The city of Chicago is an incredibly beautiful place and I am so happy to say that I have grown up in the Chicagoland area for my entire life. There is so much to see and explore in the "Windy City", so I thought that I would share some of my personal favorite places with you all. I have a mix of the quintessential tourist attractions, along with some little finds that are a bit more obscure. I have broken things down by the area they are located in, since Chicago is rather large. Whether you are visiting Chicago soon or you're a resident looking for new places to visit, I hope you enjoy!
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Cloud Gate, also known as "The Bean", is a huge tourist attraction located in Millennium Park. The stainless steel sculpture that debuted in 2006 is a great photo opportunity.
Speaking of amazing photo opportunities, Buckingham Fountain is the perfect backdrop. Constructed in 1927, it remains one the largest fountains in the world. It is located in Grant Park and is the most beautiful at night.
Located on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is host to some really fun things. While spending a day here you can ride on a boat (my favorite is the speed boat), take a boat tour of Chicago, eat (my favorite is Bubba Gump's), and go on rides (the infamous ferris wheel is currently under construction). If you are visiting Chicago during the warmer months, this is a must see!
While I am personally not a huge beach person, I know many would enjoy spending a day lakeside in the city. Even if you aren't a beach fan like myself, it is still fun to soak up the sun and take some pictures on a hot summer's day. I would recommend Oak Street Beach or North Avenue Beach.
Chicago is home to several well known museums. My personal favorite is the Art Institute which is home to paintings like The Old Guitarist by Picasso and American Gothic by Grant Wood. The Museum of Science and Industry is another favorite of mine. Some other Chicago museums include The Field Museum, The Adler Planetarium, and The Shedd Aquarium.
Chicago is obviously home to many famous skyscrapers, offering a unique opportunity to explore the city from high above the ground. Pictured above is the"skydeck" in the (Sears) Willis Tower, which allows visitors to step onto a platform that is suspended 103 floors up, offering incredible views extending to four states. If you are a baby about heights (like me), but still want to experience a breathtaking view I would recommend visiting the 360 Chicago Observatory at the John Hancock building. While their you can have a different view of the city and also grab a bite to eat!
Maybe I'm biased because I have grown up eating it, but deep dish Chicago pizza is simply the best kind of pizza. My favorite is Giordano's, which has many locations downtown and in the suburbs. Other pizzerias that have mastered deep dish are Lou Malnati's and Gino's East.
The caramel and cheese popcorn mix is referred to as the "Chicago Mix" for a reason. If you visit Garrett Popcorn, your taste buds will thank you.
If you've grown up in the Chicagoland area this is a staple in your life, if you're from out of town this is a must visit. Portillo's is a Chicago based fast food chain offering incredible beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, and more. While Portillo's has been expanding to other states in the past few years, it is known as a Chicago classic.
Michigan Avenue and The Gold Coast neighborhood are premier shopping destinations in Chicago. Just walking up and down Michigan Avenue is an outing since it is lined with stores from Topshop and Zara, to Chanel and Cartier.
Grand Lux Cafe is a great place to eat if you want to take a break from shopping on Michigan and enjoy a nice view of street. Grand Lux is owned by The Cheesecake Factory and has other locations, but the location in Chicago has such a great atmosphere. The portions are big and delicious and the creme brulee is to die for. If you go, try to sit in the room in the front with the window. This is one of my favorite places and where I typically eat lunch on my birthday!
Water Tower Place is a great indoor shopping mall that is located right on the "Magnificent Mile". Although this is pretty much your average mall, it is a great place to spend some time shopping if you are in the area. The mall has glass elevators that are stationed in the middle of each floor, which is a very cool touch. The food options at this mall are also amazing. I am obsessed with Food Life, which is a restaurant that has several different stations featuring a bunch of different types of foods.
The 900 North Michigan Shops are another indoor shopping center located along Michigan Avenue. The shops here are a bit less run of the mill and include Bloomingdale's, Kate Spade, Kendra Scott, and J. Crew!
Located right around the corner from the 900 North Michigan Shops, Sprinkles is the perfect place to go for a sweet treat, because everyone likes cupcakes, right?! Stop inside to see all that they have to offer, or just use the convenient cupcake ATM located just outside and available 24 hours a day. My favorite cupcakes are the banana, red velvet, vanilla, and s'mores.
Lincoln Park is hands down my very favorite area in Chicago. I love it because it feels smaller than other areas of the city, yet it still has an urban feel that you cannot get in the suburbs. Everywhere you turn there seems to be something that would make a great photo for Instagram. Lincoln Park is so amazing that the famous OPI nail "Lincoln Park After Dark" is named after it. If it is Saturday afternoon, you can most likely find me here!
The Lincoln Park Zoo is my absolute favorite way to spend a summer day in the city (I am slightly obsessed with looking at animals). Founded in 1868, it is one of the oldest zoos in the country, and one of very few zoos with free admission. The thing I love so much about the zoo is the fact that you feel like you are in an exotic place looking at giraffes, but when you walk out of that area you can look up and see the skyline. The zoo is very clean and offers visitors a wide variety of animals to see. My favorite house at the zoo is the one with the Apes, because you can get so close to them, while at other zoos they are harder to see. I also have an obsession with farm animals, so the petting zoo area is hard to get me out of. In addition to the beauty of the animals, there is one of the best photo-op areas in the zoo. In the middle of the zoo there is a walkway that has the most perfect view of the skyline...perfect for photos!
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is such a unique place to explore. It is located right across the street from Lincoln Park Zoo, making it easy to find. The coolest thing about this nature museum is the butterfly garden, which offers guests a chance to wander a room filled with thousands of beautiful butterflies. They also have an elevated rooftop walk way that is incredibly picturesque.
If you need a blowout, Drybar is the place to go. My whole last post was about Drybar, so go check it out for more info!
The Urban Outfitters Outlet is a somewhat hidden gem right on Clark Street. I found out about this outlet store about 4 years ago while browsing the internet. Soon enough, word spread around my high school about this place and then everyone starting going here. This store is basically filled with Urban Outfitters clearance and surplus items and everything is at a pretty fair price. They also run a lot of sales where the store is an additional half off. Not everything in the store is my style, but I have found some absolutely amazing pieces for such a steal!
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ReplyDeletePortillo’s is a well- known brand amongst people due to the principles adopted by the team members working there. The team of Portillo’s integrates in such a way that their collaboration leads to their customer’s smile and satisfaction. The Portillo’s always believes and says that for them- their People are the Heart of Portillo’s. And this statement is practised by them, which is seen due to their constant hard work to deliver quality food and services.