Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with four museums within walking distance of each other; and
Hyde Park,
home to the Museum of Science and Industry.
FINDING A RESTROOM
The number-one tip for visitors from Chicago parents: Know where the nearest
restroom is at all times! First order of business: Always use the bathroom at your
hotel before you leave, and stop in the restroom before you leave any museum
or restaurant. Failing that, key restrooms in prime locations include:
900 N.
Michigan Avenue mall,
on the second and fifth floors;
John Hancock Center,
in the lower level;
Water Tower Place;
and
Nordstrom's,
located in the West-
field North Bridge mall on Michigan Avenue, just south of the Chicago River.
Most
Starbucks Coffee
shops have restrooms—just ask the barista for the key.
Barnes & Noble
and
Borders
bookstores typically have bathrooms near the
children's section. Major hotel lobbies are also good bets. Most restaurants will
take pity on a distressed child, so just ask; some store owners may do the same.
If you are really concerned about mapping out nearby bathrooms, there's even a
website dedicated to the topic. The Bathroom Diaries (www.thebathroomdiaries.
com) lists 10,000 bathrooms around the world, everywhere from Cambodia to
Antarctica, with a focus on the U.S. Readers rank bathrooms according to clean-
liness, safety, and aesthetic beauty (believe it or not!).
NURSING MOMS & INFANTS
Chicago is slightly more conservative than other big cities: While most people
will see a nursing mom and look the other way, some might stare rudely. If you
need to breast-feed an infant, you'll probably feel most comfortable in women's
lounges in major department stores (
Nordstrom
is best).
FAST FACTS:
Chicago
American Express
Travel-service offices are located in the Loop at 55 W.
Monroe St. (
&
312/541-5440
) and across from the Virgin Megastore, at
605 N. Michigan Ave. (
&
312/943-7840
).
Area Codes
The
312
area code applies to the Loop and the neighbor-
hoods closest to it, including River North, North Michigan Avenue, and the
Gold Coast. The rest of the city is under the
773
area code. Suburban area
codes are
847
(north),
708
(west and southwest), and
630
(far west). You
must dial “1” plus the area code for all telephone numbers, even if you
are making a call within the same area code.
Babysitters
Check with the concierge or desk staff at your hotel, who are
likely to maintain a list of reliable sitters with whom they have worked in
the past. Many of the hotels work with the
American ChildCare Service
(
&
312/644-7300
), a state-licensed babysitting service that can match you
with a sitter. The sitters are required to pass background checks, provide
multiple child-care references, and be trained in infant and child CPR. It's
best to make a reservation 24 hours in advance; the office is open from
9am to 5pm. Rates are about $17 per hour, with a 4-hour minimum and a
$10 fee for transportation.
Business Hours
Shops generally keep normal business hours, Monday
through Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Most stores generally stay open late
at least 1 evening a week. And certain businesses, such as bookstores, are
