Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Getting to Know Chicago
T
he best advice on orienting yourself
on Chicago's streets? Look for our
inland ocean. Whenever you spot
Lake Michigan dead ahead, you are
facing east. Another directional no-
brainer? If you are on the Magnificent
Mile, or in the Loop, look up. The
tallest building around is that black
glass behemoth, the Sears Tower, and
it's to the south.
The orderly configuration of
Chicago's streets and the excellent pub-
lic transportation system make this city
more accessible than most of the
world's other large cities. This chapter
provides an overview of the city's
design, as well as some suggestions for
how to maneuver within it. The chap-
ter also lists some resources that travel-
ing families frequently need, from
babysitters to 24-hour pharmacies.
1 Orientation
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
runs a toll-free visitor hot line
(
&
877/CHICAGO;
www.877chicago.com). The
Chicago Office of Tourism
offers information at 312/744-2400, TTY 312/744-2947, and http://city
ofchicago.org/exploringchicago and operates three visitor information centers
staffed with people who can answer questions and stocked with plenty of
brochures on area attractions, including materials on everything from museums
and city landmarks to lakefront biking maps and even fishing spots. The main
visitor center, located in the Loop and convenient to many places that you'll
likely be visiting, is on the first floor of the
Chicago Cultural Center,
78 E.
Washington St. (at Michigan Ave.). The center has a phone that you can use to
make hotel reservations and several couches and a cafe where you can study
maps and plan your itinerary. The center is open Monday through Friday from
10am to 6pm, Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm;
it's closed on holidays.
A second, smaller center is located in the heart of the city's shopping district,
in the old pumping station at Michigan and Chicago avenues. Recently renamed
the
Chicago Water Works Visitor Center,
its entrance is on the Pearson Street
side of the building, across from the Water Tower Place mall. It's open daily
7:30am to 7pm. This location has the added draw of housing a location of Hot
Tix, which offers both half-price day-of-performance and full-price tickets to
many theater productions around the city, as well as a gift shop. Part of the build-
ing has been converted into a theater, including a small cabaret space for tourist-
oriented shows and a larger playhouse for the acclaimed Lookingglass Theatre.
The
Illinois Bureau of Tourism
(
&
800/2CONNECT
or TTY 800/406-
6418; www.enjoyillinois.com) can provide general and specific information 24
hours a day. The agency also has staff at the information desk in the lobby of the
James R. Thompson Center,
100 W. Randolph St. (
&
312/814-9600
), in the
