Chicago - Where to Stay

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Chicago may have more neighborhoods than any other city in North America. While many of them have begun to look similar, each maintains distinctive features and color. Whether looking for the exotic or a bit of the city made famous by novelist Nelson Algren, you can find it in Chicago.

Four of Chicago's neighborhoods offer most of its best hotels: the Loop, North Michigan Avenue, the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park. Each neighborhood has its pros and cons, but you can be assured that you won't have to worry about stray bullets coming through your window or the elevated train clattering by, as in the film "The Blues Brothers."



The Loop

When people think of Chicago, the Loop is often what first comes to mind. For more than a hundred years, the Loop has been the business center of the city. So named because of the El (elevated) train that "loops" around it, this district encompasses towering skyscrapers - including The Sears Tower, The Chicago Board of Trade, The Art Institute of Chicago, theatres, restaurants and universities. The Loop is the historic heart of Chicago and offers a wealth of buildings rich with architectural and historic significance. However, while it teems with life during the business week and on weekends, outside of the theatres, little nightlife can be found. But if you want to stay in the heart of the city, with easy access to every neighborhood and attraction, consider booking a room at the Palmer House, the Congress Plaza Hotel or the Midland Hotel. Each of these hotels has historic significance, but the Palmer House takes the prize. This is actually the hotel's third incarnation. The first building was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the second was torn down to make way for the present building. The recently renovated Hotel Burnham Chicago at the Historic Reliance Building and Hotel Allegro present posh alternatives adjacent to the theatre district.



North Michigan Avenue

As two of the few surviving buildings from the fire of 1871, the Water Tower and the Chicago Water Works look out proudly over the growth that has occurred around their home on North Michigan Avenue. Sixty years ago, nothing much was around except for the fire station, the water works, an occasional house and barren land. A post-World War II boom turned this strip into the "Magnificent Mile," Chicago's preeminent shopping and tourist district. The Mile begins at the Chicago River near the Wrigley Building and continues north to the ritzy Oak Street. Along the way, you will find not only upscale stores and theatres, but new entertainment ventures like DisneyQuest and ESPN Zone. Just off Michigan Avenue are lots of themed restaurants for families including old favorites like the Hard Rock Caf¨¦ and Rainforest Cafe.

Most tourists opt to stay in this district because of its location and attractions and the high concentration of hotels. Staying in this area will cost you, but you can find weekend rates and more moderate prices at hotels such as the Radisson or the Lenox Suites. Business travelers and families alike find reasonable rates and welcome amenities at the centrally located Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown North and the Marriott Hotel. For those wanting to flex their Visa cards, the Four Seasons Hotel consistently ranks as one of the best in the country, and it has the prices to prove it. The Drake Hotel, the stately and luxurious home of the famed Cape Cod Room, has offered a four-star experience since 1920.

Some people might want to stay on North Michigan for the convenience it offers, but at the same time avoid the tourists and weekend shoppers who congest the area. The Tremont Hotel offers the perfect hideaway, located just a block off Michigan Avenue.



The Gold Coast

People thought he was crazy when Potter Palmer uprooted his family from their Prairie Avenue home and moved them to the wilderness of the North Side. For years Prairie Avenue was synonymous with wealth, but Palmer's move marked the beginning of the end for this once fabulously wealthy street. Not long after his departure, the poverty of nearby immigrant neighborhoods began to encroach upon the homes of Chicago's wealthy. So they joined Potter Palmer in the part of town now called the Gold Coast. To this day, it remains an elite place to live, the mark of wealth and sophistication. Walk along Astor and North State Street to admire the gorgeous brown and red stone buildings. Perhaps you will even decide to stay at the Ambassador West Hotel or the Omni Ambassador East Hotel. These twin hotels are now owned by different companies, but each is elegant and first class all the way. The Omni Ambassador East Hotel is home to the Pump Room, where celebrities such as Frank Sinatra talked and ate and drank the night away. Some of its 1940s glamour still survives. You may need to rely more on taxis or buses if you're staying in the Gold Coast, but for seclusion, elegance and a piece of the high life, the Gold Coast can't be beat.



Lincoln Park

It is hard to believe that Lincoln Park was once a cemetery. Nothing is left of those days except the Getty Tomb. Instead, Lincoln Park is a thriving community that borders the park of the same name on the east, Ashland Avenue on the west, and North and Diversey Avenues on the south and north. If you want to stay in a real Chicago neighborhood that has all the convenience of the Loop, look no further. Buses and trains cut across Lincoln Park, making it easy to get just about anywhere in the city or suburbs.

A number of moderately priced hotels are available, and for a rock bottom rate you can't beat the Days Inn Lincoln Park on Diversey. Check out the Surf Hotel or Park Brompton Inn hotels if you want to stay on a quiet residential street. For a more invigorating, Art Deco atmosphere, check into the Belmont City Suites Hotel, located on Belmont Avenue. A frequent haunt of gangsters and mobsters during Prohibition, the hotel was redecorated in 1999, and now caters to both tourists and business travelers.

From the lake to the park to museums, restaurants and transportation options, Lincoln Park is probably the best place to stay in Chicago if you don't mind being away from the throngs of North Michigan Avenue or the history of the Loop. Get up early to jog along Lake Michigan, or sit on Belmont Rocks to watch the sun set over the city. Lincoln Park is truly a great place to experience city life at its best.









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Sears Tower Skydeck


See Chicago from its Tallest Building
 233 S Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL 60606
+1 312 875 9696
http://www.theskydeck.com
Sears Tower Skydeck
ESPN Zone


Center for sports enthusiasts
 43 East Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 644 3776
http://espn.go.com/espninc/zone/index.html
ESPN Zone
Art Institute of Chicago


Global art leader
 111 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
+1 312 443 3600
http://www.artic.edu/
Art Institute of Chicago
Lincoln Park


Lakefront park
 600-5800 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60614
+1 312 742 7529
Lincoln Park
Chicago Waterworks Visitors Center


Visitor center and Chicago history museum
 163 East Pearson St
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 742 8811
Chicago Waterworks Visitors Center
Chicago Board of Trade


Watch the traders in action
 141 W Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60604
+1 312 435 3590
http://www.cbot.com
Chicago Board of Trade
Wrigley Building


One of the most famous Chicago buildings
 410 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Wrigley Building
Hard Rock Cafe


Rock 'n' roll museum and eatery
 63 West Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60610
+1 312 943 2252
http://www.hardrock.com/cafes/cafes_chicago.html
Hard Rock Cafe
Prairie Avenue Historic District


Journey to the opulent 1890s
 2200 South Prairie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
+1 312 922 3432
Prairie Avenue Historic District
Pump Room


Wine, dine and dance in Sinatra's footsteps
 1301 N State Pkwy
Omni Ambassador East Hotel
Chicago, IL 60610
+1 312 266 0360
http://www.pumproom.com
Pump Room
Willows


Quiet neighborhood hotel
 555 West Surf Street
Chicago, IL 60657
+1 773 528 8400 / +1 800 787 3108
http://www.cityinns.com
Willows
Cape Cod Room


Elegant saloon with a seaside decor
 140 East Walton Place
Drake Hotel
Chicago, IL 60611-1545
+1 312 932 4615
http://dining.thedrakehotel.com/capecod/capecod_intro.html
Cape Cod Room
Tremont Hotel


Intimate hotel off Michigan Avenue
 100 East Chestnut Street
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 751 1900
http://www.tremontchicago.com/
Tremont Hotel
Hilton Garden Inn


Suitable for families or business travelers
 10 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 595 0000 / +1 877 782 9444
http://www.hiltongardenchicago.com/
Hilton Garden Inn
Marriott Hotel


Centrally Located
 540 North Michigan Avenue
Rosemont
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 836 0100 / +1 800 228 9290
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2005797-10406976?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmarriott.com%2Freservations%2FsetAMCookie.mi%3Faff%3DFeed__%26AFFNAME%3D%25zp%26mid%3D%252Fproperty%252Fpropertypage%252FCHIDT
Marriott Hotel
Omni Ambassador East


Choice Gold Coast hotel
 1301 North State Parkway
Chicago, IL 60610
+1 312 787 7200 / +1 800 788 6664
http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/ChicagoAmbassadorEast.aspx
Omni Ambassador East
City Suites Hotel


Small hotel on Belmont Avenue
 933 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
+1 773 404 3400 / +1 800 248 9108
http://www.cityinns.com
City Suites Hotel
Days Inn Lincoln Park North


Familiar hotel in busy, Lincoln Park locale
 644 West Diversey Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
+1 773 525 7010 / +1 800 654 7871
http://www.lpndaysinn.com/
Days Inn Lincoln Park North
Drake Hotel


First class luxury hotel with an elegant lobby
 140 East Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 787 2200 / +1 800 553 7253
http://www.thedrakehotel.com
Drake Hotel
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago


Luxurious digs on the Mag Mile
 120 East Delaware Place
Chicago, IL 60611-1428
+1 312 280 8800 / +1 312 280 8400
http://www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Hotel Burnham


Charming hotel in the 1894 Reliance Building
 1 West Washington
Chicago, IL 60602
+1 312 782 1111 / +1 877 294 9712
http://www.burnhamhotel.com
Hotel Burnham
W Chicago City Center


Historic and elegant lodgings in the Loop
 172 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60603
+1 312 332 1200
http://www.starwoodhotels.com
W Chicago City Center
Palmer House Hilton


The city's most famous hotel
 17 E Monroe St
Chicago, IL 60603
+1 312 726 7500 / +1 800 445 8667
http://www.hilton.com/
Palmer House Hilton
Majestic Hotel


Charming neighborhood inn
 528 West Brompton
Chicago, IL 60657
+1 773 404 3499 / +1 800 721 5108 (Toll free)
http://www.cityinns.com
Majestic Hotel
Chicago
Chicago - Art & Entertainment
Chicago - Historical Background
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Chicago - Dining & Drinking
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