, sharks, critters :)
Adler Planetarium - Spaccccce.

For comedy, I always hear good thing from Second City and The Laugh Factory if you love improv or stand up.

December is closing in fast and I hope you're ready! ;D

Awesome! Haha, I'm starting to get the impression that you Chicagoans *really* like your cheese ;D I've never managed to develop a North American love for the stuff myself (even here in Canada, when I tell people I'm indifferent about cheese they look at me like I've just sprouted tentacles from my head...), but like anything else, cheese can be great if done right... and it sounds like you guys are the pros!

Thanks for the tips! I feel... surprisingly ready, considering 0.o Although I'm confident that I will feel less and less ready the closer it looms. I always think of so many ultra-important tasks right at the last minute which somehow hadn't occurred to me in the six months preceding it >_< Also, I suspect that December in Chicago is going to be a bit of a shock to me, coming from a place that barely ever dips below freezing... heck, I don't even own a winter coat 0.o Maybe that's why Chicagoan cuisine features so much cheese... y'all need the calories to keep warm! ;D

Saw this and had to laugh... thinking about all the cheese parties we hold. When you get to the north side and hang out with white people, it's fucking Boxtrolls times ten. But I honestly wanted to punch you first and yell insults about Green Bay. (Even the non-football fans like me have a reflexive antipathy towards the Green Bay Packers football team, local rivals, whose thing is that fans wear giant wedges of foam cheese for hats.) We all say we hate cheese, if you ask us.

It WILL be a shock. Guaranteed. Get a winter coat, preferably long with fittings in the sleeves, from a good outdoorsy retailer, you'll need it (all my winter gear is designed for skiing). Some gloves, if you're going to shop and have to carry things. Be safe and prepared and you'll have some bracing winter fun! You probably won't have it as comically bad as my roommate from Texas. He just had his first hailstorm last week, and spent hours ranting sarcastically about how it got in his fucking ears and why does hail go in your ears you guys are maniacs to live up here... Wait 'till he sees January.
It's actually not that bad as winter cities go, being so far south compared to Manitoba and Wisconsin and Minnesota and subject to occasional zephyrs. Chicago has relatively predictable and conservative winters, in that the many inches of snow falls at a very even and predictable rate every year and you can plan accordingly. That's why you still read about blizzards fucking us up - we're not prepared for winter to get ANGRY at us! The only season I tell people to not come here during is the spring. We're exactly where Great Lakes and Great Plains and Southern climates collide, and our springtime weather is total chaos. Two years ago, we had a torrential flood, a hailstorm, and a surprise heat wave within a week of each other. It's impossible to pack for.
We live right next to Wisconsin. THEY need the cheese to survive the winters. I think we get it from them.

I wore a heavy Carhartt winter coat, stocking hat and gloves to MFF last year and about froze to death going from the hotel to the parking garage we were in about 2 blocks away. I grew up here in Illinois too. The wind was just horrid. I hope it will be better this year. If it gets any colder I'll be wearing coveralls.

Ooooo, excellent point - the WIND. I heard that's killer in, well, the windy city. :) Thankfully, I made sure the Hilton has all-hours inside access to the con hotel, even if it's a bit longer. But some downtown streets with skyscrapers can work as wind tunnels and... yeah.

Ermine? Gloves within gloves if you can find pairs that work like that...

Wha?! I always associate Canada with cold haha. ;D You can expect temperatures to be just a bit over 0 degrees Celsius here in Dec. Also, beware the fun that is possible with "lake effect" wind, cold, and snow ;D So bare that in mind if you're sight seeing outside :)

She's from the Pacific coast, where the weather is as socialist as the inhabitants: temperature and precipitation equal and shared alike through every month.

But as someone from Lincoln square who's now in the south loop, the lake effect is always plus or minus ten degrees. Disorienting. Oh god, I should shut up, I've been down thus thread too long.

Lol! The weather is as socialist as the inhabitants... well said ;D

just means ya are Chicago weather hardened ;D

Wait, barely above freezing in December? I'm from Canada, though much further east, and this would mean I would only need to bring my light jacket! Woo! :)

Yall keep your snow up there! :B

You or someone'll have to answer me what the thing is with furries and Canadians... the Canada page on here has more subscribers than the American page. Which, even if you take into account implicit bias, is still a huge population proportion. And just the sheer number of Canadians I meet on here seems to bear out the data. But Finland and Russia are also pretty disproportionate, maybe it's just that everyone wants a husky birthday suit in the winter X3

I'm thinking of this book by the Ferguson brothers, where a character goes into a tirade about how Canada doesn't have a national kink... "Britain has nannies and riding crops, Japan has tentacles, America has inflatable breasts and barely legals, what does Canada have?" He concludes that Harlequin novels count, but I'ma nominate furry as the other contender for that title...

We just are a happy bunch not really minding kinks or imposing one on each other... Tim Hortons coffee is either an addiction or masochism, but that's not quite a "kink" as you describe. *grin*

And yes, Harlequin novels are totally Canadian, which I didn't know until barely a decade ago. You can nominate what you want, we'll smile and nod and consider it politely. :)

But seriously, I don't know why there's so many Canadians here. Or openly Canadians, just so we can see each other... most of the americans just figure it's the standard and don't specifically mention it..?

That would be my guess, too. American is kinda the default nationality for the English-speaking internet... it seems like a lot of Americans identify themselves by their state, but assume they don't need to use their country. I find it very unlikely that there are actually more Canadian furs than American... just look at the size of US cons versus Canadian ones!

I was speaking in Per Capita rather than absolute terms - consider the relative evenness of the American population, and how there are cities in every direction from the main city rather than east-west, and how easy it is for Americans compared to Canadians to go to cons in far-flung places. There's a structural bias towards more inclusive cons - something as broad as sports or nerd cons have an advantage in your environment compared to more marginal cons like this fandom.
I doubt severely that you have more furries than us in absolute terms...
Yep, ran some numbers. The ratio of population to Furaffinity state page followers hits record in Delaware, where one out of 1142.9 people in the state is on the page. The runners up are in order New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and only then Newfoundland.
Don't ask me why I have this information laying around, I compiled it for shits and giggles back in July.
However, Canada still has more furries than America in per capita terms! When I add together the total numbers of state and province members to the total number who call themselves simply Canadian (I imagine the Canadian Diaspora furs will be on "Canadian" but no specific province)?
As of July 2014, America has one fur to every 0.000196674 people, Canada has one fur to every 0.000104296. Objectively, you still have more than us. Not by a large margin, but a margin nonetheless.
Which is still impressive that you kept up with us, inasmuch that you live in a smaller country with a much more far-flung infrastructure. Damn you, with your tasty beer and affordable coffee masochism! Now you have to beat us at a fandom we invented.
On a fun sidenote, the two least furry areas that still do have furries are Utah and Alberta. Where flies don't bite your eyeballs and human life has worth!

I am equally impressed and amused. And enlightened!

Way, way back when I first visited the US, my friends went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast (that croissandwich thing). I survived... and got better taste.

I definitely hope to see you at the con, you made me grin and you made me learn, and if you don't mind it, you can ask for a hug! :)

You're not terrified that I had this data sitting there? X3

Gggh, you haven't had their pumpkin donut yet. It's a vulgar mockery of god.

What, are you suiting there? I keep meaning to go but I've kept putting off buying the tickets. Hopefully there'll be something at the door. (The apathy you get from living in the city...)

Pfft, I've been con chair and committee, reams of data are part of my routine. :)

I don't like pumpkin, so I'd stay away from any fake pumpkin donut abomination, don't worry.

I'm not a costumer, but I will be at MFF. I guess I'll wave around the loop in thanks then, which should catch you somewhere close. :)

I have infinite respect for people with the mental wherewithal to deal with data in those streams. (My grandfather was a stocks analyst for Ford, and he was an absolute robot of a person by the time he had kids. Some people just can't deal with it.)

I had a pumpkin bao today... not my brightest decision or best use of my cash. You must resent this season....

Haha! Well, the loop is still pretty fucking fun to meander through. Have fun with it!

Have you seen Boston? They consume 'Dunkin' Donuts' out of that selfsame patriotic masochism. And not only is that food worse AND more expensive than Tim Hortons, but they're not dead yet. So I imagine you'll be safe! (Seeing the glazed-eyed glee with which most of Canada consumes it makes me dread what especially hellish torture New Brunswick goes through for that franchise.) Your description of it cracked me up, to be honest.
Although after five minutes in a Tim Hortons, your body has more oil and sugar dusted onto it by atmospheric particle than a male strip club. It's almost certainly a kink of some sort. "Someone could have EATEN those Timbits BUT INSTEAD..."

You with your politeness...
Well, what do you do when you're snowed in for a goodly amount of the year and six hours away from the next major town? You drink tasty beer, you paint wonderful abstract landscapes, you fiddle with synthesizers, you read romance novels, you hone your comedy skills, you go onto the internet and pretend to be an animal and grow a kink you didn't know had a name. Maybe winter is that simple an explanation for why things are so.
But I'm totally taking into account that Canadians are a lot more open about being Canadian than Americans are of being American. I mean, we both have right-wing lunatics running the government, so it's not political shame anymore, so it's probably identity of negation. A Canadian is simply Not American by definition, and so it has to be declared. But simple math - even if you're three times more likely to self-declare as Canadian, there are more declared Canadian furries than there are American furries, says this website - we have more than nine times your population, that still means you have thrice as many furries per capita as us. It's still a staggering amount. (Whistles in surprise to the opening bars of the "Hockey Night in Canada" theme)

Ok, 0 degrees isn't too bad at all :3 Hehe, yeah, we're just a teensy bit smug toward the rest of Canada about our West Coast weather... we get a lot of Albertans coming here for the winter X3

I guess I should mention those are the high temps... haha ;D But either way. it shall be an adventure, and hope ya enjoy our city :)

The museum and the aquarium are amazing!

Looks like a lot of the sights I'd recommend are listed. Odds are it will be cold and snowy

love the expressions in this so much!