Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Newspapers & Magazines
The
Chicago Tribune
(
&
312/222-3232;
www.chicagotribune.com) and the
Chicago Sun-Times
(
&
312/321-3000;
www.suntimes.com) are the two major dailies. The
Chicago Reader
(
&
312/
828-0350;
www.chireader.com) is a free weekly that appears each Thurs-
day, with all the current entertainment and cultural listings.
Chicago
mag-
azine (www.chicagomag.com) is a monthly that is widely read for its
restaurant reviews.
CS
is a free lifestyle monthly that covers nightlife, din-
ing, fashion, shopping, and other cultural pursuits. The
Chicago Defender
covers local and national news of interest to the African-American com-
munity. The Spanish-language
La Raza
(www.laraza.com) reports on sto-
ries from a Latino point of view. The
Chicago Free Press
(www.chicago
freepress.com) and
Windy City Times
(www.outlineschicago.com) both
publish both news and feature articles about gay and lesbian issues.
Police
For emergencies, call
&
911.
This is a free call (no coins required).
For nonemergencies, call
&
311.
Post Office
The main post office is at 433 W. Harrison St. (
&
312/983-
8182
); free parking is available. You can also find convenient branches in
the Sears Tower, the Federal Center Plaza at 211 S. Clark St. (designed by
Mies van der Rohe, no less), the James R. Thompson Center at 100 W. Ran-
dolph St., and a couple of blocks off the Magnificent Mile at 227 E.
Ontario St.
Radio
WBEZ
(91.5 FM) is the local National Public Radio station, which
plays jazz in the evenings.
WFMT
(98.7 FM) specializes in fine arts and clas-
sical music.
WXRT
(93.1 FM), a progressive rock station whose DJs don't
stick to corporate-sanctioned play lists but mix things up with shots of
blues, jazz, and local music. If it's Top 40 you want to hear, tune in to 101.9
FM. On the AM side of the dial, you'll find talk radio on
WGN
(720) and
WLS
(890)—two longtime stations that got their names from their immod-
est owners (respectively, that would be the
Chicago Tribune,
the “World's
Greatest Newspaper,” and Sears, the “World's Largest Store”). News
junkies should tune to
WBBM
(780) for nonstop news, traffic, and weather
reports, and sports fans will find company on the talk station
WSCR
(1160).
Safety
Chicago has all the crime problems of any urban center, so use your
common sense and stay cautious and alert. At night you might want to
stick to well-lighted streets along the Magnificent Mile, River North, Gold
Coast, and Lincoln Park (stay out of the park proper after dark, though),
which are all high-traffic areas late into the night. Don't walk alone at
night, and avoid wandering down dark residential streets, even those that
seem perfectly safe. Muggings can—and do—happen anywhere.
After dark, you might want to avoid neighborhoods such as Hyde Park,
Wicker Park (beyond the busy intersection of Milwaukee, Damen, and
North aves.), and Pilsen, which border areas with more troublesome rep-
utations. You can also ask the concierge at your hotel or an agent at the
tourist visitor center for recommendations about visiting a particular area
of the city.
The El is generally quite safe, even at night, although some of the
downtown stations can feel eerily deserted late in the evening. When
you're traveling with kids, I always recommend that when in doubt, spring
for a taxi. Buses are a safe option too, especially nos. 146 and 151, which
