Share Your Single Favorite Thing About Chicago (Washington, Anchor: sales, condo)

[ChiGuy2.5]

You can only pick ONE! Please explain. I will start.

Beauty

Chicago is a beautiful city. I love that we have lake views and also river views. I love how clean our city is and I love how much of the infrastructure is underground so it doesn't take away from the overall vibe. I love the deep history our city holds in architecture and the beautiful buildings that are a result of it.

I do wish that we kept some of the older buildings that were razed in the mid-late 90's to make way for large boxes though.

[Master Jay]

The torture that I endure with the sheer amount of BEAUTIFUL WOMEN!

[Champ le monstre du lac]

I'm here for two weeks currently on a biz trip staying in River North. For me, two weeks is a very long time to be in the thick of a major city with a lot of intensity. But I will say the visual eye candy here from the people watching, the setting on Lake Michigan, and the architecture are all quite impressive. It really is a beautiful city, I've taken a lot of photos as most days the weather has been great with bluebird days and I love all the spring gardens planted around the city.

But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, it's the FOOD. I've got a fairly generous daily per diem and so I have not hesitated to indulge and this a great town to do it. I've managed to go to Eataly, Giordanos, Lou Malnahtis, Frontera Grill, Shang Noodle, Soup Dumplings at Qing Xiang Yuan in Chinatown, Steak 48, Shaws Crab House, and the Berghoff thus far. I have the remainder of the week here, I'll admit I'm eating very heavily and I intend to scale way back when I get home. And though I feel a bit homesick after 10 days in, I do look forward to dinner here each night. It's been a real treat making this trip one for the books.

[movin1]

I lived near Chicago most of my life and spent a lot of time there. I stayed at a friend's condo at Lakeshore and Diversey hundreds of times and finally bought a condo on Illinois Street just off Michigan Ave. I only lived there a year, but have many fond memories of Chicago, it was a big part of my life. I used to love shopping there. I bought clothes at some great stores. I bought furniture at some great stores and sales at the Merchandise Mart. I bought wine at some great stores. I shopped at Sam's Wine Warehouse when it was a on Halsted, one of the guys let me go down to the basement cellar and buy old vintage wines.

I ate at some great restaurants, including a few that are no longer there, like Charlie Trotter's and MK. I ate at Alinea once,
it was an unforgettable experience.

I bought art at galleries and got to know two owners who are sadly no longer with us. RIP Billy Hork and Charlie Belloc-Lowndes.

When I lived on Illinois Street, I walked my dogs around the Chicago River Walk, Trump Tower etc. Amazingly beautiful architecture. I took a Riverboat Architectural tour and got to see things from a different perspective, highly recommended. I loved walking around the different neighborhoods, up and down Michigan Ave, River North, etc.

Sorry, that's a lot more than one, but I couldn't help myself.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by Champ le monstre du lac

I'm here for two weeks currently on a biz trip staying in River North. For me, two weeks is a very long time to be in the thick of a major city with a lot of intensity. But I will say the visual eye candy here from the people watching, the setting on Lake Michigan, and the architecture are all quite impressive. It really is a beautiful city, I've taken a lot of photos as most days the weather has been great with bluebird days and I love all the spring gardens planted around the city.

But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, it's the FOOD. I've got a fairly generous daily per diem and so I have not hesitated to indulge and this a great town to do it. I've managed to go to Eataly, Giordanos, Lou Malnahtis, Frontera Grill, Shang Noodle, Soup Dumplings at Qing Xiang Yuan in Chinatown, Steak 48, Shaws Crab House, and the Berghoff thus far. I have the remainder of the week here, I'll admit I'm eating very heavily and I intend to scale way back when I get home. And though I feel a bit homesick after 10 days in, I do look forward to dinner here each night. It's been a real treat making this trip one for the books.

I recommend checking out Third Coast Cafe if you want to try something a little more chill and light. It's one of my favorite small restaurants to visit. Depending on how far north in River North you are you might be able to quickly walk to it.

Another recommendation is to get Ribs at Twin Anchors Bar and Grill. You won't be able to walk there but you can take the brown line. Best ribs in the city! It's an old school prohibition style bar.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

The torture that I endure with the sheer amount of BEAUTIFUL WOMEN!

So that's why you're always visiting! The secrets out!

[pvande55]

The rail transit system. The CTA "L" serves both airports, Major League parks, and numerous other locations. Add in Metra, and you have most places within 50 miles. Easily the best in the Midwest. I know, some other US cities (NY, San Francisco, Washington, maybe LA) also have this. But they are also much more expensive. Yes, there are other great things about Chicago, but I rank this #1.

[Kmanshouse]

Architecture/Skyline

[Das_Interwebz]

I agree with the OP totally and great to see a positive thread vs too many former residents who have a grudge and yes in every era of Chicago was issues, tormoil and what we did as a nation in mistakes the lead to our own big city issues. That is totally another thread.

On why Chicago does come across in superior ways and in aesthetics to visitors is still street-cleanings outside of winter in every neighborhood and not just some select ones and along with its street-grid that allowed for front green-space and its alleyway system that gave the city a early means to hide its power-grid vs other cities. Oops is that more than one..

This hiding its ugly power poles aids in aesthetics vs cities who did not or could not. Keeping fronts of homes and their small lawns clear of them leaving soaring trees able to do so. I believe all who have lived in Chicago for a length of time and move to areas that those poles and wires are far more in front of homes. That blemish we all see for a long time till you just act like they are not there.

So I am adding fronts of so many Chicago neighborhood homes that have green to the sidewalk, even another layer where the trees are to the curb, along with NOT having them ugly poles and wires running thru them tree-line streets. Is just another layer of a great choice that improved Chicago's visual superiority vs other older cities especially in the east. Even in Houston you see new developments and the can have a ugly pole and huge transformer right in front.

I have another one I guess I will save for another post here.

[Master Jay]

ChiGuy2.5,

"Breathtaking" in the beauty that is the Women of Chicago.

Are they residents? Are they visiting?

I don't know, but if it's a dream, do not wake me!