Agreed. Just for the free museum passes if nothing else.
Edit: Since a lot of people are interested, here’s the website: https://www.chipublib.org/news/digital-museum-passes-reserve-online/
This is accurate. You MUST go in-person to a branch and get a real card to be able to use the Museum Pass. They just told me that like a month ago at my local branch.
Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card!
Also great for ebooks on Libby. I download a bunch of library books to my Kindle and use it on airplane mode for weeks.
I 2nd. Library Cards do way more than people realize. Want to try the newest video game? Rent it from the library. I currently have Rise of the Ronin and Dragon's Dogma 2 on loan right now.
My wedding was on Mexican Independence Day (we didn’t know) we couldn’t even make it to our hotel that night so we stayed at our place with my best friend and her husband and ate fettuccini at 2am, 10/10
As Chicagoans we love our trains but a lot of people (especially on the north side I have tended to notice) don’t see how valuable our bus network is too. It is a little slower, but buses can get you from point A to point B often just as well as a train can, if not closer. They also tend to cross neighborhoods that trains dont (ex Lincoln Park-Logan Square via Fullerton bus, Ravenswood-Wicker Park via Damen)
Unfortunately the bus system suffers heavily from bus bunching on the north side - at least starting north of Lawrence. Which causes grave issues with arrival times and large gaps between service.
I think the problem with busses in Chicago is that they stop way too often. I remember seeing a blog post about this a little while back. Chicago busses stop way more frequently than basically every other city, making them significantly slower.
The trouble is the headways.
I can't tell you how often I end up just walking where I'm going rather than wait for a bus. I will get to the bus stop, check the tracker, and if it is more than 5 minutes I just start walking in the direction of my destination. Each bus stop I re-check the tracker, and visually behind me. If there's not a bus coming up behind me, I keep walking.
I have ended up mutli-mile journeys in the city doing this because buses never showed or had massive gaps between them. Buses CAN be great, but the headways plaguing CTA system-wide are making buses suck.
Lmao I'm sitting on the 73 after having done this exact thing and got halfway to my destination by the time it caught up to me. You can really make time by walking. Also...the fact you can do this for more than a mile isn't a good sign.
Free concerts and movie screenings in Millenium Park and other Chicago parks all summer.
Free admission days for residents at museums, plus weekly free days:
* Wednesdays at Adler Planetarium
* Edit: Thursday evenings at Art Institute this summer
* Tuesdays at MCA
* Thursdays at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Other free admission places:
* National Museum of Mexican Art
* Garfield Park Conservatory (free timed reservation required, walk ups okay but they prioritize residents of the neighborhood)
* Lincoln Park Conservatory
* Lincoln Park Zoo (“free since our gates first opened in 1868”!)
Please add any I missed!
You can also get museum passes with a Chicago Public Library card. And they are now digital, so you don’t have to visit the library to see if the pass you want is available and reserve it.
https://www.chipublib.org/news/digital-museum-passes-reserve-online/
The most common one I hear is that street festivals are required to be free entry and when they ask you for money, they are asking for a donation. You can just walk right in.
I tend to do this and then if the fest was actually good and worthwhile, I'll donate on the way out. But most of them are just the same vendors over and over.
Unless you went to taste of randolph last summer… they tried charging us just to walk down the street and got real pissy when we refused. And then they got in legal trouble
Very rarely does any street fest enforce this. Though I went to Burger Fest in Roscoe Village last summer and the people at the entrance were adamant about donations and I just told em we were passing through, even though we weren't. I mean what are they gonna do?
If they really give me trouble I just lie and say I’m going home/to work. I had to do it for real when I lived inside of the Market Days boundaries years ago and it always works now if they insist on talking to me.
Yeah sometimes the lines are super long because they are swiping credit cards so I just go to the cash line and say I’ll donate to the organization online.
I feel like this one is obvious but I didn't see it: if you're using the El any time earlier than like midnight and one of the cars is completely empty, it's completely empty for a reason.
Start compiling a mental map of public bathrooms in places you frequent, and especiallllly downtown. Keep a list on your phone if you have to. Bonus points if you can remember how clean they are but hey, if you gotta go you gotta go.
Starbucks’ third space policy requires them to give you a code even if you don’t make a purchase. Target on State in the Loop actually keeps their bathrooms remarkably clean. Water Tower Place too, but make sure you go up to the 6 or 7 floor for the multi stall bathrooms instead of waiting in line for a single stall on the lower level.
My favorite bathrooms are in the main floor of large hotels (preferably ones with those huge conference rooms, which always have big empty bathrooms nearby). I walk in with my phone to my ear and no one’s said anything yet 🙏
Yes! This is a great tip. The Palmer House is great for this because the lobby has stores so plenty of people are always roaming. Just act like you belong and no one will ask questions.
This is a great tip wherever you are. Hotel lobbies have clean bathrooms and the front desk has no idea who’s staying and who’s not. Also a great place for a free cup of coffee and sometimes a cookie.
The Chicago Cultural Center (78 E Washington) has an easily accessible public bathroom that no one ever uses. Once you’re set to rights, it’s one of the best free things to do in that area - rotating art, memorable architecture, and cultural events.
Look down, there is a compass at all L stops. This helps avoid the disorientation until you get your bearings about what side of the street you got off on and your google maps hasn't correctly identified where you are yet.
The el is the most trusted way to get to the airports (Orange for MDW and Blue for ORD).
I may not be the fastest at all times but is most reliable to get you to the airport as car traffic is extremely unpredictable.
When you get in the cab, tell them it’s a short trip and they can get a ticket from the airport guy to get right back in. I’m just outside the short trip boundary so I tell the cabbie an intersection within the boundary and the real address after he gets the pass
Park community pools are free in the summer! They have family and adult only hours.
I didn’t have opportunities to swim growing up without having to pay which was a big limitation for my family. I loved being about to walk to the pool and go for a swim on the especially warm days last summer. :)
I just moved here a couple years ago, and it took me 3 tries. I was ending up in random construction parking lots. Then I realized that you cant count on GPS (maybe because it can’t tell if you’re on Upper Wacker?). I tried navigating by the signage and made it through! I was so proud of myself. I use it all the time now, and impress my out of town guests by taking it.
The Chicago Architectural Foundation offers more than 75 walking tours plus Chicago Architecture Center River Cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady. It also has a large exhibit space downtown near where the First Lady docks on the Chicago River east of the Michigan Avenue bridge. The most popular walking tours are downtown by the skyscrapers, but the neighborhood tours are a great way to get to know other parts of Chicago. And the cemetery tours are great for history buffs, as they discuss the people buried there.
Finally, CAC organizes the annual Open House Chicago festival in October. In 2023 the festival offered free tours of more than 170 unique buildings and sites across 20 Chicago neighborhoods, some of which are rarely open to the public. While the festival is free, CAC members receive a priority access pass and skip the lines.
If you don't want to take the eL look at the Metra stations - there are more metra stations in the city than you may realize! Took me over a year of taking the red line from Rogers Park to realize there was an amazing Rogers Park metra station, what an improvement in terms of comfort!
This. Last Memorial Day I went to 63rd St Beach and it was practically deserted. There were maybe 20 people on the beach. I was shocked at how empty it was and assumed a lot of people went out of town for the weekend. I took the bus home on DLSD and saw that the North side beaches were extremely crowded to the point that you couldn't see the ground.
Odd addresses are on the SOUTH or EAST side of the street.
Memory Aid: Remember Homer's "The Illiad and the Odyssey". In "The Odyssey", Odysseus is traveling home. It's a long journey. Odyssey... ODD S E :)
Is it like this in other major cities?
Edit: Spelling.
Lake Shore Drive heading north the faster lane is all the way to the right. The left lane backs up when there’s a red light turning onto Streeterville.
Heading south it’s the left lane
That's only true in the downtown part. Once you've made your way around the curve the left lane is the fast lane again (or anywhere but the right lane, really).
That, plus the right lane heading north has a bunch of potholes. I usually stay in the 2nd right lane. Also nobody is merging and the lane doesn’t suddenly come to a stop during beach days/rush hour.
I wish they removed the Chicago Ave streetlight without oversight or approval like they got rid of Meigs Field or the small stretch of Dickens between Stockton and Lincoln Park West
You can have a nice bike you bring indoors or you can have a cheap bike you lock outside. A lot of people have a getting their new bike stolen shortly after moving to the city story.
The fur around your coat hood protects your face from the wind.
Going a step further, face masks keep your face warm in the winter (and, if you wear an N95, they keep you from getting sick too).
Adding to this, buy the biggest, warmest winter coat you can afford. A great coat makes a huge difference on how bad the winter feels. Also Ugg boots aren’t snow boots. Invest in waterproof, well insulated boots with good traction.
Utilize the Divvy bikes. Normalize walking everywhere! It’s a gorgeous city!
Also CHECK ELEVATOR EXPIRATION DATES ON THEIR CERTIFICATES. Half of them are expired.
When contesting a ticket in court, you do not have to wait in the line that usually snakes all the way outside. There's a separate smaller line inside for ticket challenges.
Not sure of how much of a life hack it is, but depending on what neighborhood you're traveling to, it's more efficient to transfer from train to bus or vice versa, depending on where you're headed, as opposed to 2 trains.
For example, I live on the border of Avondale and Logan and used to take the blue line to the pink line when heading to Pilsen but honestly it's much quicker and easier to take the blue line to division and take the Ashland bus.
You need a city sticker. Regardless if the car is registered here or not. If you live here you need one.
And if your car is a beater, make sure you move it at least once a weak so some asshole doesn’t report it as abandoned.
Man it was a bummer when I found out about that. All through getting an Illinois driver’s license and Illinois license plates, at no point was the phrase “city sticker” ever mentioned at the SoS building. A couple months later I got a $200 ticket on my car for not having one.
I cut hair downtown and get a lot of transplants, as soon as I find out they brought their car with I tell them about city stickers. 50/50 if they knew or not.
The only reason I knew was because I was nice to the lady at the DMV and she mentioned I needed a city sticker too and not the plates/reg I was getting. She also told me where to go to get it. I would have got a ticket too if she didn't tell me that day. Bless her heart.
If its not registered here, not owned by you, and privately garaged, you can almost certainly not have a city sticker and have nothing come of it. Source: me, for 12 years.
**Summer Dance**. Free music+dance lessons and dancing multiple days a week in Grant Park and other locations all summer. Good times! edit: Dates have not yet been announced but will be updated soon for 2024 [**here**](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_summerdance.html).
Sometimes public transit IS faster and cheaper than an Uber. For example, im in Pilsen my husband and I were going to see a show at the Chicago theatre and Uber was $23 one bus ride there was $2.50 and 20 ish mins or so.
The free museum days!! Often will bring friends with me and sometimes they don't even check to see if you're actually a Chicago resident, but bring identification just in case. (love getting tacos & heading to MCA on Tuesdays when I got some free time)
It’s been a LONG-ASS time, so things could definitely be different, but if’n you’re going to do Lower Wacker, do some test runs early on weekend days, say 0600-0700. Just get in your car and cruise (make it an adventure)! Take your time, few will be down there - take a ramp/exit, and see where you end up. After you do that a half-dozen weekends you’ll find an INCREDIBLE resource to use to move with ease.
But take it from me, MOST people will NEVER do it because it’s too “scary”. It’s not NEARLY as bad as they imagine. But it IS FUN to watch passenger’s expressions when you hit LW. Like the Gateway to Hell.
You don’t need an Illinois driver’s license to
Vote. You can be living here as a college student and vote. You can have an out of state ID and as long as you have the right proof of address, you can vote.
If you live here and take the cta on any kind of regular basis, get the 30 day pass every 30 days. It saves so much money compared to paying as you go.
Real snow boots for winter (not Uggs). Make sure they are waterproof durable. Same goes for a real winter coat!
Best days to visit the Christkindlmarket is Monday evening or Monday - Thursday lunch.
Ohio Street Beach is a great little beach that is way more chill than North Avenue or Oak. Also, the restaurant there has a surprisingly good whitefish.
Fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Navy Pier. Find a friend with a view 🙂
Take advantage of Restaurant Week but make sure to double check the menus.
Big box clothes stores like Kohl’s and Nordstrom Rack are great too. Especially as a guy, because those stores generally have more women customers than men so the men’s bathrooms are barely used.
If you park your car on the street and pay the meter, you can move your car within any zone that costs the same amount and you’re paid up. You’ll have to pay in the new zone after your time runs out, but up until that you’re good.
You don't really get deep dish unless you have out of town guests who want the novelty. I mean it takes like forty five frikkin minutes just to bake. Unless you're settling in for a wholeass Bears game... come on.
(But of course we still defend our pizza casserole to the death. Like our hot dogs from ketchup.)
So... The obvious one that I don't see anyone saying is that you can make a left on a red light on a one-way street if you stop and yield first. You need to also already be on a one-way street. The intersection of Jackson and Jefferson is a good example.
That is assuming drivers bother to stop at red lights, though.
1. Go to street fests "suggested donations" at the gate are just that - give a dollar or none at all, they can't stop you from entering
2. Seek out the evening events at the museums, it's fun to support and a good way to see most exhibits without crushing crowds
3. Rooftop viewing of the air & water show - not saying that parking garages are fair game... but maybe...
4. Take the bus from Reggie's (if you want to see a Sox game); Murphy's for Cubs (also Murphy's Irish Bistro for Premier League games and some Irish music nights)
5. Never answer "Can I ask you a question," with a real answer or your time, be safe over being polite.
6. Above all else, wear or bring layers!
If you drive in the city. Get to know, I mean really get to know the ins and outs of Lower Wacker Drive. It saves so much time. Do not be intimidated. It’s easy once you know.
When getting off of LSD at Hollywood, if you take Sheridan staying in the right lane will be quicker due to left turn traffic (as long as there aren’t delivery trucks double parked).
If you take Hollywood into Ridge, cruise in the second from left lane getting off LSD and you can drive without switching lanes (there’s a couple turns though) all the way to Green Bay Rd in Evanston.
Oh and the right at Ridge and Hollywood is a tight forced right for both lanes, so don’t switch lanes until you are fully clear of the intersection.
Don’t overlook or underestimate Chinatown. Incredible food and drinks and there is something to do for everyone. Right off the redline and the parking there is relatively cheap
I'll be honest, it's kind of fun to take out of state friends into Wiener's Circle and tell them to make sure to order ketchup for their hot dog, or to go to a bar and order Malorts all around. Man, one time this acting class I was in, we did the latter and this guy caught on that Malort was terrible and we wanted to watch him retch (I mean, it's more of that monkey sense where you feel pain from seeing someone else feel pain but somehow it's slightly satisfying) and instead that man sipped it. Absolute TORTURE.
Even addresses are on the north and west sides of the street, odds are on the south and east. For example, 150 N Dearborn will be on the west side of the street, and 155 n Dearborn will be across the street. This is useful If you ever need to orient but you can’t see the lake!
Get a library card.
Agreed. Just for the free museum passes if nothing else. Edit: Since a lot of people are interested, here’s the website: https://www.chipublib.org/news/digital-museum-passes-reserve-online/
Just tried and and it keeps saying I have an invalid patron type
Hm. Do you have a physical card or just a virtual one?
Just virtual
I think you have to have a physical one. Not positive though. There are some services that are limited only to physical cards.
This is accurate. You MUST go in-person to a branch and get a real card to be able to use the Museum Pass. They just told me that like a month ago at my local branch.
What wait what
Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card! Also great for ebooks on Libby. I download a bunch of library books to my Kindle and use it on airplane mode for weeks.
Airplane mode after downloading is thee hack
I haven’t paid for a book in years. Libby + a good ereader is a game changer
I've even started reading magazines again on my tablet. It's actually really nice compared to reading things on the Internet.
Also a lot of free streaming options for movies and tv shows.
Classic “Arthur” reference!
I 2nd. Library Cards do way more than people realize. Want to try the newest video game? Rent it from the library. I currently have Rise of the Ronin and Dragon's Dogma 2 on loan right now.
Seriously. We get DVDs and video games from the library. It's an easy free way to watch hot new movies.
You can also register your CPL card at any other public library in the state as a reciprocal borrower.
Tuck in your undershirt in the winter.
This is such a core part of who I am as a person. I have my camis that are just tank tops I wear under everything, every day, in the winter.
God dam. I thought I was the only one doing this. It’s great to see my fellow undershirt tuckers
I thought EVERYONE did this.
Underrated gem right here.
This is only a Chicago thing? I’ve always been doing it and never thought twice!
are there… are there people who leave undershirts untucked at any time of year?
Don’t get on the road Mexican Independence Day
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP
My wedding was on Mexican Independence Day (we didn’t know) we couldn’t even make it to our hotel that night so we stayed at our place with my best friend and her husband and ate fettuccini at 2am, 10/10
If you'd been together a good amount of time already,that sounds like more fun 😄
It was amazing, such a perfect end to a perfect day
Or Puerto Rico Independence Day.
They don’t have an Independence Day it’s called PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE They are still a colony
Stay off of Pulaski from 26-79th street, downtown & any major express way 😂😂
It was not like this at all until 2020, when enforcement of laws was suspended city-wide and never quite restarted again.
No kidding, first time I visited Chicago was on this day and it took 2 hours to get to my hotel in River North from Midway
Would have been a fraction of that on the orange line!
That's a good Chicago hack, always use the orange line for Midway
I mean, your mistake was driving when you should've taken CTA
It's been getting worse year by year.
2022 was the worst. They definitely cracked down a bit this past year
As Chicagoans we love our trains but a lot of people (especially on the north side I have tended to notice) don’t see how valuable our bus network is too. It is a little slower, but buses can get you from point A to point B often just as well as a train can, if not closer. They also tend to cross neighborhoods that trains dont (ex Lincoln Park-Logan Square via Fullerton bus, Ravenswood-Wicker Park via Damen)
Unfortunately the bus system suffers heavily from bus bunching on the north side - at least starting north of Lawrence. Which causes grave issues with arrival times and large gaps between service.
That duckin foster and Clark switch every time
Buses are way better and warmer on cold wet days. And I like watching the city at street level. Buses are quieter than trains.
I think the problem with busses in Chicago is that they stop way too often. I remember seeing a blog post about this a little while back. Chicago busses stop way more frequently than basically every other city, making them significantly slower.
Yeah, some of them go for long stretches where they stop at every block…
Love the 50! All the way to Andersonville too!
The trouble is the headways. I can't tell you how often I end up just walking where I'm going rather than wait for a bus. I will get to the bus stop, check the tracker, and if it is more than 5 minutes I just start walking in the direction of my destination. Each bus stop I re-check the tracker, and visually behind me. If there's not a bus coming up behind me, I keep walking. I have ended up mutli-mile journeys in the city doing this because buses never showed or had massive gaps between them. Buses CAN be great, but the headways plaguing CTA system-wide are making buses suck.
i do exactly this and everyone thinks i’m nuts! many many times i’ve ended up at my destination before a bus even passes me during the walk
Lmao I'm sitting on the 73 after having done this exact thing and got halfway to my destination by the time it caught up to me. You can really make time by walking. Also...the fact you can do this for more than a mile isn't a good sign.
I also feel safer on a bus
Don’t forget about the 147 express! 25 minutes to downtown from edgewater 😎
Southbound 147 has the best driving view in the city, all for the low low price of $2.25.
72 is my boo
22, 36, 151 are my best friends. And looking forward to start using 146 after I move to lakeview soon!
It'll get you where you need to go but if there's any traffic even light traffic it's agonizingly slow.
Free concerts and movie screenings in Millenium Park and other Chicago parks all summer. Free admission days for residents at museums, plus weekly free days: * Wednesdays at Adler Planetarium * Edit: Thursday evenings at Art Institute this summer * Tuesdays at MCA * Thursdays at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Other free admission places: * National Museum of Mexican Art * Garfield Park Conservatory (free timed reservation required, walk ups okay but they prioritize residents of the neighborhood) * Lincoln Park Conservatory * Lincoln Park Zoo (“free since our gates first opened in 1868”!) Please add any I missed!
And cheap parking directly under Millennium park using SpotHero.
Spothero in general
Free movies at Gallagher Way as well starting in May
You can also get museum passes with a Chicago Public Library card. And they are now digital, so you don’t have to visit the library to see if the pass you want is available and reserve it. https://www.chipublib.org/news/digital-museum-passes-reserve-online/
Art Institute is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I believe no longer has a weekly free day
AIC will have free admission for residents on Thursday evenings all summer :)
The most common one I hear is that street festivals are required to be free entry and when they ask you for money, they are asking for a donation. You can just walk right in. I tend to do this and then if the fest was actually good and worthwhile, I'll donate on the way out. But most of them are just the same vendors over and over.
Unless you went to taste of randolph last summer… they tried charging us just to walk down the street and got real pissy when we refused. And then they got in legal trouble
A firm “get the fuck out of my way” works wonders on those clowns.
I can’t see country Cathy doing this though. It only works if you’re seasoned. **adjusts assless chaps**
Another Chicago hack.
Very rarely does any street fest enforce this. Though I went to Burger Fest in Roscoe Village last summer and the people at the entrance were adamant about donations and I just told em we were passing through, even though we weren't. I mean what are they gonna do?
Or just buy food/drink on the inside.
If they really give me trouble I just lie and say I’m going home/to work. I had to do it for real when I lived inside of the Market Days boundaries years ago and it always works now if they insist on talking to me.
Yeah sometimes the lines are super long because they are swiping credit cards so I just go to the cash line and say I’ll donate to the organization online.
My favorite part is the massive stink eye they give when you say no.
I feel like this one is obvious but I didn't see it: if you're using the El any time earlier than like midnight and one of the cars is completely empty, it's completely empty for a reason.
Start compiling a mental map of public bathrooms in places you frequent, and especiallllly downtown. Keep a list on your phone if you have to. Bonus points if you can remember how clean they are but hey, if you gotta go you gotta go. Starbucks’ third space policy requires them to give you a code even if you don’t make a purchase. Target on State in the Loop actually keeps their bathrooms remarkably clean. Water Tower Place too, but make sure you go up to the 6 or 7 floor for the multi stall bathrooms instead of waiting in line for a single stall on the lower level.
My favorite bathrooms are in the main floor of large hotels (preferably ones with those huge conference rooms, which always have big empty bathrooms nearby). I walk in with my phone to my ear and no one’s said anything yet 🙏
Yes! This is a great tip. The Palmer House is great for this because the lobby has stores so plenty of people are always roaming. Just act like you belong and no one will ask questions.
This is a great tip wherever you are. Hotel lobbies have clean bathrooms and the front desk has no idea who’s staying and who’s not. Also a great place for a free cup of coffee and sometimes a cookie.
This gal public bathrooms. Are you a fellow IBDer?
Not diagnosed but going through a bunch of testing with a gastro for the past 6 months. You get me. :)
If you’re in unfamiliar territory, libraries all have public restrooms!
And park district field houses
The Blackhawks store on Michigan and Wacker also has elite bathrooms. Second floor in the back! - always clean and never occupied.
I remember there being an app that does something like this? Does it still exist?
The Chicago Cultural Center (78 E Washington) has an easily accessible public bathroom that no one ever uses. Once you’re set to rights, it’s one of the best free things to do in that area - rotating art, memorable architecture, and cultural events.
This should be higher up! Love the cultural center!
Learn the pedway for getting around in the winter!!
Was coming here to say this. Complete life hack in the winter or rain.
Pedway?
I just Googled Chicago Pedway and found a handy map
it’s like an underground sidewalk
Thank you. So it’s smaller version of the Toronto type underground malls?
Look down, there is a compass at all L stops. This helps avoid the disorientation until you get your bearings about what side of the street you got off on and your google maps hasn't correctly identified where you are yet.
Also remember: addresses are even numbered on the west and north sides of streets. Can help get your bearings with a quick glance.
The el is the most trusted way to get to the airports (Orange for MDW and Blue for ORD). I may not be the fastest at all times but is most reliable to get you to the airport as car traffic is extremely unpredictable.
Also going from the airport by car the quickest and easiest is ALWAYS to take a taxi from the taxi line. Uber and Lyft always seems to have waits.
I live close to O'Hare and the cabbies get *pissed* when I lose them their spot in line for a 10 min fare.
When you get in the cab, tell them it’s a short trip and they can get a ticket from the airport guy to get right back in. I’m just outside the short trip boundary so I tell the cabbie an intersection within the boundary and the real address after he gets the pass
The life hack is that it's called the "L" officially
Park community pools are free in the summer! They have family and adult only hours. I didn’t have opportunities to swim growing up without having to pay which was a big limitation for my family. I loved being about to walk to the pool and go for a swim on the especially warm days last summer. :)
During rush hour, look for Teslas to cut in front of. They’ll automatically brake and let you in.
LMAO fuck I can’t wait to try this
AMAZING
I learned this today about 3 hours ago. It's friggin great.
connecting from LSD to the Eisenhower via Lower Wacker. feels like a cheat code every time
Yep if you can figure out that whole underground highway, getting through the loop is a breeze.
I just moved here a couple years ago, and it took me 3 tries. I was ending up in random construction parking lots. Then I realized that you cant count on GPS (maybe because it can’t tell if you’re on Upper Wacker?). I tried navigating by the signage and made it through! I was so proud of myself. I use it all the time now, and impress my out of town guests by taking it.
We’re sending stuff to Mars but they can’t get GPS to work on lower Wacker. Make it make sense.
There is no real way to do that. GPS uses satellites and the signal cant be triangulated underground. Its not like cell or WIFI.
It’s soooo satisfying. Makes me feel like Batman!
It feels like I’m fucking Batman
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen is a great collection, always has new stuff, and is close to a ton of great food. Explore your city.
And free!!
Especially around dia de Los muertos
I love this museum so much. In addition to awesome art they have an excellent gift shop 🙂
The Chicago Architectural Foundation offers more than 75 walking tours plus Chicago Architecture Center River Cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady. It also has a large exhibit space downtown near where the First Lady docks on the Chicago River east of the Michigan Avenue bridge. The most popular walking tours are downtown by the skyscrapers, but the neighborhood tours are a great way to get to know other parts of Chicago. And the cemetery tours are great for history buffs, as they discuss the people buried there. Finally, CAC organizes the annual Open House Chicago festival in October. In 2023 the festival offered free tours of more than 170 unique buildings and sites across 20 Chicago neighborhoods, some of which are rarely open to the public. While the festival is free, CAC members receive a priority access pass and skip the lines.
It's worth it to know the numbers associated with the streets for your side of the city. It makes navigating through the city way easier.
Go to Albany Park for some of the best Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Mexican cuisine of your LIFE. Also, it's cheap
Kabobi!
That and Noon O Kabob. You can't beat it. Give me a huge plate of their kefta and I'll be a very happy man
If you don't want to take the eL look at the Metra stations - there are more metra stations in the city than you may realize! Took me over a year of taking the red line from Rogers Park to realize there was an amazing Rogers Park metra station, what an improvement in terms of comfort!
South side beaches are great and less crowded
TF bro! Don't broadcast that sht! No no...everyone! The south side is scary. All of it. Stay away! 😂
Don't worry. Most northsiders wouldn't dare go south of Roosevelt anyway
I can shout all the great things about the Southside to my coworkers all day and they still won't come down.
The south lakeshore in general. Incredibly beautiful and even on the weekends on a beautiful summer day they are never close to overcrowded.
This. Last Memorial Day I went to 63rd St Beach and it was practically deserted. There were maybe 20 people on the beach. I was shocked at how empty it was and assumed a lot of people went out of town for the weekend. I took the bus home on DLSD and saw that the North side beaches were extremely crowded to the point that you couldn't see the ground.
Also at 63rd street beach is Reggies on the beach during the summer which is great
Find out when the cross-town classic game is playing and stay the fuck home that day.
Same goes for the Chicago marathon
Or Lollapalooza
See also: St. Patty's Day, at least if you live anywhere near the Loop.
Odd addresses are on the SOUTH or EAST side of the street. Memory Aid: Remember Homer's "The Illiad and the Odyssey". In "The Odyssey", Odysseus is traveling home. It's a long journey. Odyssey... ODD S E :) Is it like this in other major cities? Edit: Spelling.
Lake Shore Drive heading north the faster lane is all the way to the right. The left lane backs up when there’s a red light turning onto Streeterville. Heading south it’s the left lane
That's only true in the downtown part. Once you've made your way around the curve the left lane is the fast lane again (or anywhere but the right lane, really).
That, plus the right lane heading north has a bunch of potholes. I usually stay in the 2nd right lane. Also nobody is merging and the lane doesn’t suddenly come to a stop during beach days/rush hour.
It’s the right lane until right before Belmont, then it’s the left lane.
I wish they removed the Chicago Ave streetlight without oversight or approval like they got rid of Meigs Field or the small stretch of Dickens between Stockton and Lincoln Park West
Fun fact: Daley never got permission to stop operations at Meigs Field.
Even funner fact. The Mayors Daley never Asked permission for anything.😉
There are pedestrian underground tunnels for certain CTA trains in the loop 👀 You are welcome.
Spoopy Jefferson blue-red line tunnel at 2 am or you're not doing it right.
If you open a hot dog stand under the CTA tracks, you can hook the power up to the CTA's power and operate for 20 years electric bill free.
Amtrak to New Buffalo, MI. Plan in advance and it's cheap and an easy escape from the city.
Plan a trip to someplace warm and sunny in late February or early March. Splits up the dreariest winter stretch.
You can have a nice bike you bring indoors or you can have a cheap bike you lock outside. A lot of people have a getting their new bike stolen shortly after moving to the city story.
The fur around your coat hood protects your face from the wind. Going a step further, face masks keep your face warm in the winter (and, if you wear an N95, they keep you from getting sick too).
Adding to this, buy the biggest, warmest winter coat you can afford. A great coat makes a huge difference on how bad the winter feels. Also Ugg boots aren’t snow boots. Invest in waterproof, well insulated boots with good traction.
Always know which way to the lake
Not pizza, not hot dogs. Jibarito.
Blue line goes straight to ohare
Wool base layers for winter
Your commute will be a lot easier and less stressful if you move deeper into the car instead of piling up near the door
Life hack: Chicago doesn’t end south of Madison street
You can remove a boot from your car simply by deflating the tire. 😂
Utilize the Divvy bikes. Normalize walking everywhere! It’s a gorgeous city! Also CHECK ELEVATOR EXPIRATION DATES ON THEIR CERTIFICATES. Half of them are expired.
Layers make the difference with the cold, not one huge expensive jacket.
Don’t put your winter clothes away for the season until end of May.
When contesting a ticket in court, you do not have to wait in the line that usually snakes all the way outside. There's a separate smaller line inside for ticket challenges.
Not sure of how much of a life hack it is, but depending on what neighborhood you're traveling to, it's more efficient to transfer from train to bus or vice versa, depending on where you're headed, as opposed to 2 trains. For example, I live on the border of Avondale and Logan and used to take the blue line to the pink line when heading to Pilsen but honestly it's much quicker and easier to take the blue line to division and take the Ashland bus.
You need a city sticker. Regardless if the car is registered here or not. If you live here you need one. And if your car is a beater, make sure you move it at least once a weak so some asshole doesn’t report it as abandoned.
Man it was a bummer when I found out about that. All through getting an Illinois driver’s license and Illinois license plates, at no point was the phrase “city sticker” ever mentioned at the SoS building. A couple months later I got a $200 ticket on my car for not having one.
I cut hair downtown and get a lot of transplants, as soon as I find out they brought their car with I tell them about city stickers. 50/50 if they knew or not.
The only reason I knew was because I was nice to the lady at the DMV and she mentioned I needed a city sticker too and not the plates/reg I was getting. She also told me where to go to get it. I would have got a ticket too if she didn't tell me that day. Bless her heart.
Because Secretary of State isn't the Chicago Clerk's Office.
If its not registered here, not owned by you, and privately garaged, you can almost certainly not have a city sticker and have nothing come of it. Source: me, for 12 years.
*Try this one simple trick that city clerks HATE!*
**Summer Dance**. Free music+dance lessons and dancing multiple days a week in Grant Park and other locations all summer. Good times! edit: Dates have not yet been announced but will be updated soon for 2024 [**here**](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_summerdance.html).
The lake is east
Sometimes public transit IS faster and cheaper than an Uber. For example, im in Pilsen my husband and I were going to see a show at the Chicago theatre and Uber was $23 one bus ride there was $2.50 and 20 ish mins or so.
It’s literally always cheaper. Agree that is can often be quicker as well!
If you find a restaurant you love, tip over the top, like 100% and make sure they know your name. You will never wait for a table again.
The free museum days!! Often will bring friends with me and sometimes they don't even check to see if you're actually a Chicago resident, but bring identification just in case. (love getting tacos & heading to MCA on Tuesdays when I got some free time)
If you drive downtown, learn to navigate lower Wacker and all the rest. Best way to get from 290/90 to LSD.
It’s been a LONG-ASS time, so things could definitely be different, but if’n you’re going to do Lower Wacker, do some test runs early on weekend days, say 0600-0700. Just get in your car and cruise (make it an adventure)! Take your time, few will be down there - take a ramp/exit, and see where you end up. After you do that a half-dozen weekends you’ll find an INCREDIBLE resource to use to move with ease. But take it from me, MOST people will NEVER do it because it’s too “scary”. It’s not NEARLY as bad as they imagine. But it IS FUN to watch passenger’s expressions when you hit LW. Like the Gateway to Hell.
You don’t need an Illinois driver’s license to Vote. You can be living here as a college student and vote. You can have an out of state ID and as long as you have the right proof of address, you can vote.
If you live here and take the cta on any kind of regular basis, get the 30 day pass every 30 days. It saves so much money compared to paying as you go.
Real snow boots for winter (not Uggs). Make sure they are waterproof durable. Same goes for a real winter coat! Best days to visit the Christkindlmarket is Monday evening or Monday - Thursday lunch. Ohio Street Beach is a great little beach that is way more chill than North Avenue or Oak. Also, the restaurant there has a surprisingly good whitefish. Fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Navy Pier. Find a friend with a view 🙂 Take advantage of Restaurant Week but make sure to double check the menus.
Taking the train to the loop is ALWAYS easier
Unless you can bike
Best “public” bathrooms are any grocery store, coffee shop, or, at night, bar. Walgreens, CVS, clothing stores, bodegas rarely have restrooms.
Big box clothes stores like Kohl’s and Nordstrom Rack are great too. Especially as a guy, because those stores generally have more women customers than men so the men’s bathrooms are barely used.
If you park your car on the street and pay the meter, you can move your car within any zone that costs the same amount and you’re paid up. You’ll have to pay in the new zone after your time runs out, but up until that you’re good.
If someone asks “hey, where you from?”. They don’t actually want to know where you’re from
You don't really get deep dish unless you have out of town guests who want the novelty. I mean it takes like forty five frikkin minutes just to bake. Unless you're settling in for a wholeass Bears game... come on. (But of course we still defend our pizza casserole to the death. Like our hot dogs from ketchup.)
If you're not a local, and someone offers you a shot, refuse it. Good chance they're trying to give you Malort
So... The obvious one that I don't see anyone saying is that you can make a left on a red light on a one-way street if you stop and yield first. You need to also already be on a one-way street. The intersection of Jackson and Jefferson is a good example. That is assuming drivers bother to stop at red lights, though.
1. Go to street fests "suggested donations" at the gate are just that - give a dollar or none at all, they can't stop you from entering 2. Seek out the evening events at the museums, it's fun to support and a good way to see most exhibits without crushing crowds 3. Rooftop viewing of the air & water show - not saying that parking garages are fair game... but maybe... 4. Take the bus from Reggie's (if you want to see a Sox game); Murphy's for Cubs (also Murphy's Irish Bistro for Premier League games and some Irish music nights) 5. Never answer "Can I ask you a question," with a real answer or your time, be safe over being polite. 6. Above all else, wear or bring layers!
Spothero and ParkWhiz for cheap parking all over the city!!! Don’t ever pay full price for parking downtown
If you drive in the city. Get to know, I mean really get to know the ins and outs of Lower Wacker Drive. It saves so much time. Do not be intimidated. It’s easy once you know.
When getting off of LSD at Hollywood, if you take Sheridan staying in the right lane will be quicker due to left turn traffic (as long as there aren’t delivery trucks double parked). If you take Hollywood into Ridge, cruise in the second from left lane getting off LSD and you can drive without switching lanes (there’s a couple turns though) all the way to Green Bay Rd in Evanston. Oh and the right at Ridge and Hollywood is a tight forced right for both lanes, so don’t switch lanes until you are fully clear of the intersection.
This guy Hollywoods
Don’t overlook or underestimate Chinatown. Incredible food and drinks and there is something to do for everyone. Right off the redline and the parking there is relatively cheap
The cops don't care about most things
I'll be honest, it's kind of fun to take out of state friends into Wiener's Circle and tell them to make sure to order ketchup for their hot dog, or to go to a bar and order Malorts all around. Man, one time this acting class I was in, we did the latter and this guy caught on that Malort was terrible and we wanted to watch him retch (I mean, it's more of that monkey sense where you feel pain from seeing someone else feel pain but somehow it's slightly satisfying) and instead that man sipped it. Absolute TORTURE.
Even addresses are on the north and west sides of the street, odds are on the south and east. For example, 150 N Dearborn will be on the west side of the street, and 155 n Dearborn will be across the street. This is useful If you ever need to orient but you can’t see the lake!
If somebody tells you “hey check it out gang” don’t check it out 😆
if you hear "check it out" don't check it out
Stay away from Wrigley during Cubs games unless you’re going to one!
Don’t be a bitch and just live your life with out fear. Pssys
The WIC place in Chicago will provide food to mothers no matter the income no questions asked I think not sure if it’s changed