Chicago tips needed

[jsearles22]

I will be rolling up to Chi-town to watch my two favorite teams play this weekend, Royals vs Cubs. I have tickets to the Saturday game (FML, likely to get rained out it seems). I have not yet booked a hotel. I will have the wife and 2 boys (4 years old and 2 years old) with me. Due to budget constraints I would like to keep the hotel at $200/night or less. Quick searches this morning tells me for best quality in that price range I will likely be looking to stay around O'Hare.

So I need suggestions. Am I missing anything obvious? Also on transportation- I assume mass transit will be easiest/available? I will have a car but I've heard parking at Wrigley is almost impossible.

Sunday we want to do the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Aquarium, beach, etc family bullshit. Any suggestions on that front?

We will only be in town Saturday thru Monday morning, then we are headed further east to visit family. Obviously deep dish pizza is on the menu. Other suggestions? Anything kid friendly I will want to hit up?

Thanks in advance

[simpdog]

Don't visit plol.

Make sure you have a double stroller. You four year old will not want to walk.

Go on a boat tour of some sort. Kids won't care about architecture but will love the shit out of riding on a boat.

[Tony]

They have a famous aquarium near the pier. If memory serves me though a little pricey, like $40 a person.

[lewfather]

Gino's East for pizza, get the meaty legend. giordano's pizza is really good too. Dunno what to tell you for hotel's but I am going to guess $200 on a weekend isn't going to get you much in the city.

[Suicide King]

Chicago is fucking awesome. Talk to drk he would know the good local tips.

[Charham]

Stinks you have to stay at O'Hare. I checked downtown hotels and nothing. Usually hotels like Hotel Allegro you can get around $200, but something must be going on.

Train from O'hare downtown is not too bad. You could stay along the Metra line as well pretty much anywhere.

New kid park just opened in Grant Park, called something like the Maggie Daley kids park. That is a must see. Walking around the Bean garden which is next door with the kids also good.

I don't know the best pizza downtown, but with a 2 and a 4 year old consider the Rain Forest cafe, make reservations now.

Shedd acquarium is great as someone else said. Wrigley one day. Maggie Daley park and aquarium would be a solid two days. Have fun.

[lewfather]

Forgot about Rain Forest Cafe, that would be nice for the children but the food is ehhh and over priced. You're literally paying for atmosphere, maybe check that out for like lunch?

[monsterj]

I will be rolling up to Chi-town to watch my two favorite teams play this weekend, Royals vs Cubs. I have tickets to the Saturday game (FML, likely to get rained out it seems). I have not yet booked a hotel. I will have the wife and 2 boys (4 years old and 2 years old) with me. Due to budget constraints I would like to keep the hotel at $200/night or less. Quick searches this morning tells me for best quality in that price range I will likely be looking to stay around O'Hare.

So I need suggestions. Am I missing anything obvious? Also on transportation- I assume mass transit will be easiest/available? I will have a car but I've heard parking at Wrigley is almost impossible.

Sunday we want to do the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Aquarium, beach, etc family bullshit. Any suggestions on that front?

We will only be in town Saturday thru Monday morning, then we are headed further east to visit family. Obviously deep dish pizza is on the menu. Other suggestions? Anything kid friendly I will want to hit up?

Thanks in advance

Do NOT stay by o'hare, getting to wrigley or downtown will be a disaster with kids, and any money you think you are saving will be lost in headache. Take cabs or uber vs public trans since you have 4 people.

Use airbnb or priceline to get a hotel near michigan ave/river north/loop.

Gino's east or lou malnatis are my two favorite chain places. Pequods or Art of Pizza are my favorite 'local' spots.

[simpdog]

Kids museum at Navy Pier was good for kids.

I swear it was free but I could be wrong. Either way kids played for hours and it was low cost or free.

[Suicide King]

Stinks you have to stay at O'Hare. I checked downtown hotels and nothing. Usually hotels like Hotel Allegro you can get around $200, but something must be going on.

Train from O'hare downtown is not too bad. You could stay along the Metra line as well pretty much anywhere.

New kid park just opened in Grant Park, called something like the Maggie Daley kids park. That is a must see. Walking around the Bean garden which is next door with the kids also good.

I don't know the best pizza downtown, but with a 2 and a 4 year old consider the Rain Forest cafe, make reservations now.

Shedd acquarium is great as someone else said. Wrigley one day. Maggie Daley park and aquarium would be a solid two days. Have fun.

He's going to Chicago and you refer him to a chain restaurant that you can go to anywhere? Fucking sickening. That reminds me of my brother in laws family coming and staying in downtown San Francisco and they ate Cheesecake Factory every day. Fucking rubes.

[DRK Star]

some recommendations:

Look on Hotel.com or other similar sites for a hotel either downtown or "River North" (area just north of the branch of the Chicago river). Lots of hotels with varied rates. If you stay out near Ohare, parking costs a ton, and its not much of a discount. Downtown would be the best for you in terms of time. If you fly into either midway or ohare, the trains take you downtown.

This would be a good location so you can walk or take the L train everywhere. Downtown is called the Loop, and all the trains loop around each other there. Wrigley is on the RED LINE L train, which goes north/south (costs around $2 per person). Navy pier is good for the family (obv touristy, but lots of kids stuff inside). Transfers to buses cost like .25 extra. Public trans will get you all over the city for cheap. Use Parkwhiz if you have a car and just want to park it somewhere (downtown hotels charge a ton to park there..look for overnight lots on parkwhiz in your area).

the north end of grant park is good too (parks, "The Bean") for a family. Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium are southeast of downtown. $10 Cab ride.

take a boat tour of the river if you can (lasts about an hour...architectural tours all the time).

[DRK Star]

airbnb would be a good choice for the weekend.

dont do a chain restaurant, unless its a Chicago chain.

Italian Beef sandwiches at Als Beef or Portillos (both in River North).

Pizza at the ones listed above. Deep Dish obv. Ask for the Butter Crust at Lou's.


Lots of things to do near Wrigley, but its mostly adult stuff like bars/restaurants. Kids stuff will mainly be at places listed above (Navy Pier and museums/grant park).

DO NOT stay south of Roosevelt (12st). A bit unsafe at night. Do not stay west of Racine (some hotels by UIC campus, but area is slightly sketchy). There are very few hotels on the North side of the city.

If you are walking around downtown and see a gaggle of the local tribal youth, be cautious.

[shortbuspoker]

If you are walking around downtown and see a gaggle of the local tribal youth, be cautious.

Does saying "I voted for Obama" not get you a street pass anymore?

[jsearles22]

airbnb would be a good choice for the weekend.

dont do a chain restaurant, unless its a Chicago chain.

Italian Beef sandwiches at Als Beef or Portillos (both in River North).

Pizza at the ones listed above. Deep Dish obv. Ask for the Butter Crust at Lou's.


Lots of things to do near Wrigley, but its mostly adult stuff like bars/restaurants. Kids stuff will mainly be at places listed above (Navy Pier and museums/grant park).

DO NOT stay south of Roosevelt (12st). A bit unsafe at night. Do not stay west of Racine (some hotels by UIC campus, but area is slightly sketchy). There are very few hotels on the North side of the city.

If you are walking around downtown and see a gaggle of the local tribal youth, be cautious.

Airbnb seems way more reasonable price and location wise. Has anyone ever used it? Is it safe? If I was alone I'd chance it all day but I'll have the whole family with me.

[DRK Star]

yeah, just make sure you arent sharing a room with someone. Read everything.

people rent out their condos like that a lot in the city. Buy a foreclosure, rent it out, profit.


try to find one close to where the Red Line runs, to save on cab fare.

[Lord of the Fraud]

How can you have 2 favourite teams in the same sport?


Is this standard practice?

[jsearles22]

How can you have 2 favourite teams in the same sport?


Is this standard practice?

They are in different leagues. In the playoffs they could only possibly meet in the World Series.

Growing up in Colorado I was a Cubs fan. I moved to Missouri in 5th grade and naturally root for my now "hometown" team Royals.

[gauchojake]

Go to The Wiener's Circle.

[Brittney Griner's Clit]

I hate when this place reminds me of some gay standard forum.

You guys haven't even teased him about beating his dad yet.

[Dan Druff]

Have you taken your two sons to a game before?

It's hard for me to picture a 2-year-old being able to sit through it for 3 hours without being a problem.

Even the 4-year-old is questionable, though it varies from kid to kid.

Benjamin is 4, and I am debating whether to take him to his first Dodgers game this year, in 2016, or 2017.

He has shown moderate interest this year, but I'm afraid that he will get bored once he's there for too long.

I was first taken to a game in 1976, at the age of 4, and apparently I didn't pay attention to the game at all and was a pain in the ass. When I was brought back in 1977, I was much better.