A newcomers guide to Chicago

An Aussie’s guide to Chicago

A City with Seasons

Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall (not Autumn)

General Living Stuff

Enjoy the sun when it’s out.
Sit in the back when you take a taxi.
Lemonade is not Sprite.
You will think cell phones, electronics, jeans and cars are cheap.
1^st floor = Ground floor
The light switches are backwards.
Money. All notes are the same size and color. You may have a big wad of notes and think you have a lot of money but when you check its all $1s.
Toilets use a lot more water.
Business casual usually does not include jeans (sometimes black jeans or solid (i.e., non-denim colored) jeans will work). Pretty much it equals "smart casual".
You should tip in restaurants and taxis. Usually 15-20%.
Walk (and drive) on the right.
Make sure you get paid in USD! The investment opportunities in the US are much better then they are in Australia. We think Chase (the former Bank One which was the former First Chicago) is the best bank (lowest fees). If you want a discount stockbroker try Charles Schwab (http://www.schwab.com). With many companies, you can sign up for "Bank at Work" – where you get direct deposit set up to a bank (only some banks are available). This will get you discounts on certain bank services.
Sales tax (GST) is 8.75% downtown and a little less in the suburbs. If you’re buying an expensive item it may be worth it to go out to the suburbs.
The YMCA gym on Marshfield near Lincoln Avenue is cheap and newly renovated. They have a swimming pool and pretty good work out areas.
You can pick up the Chicago Reader (a free local newspaper with rentals and great articles) at most cafes and restaurants on the north side (http://www.chireader.com). They have searchable classifieds for apartment rentals (and other things) on the web. They come out every Tuesday (but the paper doesn’t come out until Thursday).
A general Chicago website: http://www.digitalcity.com/chicago/
WXRT Radio Chicago (best radio station): http://www.wxrt.com - 93.1 FM
The Aussie social custom of shouting rounds in a bar does not exist as such in the States. Buying rounds is definitely accepted and done quite often but be careful – it is not as clearly defined of a custom as in Oz. In the States, if you buy a round for a group, chances are high that others in the group will in turn buy a round for you. But – they are not socially obligated to do so. The tracking of whom has purchased and whose turn it is to buy a round (they won’t understand the use of the term "shout" in that context-they’ll think it means you can’t hear them.) are not as carefully watched. So – do not take it as a personal insult if you shout a round and they do not shout back.
The best and biggest library is the Harold Washington Library on 400 South State St. Even if you don’t want to go and read or borrow a book, you should definitely go in it. It is a beautiful building. And make sure you go to the atrium on the top floor – all marble.
Customer Service exists in the US, so expect it! (Walgreens and most grocery stores are open 24 hours and the Post Office is open on Saturdays! You will even receive mail on Saturdays!)
If you are feeling philanthropic, the charity I used to work at is Christopher House. (www.christopherhouse.org) They are located at 2507 N. Greenview. Most of their activities center around kids and families – tutoring, daycare, after school programs, etc. They also throw a fantastic annual black tie if you want to go or even help out with it. Great place/way to meet people outside of work.
A mobile phone is called a cell phone. Cellular One is one of the most popular companies – and they used to have good rates. Call a Cell One dealer in the Loop (I think it was either Areawide Cellular or Nova Cellular).
Starbucks is the best coffee place – you can’t miss them. They are everywhere. (Literally. You will see what I mean.)

Things To Do

Take a cruise on the Chicago River (historical or architectural). They leave from North Pier.
There are lots of street festivals during the summer (June-September). The best are "Taste of Lincoln Avenue," "Rock around the Block" (near Lincoln and Belmont), "Sheffield Garden Walk" and the "Bucktown Art Fair." The "Air and Water Show" in August is cool too (on the lakefront – the Blue Angels and the Stealth Bombers are the coolest bits). You can find out about what festivals are happening when at one of the Chicago web sites (try http://www.digitalcity.com/chicago/) or in the Reader (http://www.chireader.com) or the Friday edition of the Chicago Tribune.
Go to a Cubs game (baseball) and sit in the bleachers if you can get tickets. (http://www.cubs.com)
Do not pay money to go up to the top of the Sears Tower (tallest building in the US). Go have a meal at the restaurant at the top of the John Hancock Building which is nearly as high. The restaurant is a little expensive but the view is really cool and the food’s pretty good. They have a good, relatively inexpensive Saturday brunch.
The week before Halloween (Oct. 31) the "Pumpkin House" opens. It’s near the corner of Wrightwood and Lincoln behind 7-Eleven. It’s pretty cool.
The Art Institute on South Michigan Avenue is cool. It also has Jazz and a cocktail reception on Thursday nights in the summer. One of my favorite museums in Chicago.
Also - if you like modern art, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA - like Sydney’s!) opened in 1996, and is pretty good (very big!). http://www.mcachicago.org
Other museums that are cool and worth the trip: The Field Museum of Natural History (gothic architecture, the movie The Relic was shot here), The Museum of Science and Industry; The Shedd Aquarium, The Adler Planetarium (recently renovated. You should definitely try this out. All planetariums we have seen in Australia are tiny compared to this one – this would be a pretty good show!).

Theater and Cinema

Get season tickets to (or at least a schedule for) the Steppenwolf theater. (http://www.steppenwolf.org) It’s really great. It’s on N. Halsted Street near North Avenue (Note: North Avenue runs east-west). The best plays in Chicago are here. We have seen John Malkovich, Ethan Hawke, John Mahoney (the father from Frasier) and a play directed by Gary Sinise here. Very cool.
A fun night out is a play called "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind." (http://centerstage.net/theatre/theatres/neo-futurarium.html) Get there an hour early (10:30 PM). It’s at 5153 N. Ashland Avenue. Keep an open mind when you go!
Ravinia is a cool outdoor theater and picnic ground-mostly classical music. (http://www.ravinia.org) You can also get a schedule in the Chicago Tribune (best newspaper) on Fridays and Sundays. The train (Metra) from Armitage will take you straight to the theater.
A good movie theater (i.e., cinema) is Webster Place. It has free parking (the biggest free parking lot in Chicago – very useful for going to anything in that area). It’s near Clybourn and Webster.
The Biograph Theater (again, cinema) sucks (small seats and no leg room) – although it is the location where the infamous John Dillinger was shot!

Apartment Requirements

Addresses are not written the same as they are in Australia 5/60 Dudley St. won’t mean anything to an American. You would say 60 Dudley Street, Unit 5. It is not quite as efficient as the Aussie method.
You will need both heat and air conditioning (you can get away without A/C, but you won’t be comfortable or happy) in your apartment. Every place comes with some sort of heat but gas forced air is the best (cheapest).
Don’t live next to the "El" – the trains go by often!
North-facing apartment get the same amount of sun as the Sydney south-facing apartments!
Abbreviations in apartment ads:
AC = Air Conditioning
CA = Central Air
FPLC = Fireplace
D/W = Dishwasher
W/D = Washer/Dryer
HDWD (or HRWD) = Hardwood

Conversions

1 Mile = 1.6 Kilometers
3.28 Feet = 1 Meter » 1 Yard
1 Inch = 2.54 Cm
4.2 Cup = 1 Litre
1 Quart = 0.95 Litre
1 Pound = 2.2 Kilogram = 16 oz

Getting Around and Transportation

The "Loop" is Chicago’s equivalent to your CBD. It is called the Loop because there is an elevated train going around it (in a "loop"). This train is called the "El" and is very convenient for getting around, especially going north.
RTA (Rapid Transit Authority) information: 312-836-7000 This is very useful for getting around. You can give them a beginning and a destination and they’ll tell you the best way to go with public transportation (bus and train or El).
To pay for the "El", you will need to buy electronic cards (can be purchased at any "El" stop, I think). These cards essentially work like cash - you pre-pay a certain amount and each trip deducts from the card. You can then re-fill the card in the machines at the "El" stops.
Along the lake shore there is Volleyball, roller blading and bike tracks. You can bike all the way down the lake shore. In the summer a bike is the best way to get around. Chicago is very flat and a grid.
Chicago is easy to get around, if you understand the Grid. Most of the streets are set up in a grid, with the 0,0 point being at the corner of Madison St. and State St in the Loop. The direction in an address (i.e., 1601 West School Street) identifies which direction you are from the 0,0 point. The number in the address (i.e., 1601 West School Street) identifies how far you are from the 0,0 point. There are 8 blocks to a mile (each block increases the address number by 100, so 800 is 1 mile, 1600 is 2 miles, etc.). So, if you are at 1601 West School Street, you are about 2 miles west from the 0,0 point and 4.5 miles north from downtown (because School Street is about 3600 North). This system makes judging how far you are from your destination very easy – if you are at 230 West Wabash and you need to get to 680 West Wabash, you have about a half a mile to walk (you will then have to convert to kilometers!).
Major exceptions to the Grid: Lincoln Ave., Clark St., Clybourne Ave. These streets are on a slant (almost 45 degrees) in comparison to the Grid. Be careful as you are trying to locate yourself on the grid – these streets can really confuse you if you don’t realize they are crooked!

Personal Stuff

Hair Salon – the one I used to go to is J. Gordon Designs at 2326 N. Clark. (773) 871-0770.
For a great lunchtime massage (downtown) – go to the gym in the basement of the Sears Tower. Very luxurious, great showers with everything you would need after a shower (shampoo, hair dryers, hair gel, etc.). You don’t need to be a member, you just pay a little more for the massage (membership there is pretty expensive).

Driving

You can get around downtown Chicago easily without a car. You may have to get creative with groceries and shopping, but buses and trains can help with that. Also - on the north side, there are plenty of taxis.
If you choose to buy a car, you will need to register it with the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). There is an office in the basement of the State of Illinois Building – corner of Randolph and Clark.
Drivers Licenses. You can drive around with an Aussie license, and if you have a hire car you are insured. If you want your own car you will need to get 3^rd party (liability) insurance, and to do that you need a US license. If you’re in the country more than 3 months you’re meant to get a US license.
If you get pulled over by the police while driving - do not get out of the car or reach for your wallet. US cops (and especially Chicago cops) don’t like that – it makes them very jumpy and remember - they have guns. Just wait in the car with your hands on the steering wheel until the cop comes to your window. (Make sure you have your ID, car registration and insurance card handy.) If they ask you to get out of the car – then go ahead and do so.
If you do buy a car, you will also have to get car insurance. There are no green slips or anything - you just get whatever level of insurance you want. I recommend you go to State Farm Insurance (find the closest to you in the phone book) – they tend to give the cheapest rates in the city.

Sports (notice the ‘s’, not sport)

Chicago Sport and Social Club is a fun way to meet people and play sports (no rugby though). They have indoor soccer, indoor and outdoor beach volleyball, basketball, and co-ed touch football (translation: gridiron). Their biggest indoor venue in the middle of the Lincoln Park area – North Beach Bar.
One of our readers from Skokie wrote: actually, there’s LOTS of rugby in Chicago .

Check out:

http://www.condorsrugby.com/

http://www.chicagolions.com/

http://www.chicagoblazerugby.com/

AND there’s even women’s rugby:

http://www.northshorerugby.com/

It’s actually a decent rugby town. For the US .
Golf – there are some good public courses in the city. Diversey driving range is popular (they have lessons there too). Golf courses include one on the lake near Irving Park road and several up north. Just go to one and get a map of all the public courses. There is also a course and driving range in the Loop...

Shopping

Marshal Fields is the Chicago equivalent of David Jones.
Crate and Barrel is another Chicago icon for shopping – all house wares and furniture. The flagship store is on Michigan Avenue and Ontario (I think) – address is 646 N. Michigan Ave.
The Great Ace is a good store for hardware and house wares (even furniture). There are two main stores. The first, on the corner of Diversey and Lincoln, is mostly hardware. The big one is on the corner of Webster and Clybourne and has both hardware and house wares.
Blu-tack is called sticky back in the US and can only be found in office supply stores.
Best Buy is one of the best places to shop for electronics – and cheap CDs. It is located near 1800 N. Clybourne (big shopping area there – The Gap, a big bookstore, Best Buy, Whole Foods, Sam’s Liquor Warehouse, Goose Island Brewery, Bed Bath and Beyond, Erehwon (Outdoor sports store), etc.).

Bars

Hotels are actually hotels in the US – many do have bars in them, but they are not the type you will want to hang out in. Real bars are called bars (or pubs), not hotels.
Q: Why is American beer like having sex in a canoe? A: They’re both f***ing close to water. At least imported beer like Heineken is pretty cheap. You can buy beer at the supermarket but you have to go to a liquor store to buy wine or spirits (liquor).

Corner Pocket and the Cue Club are two of the most popular (and busiest) billiard halls/bars on the North side.
Other good bars:

Deja Vu - on Lincoln, just north of Wrightwood. Every Wed. night they used to have Turtle Races - they are hysterical!

Guthries - On Addison and Lakewood. Drink and play board games. Gets crowded early.

Hi Tops - On Halsted, just south of Addison (Wrigley Field). Big sports bar.

BW3 - On Clark, north of Fullerton. great barbequed chicken wings

Cubby Bear - On Clark, just south of Addison (Wrigley Field). Another big sports bar.

Shubas - On Southport and Belmont. Pretty good bar - has bands most weekends.

Goose Island - At 1800 Clybourne (near Sheffield). Micro brewery (good beer).

Green Dolphin Street - On Ashland, corner of Webster. A little fancy with Jazz and good wine.

Irish Eyes - On Clark, south of Wrightwood. A must see Irish pub.

Red Lion - On Lincoln, north of Fullerton. A good British pub.

Fizz - On Lincoln, north of Belmont. A new bar - we were there for the first time in June 2000.

City Lunch

There are no sandwich shops like what you are used to (where you pick what you want from what you see under the counter). Most sandwich places will have already put combinations together and you pick from one of their combinations – not as many choices as what you have here. You can’t get beets (i.e., beetroot) on a sandwich. Other hard-to-find toppings: cranberry sauce, carrots, snowpea sprouts (i.e., grass), tabouleh, butter). If you want Mayonnaise that tastes closer to what you are used to try "Miracle Whip." Most mayo is whole egg mayo in the US.
Turkey is much more prevalent as a sandwich meat.
Pickles. They always give you a pickle with a sandwich and sometimes you get potato chips with a sandwich. That’s just the way it is.
Burgers will not come with beets, egg, pineapple, carrots, and any of the other assorted strange things Aussie’s like on their burgers. Pretty much, you will be stuck with lettuce, cheese, tomato, pickles, onion, and mushrooms (depending on where you are). If you are at a sit-down type restaurant, you may find some others, but most places will stick to the basics. The cheese is different too.
A burger only means a hamburger. Chicken burgers don’t exist – they are called chicken sandwiches. Fish burgers are called fish sandwiches.
Meat pies don’t exist. You can find chicken pot pies at Boston Chicken, a good fast food place.
Anything you can get on a burger, you can usually get on a hotdog (and possibly a few extra things like hot peppers) – i.e., the Chicago-Style Hot Dog. For the ultimate in this taste experience, try Portillo’s (a great Chicago fast food chain that also serves burgers, pasta, etc.) or Clark Street Dogs (corner of Clark and Halsted).
No Tasty cheese. Try Cheddar. It’s orange, deal with it.
Perry’s Deli. The biggest sandwiches you have ever tried to eat. And they are GOOD. They have triple decker sandwiches that are huge. If any of you finish one, I want to hear about it! (My friends were always amazed that I could finish one!)
Lyric Deli. Difficult to find. You will impress many Chicagoans by knowing where this one is (and could teach them - lots don’t know this one exists!) It is on the 3^rd floor of the Lyric Opera House Building on South Wacker about 2-3 blocks north of the Sears Tower (west side of street). Fantastic sandwiches – but be ready with your order before you get into line. They will intimidate you with their speed and efficiency!
Wall Street Deli – a very prevalent deli chain. Good sandwiches.
Alontè – Excellent focaccia sandwiches - probably some of the only focaccia sandwiches you will find. The chicken club is my favorite and their chicken Caesar salad is great too! There a few stores in the city - the one closest to the Sears Tower is on Jackson, just west of Wacker.

Dining Out and Our Favorite Restaurants

Most restaurants in Chicago are licensed and are not BYO, unfortunately. There are a few, which I have indicated below.
Entrees are called starters and mains are called entrees.
The Asian and Indian restaurants are fewer and not as good as you will be used to (although Kim, a viewer from Chicago says Indian and Pakistani food is bountiful in Chicago - you just have to head a bit north to Devon Avenue, which is Chicago's Little India.) However, the Mexican restaurants are much more prevalent and better than you can find in Sydney. Try them out.
Pizza. On a normal (not Chicago style) pizza you get to choose 1, 2 or 3 toppings. If you want more you pay a lot more. Most Australian pizzas come with lots of toppings.
Restaurant Choices. If you go to a restaurant they will give you 100s of choices. e.g.. Do you want fries or potatoes with that? How do you want your potatoes done? What dressing do you want? Do you want ice in your water? Do you want a straw in your water? Do you want lemon in your water? etc. etc. JUST GIVE ME THE F***ING WATER!
Restaurants:

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder – On Clark, south of Tower Records. Doesn’t have your typical Chicago Pizza (go to Giordano’s, Pizzeria Uno or Due, or Gino’s East). This pizza is unique – just go and order the pizza and you’ll see what I mean!

Penny’s Noodles (x2) – BYO – One on corner of Sheffield and Newport. One on Diversey, near Sheffield. Cheap and good noodle shop. Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese style noodle dishes.

Nookies (x3) – Three locations:

Potbellies Subs – The original is on Lincoln, south of Fullerton. Best sandwiches in town and a MUST although they've got lots of shops now and I think they've gone down hill.

El Tapatio – On corner of Ashland and Roscoe. One of the best Mexican restaurants (although most Mexican in Chicago is a safe bet.)

Thai Classic – BYO (maybe?) – On Clark, south of Halsted. Used to be our favorite Thai restaurant, until we came here. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Fiesta Mexicana – On Lincoln, just north of Fullerton. Good Mexican – with a "Mexican" band!

Clarke’s (weekend brekkie) – On Clark, north of Fullerton. Excellent skillet eggs for brekkie.

Las Tablas – On Lincoln, south of Belmont. South American food - a small hole-in-the-wall place with great food.

Salt ‘n Pepper Café – Two locations: one on Sheffield, south of Addison, original on Clark, south of Wrightwood. A great diner in the American tradition – a real "greasy spoon". Cheap.

Webster Wine Bar – Across the street from Webster Place movie theater. Small, cute wine bar with good selection.

Renalli’s – On Lincoln, a little ways north of Armitage. Great pizza - both Chicago style and regular.

Stanley’s – On five-way corner of Lincoln, Armitage and Sedgwick. Excellent weekend breakfast buffet – another MUST.

Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are big and have everything. They are also open late (many are 24 hours).
Expect grocery shopping to be challenging and frustrating at first. Allow a lot of time to get through the store and find what you need. Not only is it bigger than you are used to, but all of the packaging will be different. You will need to pay close attention to find what you want!
The chocolate (candy) has very little variety. Say goodbye to Tim Tams and anything like them.
Lamb is hard to find in the supermarkets, and you very rarely see it in restaurants.
Produce. Fruit & vegetables are called Produce and are expensive, but they last twice as long as the fruit & vegetables you buy in Australia.
Weird supermarket items:

Goober - peanut butter with stripes of grape jelly (jam) through it.
Mini cheese Ritz biscuits with peanut butter sandwiched between them.
Mustard flavored pretzels.
Blueberry, caramel, or chocolate chip rice cakes.
Cherry flavored Coke.
Count Choc-ular cereal with marshmallow ghosts.
Non-fat everything.

The two biggest grocery store chains:

Jewel
Dominick’s

Walgreen’s and Osco are Chemists/news agency/grocery/misc. stuff stores
Woolworths is not a grocery store! It’s kind of like a shitty K-Mart.

Lakeview Guide

Whole Foods – corner of Ashland and School. A grocery store with all "organic" products. Has very good produce and meat, although very expensive. Good for quality BBQ meat. Other foods – very healthy, all natural stuff. Try the wheat grass juice!
Dinkel’s Bakery – good stuff
Lincoln-Belmont YMCA

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Last updated on August 2, 2006