Men, women and children do not live by clever furniture art alone.
Sure, the city’s whimsical collection of chairs and sofas can provide a pause that refreshes: a giggle while slogging along the city’s summer-cooked streets or some relief for tired feet.
But in Chicago, all that furniture is just an appetizer, a mere first course for the feast of sights, sounds and good eating that are part of this town’s energy.
How to indulge? Not in one suite-filled orgy. That could overwhelm the senses and leave no space for mixing it up with the city.
Instead, consider grouping your forays in search of “Suite” furniture into a mix of cool things to visit, cool places to shop and cool restaurants to try — places beyond the predictable, available-in-every-town-in-America variety. Call them “Suite Walks Chicago.” We’ve come up with severalsuite-intense areas to get you started. They offer a range of energy levels, interests and cash outlays (from free to pricey).
Sunday Morning on North Michigan Avenue
(Michigan Avenue from Oak Street Beach south to Chicago Avenue)
Make it leisurely. Make it relaxed. Begin with breakfast at Oak Street Beach and the bagels-to-pancakes fare at Oak Street Beachstro (312-915-4100), where you can also take in the circus atmosphere of sun worshipers, bladers and cyclists. Want less circus and sand? Then head to the Seneca Hotel and pop downstairs to tiny Chalfin’s Delicatessen (200 E. Chestnut St., 312-943-0034) for some scrambled eggs and matzo. For something a bit snazzier, the Sunday jazz brunch at Bistro 110 (110 E. Pearson St., 312-266-3110) should fill the bill.
To enjoy a particularly vast view of the city, head to the John Hancock Center (875 N. Michigan Ave.). First visit the Chicago Architecture Foundation Shop (312-751-1380), one level down from Michigan Avenue and offering great postcards, books and gifts, then ride up 94 floors to the Hancock Observatory (1-888-875-8439), with its mix of open-air-Skywalk, talking telescopes and assorted techno-goodies.
Back on terra firma, wander south to the park area surrounding the Historic Water Tower. Changing exhibits inside the Water Tower are worth a peek, as is a stop across the street at the Water Tower Pumping Station (163 E. Pearson St., 312-664-2733) for the brochure-laden visitors’ center and Flat Sammies eatery. Walk south to Chicago Avenue then east toward Lake Michigan. Stop by the charming (working) Fire Station (built in 1902) before enjoying an energy break at the lovely, tree-filled Seneca Park (for the adults) and the Eli M. Schulman Playground (for the youngsters). Finally, add a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago Ave., 312-280-2660), its gardens and, should you need a bit of refreshment, Puck’s at the MCA (312-397-4034). Puck, in this case, refers to celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, whose stamp is on the fare served at this casual cafe, which includes a table service area (pizzas and salads, among other items) as well as a counter featuring readymade fare. (You need not pay the museum admission to visit the cafe.)
Power Walking Along the Avenue and Beyond
(Michigan Avenue from Chicago Avenue south to the Chicago River)
This stretch of Michigan Avenue may boast the highest-energy suites, a mix of noisemaking, photo-opping possibilities — and the biggest crowds. The key to surviving this stretch is branching out beyond the Magnificent Mile. True, a pop into the Terra Museum of American Art (664 N. Michigan Ave., 312-664-3939) may be in the cards. And the shopping along this stretch of Michigan Avenue could take up a good percentage of a day. But for those who tire of such things — and you know who you are — there are the five levels of interactive amusement served up at DisneyQuest (55 E. Ohio St., 312-222-1300); but go before Sept. 4, when Disney expects to pull the plug on the house of games. Sports and food co-exist in perfect harmony at ESPN Zone (43 E. Ohio St., 312-644-3776). For something more subdued and refined, wander into the Arts Club of Chicago (201 E. Ontario St., 312-787-3997) and the first-floor exhibits.
While Michigan Avenue has its share of fine dining spots, burger fans will want to check out Boston Blackie’s (164 E. Grand Ave., 312-938-8700) as well as the legendary Billy Goat’s Tavern (430 N. Michigan Ave., lower level, 312-222-1525). We’re fans of dining in the great outdoors — at picnics, in parks. Of the same mind? Visit L’Appetito Italian Market (30 E. Huron St., 312-787-9881), Bockwinkel’s Market (700 N. Michigan Ave., lower level, 312-482-9900) or Whole Foods (50 W. Huron St., 312-932-9600).
Finish the day with some jazz. A stop at the Jazz Record Mart (444 N. Wabash Ave., 312-222-1467) is mandatory and promises T-shirts paying homage to jazz legends plus CDs you won’t find at your local chain store. For music? There’s the Blue Crab Lounge (21 E. Hubbard St., 312-527-2722), an eatery adjacent to Shaw’s Crab House that offers entertainment Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Plus, of course, Andy’s Jazz Club (11 E. Hubbard St., 312-642-6805) and the Jazz Showcase (59 W. Grand Ave., 312-670-2473). For a more physical finish, plan to bowl a few games at AMF Marina City Lanes (330 N. State St., 312-644-0300).
Hit the Loop for Chicago’s Heart and Art
There’s no better place to start this walk than at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St., 312-744-6630). Step inside the Visitor Center for maps, brochures, a coupon book titled a Guidebook of Special Values — and a look at the chockful-of-clocks Suite 97 (“Who’s Watching Who/Time”). Walk through the Cultural Center complex, checking out the changing art exhibits, the mosaics and the delightful Museum of Broadcast Communications (312-629-6000), where the red wig, huge shoes and Crayola-bright costumes of the recently canceled Bozo show now reside.
Although the Loop boasts some notable government buildings and stores, it is also home to a bounty of outdoor sculpture, the city’s Theater District and a number of locations captured on film by Hollywood moviemakers. This tour could include a visit to the Block 37 arts program at State and Randolph. Want to see a play? Stop in at Hot Tix (78 W. Randolph St.) and check out the availability. At Clark and Randolph, note Jean Dubuffet’s “Monument with Standing Beast,” then stare up at the glassy behemoth known as the James R. Thompson Center (the former State of Illinois Building). Here is where the Billy Crystal-Gregory Hines film “Running Scared” climaxed. A block south at Clark and Washington, the “Blues Brothers” movie had its climactic scene in the Daley Center Plaza while City Hall had a bit part in Harrison Ford’s “The Fugitive.” The Picasso sculpture may initially grab your attention, but don’t overlook Joan Miro’s “Chicago” sculpture across Washington Street. Further south on Clark, savor “The Four Seasons” by Marc Chagall before heading west to Jackson and LaSalle, an intersection that had a role in “The Untouchables,” “U.S. Marshals” and is expected to make a cameo in the recently filmed Tom Hanks-Paul Newman film, “Road to Perdition.”
On Jackson, head east toward State, passing Alexander Calder’s “Flamingo,” before returning to State Street and some dining decisions. Should you have lunch in the 7th floor Walnut Room at Marshall Field’s (111 N. State St., 312-781-3125) or a lunchtime bowl of gumbo, also on the 7th floor, at Heaven on Seven (Garland Building, 111 N. Wabash Ave., 312-263-6443)? Want something more grounded? Consider the leisurely indoor dining of Sopraffina Market Caffe (10 N. Dearborn St., 312-984-0044) or outdoor option at the Atwood Cafe (Hotel Burnham, 1 W. Washington St., 312-368-1900). Or escape from the trendy Franco-Asian fusion fare invading so many restaurants and slip into Trader Vic’s (Palmer House Hotel, 17 E. Monroe St., 312-726-7500) and order a mai tai.
There may be no better way to top a tour of the Loop (and a few of its movie filming sites) than by catching a film at the new Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute (164 N. State St., 312-846-2800).
An Afternoon in the Park
Begin this tour at the Art Institute (Michigan and Adams, 312-443-3600). Besides inhaling the wealth of art, consider a stop at the Restaurant on the Park or the Court Cafeteria as well as the gift shop. This walk boasts a wealth of specialty museums, including the Chicago Architecture Center (Santa Fe Building, 224 S. Michigan Ave., 312-922-3432), Museum of Contemporary Photography (600 S. Michigan Ave., 312-663-5554) and the Spertus Museum of Judaica (618 S. Michigan Ave., 312-922-9012).
Tucked among all these museums are a wealth of shops, bookstores, music stores and art stores. A particularly fun stop bound to tempt your credit card? The Symphony Store, part of the Symphony Center complex (220 S. Michigan Ave., 312-294-3345). Worth checking out — particularly if children are among those in your group — is the ECHO Interactive Music Learning Center (312-294-3435), also within the Symphony Center.
Wander out toward Buckingham Fountain (between Jackson and Balbo, east of Columbus) to savor the glories of the lakefront, then head back toward Michigan Avenue along Balbo. Head north for a perfect way to spend an early summer evening — in the lovely gardens near Congress. Such a stop gets even better on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, when the city’s Summerdance program (Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave., between Harrison and Balbo, 312-742-4007) is in full swing under the stars. What’s your pleasure — Motown or polka, ballroom or zydeco, salsa or big band? Schedules are available at the site as well as at visitor centers. Lessons begin at 6 p.m. (2 p.m. Sundays), with the dancing kicking off at 7:30 p.m. (3 p.m. Sundays).
When food becomes an issue, consider choosing the elegant Rhapsody (65 E. Adams St., 312-786-9911) or Russian Tea Time (77 E. Adams St., 312-360-0000). For a front-row seat on the action, the Artist’s Snack Shop (412 S. Michigan Ave., 312-939-7855) has tables outdoors.
