Things To Do Near Union Station Chicago?

[Bob Dylan]

I still refer to it as Sears Tower because that is how I remember it as a small watching it go up and visiting the Skydeck countless times with the folks. As for chow, if you are not in a Pizza or Diner mood, Al's Beef just around the corner on Adams tosses out an excellent Italian Beef Sandwich. Do NOT forget the Peppers
https://www.orderalsbeef.com/Media/Menus/adams%20web%20menu.pdf

True this and don't forget the World Famous Chicago Style Hot Dogs available everywhere! I prefer Gold Coast Dogs! :wub: (there's one in the Food Court Upstairs in Union Station)

**And if the Sears (nee Willis)Tower has Long Lines, the Hancock Building over in the Loop has just as Good a View (on Clear days) and IINM Costs Less too and usually is not as Crowded!

 

[railiner]

Old names 'die-hard'.....I still call the Met's stadium, Citifield, by the name of their former park, Shea Stadium....., and it's not even the same structure......

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Old names 'die-hard'.....I still call the Met's stadium, Citifield, by the name of their former park, Shea Stadium....., and it's not even the same structure......

And I still call that big International Airport on the south end of Queens Idlewild

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

True this and don't forget the World Famous Chicago Style Hot Dogs available everywhere! I prefer Gold Coast Dogs! :wub: (there's one in the Food Court Upstairs in Union Station)

And in an emergency such as nasty weather that keeps you confined to the Station Gold Coast puts out a very decent Italian Beef as well

 

[junebug]

Okay for the people that said Giordano's, my two cents is LOU MALNATI'S!!!! They have the best pan pizza, hands down, anywhere I have ever had it. Now thin crust, that's a different story.

 

[railiner]

Old names 'die-hard'.....I still call the Met's stadium, Citifield, by the name of their former park, Shea Stadium....., and it's not even the same structure......

And I still call that big International Airport on the south end of Queens Idlewild

Really?

What are you, a Republican?

 

[Slasharoo]

If you are there in December, it's great just to walk around and see the lights. Michigan avenue is beautiful and bustling with happy revelers.

 

[Trogdor]

Interesting how everyone still calls it the "Sears Tower". Sears sold it years ago and it has been the "Willis Tower" for quite some time. I too sometimes call it the Sears Tower in a weak moment. December can be miserable in Chicago--really miserable. But as folks have stated there are great dining options only a few block away-take advantage of one of them-bundle up and enjoy!

Seeing as how this thread started two years before the Sears Tower was renamed, it's not that surprising that there are many references to Sears Tower in this thread.

 

[rrdude]

Interesting how everyone still calls it the "Sears Tower". Sears sold it years ago and it has been the "Willis Tower" for quite some time. I too sometimes call it the Sears Tower in a weak moment. December can be miserable in Chicago--really miserable. But as folks have stated there are great dining options only a few block away-take advantage of one of them-bundle up and enjoy!

Sears Tower. Period. WTF, or WHOTF, is Willis anyway?

 

[junebug]

Interesting how everyone still calls it the "Sears Tower". Sears sold it years ago and it has been the "Willis Tower" for quite some time. I too sometimes call it the Sears Tower in a weak moment. December can be miserable in Chicago--really miserable. But as folks have stated there are great dining options only a few block away-take advantage of one of them-bundle up and enjoy!

Seeing as how this thread started two years before the Sears Tower was renamed, it's not that surprising that there are many references to Sears Tower in this thread.

Jeez, we bothered replying to a 2007 post? Nice catch.

 

[AlanB]

Interesting how everyone still calls it the "Sears Tower". Sears sold it years ago and it has been the "Willis Tower" for quite some time. I too sometimes call it the Sears Tower in a weak moment. December can be miserable in Chicago--really miserable. But as folks have stated there are great dining options only a few block away-take advantage of one of them-bundle up and enjoy!

Seeing as how this thread started two years before the Sears Tower was renamed, it's not that surprising that there are many references to Sears Tower in this thread.

Jeez, we bothered replying to a 2007 post? Nice catch.

It happens a fair amount because search engines don't care about dates normally when you type in a word or phrase to search for. No worries!

 

[John Bredin]

I'm a born-and-bred Chicagoan, and while I sometimes slip into calling it Sears Tower, I usually call it Willis Tower. IMHO, Sears gave up its "rights" to a Chicago landmark when they moved their hindquarters headquarters out to Rolling Meadows. Willis is in the building, in downtown Chicago, presumably with most of its employees commuting by train.* Sears ain't.

*We're a train-related message board, right? :giggle:

 

[John Bredin]

I live in Chicago - Sears Tower, Greek Town for food are great ideas! And Lou Mitchell's at 565 W. Jackson is walking distance. Great breakfasts! Everyone's suggestions are really good. Any of the architecture tours are just amazing. And since you have 6 hours, if you are into Architecture, you might want to take a taxi to Oak Park to see some of Frank Lloyd Wright's homes and his house. Also Hemingway's house is there with a museum. I've not been to the museum, but the Wright homes are gorgeous.
If you really want to take the kids somewhere cool, the Museum of Science and Industry is a 15 minute cab ride away.

No need to take a cab to either Oak Park or the Museum of Science and Industry. Oak Park would be a pretty pricey cab ride and not really faster than Metra. Admittedly, a taxi to the Museum of Science and Industry might make sense (1) for a group of people (2) if Lake Shore Drive isn't overly congested.

To Oak Park, take Metra's Union Pacific-West out of Ogilvie station, two blocks north of Union Station. Many Hemingway and Wright sites are within a walk of the train station. http://www.oprf.com/flw/index-walk.html

To the Museum of Science and Industry, take the CTA 10 bus straight to the museum or the Metra Electric to 55-56-57th Street station about a block away.

 

[Junebug]

Interesting how everyone still calls it the "Sears Tower". Sears sold it years ago and it has been the "Willis Tower" for quite some time. I too sometimes call it the Sears Tower in a weak moment. December can be miserable in Chicago--really miserable. But as folks have stated there are great dining options only a few block away-take advantage of one of them-bundle up and enjoy!

Who is Willis?

Right from the Willis Tower website: In 1988, Sears Roebuck and Company sold and moved out of the building, but the Sears Tower name remained the same. It was renamed Willis Tower in 2009 after the Willis Group Holdings, the global insurance broker who calls the Tower its Midwest home.

Sears moved to Hoffman's Mistake last time I looked. (Not Rolling Ghettos)

 

[Peggy]

This "old thread" is just what I was looking for. I don't think I want to mess with public transp on my layover, I just want to go where ever my feet can take me in whatever amount of time I end up with. Considering all that time on the train from TX, I'll be more than ready to do some serious walking.

My concern is FOOD. I think the train will arrive too late for Lou Mitchell's........so my big struggle will be between walking around with a huge slice of pizza, or a Chicago dog as I walk around looking like a total tourist and not caring.

It may come down to mustard. I despise the stuff and wonder if I'll be thrown out of Chicago for saying "hold the mustard".

Pizza sounds safer. But WHICH pizza? :unsure:

 

[June the Coach Rider]

I have a long layover in Chicago on my return trip home, no matter where I go, so I have become VERY fond of the ribs up in the food court. Because December can be VERY VERY cold in Chicago, having an inside alternative is a good thing to have.

 

[Peggy]

I have a long layover in Chicago on my return trip home, no matter where I go, so I have become VERY fond of the ribs up in the food court. Because December can be VERY VERY cold in Chicago, having an inside alternative is a good thing to have.

I'm hoping for good walking weather in early September and can grab carryout food at a hole in the wall so I don't lose exploring time sitting at a table inside.

We have ribs around every corner here in Texas, so it's gotta be pizza or hot dog!! :lol:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

This "old thread" is just what I was looking for. I don't think I want to mess with public transp on my layover, I just want to go where ever my feet can take me in whatever amount of time I end up with. Considering all that time on the train from TX, I'll be more than ready to do some serious walking.My concern is FOOD. I think the train will arrive too late for Lou Mitchell's........so my big struggle will be between walking around with a huge slice of pizza, or a Chicago dog as I walk around looking like a total tourist and not caring.

It may come down to mustard. I despise the stuff and wonder if I'll be thrown out of Chicago for saying "hold the mustard".

Pizza sounds safer. But WHICH pizza? :unsure:

I've gone to a cheeseburger place and ordered a cheeseburger, hold the cheese.

Heck, nowadays I'm finding fast food places that only list cheeseburgers on their menu, so now I have to say hamburger NO CHEESE when I order. A PITA.

 

[benjibear]

When I was in Chicago, I ate here: http://www.pierogiheaven.com/ If you like polish food, they were very good and quick. I had an order of Potatoe and Cheese pierogi and Polish Sausage and it was very good. Just like my grandmother made!

 

[lurker]

i need to know is there any place some one can wait if there lay over is after 12am?

Everyone is ignoring that this is what the OP that recently re-started this thread was asking, i.e. where she can wait after midnight ? She wasn't asking about restaurants to eat in or museums to visit or why Sears Tower has a new name. I don't know the answer to her question.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

i need to know is there any place some one can wait if there lay over is after 12am?

Everyone is ignoring that this is what the OP that recently re-started this thread was asking, i.e. where she can wait after midnight ? She wasn't asking about restaurants to eat in or museums to visit or why Sears Tower has a new name. I don't know the answer to her question.

You need to improve your lurking. The OP asked about things to do during a daytime layover. Places to visit, etc.

The person who asked about what to do after 12 am "tacked on" her/his question to this thread.

If you've lurked on here in the past, you know we like to go off topic. It's our MO. :giggle:

 

[junebug]

Hi Peggy! I am a born and raised Chicagoan.

There are many different opinions on pizza here. But I say Lou Malnati's, 439 N. Wells, a 5 minute cab ride from the station. It's got the most Chicago atmosphere.

What time are you getting in? Do we have messaging? I'm fine with it if you want to message me about any info.

I have another idea for you. Italian Beef is actually a Chicago invention. If you have time to go to Taylor Street, The Italian neighborhood, it is a 5 or so minute cab ride from the station.

At Taylor Street:

Definitely go to Mario's Italian Lemonade if you go in the summer. Their Italian Ice has chunks of real fruit. My favorite is canteloupe or original lemon, but watermelon is good, too. Al's Italian Beef is pretty good, and they have some awesome pictures on the wall. Ex-Governer-who-is-now-in-jail-Blagojevich in a photo frame with bars. Signed pictures by the cast of Wizard of Oz from 1939, etc. They have Chicago Hot Dogs too. (Vienna beef, MaryAnn's Bakery poppy seed bun, mustard, sport peppers, tomato, bright green relish, celery salt, did I leave anything out?)

Portillo's has great Chicago Dogs too.

Junebug

 

[Bob Dylan]

Okay for the people that said Giordano's, my two cents is LOU MALNATI'S!!!! They have the best pan pizza, hands down, anywhere I have ever had it. Now thin crust, that's a different story.

I agree that Lou Malnati makes Great Pizza but if you ask 100 Chicagoians(???) you will get 100 Answers as to who has "The Best" Pizza!

Thin Crust Pizza is for New Yorkers and Tourists, it's not "Real" Pizza! :giggle: (make mine with Extra Sauce, Cheese and Meat! Stuff it Dino!

 

[junebug]

Oh yeah, Jimhudson, you reminded me - if you do go to Lou Malnati, their sausage pizza has the sausage all across the top like a blanket, not individual pieces. "The Lou" is awesome and "Chicago Classic" is great too, add mushrooms for me.

And OMG I forgot. Get the Chocolate Chip Pizza for dessert!!! It's a maybe 5 inch fresh baked chocolate chip cookie baked in a mini pan-pizza pan topped with ice cream. When my friends from London were here, their 13 year old son went bonkers over it.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Oh yeah, Jimhudson, you reminded me - if you do go to Lou Malnati, their sausage pizza has the sausage all across the top like a blanket, not individual pieces. "The Lou" is awesome and "Chicago Classic" is great too, add mushrooms for me.
And OMG I forgot. Get the Chocolate Chip Pizza for dessert!!! It's a maybe 5 inch fresh baked chocolate chip cookie baked in a mini pan-pizza pan topped with ice cream. When my friends from London were here, their 13 year old son went bonkers over it.

It's a Heart Attack on a Plate! Sounds Wonderful! When we are @ the Gathering in Chicago in October that will definitely be on the "Must Do List!" (Ditto! Can't have too many Mushrooms! :wub: )