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Local Information
2008 Annual Meeting
American Philological Association
This short introduction to Chicago has been prepared by the Local Host Committee as a supplement to the very useful guide that you will find as in insert in your August 2007 APA Newsletter (http://www.apaclassics.org/Newsletter/2007newsletter/08Insert.pdf). The committee wishes to thank Alex Schiller for his contributions.
Orienting Yourself
The Hyatt Regency Chicago (151 E. Wacker Dr., between Stetson and Columbus) is located on the south bank of the Chicago River. To the east is Lake Michigan. To the west is Michigan Ave. Going north on Michigan Ave. is the Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s most glamorous shopping area, including Water Tower Place. The Loop (the downtown area bounded by the elevated tracks) lies to the southwest, about a ten-minute walk away. It contains the State Street Macy’s (olim Marshall Field’s). Click on “Go to Downtown map” on CTA map (below) for map of central Chicago. Other nearby areas are River North, River East, Streeterville, and Old Town.
Restaurants
Note on restaurants: Since some restaurants close down the week after New Year’s, it may be wise to phone first to check if a restaurant is open.
Restaurant websites:
Chicago Reader
Time Out Chicago
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/
Chicago Magazine
Chicago Sun-Times: Pat Bruno
Halal restaurants:
http://www.zabihah.com/lir.php?id=51
Kosher restaurants: http://www.jewishchicago.com/directories/kosher.html.
http://www.shamash.org/kosher/
Hyatt Regency Chicago restaurants
http://chicagoregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp
Restaurant information in print:
Chicago Reader (appears on Thursdays, distributed free)
Chicago Magazine (monthly)
TimeOut Chicago (weekly)
TimeOut ChicagoEating and Drinking 2008, Guide to Chicago restaurants and bars ($9.99)
Zagat 2007/08 Chicago Restaurants ($13.95)
Special suggestions:
--Coffee
The best coffee in Chicago is roasted by Intelligentsia, which also runs a few coffee shops of its own, including one in the Loop: 53-55 East Randolph, Chicago, 60601.Their beans are used by Hyde Park's Istria Café, under the train tracks at 57th and Lake Park (1520 E. 57th Street, Chicago). Those who venture to Hyde Park for the bookstores should stop here, right by the stairs as one leaves the Metra Station.
--Best Cheap Eats near Hotel:
Fox & Obel, a gourmet grocery store just across the river from the hotel (401 E. Illinois, 60601), offers wildly expensive groceries, including excellent wine and olive oils, but also superb baked goods--at mortal prices--and a very fine café, with lunch and dinner menus.Mike's Fast Food & Bar (cheap, good burgers, fries and medium drink for less than $5.00)
829 N. State St., Chicago
Tel: (312) 482-9130
Mr. Beef (Italian Beef sandwiches-Jay Leno's favorite in Chicago)
666 N Orleans St., Chicago
Tel: (312) 337-8500
Harold's Chicken Shack (best chicken in town; take bus to south Loop)
636 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago
Tel: (312) 362-0442
Downtown Dogs
804 N. Rush St., Chicago
Tel: (312) 951-5141
Foodlife in Water Tower Place Food Court
835 N Michigan Ave
Water Tower Place
(312) 335-3663
Cafe Iberico (Tapas, good, crowded and loud)
737 N La Salle
(312) 573-1510Macy's (Marshall Field's) Seven on State Food Court, which includes holiday festive Walnut Room, Frango Cafe, English Pub sandwich shoppe, 111 N. State St. (312) 781-1000
South Water Kitchen
225 N. Wabash Ave.
(312) 236-9300
Perry's Deli (ridiculously huge deli sandwiches-closes at 2pm) http://www.perrysdeli.com/
174 N. Franklin St/
Tel: (312) 372-7557
--Short cab rides for Breakfast:
Oak Tree Restaurant
900 N. Michigan Ave
Phone: (312) 751-1988
m. henry
http://www.mhenry.net/
5707 N. Clark Street
Tel: (773) 561-1600Breakfast Club
1381 W Hubbard St
Phone: (312) 666-2372
Lou Mitchell's Restaurant (tourist favorite; busy, busy, busy; by El: Blue Line to Clinton stop)
565 W Jackson Blvd
Phone: (312) 939-3111--Vegetarian/Vegan only restaurants (city-wide):
Chicago Diner http://www.veggiediner.com/
3411 N. Halsted St. (Lakeview area)
Tel: (773) 935-6696
Argo Tea
http://www.argotea.com/
819 N. Rush St. (and elsewhere)
Tel: (312) 951-5302
Green Zebra
http://greenzebrachicago.com/
1460 West Chicago Avenue
Tel: (312) 243-7100The Painted Lady Organic Eatery
2018 W. Chicago Ave. (northwest Chicago--drive, cab or take Chicago Street bus west)
Tel: (773) 278-3638
Specialty's Cafe http://www.specialtysdirect.com/welcome.asp
191 N. Wacker Dr.
Udupi Palace (south Indian vegetarian fare: far north, Devon/Rogers Park area, accessible best by cab) http://www.udupipalace.com/
2543 W. Devon Ave.
Tel: (773) 338-2152
Transportation: (CTA) http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/2007C.htmlTel: (312) 836-7000
Note on payment for CTA (Chicago Transit Authority): you can buy a transit card for any amount from machines at any CTA “el” stop, and use it on any CTA train or bus. If you expect to be using the CTA a lot, passes are available from machines at the O’Hare and Midway CTA stops. Some CTA rail lines are elevated, and others are partly underground. CTA service is less frequent on Saturdays and Sundays, but still quite usable. For safety’s sake avoid riding an unfamiliar rail or bus line at night.
From the hotel, the closest CTA rail stops are Washington (at State) for Red Line, State (at Lake) for Orange (comes from Midway Airport), Brown, and Green Lines, and Washington (at Dearborn) for Blue Line (comes from O’Hare Airport). The hotel is very close to Michigan Avenue, on which many bus routes run.
Bus 151 is the most common Michigan Avenue bus, which stops everywhere on its way through the Loop (downtown), up Magnificent Mile (Michigan Avenue shopping), along INNER Lake Shore Drive to far north. This bus stops by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Buses 145, 147, 3, X4 runs south along Michigan Avenue to get to Art Institute.
Bus 146 runs south to Museum campus for Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium/Oceanarium, or Soldier Field.
The best bus for Hyde Park and the University of Chicago is Bus 6, the Jeffrey Park Express, which you can get on Wacker, at a stop across the street from the hotel and a little bit west (toward Michigan Ave.).
Chicago Trolleys Co. runs trolley-looking buses and double-decker buses (not a fan favorite in January) that offer Hop On Hop Off tickets good for a day. Trolleys run along main tourist attraction routes and can be used to get from Michigan Avenue to Loop, Museum Campus, Magnificent Mile/River North area and Navy Pier.What to Do
Both Chicago newspapers, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, have Weekend sections on Fridays.
Discounted Theater Tickets
Chicago HotTix (72 E. Randolph)
Tel: none
http://www.hottix.org/Museums
Chicago Cultural Center
Tel: (312) 744-6630
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalEntityHomeAction.do?entityName=Cultural+Center&entityNameEnumValue=128Art Institute of Chicago
Tel: (312) 443-3600
http://www.artic.edu/aic/index.phpMuseum of Contemporary Art
Tel: (312) 280-2660
http://www.mcachicago.org/Spertus Museum: Exploring Jewish Learning and Culture
Tel: (312) 322-1700
http://www.spertus.edu/museum/index.phpField Museum (Anthropology, Botany, Geology, Paleontology and Zoology)
Tel: (312) 922-9410
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/Shedd Aquarium
Tel: (312) 939-2438
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
Adler Planetarium
Tel: (312) 992-STARhttp://www.adlerplanetarium.org/
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Tel: (312) 413-5353
http://wall.aa.uic.edu:62730/artifact/HullHouse.aspOriental Institute Museum (Hyde Park, U. of Chicago area)
Tel: (773) 702-9514
http://oi.uchicago.edu/museum/Museum of Science and Industry (Hyde Park)
Tel: (773) 684-1414
http://www.msichicago.org/Other Sights:
Sears Tower Skydeck
Tel: (312) 875-9447
http://www.theskydeck.com/Hancock Observatory
Tel: 1-888-875-VIEW
http://www.hancock-observatory.com/Millennium Park
Michigan Ave. between Randolph and Monroe
http://www.millenniumpark.org/Navy Pier
Grand Ave. at Lake Michigan
http://www.navypier.com/home.htmlChicago Architecture Foundation
ArchiCenter, 224 S. Michigan Ave.
Boat, Bus, and Walking Tours
Tel: (312) 922-3432 ext. 240
http://www.architecture.org/tours.aspxLincoln Park Zoo
Tel: (312) 742-2000
http://www.lpzoo.com/Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park
Tel: (708) 848-1976
http://www.wrightplus.org/Robie House
5757 S. Woodlawn Ave. (Hyde Park, U. of Chicago area)
Tel: (708) 848-1976 (tour information)
http://www.wrightplus.org/Bookstores:
Borders Books
150 N. State (State & Randolph, [312] 606-0750)
830 N. Michigan (Michigan & Pearson, [312] 573-0564)
www.borders.comSeminary Co-op Bookstore
5757 S. University Ave. (Hyde Park, U. of Chicago area)
Tel: (773) 752-4381
http://semcoop.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp57th St. Books
1301 E. 57th St. (Hyde Park, U. of Chicago area)
Tel: (773) 684-1300
http://semcoop.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJspPowell’s Bookstore
1501 E. 57th (Hyde Park, U. of Chicago area)
Tel: (773) 955-7780
http://www.powellschicago.com/html/stores.htmlPhotocopying: Kinko’s, 111 E. Wacker Dr. (inside mall, closed Sundays)
Tel: (312) 938-0650