February 2012
39 posts
Hello - love the blog! A few Chicago questions for you; it's looking like I might make the move in June for a job after grad school, and I'll be visiting in a month or so to scope it out. 1) Great neighborhoods to live in for a 20-something? 2) Sights to see and places to eat during my March visit? 3) How often do you manage to go skiing? (Your recent trip looked amazing!) Thanks! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.
hey there!
so glad to hear that chicago is on the radar. post-grad life is an exciting time - and checking out all of the possible landing spots is half the fun!
1)
i just started listing a few neighborhoods - and realized i named all of them. not so helpful. let’s see…
a) lincoln park, lakeview and old town are saturated with our age group - especially with those who enjoy running / walking / biking along the lakefront. there’s nothing like the green of the park juxtaposed against the grid of the city. it’s where PKS and i used to live - and i miss it everyday.
b) river north and the west loop have some great spaces (major loft lust), all the best restaurants and bars (too many to name) and abuts the loop (great for work).
c) bucktown and wicker park are perennially cool. though, honestly, it’s been far too long since i made it over to the other side of the highway.
2)
oh boy! here’s a first pass - there’s so much, but these are my favorites.
a) the art institute, the museum of contemporary art, the shedd aquarium and the poetry foundation are musts. if weather permits, walk millennium park for the bean and the lurie gardens. stand on the ledge at the top of the sears tower if the sky is clear. and if you have a free evening, a show at second city.
b) for places to eat, it’s hard to go wrong. the girl and the goat lives up to the hype as does the publican. lunch at terzo piano or one of the many amazing food trucks (like gaztro-wagon or pleasant house). try hole-in-the-walls like the doughnut vault (early) and xoco (later). oh, and the wiener circle (much later).
3)
we’ve been fairly lucky that in the past few years, between my husband and me, one of us has been in grad school - with those extra generous vacations! plus, my parents spend most of the year at their home in colorado. which means we’ve had too many excuses to partake in our favorite past time. so 3-4 times a year. which now that i type that out seems ridiculous. i swear, i have a job.
i hope this was somewhat helpful - i know the bevy of other chicago tumblrs will have some great tips, too!
good luck - keep us posted! xo
