Chicago city guide
You can now download eBook versions Lonely Planet as individual chapters for a few euros, and read them on your tablet, smartphone, eBook reader or laptop.
ETG Tip: Head to Wicker Park for hipster record stores and Logan Square for the heavy metal burger bar.
Choose a Chapter!
1. Chicago - South Loop & Near South Side (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
In the South Loop, the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium huddle at the Museum Campus. Historic buildings dot the area, including Chess Records, the seminal blues label. Chinatown bustles with noodle shops and exotic wares.
2. Chicago - Hyde Park & South Side (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet.
Brainy Hyde Park holds bookstores galore and sights such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and the Museum of Science & Industry. Irish enclave Bridgeport has blossomed with bars and galleries, while Bronzeville has architecture and jazzy African American-history shrines.
3. Chicago - Near West Side & Pilsen (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
The meat-packing West Loop buzzes with hot-chef restaurants and the hippest art galleries. Greektown and Little Italy serve ethnic fare nearby. In Pilsen, Mexican culture mixes with Chicago's bohemian underground, and colorful murals, taquerias and cafes result.
4. Chicago - The Loop (Chapter) Lonely Planet
The Loop is Chicago's center of action, named for the elevated train tracks that lasso its streets. The Art Institute, Willis Tower, Theater District and Millennium Park are top draws among the skyscrapers.
5. Chicago - Logan Square & Humboldt Park (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
Weenie-maker Hot Doug's, heavy-metal burger bar Kuma's and Michelin-starred Longman & Eagle bring gastronomes to Logan Square. Puerto Rican stronghold Humboldt Park is the place to sample a jibarito, the local sandwich specialty.
6. Chicago - Wicker Park, Buckktown & Ukrainian Village (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
These three neighborhoods are hot property. Hipster record stores, thrift shops and cocktail lounges have shot up, though vintage Eastern European dive bars linger on many street corners. The restaurant and rock-club scene is unparalleled.
7. Chicago - Andersonville & Uptown (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
Vestiges of Andersonville's Swedish past remain, but today the area is about foodie taverns, funky boutiques and gay and lesbian bars. Uptown offers historic jazz houses, such as the Green Mill (Al Capone's fave), along with the thriving eateries of 'Little Saigon.'
8. Chicago - Lake View & Wrigleyville (Chapter) Lonely Planet
Wrigley Field, both cursed and hallowed, draws baseball pilgrims. The bar-filled neighborhood around it parties hard and collides with the rainbow banners of Boystown, the nearby gay district. Kicky eateries and shops cater to the masses.
9. Chicago - Lincon Park & Old Town (Chapter) Lonely Planet
Lincoln Park is a sprawling lakefront oasis of ponds, paths, beaches and zoo animals. Next door, stylish Old Town hangs on to its free-spirited past with artsy bars and improv comedy bastion Second City.
10. Chicago - Gold Coast (Chapter) Lonely Planet
Furs and Rolls Royces are de rigueur in the Gold Coast. By day the cloud-poking Hancock Center and provocative Museum of Contemporary Art beckon. At night, Rush Street entertains with swanky steakhouses and piano lounges.
11. Chicago - Near North & Navy Pier (Chapter) Lonely Planet
The Near North packs in hotels, deep-dish pizza parlors, art galleries and so many upscale stores that its main vein - Michigan Ave - has been dubbed the 'Magnificent Mile.' Navy Pier unfurls a half-mile-long wharf of tour boats and carnival rides.
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