The city of Chicago decorated with magnificent theaters, bars, outstanding museums, beautiful architectural sites, glorious historical sites, parks, shopping centers, trading centers and the world famous Sears Tower, the Art Institute and Millennium Park attracts travelers and vacationers from all over the world.
Chicago is one of the top leisure destinations in the world. Chicago doesn’t seem to have too outrageous cost of living, compared to other big cities.
Here are some budget travel tips on Chicago:
Best View: Sears Tower or John Hancock? Sears Tower is taller, and affords a spectacular view of the city and suburbs at night. The Sears Tower Skydeck, which stands at 1,353 feet makes it the highest observatory in the city. But many prefer the view for the Hancock (“Big John”) because of its proximity to Lake Michigan. Costs are about the same.
Park your car and forget it. Each parking stop can cost $10 USD or more, and street space is tough to find. The large Millenium Garage at Columbus and Monroe (Grant Park area) offers day rates under $16. Do not use hotel parking, which will run more than twice that amount per day.
Experience Wrigley Field.Tickets are not always easy to get for a Chicago Cubs game, but the experience is worth a little added expense. Get there early to watch batting practice–no extra charge!
Check out theatre and musical performances at Northwestern University. NU has one of the nation’s top-rated theatre programs. Tickets cost a fraction of the prices downtown The campus is in Evanston, about 12 miles north of the Loop. On the El, change to the purple line at Howard.
Ethnic neighborhoods should not be missed. Chicago is cosmopolitan enough to feature just about every nationality on earth. Settlers from many nations made the city great, and it’s possible to look around and swear you’re in Warsaw, Beijing, Oslo, or some other distant city. Look for the street festivals and sample the foods!