What to do in Chicago?

TexasImprovMassacre · Post by **TexasImprovMassacre** » July 12th, 2008, 2:54 pm

Places to eat? Things to do? Stuff?

arthursimone · Post by **arthursimone** » July 12th, 2008, 3:07 pm

Neo-Futurists!!

Zach · Post by **Zach** » July 12th, 2008, 3:33 pm

I'm wondering if anyone has some favorite nicer restaurants in Wrigelyville they could recommend, favorite dive bars, best place to play laser tag.

Also show show shows

jose · Post by **jose** » July 12th, 2008, 5:13 pm

Whirlyball!

Your best bet (outside of talking to natives and the like) is to pick up a copy of TimeOut Chicago - they have plenty of listings of cool things to do, awesome places to eat ... their listing of free things is awesome.

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/

There are tons of museums of all kinds in Chicago ... the Field Museum of Time, Space, and Whatever is really awesome.

Green Mill! - http://www.greenmilljazz.com/

I know that it's a little bit too touristy for some folks, but I love Giordano's stuffed pizza - it's obscenely good.[/url]

Post by **bradisntclever** » July 12th, 2008, 5:21 pm

I've always enjoyed Shedd Aquarium. I've also enjoyed steering clear of Navy Pier. Northwestern tends to draw some pretty amazing speakers every now and then, even in the summer. Not sure what their schedule is like right now.

improvstitute · Post by **improvstitute** » July 12th, 2008, 5:35 pm

eat at bill stern's house for free and leave w/o cleaning up after yourself.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » July 12th, 2008, 6:14 pm

Live Band Karaoke at the Pontiac... used to be every Friday night.

jose · Post by **jose** » July 12th, 2008, 6:35 pm

A friend who won't be in Chicago while her brother's doing the intensive started this thread on the Chicago boards:

http://www.chicagoimprov.org/showthread.php?t=6119

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » July 13th, 2008, 2:00 am

Food:
$$$ Cafe Babareeba (Best tapas in town)
$$$ Friendship Chinese Restaurant (my favorite chinese on the north side)
$$$ Tarascas Mexican (not like texas, but good, and good margaritas)
$$ New Jeanny's Chinese Restaurant (highest quality chinese for cheap)
$$ Ann Sather (Get the french toast fantasy! DO IT!)
$$ Moody's Pub (Best burger/onionrings/sangria/patio experience you'll have)
$ Burrito House (late night hunger destroyer)
$ Bars in wrigleyville have dollar burger nights when those nights are not during a cubs home game, and the burgers are really good.

Shows:
Too Much Light
Wednesdays at iO Free shows
Co-Ed Prison Sluts at Annoyance Just started running again

Bars:
Green Mill! Yes.
Hopleaf
Ace tends bar at a place called Ja Grill

Fun:
Ridickless amounts of stuff ranging in price from free to highly not free. Summer is crazy here. Street festivals, movies in the park, mass bike rides, crazy crazy stuff. Fun!

TexasImprovMassacre · July 13th, 2008, 11:18 am

jose wrote: I know that it's a little bit too touristy for some folks, but I love Giordano's stuffed pizza - it's obscenely good.

That was the first thing we did!

arthursimone · Post by **arthursimone** » July 13th, 2008, 11:47 am

always be eating hot dogs. always.

LisaJackson · Post by **LisaJackson** » July 13th, 2008, 4:38 pm

Wrigley Field has the best hotdogs ever.
I liked the Lincoln Park zoo and the beach over there near Diversey.
The art museum is great.
Leona's on Taylor in Little Italy has big fat ass awesome mozzarella sticks and a wicked lasagna.
Greek Town Gyros on Halsted and Randolph has the best gyros I've ever had and yumtastic cheese fries and they're open all night.
The Rosebud is a good nice restaurant not in Wrigley but in Little Italy. Sorry that's where I lived for the majority of my time there.
There used to be a couple good dive bars on Taylor between Ashland and Halsted but I can't remember the names.
I also like the neighborhood around Northwestern.

jennycarlson · Post by **jennycarlson** » July 13th, 2008, 5:45 pm

Tapas and sangria at Cafe Iberico at LaSalle & Chicago. Yummy steak house (also has delicious salmon for vegetarians who can be persuaded) called Tango Sur, on Southport north of Addison. The Southport corridor is awesome, I used to live near there--for desserts and yummy brunch, Julius Meinl (the Austrian coffeeshop) has a ton of awesome cakes, mousses, teas, crepes, etc. at the intersection of Southport and Addison. The Ann Sather's (several locations, including on Belmont and on Southport) has cinnamon rolls that are TO DIE FOR, and Clarke's on Belmont has comfort food 24/7. There's a lot to do near IO, of course--if you need dinner in a hurry, Cozy Noodles (around the corner from IO on Sheffield) has some yummy Thai food.

Further north, there are some cool dive-y style bars along Lincoln Ave, between Irving Park and Lincoln Square. Also on the west side--a lot of neat little hotspots in Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park. One of my faves is Rainbo, this old burlesquey bar on Damen south of North Ave.

If you love books, go down to Hyde Park one afternoon and spend time at the Seminary Co-op (58th & University), 57th Street Books and all of the other secondhand stores (including a massive Powell's) on 57th Street between University and Lake Park Blvd. Also down there is a free (free!) antiquities museum with really cool relics from Babylon, Persia (including Persepolis) and Egypt, with descriptions that are actually interesting and comprehensive. You can also check out Obama's digs while you're down there...he's on Greenwood, north of 51st St. across from the synagogue.

Great Mexican food at Nuevo Leon in Pilsen...also in West Town. Also, if you get a chance, take an architecture tour on the lake. It may seem like a hokey, tourist thing to do, but the architectural society has their shit together and it's pretty cool, given the assortment of amazing things on view in the skyline.

I could go on forever, but this should be a good start...have fun!

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » July 13th, 2008, 10:16 pm

When do you get here? Are you already here? Why haven't you called me? Let's go see some shows!

arthursimone · Post by **arthursimone** » July 14th, 2008, 1:06 am

DollarBill wrote:When do you get here? Are you already here? Why haven't you called me? Let's go see some shows!

are they still doing Powerball/4Square at IO on sundays?