Downtown Chicago for 30 hours.
I’ve been coming to the windy city on average twice a year in the last four years. I find new and interesting things to do, see, and eat every time. The best way to explore, is to walk. Béla lives in the suburbs, therefore the easiest and cheapest way to get downtown, is by Metra, a quiet and smooth train ride. Ticket booths closed at the station where you got on? No problem, just purchase your ticket on the train, pay in cash, to a conductor who still wears the uniform from back in the day.
Once you arrive at the OTC, its time to get your bearings and walk - or - rent a Divvy bike and get around that way. I chose to walk this time, and I took a new route from the OTC to the Public Hotel in what is known as Old Town. It was a 2 mile walk (or 3 km for my non America friends) I walked down a street called Clark Street. I was very pleasantly surprised, so many little restaurants, most private and not chains, and one stuck out, because it is called the Wine Cafe. I did not have time to enjoy its liquid fares this time, but it is marked on my to-do list with some girlfriends in the future. Of course if you want Mc Donald’s, Portillos or Rain Forest Cafe, those are all on the way too.
I took a break at Washington Park. It is a picturesque square, with a lot of shade, has a fountain in the middle, a free standing piano for anyone who wants to play, and they even have doggie yoga evenings. So for my pooch loving and owning friends, Chicago likes and accommodates your little or big furry family members .
I met up with Béla at the Public Hotel (since my previous visit a month ago, this iconic hotel has been sold, and is now called the Ambassador Hotel) where they were having their staff retreat. It is a very classy place, parking for a night will set you back 65$, but the staff is incredibly friendly and they have a great lobby to just sit and read, or plug in your electronics if need be. We headed out for dinner at GT Prime. This was an experience in itself. The menu is very ecclectic, and honesty I was not sure if I was going to like anything. I was blown away. We ate ourselves into a stupor. The decor is intriguing as well, and the bathrooms are entertaining. Both ladies and men restrooms had a poof with a big furry throw on it. For a moment you want to pet it until you realize, well you are in a restroom. Funny nonetheless.
What catches the eye in Chicago is the architecture. They have found a unique way to mix the old with the new, and have kept it classy. There are many tours to choose from, either walking, or boat (highly recommend the architectural boat tour) I found a free tour the next morning of a house called the Charlney-Persky Historical house. The historical society of Chicago takes care of the upkeep, and every Wednesday at 12pm, you can take a free 45 minute tour. The lady who showed us around, was very knowledgable and a true gem. She volunteers her time, and passes on information in a very easy to listen way. I had no clue who Sullivan and Wright were at the beginning of the tour, I now would like to do some other tours that show their work.
Old Town also has some very posh stores, anything from Hermes to Dior. There is also Division Street, more low key, which, has small private owned eateries. Mexican, Greek, Pizza. Its all on one block. I unfortunately did not get to try Coconutz since they only open in the evening. Béla and I however did visit a tea house called TeaGschwendner. It has its own history, and wall to wall teas, they can serve it hot or iced, and to go which was perfect since we were walking towards downtown.
We stopped and went in to Holy Name Cathedral, mostly to cool off and sit for a while, but also because it is another architecture gem on the inside. The organ pipe is majestic, the tiles and arches combine a goth-christian feel.
We moved on to the Canadian Consulate next. They were hosting a movie, directed by a Quebec director, called Le goût d’un pays. Finding the building where the consulate is located was easy, but once we were inside we could not get past security because they were not aware that the Canadian Consulate was showing a movie that night. Turns out it was being shown in the Chicago Cultural Centre across the street, even though the Facebook event listed the consulates address. oopies. It's ok. eh? We went down to the lobby and decided to sit and relax for a bit. We found some very comfortable, very high-backed individual red couches, the pictures with tell the rest ;)
The Chicago Cultural Centre is another hidden gem. From the moment you step in, you feel like you stepped back in time. Beautiful architecture in the main atrium, winding stairs going up, a ballroom that today is probably used for private events. We were greeted by Canadian representatives, and they had pins, stickers, magnets, in celebration for Canada’s 150th anniversary. I had the pleasure of meeting the director Françis Legault and we spoke in french to his delight. Turns out this was his very first international showing of his movie, very exciting time for him ! The film, Le goût d’un pays, is about 102 minutes long and has english subtitles. I will not go into details, I think you should watch it for yourself, you can look it up on youtube. It was nice for me, a little piece of home, right around the 150th celebrations that were upcoming.
We ended our day by taking an Uber to the OTC. Honestly, at this point I had no desire to walk anymore. In the 30 hours I was in the city, I walked over 25 000 steps, I was done. On top of it all the rain was coming, we were getting tornado warnings on the weather app. FYI the unpredictable weather in Chicago can only be described as "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes". We grabbed a bite to eat at the station, where they have a variety of choice at their food court, something for every one and prices for everyone as well. So Metra back to the suburbs, where we played games, (Bela beat me shamelessly, I will need to up my game :P ) chatted and relaxed. Goodnight Chicago, until the next time you blow me away - figuratively and/or literally.
