Chicago 2016: Our credit rating is lower than your credit rating

A new thread. Let's see who posts on it.

Sup

I am posting on this thread.

Yay.

What's up with our spring sandwich? 90s, 90s, 60s, 90s again tomorrow? Where did today come from?

From heaven above!

mh, where are you going?

O'Hare has Rick Bayless tortas and soon Publican, too!

hey guys it's me, a real chicagoean

i remember chicago

I am going home

Or at least I would be if my flight wasn't perpetually delayed. I'm still at o'hare if anyone is in the neighborhood!

really though please save me from my idiocy several weeks ago when I booked my return flights on American

I'd post Chicago-related stuff/discussion here, if folks are game. I'd also post to the slack discussions if I knew domain/invite ...

so they kept pushing my departure time back last night (plane had a maintenance issue). finally, they say.. we have a new plane! the crew got on it, said "this is a good plane" and it looked promising until they realized they had no way to transfer the luggage or something

so I got in line and they gave me a hotel voucher for the holiday inn express... IN SCHAUMBURG

by the time the shuttle got there, and the single man working the counter got everyone checked in, it was 1AM. then I had to catch the shuttle back to the airport at 5AM

;_;

Brutal

Did you go to Ikea? They've got good, cheap breakfast there.

my mom and dad got sent to schaumburg that way once, it was bullshit

I used my breakfast voucher at the airport on a danish and coffee, then promptly dropped the danish on my shirt, after which it bounced on to the ground. I wiped it off and ate it because FUCK

I saw the IKEA from the road at FIVE IN THE MORNING when I was on the shuttle, which sucked, don't even remind me

I would have eaten the danish too and probably also cried.

Holy cow, dude, that is a tidal wave of some bullshit! And you didn't even get to visit the Ikea!

I would have cried and eaten dirty Danish, too, yes.

I would have tolerated the ambiguity and delays better if our gate didn't have two televisions showing CNN the whole time, with the volume on. I tried to stick to headphones but I had to listen for updates ;_;

cnn can also bite me

eyo I'm gonna be in town with a free night on July 20-21 - anyone interested in a FAP?

I might be up for a brief FAP-related hermitage moratorium.

I don't know what that means but OK!

It means that I'll try to put my impeccable Garbo impression on hold for a night. I have yet to successfully FAP but there's a first time for everything!

If someone else plans it, I might show up. That's a busy week for me.

I'm at the mercy of locals w/knowledge so I won't be much help planning anything

I hope for your sake that there's more respondents or this thing is going to wind up in Evanston.

Where will you be staying?

checking with the wife, it's somewhere downtown

Virgin Hotel at 203 N Wabash

"virgin hotel" sounds like some kind of outrageous HBO sitcom

You should go to Three Dots and a Dash, which is a few blocks away. Or Moneygun.

is it a gun made out of money or a gun that shoots money at you

I do love a good tiki bar tho

say hi to richard branson for me

Moneygun is a really awesome newer place that vacuums money out of your pocket: http://www.moneygunchicago.com Classic cocktails done right, for about $11 a drink, which is a little less than par at a fancy place. I know the owner, and he said the term comes from his business partner, who would suggest, whenever faced with a problem, that they just shoot it with the moneygun.

my wife (who does not drink) will definitely prefer the tiki bar

whenever faced with a problem, that they just shoot it with the moneygun.

check your privilege IIRC

Interesting, had never heard of money gun. I'm not a cocktail guy though.

Not as into Three Dots since Paul McGee left and opened up Lost Lake, but it's downtown and Lost Lake isn't.

Totally agreed. LL is better but smaller and not downtown.

I'm still slightly angry about downtown Chicago ever since that "oh, I'll arrive via plane early Sunday morning on Memorial Day weekend, I'm sure something will be open" fiasco I blundered into last year

I worked on an Easter Sunday years ago and was forced to eat Arby's because it was that or maybe like some crackers in my desk. Holidays and the Loop do not mix.

ok so this would have to happen on Wednesday the 20th, are people into this? a FAP at this Three Dots and a Dash place sometime in the evening?

The 20th works for me. I did have a conflict but I decided to take 3 days off work that week to make it happen. However you'll probably be disappointed if it's just me. Need to recruit more interesting people.

my wife and I look forward to arguing about Star Trek w you :)

I wish I could make it (not that I'm interesting) but I think that night is now off the table for me.

Thinking of letting my kids watch Next Generation ...

are they really into muted color schemes

Aw, nertz, I have an appointment on the evening of the 20th. Otherwise, the time and location would work perfectly for me. Maybe I can scootch things around.

does the 21st work better? small chance I can move the hotel reservation

It's better for me but I'd hate for my availability to affect your plans in any way.

well if both you and JiC are available Thursday than that seems like it could be worth it

shakey, my wife and I stayed at the Virgin and it was great. protip, during their social hour from 7-8 every night, all drinks at The Commons Club bar (on the second floor i believe?) are totally free for hotel guests. we had three cocktails each on the house.

hey also something about Chicago I didn't know.

in 1840, the city population was 4,470. by 1890, it was 1.1 million.

I guess i thought Chicago was a much bigger city earlier than 1840.

hey thx for the free drink tip!!

http://img.pandawhale.com/post-18170-Great-Gatsby-toast-gif-Imgur-f-EnmX.gif

lol

21st less ideal, but still works for me. Would prefer the more the merrier.

21st is slightly better for me, but just by a hair.

It's looking very unlikely that I'll be able to make it, unfortunately. Waiting on updates for potentially bad family news and will probably be out of town soon.

I'm still up for a drink tonight, if anyone is still available.

Sorry, shakey & co., I'm just waiting by the phone and preparing to leave town at a moment's notice. Another time, for sure.

Oh shit, did something happen? Nothing? Oh well, next time.

Looks like Chicago's Savemoney crew ruled Lollapalooza. Chance, Big Purp, Towkio, Saba...Good for Chicago hip-hop. I haven't really been paying attention, but probably should.

I don't know if anything happened (I had funeral-ing to do, unfortunately). I hope it was a good time if so.

nothin happened - stayed at the Virgin Hotel which was ridic, ate at some Indian restaurant downtown (India House?) which was p good, went to see Ghostbusters, that was about it

Aw.

Jesus Christ the violence in this city. And it's almost all seemingly random and impulsive. I'm pretty sad and frustrated and in search of solutions other than decades of systemic change, which of course will take, well, decades. A kid from our local high school was shot and killed on a street corner Monday night, and I'm honestly torn. It's heartbreaking and I plan to attend his vigil tonight, but at the same time (ugh) aren't there better places to be than hanging with a friend on the corner on on the west side of Chicago after 10pm on a school night? Is there even such a thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time? He should have been at home. It's all so senseless.

I feel dorky posting this after Josh's post above, but any other ILXors going to the Lush and/or Belly concerts at The Vic this weekend? I'm coming into town for both shows.

Yeah, sorry for being a bummer. I actually went to the vigil, which was good for me (in a selfish way). Nice to see such a wide array of people there, and I think I learned a lot, actually.

But yeah, Belly and Lush. It's almost funny that they are back to back, night to night, at the same venue, as almost counter programming to Riot Fest (right?). But I think I'm skipping them.

If I weren't a total lamestain of an old, I'd be there with bells on.

I should mention if anyone is interested I do have an extra ticket to each show, since my wife is unable to come with me as planned.

Hmm Lush -- maybe? If it's still available on Sunday lemme know, couldn't let it go to waste!

http://i.imgur.com/5ngvoFP.jpg

anything going on the october 21 - 23 weekend?

Film Fest: i can recommend the 1930 musical King of Jazz

https://www.fandor.com/keyframe/daily-chicago-2016

bumping thread for next weekend. looking less likely I'd show up, but it's possible

We'll be out of town.

I should post and say that my dad, my girlfriend and I visited Chicago for a few days just now and had a wonderful time. We were busy doing a bunch of specific things my dad was aiming for -- the trip was his idea -- but the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry and 360Chicago were all great as well an architecture river tour, it was fun to catch some of the Marathon, the weather was perfect, and the food and drink uniformly excellent. And that gr8080 as Robie House docent was excellent.

will be in chi thanksgiving week

what are the good bars and restaurants downtown and surrounding areas?

also trying to get out of it and not into it but i've been given the task of taking my kid brother to his first strip bar so any recs are appreciated (save me the retribution -- will avoid going if possible). 18 and over!

Well, I can tell you some of my new faves, downtown or River North:

http://mercatchicago.com/

http://www.imperial-lamian.com/#home

http://www.giltbarchicago.com/

http://www.lsdatcaa.com/milk-room-chicago

http://beatrixchicago.com/

http://threedotschicago.com/

As for strip bars, you're on your own.

cheers ned!

hey i am sorry i missed you ned. mh, hmu if u are around.

Hey there! Long since returned but I can assure you that while on the river architecture tour I was tickled to note the Britannica building.

oh, cool!

i have never actually done that boat tour but have heard great things.

2016?

So I'll be in town MLK weekend. What's the best way to get around and take in the sights in mid-winter?

Music-wise: Looks like I'll be missing Tortoise and Advance Base shows by a day.

CTA
Cabs/uber
Walking
Driving

Really kind of depends where you are and where you want to go, too.

Overheard some thing on NPR the other day arguing that, as abysmal a mayor as Emanuel may be, having a total dick in office may help offset some of the potential federal-level dickishness that's almost certainly headed everyone's way (I think this discussion was specifically about maintaining Chicago's sanctuary city status). Feels a little like aligning oneself with the least malignant gang in prison or huddling in the cave of the post-apocalyptic warlord least likely to eat your family but there may be some sad truth to the notion.

cold comfort imo

Thanks dan m! We're staying downtown but will be up for exploring Bucktown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park (and the neighborhoods NW up Lincoln). The L Blue Line looks pretty integral.

don't forget about buses. sometimes it's more efficient to take a bus than the train.
don't feel bad about missing advance base, i'm not in the band anymore (jk advance base is still great even though i'm not in the band anymore)

really liked the metra and how they have an app you can buy passes with

Haha, I had no idea you were in AB!

I'll be taking the Metra at least once (don't ask).

CTA Bustracker has bus/train times -- def comes in handy during the cold.

http://www.ctabustracker.com

gotta suggest taking the Lincoln bus for Jeff

We have been remarkably snow free so far. Snow truly affects the best ways to get around. Also Sub-Zero temperatures, or lack thereof. It is about 40 degrees right now. In a couple days it is supposed to be 5. The first is fine to walk in, the second you want to avoid.

having visited chicago in january when it was raining and several inches of snow were dissolving into slush, if you can't line up a good train/bus combo during wet weather that gets you within a couple blocks of your destination, it's very reasonable to take a cab or uber the last stretch

I normally don't balk at slushy walks but while doing so I accidentally got turned around and went two blocks out of my way, followed by stepping it what seemed like a small amount of water but ended up being a four inch deep puddle

Also, beware of falling ice. I don't walk anywhere without adhering to a totally unpredictable zig-zag pattern.

Got everything planned out?

I'm driving from Decorah, IA to DeKalb, IL tomorrow than transferring to a METRA to meet my wife in River North (tourist hotel centroid #1)

Thank you for asking btw, does anyone like the Cubbies? Does f/redwell still inhabit this particular dimension?

Is this the most recent Chicago thread? Looks like I'm going to be visiting in late August for 5 days or so. Where should I stay? I'll be staying downtown for work for a couple days, but I could stay elsewhere for the other days. I'm inclined to find an Airbnb in a different neighbourhood.

Unless you got your eyes on a specific neighborhood, probably best to stay centrally located. Easy to get to most popular hoods via public transit.

yeah downtown is def the spoke for the el, so it's convenient for getting out to the various neighborhoods. if you stay somewhere on the north side you might find yourself going back downtown to go back out to another neighborhood on the train, or having to figure out buses (which isn't that hard)

my counterpoint as a non-Chicago resident would be that staying in/near downtown means you're going to have fewer neighborhood amenities. if you're in an airbnb, it can be nice to have some restaurants/bars/stores (or a grocery store if you have a fridge) you can walk to in the evening and morning, even if you're checking out sights or touristy junk during the day

I might just be having flashbacks to the time I arrived early sunday morning on memorial day weekend and got downtown only to realize *nothing* was open. couldn't even find a good brunch open until 10AM :(

Yeah, downtown Chicago hardly city-that-never sleeps-y, more just plain sleepy, barring a couple of bars and other places. But it does indeed make a good hub, and there are more than enough museums, stores, bars and places to eat to keep you busy for a few days. The alternative would be an Air bnb in maybe Lakeview, which is just a bit north of the city and has more than enough stuff of its own nearby.

xpost Yeah, the Loop kicks the bucket altogether on holidays. I had to work on Easter once, and when lunchtime rolled around I wound up walking for blocks until I finally found an Arby's that was open. Sucked.

Walked through block after block of closed restaurants, I should specify. I wasn't on an Arby's Quest.

I realized I'd never been to Navy Pier, figured I could at least look at the lake

ended up eating a breakfast sandwich at mcdonalds, and staring directly into a bank of fog that obscured any view whatsoever

Navy Pier has gotten better but it's still lame. The best way to see the lake is ... anywhere else by the lake. Museum Campus, perhaps, by the Shedd is a pretty great view. Or any of the beaches.

But xposting, 5 days is a good hunk of time, what kind of stuff do you hope to see or do here?

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll be there from Friday night until Wednesday. I'm at a conference downtown Mon/Tues. Probably catch a Cubs game one of those nights. I like to explore different neighbourhoods... just walk around without a plan etc. so maybe downtown would be best? Otherwise I'd like to check out some microbreweries. Record and book stores if those still exist. Its all in the planning stage right now.

Airbnbing in the west loop would be nice, I think. Easy enough to get straight downtown by green/pink line or cabs, or plain walking. Plenty of food and booze of all kinds to be had.

I always tell visitors to rent a bike and go for a lakefront ride.

NB: I have no idea if there are airbnbs in the west loop.

tourist me says west loop would be pretty ok

i had a visiting friend who was staying in a beautiful airbnb loft apartment accross the street from soho house - def very lively in west loop & river north 6-7 days a week

soho house is west loop

Hit Revolution or Lagunitas for beer.

Never thought of Chicago as a wander around the neighborhood city, imo. But wander around the lake front is A+.

Don't waste your time going all the way down to Laguintas for beer. The place is a spectacle, but for the best use of your time I recommend hitting several smaller but quality breweries in Ravenswood/North Center. In particular Dovetail/Begyle/Half Acre. They're all super close to each other and high quality.

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/chicagos-ravenswood-brewery-corridor-great-craft-beer-crawls-are-only-a-train-ride-away-431266.php

Yeah, thanks. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for.

Plus there's a whole lot more to do up there than down by Lagunitas, unless you have a reason to be down by Lagunitas.

Yeah if you're looking to just go on a drinking binge just start up there and drink your way down Lincoln Ave. Some great beer bars in the Fountainhead, Bad Apple, Northdown, Northman (cider bar), Green Lady, Bitter Pops, Beermiscuous, Delilah's, and the new Lakeview Whole Foods (seriously). Many more.

lol

I'm headed to WF right now!

The one time I met Josh in Chicago it was in a different Whole Foods.

The best Whole Foods! You can shop by Kayak.

All drafts $4 on Thursday's! Including Bourbon county, abraxas today.

https://twitter.com/jheath/status/857716400772796417

going to have to come back to town to check out these different whole foods stores to determine the best

Never thought of Chicago as a wander around the neighborhood city, imo. But wander around the lake front is A+.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, April 27, 2017 12:12 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dude, you have some neighborhood wandering to do! This was all I did when I first moved here and was totally broke. So many different neighborhoods with their own distinct flavor. It's the best. Now I just want to leave work and amble.

But yes, this also included walking for miles up and down the shore.

Walk the whole lakefront path, only about 18 miles.

I've lived in Chicago or the immediate Chicago area for ... 24 years? I've wandered everywhere, in virtually every neighborhood. I used to take public transportation from Hyde Park in the middle of winter to Ajax records in Wicker Park, etc. etc. There are tons of great neighborhoods. But - and I say this as someone who is sick of the NYC centric view of the country - that it is nothing compared to wandering around New York. Imo. I'm thinking mostly in terms of coming across odd shops and restaurants, and I say this as someone who has spent an inordinate time wandering around in search of shops and restaurants. Neat houses and neighborhoods, sure, but only if wandering around is your literal aim. Which is cool! Especially in spring and summer, which Chicago embraces perhaps more than any other city.

That said - and to reiterate - the lakefront rules.

I've always thought of Chicago as a city of destinations. Go here for x, go there for y, and so on.

Wander around the parks. Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park, Grant Park, Lincoln Park, the River Walk, the 606.

Yeah, this/that.

I dunno, I come from places where the wandering...it isn't so good. So my threshold of wanderlust satiation may be lower.

Moneygun is a really awesome newer place that vacuums money out of your pocket: http://www.moneygunchicago.com Classic cocktails done right, for about $11 a drink, which is a little less than par at a fancy place. I know the owner, and he said the term comes from his business partner, who would suggest, whenever faced with a problem, that they just shoot it with the moneygun.

^^Agree with Josh in Chicago June 2016

And as far as where to stay, there's a glut of hotels now with rates $100 and under on HotelTonight that you'd do fine with: Public, Dana, Virgin, and so on. A glut. If you want something fun, Chicago Athletic Association or Lincoln Hotel. You could probably even get a good 5-star one on Hotwire for a good price.

...WHAT IF I SAID... I just had a 2nd kid and my wife's parents and sister live in Chicago and we are mulling moving there from San Francisco? Any particular neighborhoods to look into? We have been living in a shoebox in the Mission and want space but also to be able to walk to things / public transit.

I've been to Chicago tons of times on tour and to visit my wife's family but it would be cool to get some different perspectives.

depends on what type of area you're seeking. i can tell you from our excursions that we like Andersonville, Lincoln Square, and Ravenswood. i know some other people who live downtown in apartments and they like it. Logan Square is cool, Wicker Park has its fans. Southport is cool, but i'm biased, my dad grew up there.

if you consider the suburbs at any point, i think there are plenty of good communities to pick from. having lived in L.A. for almost twenty years (good christ), I can say the Chicago suburbs are a million times nicer.

one thing i can't speak to expertly since i moved is family friendliness and crime and safety issues.

I'm in Oak Park now, practically perfect for families, Google it.

I'm in Lakeview, fine for our family of 3.

How're schools?

Good enough! Better than where I went to school, which was terrible. We're in the Nettlehorst district.

Crap - not sure what happened to me response. Here's an approximation:

Thanks for the suggestions!

Yes, Oak Park! That was the first place on our radar. We were visiting Chicago a few months back actually looked at houses in Oak Park and Berwyn (as well Evanston and some of the northwestern neighborhoods like Jefferson Park/Portage Park/etc.). Berwyn, at least back in January, seemed to have a lot more places available and was cheaper. Would you recommend Berwyn?

My sister-in-law lives in Lincoln Square and has been pushing Andersonville on us hard. Seems like it's too expensive for what we're looking for.

After living in a 600 square foot flat in SF for a decade (with two large dogs, and partially with a kid), my wife's main requirement is SPACE. We want a standalone house - so that probably means the suburbs for us. It's also important to me to be able to walk to things and have access to a train to get to the city for work/shows/etc.

I should also note that we are moving from SF because we can't afford it here -- we are not $$$ tech industry types. Chicago seems so cheap!

After looking at Portland prices on Craigslist for the last couple of years, I took a look at Chicago prices and thought the same thing.

Would you recommend Berwyn?

Yes, but only as long as you don't plan to send your kids to high school there. And even then the Berwyn elementary schools are iffy, hit or miss. There are a couple of good private schools (Children's School), and those with means send high school kids to private school (usually parochial), but overall - eh. I hear Berwyn is only acceptable on a block by block basis. Like, some blocks are good, others are shitty. I would recommend Forest Park over Berwyn, though its prices are creeping up toward Oak Park, and public schooling is only good through middle school (the Forest Park high school is not good). So yeah, Oak Park is really the way to go, better on all fronts except for the cost of housing. There are beautiful homes, it's diverse and as liberal as San Francisco, public transpiration is great. It's the kind of community that just voted to raise its taxes to help fund the schools (which are dealing with both an influx of families from Chicago, fleeting CPS, and also the state, which has been operating without a budget for two years).

OP, fyi, has 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and one awesome high school that also gets kids from fancier-pants River Forest (which is also really nice and worth a look, though significantly less diverse and more conservative than Oak Park).

Andersonville and the like ... it's nice, as are lots of Chicago neighborhoods, but honestly I hear so many CPS horror stories, tales of lotteries gone wrong and being unable to go to the good school down the street. This site is useful: https://cpsobsessed.com

CPS, just move within the boundaries for the elementary school you want, automatic entry. Easy for us transient renters that is. High school.... I don't have to worry about that for a decade or so. But if we are in the same place, Lakeview HS will be good enough.

I don't have a high bar for schools. As long as it is good enough.

You say that now ...

my cousin and his family live in Oak Park and it sounds pretty great. they love it. they send us real estate listings for beautiful Oak Park Victorians all the time.

Thank you for reminding me of why we were so into the idea of Oak Park in the first place. There are SO MANY neighborhoods/towns that it's easy to get overwhelmed by everything. Good to know about Forest Park - I'll definitely look into that as well.

Someone recommended Skokie to my wife. Any knowledge of that realm?

Evanston is good

Seconded!

bumping this in absence of a rolling 2017 thread

my friend is unable to make it, so: is anyone interested in a ticket to see Depeche Mode on Wednesday? it’s unfortunately way out in Tinley Park, but them’s the breaks

barring that, I am planning on tentatively sticking around town until saturday if anyone wants to hang

oh man - i have to work on wed nights now :(
friday nights too! what a great life

i am sure your students (is it a teaching gig?) appreciate it!

yes
same old job

Mh I drink

I think LL is saying Thursdays are a good day to have two beers

So Rauner's recent losses and compromises ... is this because he knows no one likes him and he's seriously vulnerable at the polls?

okey dokey, Jeff, if I hear no different I will make my way to your neighborhood sometime after working hours tomorrow?

btw this tinley park amphitheater thing is pretty damn big. I'm right behind the sound booth getting eaten by mosquitos (pond nearby!?!)

they should really find a way to limit mosquitos to the lawn area

I should be able to make it out after 7 or 8 ish? Jenny is going out after work so I have to wait for her to come home. Come to Beermiscuous. That's where I drink.

Potential venue change, Corridor tapped their new hazy IPA yesterday, so maybe we could head up there. I'll let you know what time I'll be there once Jenny let's me know what time she'll be home. Still trying to get some other people to come out too. ALL ARE WELCOME.

UPDATE: 5pm tapping of new DDH IPA - Bendy Straw w/Vanilla & Lactose Sugar! Intensely dry hopped w/ #mosaichops#hazyipa #craftbeerchicago pic.twitter.com/OI0uNYGace

— Corridor Brewery (@CorridorChicago) August 30, 2017

Wish I could go but I have to see SZA tonight, which is super early.

noted!

I'm staying in Lakeview, btw, so I'm flexible!

My coworker who lived in england for a while loves to sing the joys of Nando's so I am checking that out

I don't quite get the passion for Nando's. It's good, but it's just good chicken.

Nandos is more like nah.

Where are you staying in Lakeview?

it was good but very much a chain

I am near clark/diversey

hey Jeff, sent you my phone # via twitter dm if you want to give me a heads-up. I am guessing I’ll be out wandering around after pretending to attempt a nap but actually chugging some coffee

There's a new Collectivo Coffee (Milwaukee chain) at Clark and Wrightwood that is pretty great. All-day breakfast wraps, good coffee, lots of outdoor seats.

I'm trying to remember what the place I went to for breakfast in these parts yeeears ago was. Maybe some cajun-style stuff with red beans? probably not a place anymore. I may check out that coffee place, thanks for the recommendation!

Maybe thinking of Wishbone?

Heaven on Seven?

it may have been wishbone? sounds familiar, although I may be remembering the PBS show with the detective dog

Amy Schumer at the Hidden Cove, after doing a secret set at the HungryBrain:

https://instagram.com/p/BZJVsDKlkpS/

She is an honorary Chicago ILXor now.

amy schumer was at hidden cove tonight and i am so pissed that of all the celebs i could have seen i got fuckin amy schumer

— gentle skank (@jerry_coke) September 16, 2017

i wonder what she sang
that place is the best