Visiting Chicago - a couple initial questions....thanks

[+ azdr0710]

Will be making a pleasure trip to Chicago late next month going into Midway....I like to walk a lot and don't plan to rent a car except for maybe one day for outlying attractions....a neighbor is from there and will give me advice, but wanted to ask here, too....

 

Downtown hotels are, of course, pricey on weekdays and I don't really want to spend that kind of money for the purposes of this trip (history, museums, architecture, lakeshore biking/walking).....but don't want to stay in a cheaper downtown dump in case I host a dude or two.....

 

So I'm wondering if there are specific suburban areas with high concentrations of the typical Hyatts, Hiltons, Marriotts, Westins, etc. that are usually less expensive than downtown places....AND which are near some sort of mass transit to downtown.....maybe even Midway has this?.....thinking of those areas we see that are sorta business-oriented, near some freeway interchange, maybe a mall nearby, and three or four mid-rise hotels sitting around.....

 

Sorry to sound like a cheapskate.....would rather spend the money on myself or a dude than a hotel (expense account won't cover this one!)......

 

And what are the transport options from Midway to various areas of Chicago....I will look at the Midway website, but wanted to ask the locals.....

 

Thanks for the advice....appreciate it....more questions later

[TruthBTold]

Hi OldTimer. The Orange Line "L" will take you downtown and you can connect with all the other Ls there. The Red Line will take you to Boystown if you want to go there - the traditional gay area. But there are plenty of interesting neighborhoods that are connected by other buses and Ls. If you plan on going to the museums, a downtown hotel will save you time. But if you have some time, it really does not take all that long to come from the Midway area. Unfortunately, I am little help as far as the hotels go.

[gp0560]

I am not a Chicago resident, but I can tell you from a tourist's point of view that the EL is extremely easy to use. Just get a multi-day pass, and you're all set for most trips. Taxis for the rest?

[+ deej]

Saving a buck on a hotel to better afford gentlemen callers is a pursuit most of us can appreciate. Nobody here is likely to call you a cheapskate. The airport "clusters" of hotels actually tend to be more expensive than the hotels scattered in Chicago's many neighborhoods.

 

Chicago's transit system is among the best in the country. Whatever you pick, make sure it's close to an L station and the city is at your doorstep.

 

Since you specifically mention walking, make sure you're near the waterfront. Largely thanks to that scion of commerce, Montgomery Ward, the entire lakefront is reserved as parkland for public use. There are MILES of scenic walking trails.

 

You might want to explore options in or near boystown on the North side. After a full day at the Art Institute, Shedd Acquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, etc., (any of which is worthy of a full day), you might want to spend the evening relaxing amongst your own kind. Being close to boystown will help bring that about. (And it's nice to be able to stumble back to your hotel after a few adult beverages.)

 

Things ebb and flow, and yesterday's hot property is today's dive, so I hope someone who lives there NOW will chime in!

[+ azdr0710]

thanks for the fantastic, and quick, advice....

 

though it may not be my scene (and I'm going to be alone), can somebody give me the street boundaries of Boystown?.....also interested in walking old neighborhoods that haven't particularly been gentrified.....and I like to visit old locally-owned dives for breakfast and lunch that are not chains, haven't been redecorated, not touristy, have no charm, but are utterly packed with locals who know where the good food is....any of that?.....the neighbor who's from Chicago also mentioned a pizza place that is "under a bridge" that is THE place for Chi-town pizza.....she didn't remember the name

 

thanks again for all advice.....

 

and, Deej, I didn't know that about Monkey Ward....will read up on that bit of history....thanks

[Karl-G]

Hilton at Midway

 

Just checked biddingfortravel.com, and the Midway Hilton is going for $75. The Palmer House, right in the middle of downtown along State Street, is $101. This is if you go through priceline.com.

 

Boystown is generally both sides of Halsted Street from Belmont (3200 N) to Addison (3600 N ) and maybe a little further. It would include a couple of blocks on either side of Halsted. The area to the east, toward the lake, has some lovely old homes and beautiful streets.

 

It is about a half hour ride on the Orange Line from Midway to downtown. So if you continue north to Boystown, this would be a ride of almost an hour - at busy times. Late at night, trains don't run very often. Which is why several people have suggested that staying downtown or toward the North Side is preferable if you are going to play at night.

 

How much were you thinking of spending for a hotel? Friends of mine got the beautiful boutique Willows on the North Side for $115 a night next week. It has a very good location.

[Karl-G]

Blackstone or Hyatt

 

betterbidding.com shows people getting the Blackstone Hotel (downtown on Michigan Avenue) for $95 - $105 and people getting the Hyatt-Grant Park downtown for $90 - $120.

 

If you go to the biddingfortravel.com site, and go to ILLINOIS / CHICAGO and then HOTEL LIST, look for the Midway Airport section, and you will find a long list of hotels which are located around Midway - Marriott, Radissons. Hiltons, Fairmonts, Hampton Courts, etc. I don't know if escorts are interested in traveling that far south, which may be another consideration. Most escorts seem to live on the Near North Side or around Boystown or a little further north, which is now very gay and fun.

[+ azdr0710]

thanks, Karl, for looking around....I do know those two websites and will look at them and play around on hotwire and priceline.....unfortunately, I'll be there mostly on pricey weeknights.....

[Karl-G]

Hyatt Regency

 

The Hyatt Regency next to the Illinois Center, at 151 E. Wacker, has the perfect location in every way and is a splendid hotel. Views are gorgeous in most directions and you are within walking distance of a great deal.

 

You surely should visit Navy Pier and its many attractions, the most popular destination in Illinois. And if you stay at the Hyatt, you can just walk across the street and get the boat for the best architectural tour of Chicago as you sail along the Chicago River. Excellent guides from American Institute of Architects, beautiful views of every important building in Chicago, and a lot of history - all of which comes while you sit comfortably and enjoy a drink or two from their bar. The boats leave every hour from 10:00 on.

 

The best guide book to Chicago is the "Eyewitness Guide to Chicago." Go on amazon.com, and if you take a used copy from 2004, you can usually get it for $2.00 plus postage. The architecture has not changed since then, nor has the public transportation system nor the museums. The hottest restaurant in town changes from day to day, so you would check with your concierge anyway. :-)

[Steven_Draker]

Shopping for hotels can be tiring ... once you wanna take a break ...

 

[video=youtube;QFArBn2LXC8]

[Karl-G]

By the Way

 

By the way. As you walk around Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive and the Chicago River, you will probably assume that you are walking on a sidewalk built on dirt, like Los Angeles or Cleveland or wherever. But you would be wrong. You are actually three stories up in the air. There are two complete levels of streets beneath you. Trucks deliver all their stuff to all these buildings downtown, but they do not drive on busy streets or clutter traffic. They drive under these false streets and keep everything clean and moving. (You can see them if you cross the river and look back, or if you go down the stairs which are right there and see these underground streets.)

 

You might also not be aware that this whole section of Chicago is built on garbage and borrowed sand. The lake shore in Chicago originally came up to Michigan Avenue. But as the city and developers wanted more land and expansion, the only way to go was into the lake. So they did. So not only are you three stories up on your sidewalk, but the skyscrapers are built on garbage and sand! What won't Chicago think of?

[+ newatthis]

I don't know exactly what your budget is, but those long "L" trips can get very tiring very fast. And since you'll be spending most of your time downtown or near north, having a hotel nearby that's easy to get back to if you want to have a rest, or meet an escort in the middle of the day, or whatever, is very convenient. So if the prices Karl has quoted you from priceline are within your budget, I'd certainly opt for something downtown rather than near an airport on in the suburbs.

 

The areas you want (on priceline) are N Michigan Ave, Millenium Park, or (a little farther afield, but close to Boystown and near enough to downtown) Lincoln Park.

 

Have fun!

[Karl-G]

Andersonville

 

And if you want to be totally up-to-date about gay life in Chicago, you need to visit Andersonville, which is sort of part of the area known as Edgewater. Wikipedia has a nice description:

 

Andersonville

 

Andersonville, Edgewater. ChicagoAndersonville is a neighborhood (located in western Edgewater) on the North Side of Chicago. Once a sleepy little village made up primarily of Swedish immigrants, Andersonville is now one of Chicago's most popular north side neighborhoods. The community is particularly known for its diversity, including a continued Swedish cultural presence led by the Swedish American Museum, the Swedish Bakery and other Swedish delicatessens. A significant number of Middle-Eastern businesses, a new influx of families with children, and a large lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) population all make this a very diverse population. Andersonville is also known for its unique commercial district, made up almost entirely of a variety of independent locally owned specialty shops, restaurants, and service providers. Andersonville does, however, have a growing number of nationally known chains including a Starbucks Coffee, McDonald's, Hair Cuttery, The UPS Store, a Subway sandwich shop and a recently opened Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

 

The Andersonville Commercial Historic District, which runs between 4900 and 5800 North Clark Street, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 2010. It joined the nearby residential Lakewood Balmoral Historic District.

 

The approximate street boundaries of Andersonville, as defined by the City of Chicago, are Broadway Avenue to the east, Ravenswood Avenue to the west, Foster Avenue to the south, and Bryn Mawr Avenue to the north. The heart of the Andersonville commercial district is the corner of Clark Street and Berwyn Avenue (5300 N. Clark Street).

 

______________________________________

 

Many, many gays and lesbians live in this neighborhood and many (most?) of the escorts seem to reside here. The restaurants and stores are lively and fun. There always seems to be a crowd walking. Not to be missed if you want to experience the real, current, actual gay life in Chicago.

[+ deej]

Boystown is generally both sides of Halsted Street from Belmont (3200 N) to Addison (3600 N ) and maybe a little further.

 

Technically, it goes quite a few blocks north of Addison to where Halstead ends. (Almost at Irving Park, 4000 N.) The rainbow pylons the city put up to mark the north end are (or were) outside the North End bar. Isn't the gay "Center on Halstead" up at the north end too?

[Karl-G]

Just a Suggestion

 

I don't know what kind of experiences you are looking for, but do you know airbnb.com? They are a wonderful resource which lists millions of rooms being let by people in their homes, condos, and apartments all over the world, for very reasonable rates and in every large city. For Chicago, there are 242 possibilities; for New York, there are thousands of offerings::

 

http://www.airbnb.com/search#modified=true

 

For Chicago, for example, look for an address in "Lake View" or "Edgewater" or try something else and ask where it is. They probably would not like escorts visiting, but, if you were staying in Lakeview or Edgewater/Andersonville, there are probably escorts who do in-calls nearby and you could play at their place and not worry about hosting. Might be cheaper also. And you would get to see the interiors of real homes and meet real people and all within walking distance. It's fun.

[rvwnsd]

The Midway airport area hotels are at least a mile south of the "L" station on Cicero Avenue, which is not a pedestrian-friendly street. Likewise, the O'Hare airport area hotels are generally not walkable from any of the "L" stations. The O'Hare Marriott is somewhat walkable from the Cumberland "L," but Higgins Rd is a major state highway and there is little nearby. The Holiday Inn on Cumberland is also near the Cumberland "L," but it is across a treacherous intersection.

 

Days Inn has a location at 644 Diversey Pkwy at the intersection of Clark, Broadway, and Diversey approx a half-mile from the south end of Boystown. There is also a Best Western (Hawthorne Inn, I believe) in Boystown, and, as another poster stated, The Willows is very nice.

 

My advice is to pay a few extra dollars and stay near downtown. You will be glad you did.

[JoeyBryant]

Just be careful about midway. I got midway airport on priceline 2 years ago...ended up in Alsip, IL no where near anything for 2 days. Chicago is hugely spread out. If I ever did it again (which I certainly won't be wasting my money doing again on my own), I'd stay downtown. Eventually I got a place I found for $75 near 'miracle mile' which was the same star level and quality as the Doubletree in friggin Alsip.

 

Midway could be midway between nowhere and somewhere...and without a car could be ridiculous.

[+ deej]

Days Inn has a location at 644 Diversey Pkwy at the intersection of Clark, Broadway, and Diversey approx a half-mile from the south end of Boystown. There is also a Best Western (Hawthorne Inn, I believe) in Boystown, and, as another poster stated, The Willows is very nice.

 

I recommended Hawthorne Terrace to several traveling escorts over the years, about 10 years ago, and they all reported it a good location. But it is a Best Western which means there isn't a restaurant or room service, and it was recently renovated 10 years ago. But it's steps from boystown's bars, clubs, and restaurants as well as the commercial areas along Broadway and Diversey. And it's walkable to the L.

 

When I lived in Chicago, the Diversey area was sort of the grundle of Chicago's north side. It was definitely NOT near north, or Lincoln Park, and it wasn't as nice as Ravenswood or Andersonville. Has that changed? It's a great area to use as a base for exploration. Downtown isn't a long ride on the L and cabs aren't pricey if you're the impatient sort.

[rvwnsd]

When I lived in Chicago, the Diversey area was sort of the grundle of Chicago's north side. It was definitely NOT near north, or Lincoln Park, and it wasn't as nice as Ravenswood or Andersonville. Has that changed? It's a great area to use as a base for exploration. Downtown isn't a long ride on the L and cabs aren't pricey if you're the impatient sort.

 

The area has improved significantly. I would say it turned in the mid- to late-1990's. I moved to the west coast in 2000, but get back at least once a year. I was surprised at how nice the area was the last few times I visited. When I was in college in the 1980's, that area was NASTY. The DePaul area was even worse. Both areas are now prime real estate.

[+ Topseed]

As a Chicago resident, I recommend you consider two hotels in the Lakeview neighborhood. Both have easy access to express busses for cultural and shopping expeditions: the Hotel Majestic and the Willows. And, both are close to gay nightlife on Halsted Street and reasonably-priced restaurants -- all walking distance. The Majestic's web site: http://majestic-chicago.com/, and the Willows: http://www.willowshotelchicago.com/ . Both of these are smaller hotels with comfortable rooms, on quiet side streets, and both provide a complimentary breakfast.

[Karl-G]

Please Let Us Know

 

Eventually, please let us know what you decided and how your trip to Chicago went.

 

Others can benefit from your experiences.

 

Thanks.

[Steven_Draker]

Andersonville

 

Sure at this pace you may also consider staying in Milwaukee.

[jjkrkwood]

Saving a buck on a hotel to better afford gentlemen callers is a pursuit most of us can appreciate. Nobody here is likely to call you a cheapskate. The airport "clusters" of hotels actually tend to be more expensive than the hotels scattered in Chicago's many neighborhoods.

 

Chicago's transit system is among the best in the country. Whatever you pick, make sure it's close to an L station and the city is at your doorstep.

 

Since you specifically mention walking, make sure you're near the waterfront. Largely thanks to that scion of commerce, Montgomery Ward, the entire lakefront is reserved as parkland for public use. There are MILES of scenic walking trails.

 

You might want to explore options in or near boystown on the North side. After a full day at the Art Institute, Shedd Acquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, etc., (any of which is worthy of a full day), you might want to spend the evening relaxing amongst your own kind. Being close to boystown will help bring that about. (And it's nice to be able to stumble back to your hotel after a few adult beverages.)

 

Things ebb and flow, and yesterday's hot property is today's dive, so I hope someone who lives there NOW will chime in!

 

I always found The Comfort Inn on Diversey quite charming and reasonable. Its also a hop, skip and jump to the gay section of town. And a short walk to a lovely Park. Quite convenient....

[+ deej]

I always found The Comfort Inn on Diversey quite charming and reasonable.

 

Yeah, I've been there. (Won't tell you what I've *done* there.... )

 

Note to anyone reading this who has a mental image of the clean, nondescript, tidy modern buildings dotted around the country named "Comfort Inn". This isn't that.

 

It's the same chain, but it's an older inner-city building with all the charm that conveys. It's a well-done conversion, but it's not the crisply folded clean piece of paper most of the chain represents. It's more like a well-worn and well-loved book.

 

The nearby Days Inn is the same way.

 

Both are perfectly acceptable places to stay, but don't expect the same thing as the recently built Comfort (or Days) Inn at the airport in Akron or Denver.

[jackboy48]

A few years ago I started going to Chicago for some fun times. Midway does have a hotel park with all the usual chains, there are also frequent shuttle buses to the airport and the adjacent train station, but the train does not go out to Midway after 0100. Even if you don't care about being out late, the transport time with the shuttle and the train to anything interesting is at least an hour or more, so there's really no time to refresh yourself between your daytime and nighttime activities. I prefer to stay in the Grant Park area at the very old fashioned Palmer House, which often has some kind of deal. It's walkable to the parks and most of the major museums, as well as the best shopping. I try to reserve at least one full day for the Art Institute, take one of their classes, and enjoy their fantastic cafe for lunch. I also take one night for the Lyric Opera which actually has out of towner passes if you want to do 2 or 3 nights. It's important to remember that if you're going to get a multi-day transit pass, to purchase it at the airport, once you're in the city they're hard to find, though you can get single day passes. The Hawthorne Terrace just finished their most recent renovation in the last year or two, and is very walkable into the older gay neighborhoods which are full of interesting cafes, restaurants, and bars. I'm thinking the pizza place you're looking for is Gino's East. I strongly suggest that you find a hotel in the city, it will be well worth the additional cost, and you will have a much more enjoyable time.