Starting with Shopping, this section of my brain focuses on knowing the best places in the city to shop and how I can save my guests money while doing it. The hotel is at the top of the Michigan Avenue shopping district, “The Magnificent Mile”. There are hundreds of stores and several shopping malls that hold ever kind of store imaginable. We are also one block away from Oak Street, Chicago’s answer to Rodeo Drive. There are designer boutiques such as Prada, Juicy and Barney’s plus many more. A short taxi ride will take you to Wicker Park/Bucktown, which is the more eclectic area of Chicago. There are plenty of off the wall local boutiques that you won’t find on Michigan Avenue. If you rather have someone else shop for you, arrangements can be made for a personal shopper and delivery right to your guest room. We can also arrange private shopping excursion and tours upon request. On occasion we keep discount coupons for some of the stores on Michigan Avenue, but you’ll have to ask.
The Diversity area concerns the different neighborhoods Chicago has to offer. There are numerous areas of the city that hold different cultural experiences. Places such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Pilsen, Greek Town, Bucktown, and the Ukraine Village all are within reach of the hotel. The great thing about this city is that you get to experience the world and all it has to offer without actually traveling throughout it. Where else can you get dim sum for breakfast, visit an authentic Greek bakery, speak Sicilian to your waiter during lunch, see Eastern European artwork, and have burritos for dinner?
Chicago is full of theatre options, both local and Broadway. Theatres such as the Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace, Bank of America Theatre, and Auditorium Theatre hold the best traveling Broadway shows. Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Young Frankenstein, and Spamalot have all found their way to the Windy City. For a more local feel, check out the Steppenwolf and Goodman for drama, Shakespeare and Royal George for comedy, and the Lookingglass theatre for family oriented shows. Don’t forget to see Second City comedy troupe – they’ll make you laugh with their outrageous sketch comedy shows. Stop by Hot Tix at the Visitors Center on Pearson and Michigan, three blocks from the hotel, for same day half price tickets. Here in Chicago there is something for everyone: from jailhouse inmates to catholic nuns to strange nannies floating away - it’s all here.
A larger section is dedicated to the over 40 museums Chicago has to offer. The museum campus, which consists of The Field Museum, John J. Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium, is a short bus ride from the hotel. The Museum of Contemporary Art is only 3 blocks from the hotel and it has free admission on Tuesday’s – plus in the summer months they have a wonderful farmers market in front, incase you want some flowers or cookies for the room. The Art Institute of Chicago is a short bus ride away and is large enough to spend an entire day inside. It recently opened a modern wing which expanded their collection even further. It is free from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The Museum of Science and Industry is a little over 8 miles from the hotel, but you can take a bus directly there. The U-505 submarine, coal mine, “Smart Home”, and Harry Potter exhibit are more than enough to keep the busiest individual occupied and educated. Otherwise, there are many more museums to chose from – the Bridgehouse Museum which gives a closer look on how the bridges of Chicago were engineered and operate; the Museum of Surgical Science gives insight to the development of the medical field, from iron lungs to wild west medicine to the old bone crusher; the DuSable Museum is the best in the area for African American art and history; the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Children’s Museum are perfect for little ones to release all their energy while learning something new; and if that’s not enough there are still many more to choose from.
Chicago is full of different attractions to see and experience. Chicago holds five of the top ten tallest buildings in the United States. The observatory on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower, tallest building in America, has a view unsurpassed by any other building. They recently added a glass ledge that allows one to look straight down onto the city. The John Hancock building is multi-functional with an observatory on the 94th floor, restaurant on the 95th floor, and lounge on the 96th floor. Besides the tall buildings, Millennium Park has become an essential park of a Chicago visit. The Crown Fountain, Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”), Prtizer Pavilion, and the Lurie Garden make it a great place to visit year round. For more information about construction and art of the park, take the audio tour narrated by none other than Chicago native David Schwimmer. Just passed the park is Buckingham Fountain, the largest fountain in Chicago. The fountain was built in 1927, the same years as the Knickerbocker. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a major water display with the main jet shooting water 150 feet in the air. Just north of the park is Navy Pier, a large indoor/outdoor complex with boat tours, IMAX theatre, two museums, a funhouse, carousel, restaurants, gift shops – including one that sells Obama hot sauce, and a Ferris Wheel which has the best shoreline view of Chicago.
The interesting part of a being a Concierge is the miscellaneous knowledge of people, places and things that you acquire over time. “Can you teach me how to juggle?” – Sure can, watch me. “Why is it called the Knickerbocker?” – In 1931 Alan Hurst purchased the hotel and renamed it the Knickerbocker to honor his Dutch heritage. “What does the plaque say outside of the old Playboy mansion on State Street?” – It is written in Latin and if you are over 18 I will tell you. “What does the Y mean on all the bridges and manhole covers?” – It stands for the three branches of the Chicago River, a symbol of the Chicago Water Department. “Can you show me where they filmed Adventures in Babysitting, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, all the Batman movies, the Untouchables, and the new Public Enemies movie?” – Absolutely, but you’re going to need a big map. “I need a priest, can you help?” – Yes I can help, I got ordained online. “What does Chicago mean?” – Chicago means land of stinky onions, from a local Native American tribe.
That concludes Part 1 – Part 2 will be posted shortly.
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