May 17, 2025
Chicago, IL
Marissa & Jay
Things To Do
Chicago is a beautiful city with so much to do, see, and eat. Below are just some of our recommendations but feel free to reach out if you are looking for something specific.
For those unfamiliar with Chicago, we recommend visiting the following neighborhoods:
Nightlife:
- River North (similar to P&L in KC and Gaslamp in SD)
- Wrigley (great day drinking spot)
- Bucktown/Wicker Park/Logan Square (similar to North Park in SD)
- Old Town (mix of casual and upscale bars)
Shopping:
- Lincoln Park (super cute area to walk around)
- Gold Coast/Streeterville (upscale shopping)
Restaurants:
- Lakeview (more casual and good cocktail bars)
- West Town (very trendy)
- Chinatown (great Chinese food)
- Little Italy (great italian food; go for Mario's Italian Ice)
- Greektown (great greek food and brunch spots)
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
Cloud Gate aka The Bean
Chicago, IL 60602
Great spot for a photo
Quartino Ristorante
626 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60654
Good and affordable Italian
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Chicago, IL
Jay's favorite deep dish pizza spot; lots of locations to choose from
Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago, IL 60614
Lots of fun and it is a free
Oak Street Beach
Chicago, IL
Great for beach volleyball and drinks on the beach
Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours
465 North McClurg Court, Chicago, IL 60611
One of the cities top tourist attractions
Aba
302 North Green Street, Chicago, IL 60607
Marissa and Jay's favorite restaurant recently
For all the days along the way