So it happened that I travelled to Chicago for the 3rd time within 365 days. Why the hell – you would ask? The third biggest city in the US has it all: cosmopolitan vibes, alternative hoods and laid-back atmosphere by the lake. You wanna go there too, when you see my best of 3 in each category:
3 stunning views
The city is home to 1,315 skyscrapers and Chicago is even the birthplace of high-rise buildings. The first one was completed in 1885 and had originally ten stories. So tiny – if you compare it the 110 stories of today’s tallest building in the city: Willis Tower. My 3 favorite places where to enjoy the architecture of the city:
(1) The glass balcony at Willis Tower
(2) Women’s Restrooms on the 96th floor of Hancock Tower
(3) See the skyscrapers from a different perspective with an Architecture Boat Tour
3 beautiful walls
An adventurous way to explore the city is to rent a bike and cruise down the streets. The bike lanes in Chicago are well-paved and there is even a little sister of the New York’s High Line for bikers, it’s called 606 or Bloomingdale Trail. On a bike trip you can perfectly do a wall crawl. For me the three most beautiful walls to visit in Chicago are:
(1) Flamingo Wall in front of Flamingo Rum Club
(2) Love Wall in Bucktown
(3) Colorful Wall in Lincoln Park
3 random places to stop by
Chicago has so many great spots to discover, you’ll find them all in your travel guide. You can walk or bike almost everywhere. They have a convenient city bike rental or you can Uber anywhere – it’s quite cheap due to the short distances. These three spots you shouldn’t miss:
(1) Navy Pier
(2) Bean
(3) Lake Michigan
3 (healthy) fast food places
I really love food halls and Chicago has one of the best. You will have 20 excellent lunch options at Revival Food Hall. The selection of restaurants in Chicago is huge. So go anywhere it will be great, here are three of my lucky punches:
(1) Poké Bowl or Ramen at Revival Food Hall
(2) BBQ at Green Street Smoked Meats
(3) BellyQ on Randolph Street
3 unhealthy fast food places
Many delicious things where born in this foodie city. You shouldn’t be on a diet or count calories when going there:
(1) Hot dogs at Down Town Dogs
(2) Deep Dish Pizza at Giordano’s
(3) Brownies at Margie’s Candies
3 places to have a drink
You can end a perfect day with a good drink or just have Rosé all day, when you catch a sunny day. Even when it’s snowing you can warm up with a Glühwein at Chicago’s famous Christkindl Market.
(1) Moscow Mule at Soho House
(2) Rosé all day at Riverwalk City Winery
(3) Have a warm drink at the Christkindl Market
Chicago is an amazing city – so worth living and I’m happy that I have a special person living there. If you have the chance to visit the windy city: 1, 2, 3, go!
© Michaela Blum
#shetravelswithamonkey 