Photo: Sergey Gabdurakhmanov
Matador’s destination expert on Chicago lays out the city’s avoidable attractions…and what you should do instead.
1. Don’t… go to the top of the Sears (sorry, sorry) Willis Tower
The Willis Tower (formerly Sears) is the tallest building in North America and one of the most iconic landmarks in the town that gave birth to the skyscraper. It’s probably Chicago’s most popular tourist attraction, and visitors stand in line for hours to pay upwards of $30 to get to the observation deck.
With the opening of the new transparent “sky ledges,” which allow you to step out over the street, the crowds of fanny-pack tourists have only grown. Don’t add to them.
Oh, and by the way, Chicagoans are pissed about the name change.
Do… try the John Hancock’s Signature Room
Save money and get an equally amazing view by visiting the Signature Room, a posh cocktail lounge on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Center, Chicago’s second tallest building.
Photo: adactio
2. Don’t… ask for ketchup
The true Chicago hot dog is something locals protect with religious fervor.
No matter where you claim the best dogs are found, a true Chi-town dog consists of the same sacred ingredients: a Vienna beef weenie on a poppy seed bun, topped with diced onions, sport peppers, curiously neon green relish, a pickle, a tomato slice, celery salt (very important) and mustard. Period.
Ask for ketchup on your dog and you’ll quickly find yourself taking a personal tour of the bottom of the Chicago River.
Do… try Hot Doug’s
The city has more dog stands than Starbucks, but they’re not all alike. Out in the Avondale neighborhood, Hot Doug’s makes gourmet dogs named after celebrities.
Then there are the daily specials, made out of a range of rare and seemingly dangerous meats. Ever had a wild boar or pheasant dog? You will at Hot Doug’s.
3. Don’t… take a double decker bus tour
You see the same sight in every major international city: camera-ed tourists clinging to the top of a London-style double decker as it kicks up dust and smoke going from tourist trap to tourist trap. It’s been done.
Not to mention traffic in Chicago sucks.
Do… take a Chicago River architecture tour
Travel the city’s original highway: the river. There are a handful of tours that start from either Michigan Avenue or Navy Pier and usually last about an hour and a half, cruising up the river and out into the lake.
Chicago is an American architecture destination, and this is the best way to check it out. Time it right and your tour could end up with a skyline view from the lake just as the setting sun hits the buildings.
Photo: DominusVobiscum
4. Don’t… go to the House of Blues
On any given night, the chances of hearing actual blues being played at the HOB are slim to none.
More likely, you’ll end up with a Slipknot tribute band.
Do… chill at Rosa’s Music Lounge
Chicago is the home of the blues and its history is written on the pockmarked streets and boarded up storefronts of the old west side. Grab a cab out to the Humboldt Park neighborhood and Rosa’s Music Lounge.
This is a real blues club — dark, dingy, and very cool. Rosa’s has pulled some of the most legendary bluesmen of the last thirty years. Grab a seat in the back and tell the waitress to keep the whiskey coming.
5. Don’t… try for a table at Pizzeria Uno
Deep dish pizza is another of Chicago’s sacred institutions. And Pizzeria Uno (no, not the chain restaurant, the original) is its birthplace.
Unfortunately, this is a well-known fact, and the wait for a table can border on two hours during the dinner rush.
Do… swing around the corner to Pizzeria Due
Uno’s became so popular with locals and tourists alike that a second location, Pizzeria Due, opened just a block north of the original.
It’s housed in an almost identical brownstone walkup and serves the exact same meat and cheese pie as its sister site, but the wait’s usually only half as long.
Photo: Herkie
6. Don’t… blow your budget on a rooftop game
If you’ve watched a Cubs game on WGN, you’ve seen the throngs of fans peering down from the rooftops of the buildings that border Wrigley Field.
It’s a fun tradition that goes back decades, but the truth is tickets are expensive (upwards of $150), the view often lousy, and you don’t get to experience one of the real highlights of Chicago: Wrigley Field itself.
Do… be patient
Game-day tickets at Wrigley can be pricey, but not if you know what the locals know. Get to Wrigleyville (the neighborhood surrounding the park) early, find a seat at one of its many watering holes and take in the first inning or two from the bar.
After the crowds have gone into the park and street traffic has died down, the licensed scalpers who sit on every corner start to get impatient, which means you get a deal. Tickets that would have sold for $60 before the game can go as low as $5 or $10 after the first pitch.
Just don’t get there too late or the Cubs might already be down eight or ten runs.
Photo: johnnyalive
7. Don’t … visit in winter
It’s cold, it’s windy, it’s miserable. We have to suffer the weather because we live here. You have a choice.
Do… come during summer
Chicago in the summertime is like almost no place else on Earth and, after about eight months of bone-chilling cold, Chicagoans know how to enjoy it.
This is the time to hit up the Windy City.
Community Connection
Trips has more expert advice on what to avoid in popular destinations around the world. See it all on our What NOT to Do page.
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20 Comments... join the discussion!
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Nice! Lucky for you, it’s supposed to be slightly above average temps for this time of year, read: high 30’s. Shoot me a message if you need any additional ideas! Enjoy.
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The only Chicagoans mad about the name change are nerds who don’t recognize the important legacy of Chicago’s most famous punk rocker, Wesley Willis!
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Haha damn straight! Cut the mullet! Cut the mullet!
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nice article, chicago is definitely on my list.
but come down to the Mississppi Delta if you want to see the REAL home of the blues.
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This is a really good list on the different ways to have the Chicago experience without having to compete with every tourist in the city. I often like to mimic the local when traveling and part of that is getting the best deals and most unique experiences.
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Great tips. The river architecture tour may sound boring but on a sunny day there’s no place better than a boat ride on the Chicago River and its varied architecture is one of its claims to fame.
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Well done Evan! Funny, entertaining, and informative.
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Great article bro!
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Thanks for warning us about the ketchup faux pas!
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Who knew Chicago was such a great beach town?!
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You know it! Hit up Oak Street Beach in summer. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.
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Right on all counts (especially about the name change)! Two things I would add – if you want to see Chicago’s architecture, there is (or was, don’t know if it still exists) a free train tour, where you go around on the L with a guide and see the buildings. You can get more information and tickets at the Chicago Cultural Center (a good sight to see in itself).
The second tip: if you’re going to go see blues, Kingston Mines is always a good choice: http://www.kingstonmines.com/ (though as a northsider, I may be biased).
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Hot Doug’s looks awesome, do you recommend the Weiner’s Circle as well??
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Great article, but I do have to raise my eyebrow to the Hot Doug’s recommendation only because you try to stray people away from lines and if you go to Hot Doug’s at the wrong time, you’ll be in line for an hour or two.
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Peter J, Wiener’s Circle is a hoot for the novelty of it – the employees swear and taunt you while you order – but their dogs are just run-of-the-mill, nothing like the quality at Hot Doug’s.
Peter non-J, I see your point. I try to steer people away from the lines at Uno’s because most people don’t know there’s a shorter wait option right next door. As we all know, some things are simple worth the wait and Hot Doug’s is one of them. Yes, the wait is long… but if you have the time, it’s something you must experience. Just make sure you order enough to make the effort worth it!
Thanks for the feedback all!
-eth
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I actually just got home from Chicago.
Portillos is what EVERY Chicagoan I talk to at college recommends for chicago style hot dogs (I’m going to a IL state school). Granted I bet Hot Doug’s isn’t nearly as well known with the students here. It is probably both cheaper and less crowded. I’ll have to try it next time I’m up there.
For pizza I was always told to hit Gino’s East rather than Uno or Due.
Though hey, I’m sure they are all pretty darn good =)
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I’ve got a ‘don’t’
Don’t swim in Lake Michigan, even when it’s summer….
I looked out of my hotel room one sunny September afternoon to see women and children splashing about in the lake. I had just arrived in Chicago and had some time to kill so I decided to follow suit. Hey, I thought, if mother’s and kids are doing it, it can’t be that bad.
Wrong. Lake Michigan is *freezing*. I had barely got up to my thighs (I was scared to go any deeper
) before I bolted out of there. Luckily Mother’s happy hour had just started….what a nice place to warm up.
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I’ve done none of the “don’t”s and two of the “do’s” so far, thanks to my resident girlfirend. The Signature Room is definitely an amazing view on par with any cityscape you can see, and the river tours are a great way to take a completely different, somewhat removed look at the city. Floating on a boat really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of busy streets and touristy spots.
Come to think of it, the Signature Room has a similar distanced vibe that I really enjoyed. It’s nice to take an objective look from the outside in a new place before becoming part of the action down on the pavement.
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Oh yeah, and NOT visiting the Navy Pier Billygoat Tavern should be on this list. Immediately followed by hanging out at the “real” Billygoat on the bottom level of Michigan Avenue. It’s definitely one of my favorite memories from my last visit, but not for those without a fondness for slightly dingy, old-school bar & grills.
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