{"id":28588,"date":"2013-06-24T12:15:57","date_gmt":"2013-06-24T16:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=28588"},"modified":"2013-06-26T08:07:34","modified_gmt":"2013-06-26T12:07:34","slug":"in-downtown-chicago-for-ala13-take-advice-from-this-chicagoan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=28588","title":{"rendered":"In downtown Chicago for #ALA13? Take advice from this Chicagoan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>by Holly Lipschultz, Head Editor, <a title=\"INALJ Illinois\" href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?page_id=5689\" target=\"_blank\">INALJ Illinois\u00a0 <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>In downtown Chicago for #ALA13? Take advice from this Chicagoan<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/hollylipschultz.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-29244\" alt=\"hollylipschultz\" src=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/hollylipschultz-300x200.jpg\" width=\"180\" height=\"120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/hollylipschultz-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/hollylipschultz-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/hollylipschultz-1497x999.jpg 1497w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/><\/a>I moved to downtown Chicago 3 years ago, and since then, I\u2019ve learned a lot about navigating Chicago, and what kind of <i>free<\/i> things there are to do. I\u2019m focusing on the most common issues and concerns I\u2019ve noticed among tourists, and on things that us busy librarians can probably find time to do.<\/p>\n<p>This post is divided into three sections:\u00a0 <em><strong>Safety, Transit, <\/strong><\/em>and<strong><\/strong><em><strong> See This, Not That.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Safety<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Downtown Chicago is actually a pretty safe place despite what some of the people who post online about #ala13 are saying. You are going to be just fine as long as you keep your wits about you and don\u2019t do stupid things.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Beware of \u201dApple-picking.\u201d <\/b>It\u2019s where people will \u201cpick\u201d phones from unaware peoples\u2019 hands, particularly on the CTA. You can check your phones occasionally, but keep a firm grip and be especially aware when the train\/bus is stopped and the doors are open.<\/li>\n<li><b>Most homeless are quite safe<\/b>\u2014they just sit on milk crates quietly. Some are funny and make jokes when asking for money. You can give them change as you walk by, but you don\u2019t have to. I recommend keeping it in a pocket or an exterior part of your purse so you don\u2019t have to take out your wallet.<\/li>\n<li><b>People with the laminated \u201cHomeless\u201d are OK.<\/b> It\u2019s part of a legit project by <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.chicagotribune.com\/2011-12-20\/news\/ct-talk-noel-homeless-sign-20111220_1_panhandlers-second-sign-cardboard-box\">Christopher Devine<\/a> to try to help make people more aware of the homeless.<\/li>\n<li><b>Ignore the aggressive panhandlers<\/b> as they are breaking the law. They will come up to you asking for money using a sob story, and they will pester you. Some even use their children as props. Some pretend their car is broken down. You can be polite or be forceful, but just say NO. And repeat it as necessary. One trick for the sob-story scammers is to offer to call the police for them so they can get help (never lend your phone)\u2014they will often refuse the assistance.<\/li>\n<li><b>People who sell the Onion are scammers<\/b>. The Onion is a free publication.<\/li>\n<li><b>People who sell <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/StreetWise\">Streetwise<\/a> are OK.<\/b> It is a legit program.\n<div id=\"attachment_28591\" style=\"width: 145px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Streetwise_vendor_1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28591\" class=\" wp-image-28591\" alt=\"Streetwise_vendor_1\" src=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Streetwise_vendor_1-225x300.jpg\" width=\"135\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Streetwise_vendor_1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Streetwise_vendor_1.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 135px) 100vw, 135px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-28591\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By David Kinney, via Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<li><b>The hip hop guys on Michigan Avenue<\/b> (<a href=\"http:\/\/articles.chicagotribune.com\/2012-07-14\/news\/ct-met-street-performers-20120714_1_performers-chicago-street-hip-hop-acrobatics\">Kings of Michigan Avenue<\/a>) are awesome.<\/li>\n<li><b>People who try to force a shoe-shine on you<\/b> in the streets are scammers. They\u2019ll shine your shoes with pink bathroom soap (or occasionally actual shoe polish) and ask for money. This is against the law, and most of the shoe shiners have had many, many run in with the police.<\/li>\n<li><b>Keep wallets and phones in the front pocket.<\/b> NOT the back pocket. Keep purses closed and secured. Never leave it sitting unattended to the side of you, and especially not gaping open.<\/li>\n<li><b>Don\u2019t wear your conference badge out and about<\/b>. Stow them. Otherwise you\u2019re practically screaming \u201cI\u2019M A TARGET\u201d to pickpockets.<\/li>\n<li><b>Buskers\u2014people who play music or sing in the train stations\u2014are legit. <\/b>They\u2019re required to have their permit visible, and they are allowed to collect tips.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Transit<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The CTA is fast (except buses in traffic), reliable (except when stuck in traffic), and takes you anywhere in the city for cheap. Buy 1, 3, or 7-day passes while you\u2019re in town, and you can get unlimited rides during that time. It\u2019s a lot cheaper than a cab, and you\u2019ll get a better taste of the city. Even with the CTA, you are going to be walking a lot. Be warned, and wear comfy shoes.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>There are free <a href=\"http:\/\/www.transitchicago.com\/apps\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">CTA apps<\/a><\/b> for both iPhone and Androids. Download them, try them out. I have no specific recommendations\u2014they all do basically the same thing. Or you can go to the CTA\u2019s website and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.transitchicago.com\/tracker\/?source_quicklinks=1\">track buses or trains<\/a> from your phone\u2019s browser, instead.<\/li>\n<li><b>Google Maps has transit options when getting directions<\/b>. I\u2019ve found it to be quite reliable.<\/li>\n<li><b>Passes can be bought at the airport<\/b>, in train stations, and at Walgreens\/CVS.<a href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/unlimitedpasses.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-28590\" alt=\"unlimitedpasses\" src=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/unlimitedpasses-300x120.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/unlimitedpasses-300x120.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/unlimitedpasses.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li><b>Take the train in from the airport,<\/b> whether it\u2019s O\u2019Hare or Midway. The Blue and Orange lines are FAR cheaper than cabs.<\/li>\n<li><b>Scoot in closer to let more people on the trains and buses.<\/b> It\u2019s Chicago. You are not going to have 3 square feet of personal space on transit. It\u2019s not unusual for the buses and trains to be crammed <i>almost<\/i> as tight as sardines during rush hour.<\/li>\n<li><b>It\u2019s okay to squeeze in between people in order to get off the train or bus<\/b>\u2014I recommend letting people in the way know that you\u2019re getting off at the next stop so they can be prepared to move.<\/li>\n<li>If you go to a Cubs game, expect to be completely squished on the Red Line.<\/li>\n<li><b>Move to the back of the bus.<\/b> Yes, even the raised back part of the bus.<\/li>\n<li><b>Don\u2019t stop in the middle of a busy sidewalk<\/b> to check your phone or talk with a friend. Pull over so you don\u2019t impede traffic.<\/li>\n<li><b>Feel free to ask people for directions.<\/b> Chicagoans are a friendly bunch, and police and CTA employees can help with directions, too.<\/li>\n<li><b>There are many options for renting a bike<\/b>, from the new <a href=\"http:\/\/divvybikes.com\/\">Divvy<\/a> bike rental program to companies like Bike and Roll. I do prefer and recommend <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bikeandroll.com\/\">Bike and Roll<\/a> over the other companies. But please, <b>rent a real bike<\/b> and not one of those quad bikes with single speeds. The quad bikes are too wide for the sidewalks and bulky to maneuver.<\/li>\n<li><b>Riding bikes on the sidewalk in the City of Chicago is illegal.<\/b> Please, please use the roads, park trails\/sidewalks (but not in Millennium Park), and bike lanes. It\u2019s much safer for you and for us pedestrians. You don\u2019t have to use the bike lanes if you don\u2019t want to\u2014it\u2019s perfectly legal to bike in the regular traffic lanes, even if the drivers flip you off. Follow the regular rules of the road.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>See This, Not That<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Chicago has a lot of free and cheap options for entertainment and sightseeing. I\u2019m not recommending anything here that\u2019s pricy, unless it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Marina City<\/b> at State and Wacker is really neat. If you go down to the Vietnam Memorial park that\u2019s to the east of State Street, you can get a good picture of the building up against the sky.<\/li>\n<li><b>Go to Ohio Street Beach<\/b> for a neat panorama view of the city, including the Hancock. Olive Park next to it is also a good place to get a scenic view.<\/li>\n<li><b>Northerly Island <\/b>offers a scenic, distance view of the city, too. It\u2019s just east of McCormick Place, but you have to go all the way to Adler Planetarium in order to actually get on the \u201cisland.\u201d They\u2019re working on terraforming it so it doesn\u2019t look like a former airport anymore.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-28592\" alt=\"luriegarden\" src=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden-300x224.jpg\" width=\"210\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden-386x290.jpg 386w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden-290x218.jpg 290w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden-193x145.jpg 193w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/luriegarden.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/a>Millennium Park and area are gorgeous. My favorite park there is the <b>Lurie Gardens<\/b>, just north of the Art Institute. The Bean (okay, <b>Cloud Gate<\/b>) is always fun to take pictures of.<\/li>\n<li>There are <b>free <a href=\"http:\/\/www.grantparkmusicfestival.com\/\">classical concerts<\/a> <\/b>at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. You can even listen in on the rehearsals, too! Wine and beer is often served, and it\u2019s allowed within the gated areas if you want to bring your own. Just don\u2019t expect to take the open bottle out of the area, because open container laws apply.<\/li>\n<li>The planetarium and the Shedd are overrated. <b>The Field Museum<\/b> is where it\u2019s at.<\/li>\n<li><b>Don\u2019t call it the Willis Tower.<\/b> It will always be the Sears Tower to us. Also, The observation decks at the Sears and Hancock buildings are overrated, especially for the prices they charge.<\/li>\n<li>If you must, you can <b>go up to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.yelp.com\/biz\/signature-lounge-at-the-96th-chicago-2\">bar in the Hancock<\/a><\/b> and get a good view for the price of a drink\u2014half the price of admission to the observation deck. Food and drink is mediocre, but the view makes it better. The view from the ladies\u2019 room is AWESOME. Guys, I don\u2019t think you have the same view in your loo, unfortunately. Just for the ladies.<\/li>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-28593\" alt=\"navypier\" src=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier-300x225.jpg\" width=\"210\" height=\"158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier-386x290.jpg 386w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier-290x218.jpg 290w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier-193x145.jpg 193w, https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/navypier.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/a>Boat tours<\/b> are actually pretty nice, if you have a little extra money and time. <a href=\"http:\/\/shorelinesightseeing.com\/\">Shoreline<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wendellaboats.com\/\">Wendella<\/a> are the two big ones, and you can choose a lake cruise, a river cruise, or a combo. They board along the river and at Navy Pier.<\/li>\n<li>Navy Pier is a tourist trap with overpriced foods. Go there only to get on the boats.Or to ride the Ferris Wheel&#8211;that part is okay, too.<\/li>\n<li><b>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.artic.edu\/\">Art Institute<\/a><\/b> is always excellent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Holly Lipschultz, Head Editor, INALJ Illinois\u00a0 In downtown Chicago for #ALA13? Take advice from this Chicagoan I moved to downtown Chicago 3 years ago, and since then, I\u2019ve learned a lot about navigating Chicago, and what kind of free things there are to do. I\u2019m focusing on the most common issues and concerns I\u2019ve&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=28588\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":28594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[231,4414,4535,233,3592,3322,4707,4708,3849,3609],"class_list":["post-28588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-ala","tag-ala-annual","tag-ala13","tag-articles-2","tag-blog","tag-chicago","tag-cta","tag-free-activities","tag-holly-lipschultz","tag-inalj-illinois"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/chicagotheater-e1371565975463.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-7r6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}