Tourists who never leave the loop (Chicago, Washington: taxi, live, restaurants)

[jsk1983]

Originally Posted by Duluth07

Run the Chicago Marathon. I've done it three years now and while it obviously doesn't cover everything, you really do see, on foot, a lot of what makes Chicago an interesting place. Plus you get to decide for yourself what you think of these neighborhoods. Often you see these places on the news at night, on a Sunday morning in October you see the buildings, more quiet, but still can tell there's a lot going on.

Speaking of that, just for kicks I've been trying to look at what a small studio apartment would cost if one were available near, say, the Union Station area...(I usually stay at that hostel on Jackson & Halsted when I visit). Of course it would be great to live near 35th & N Halsted in Boystown but if it's anything like Minneapolis' GLBT area where everything is priced for the gay-rich only, I'll have to look elsewhere. Are there some small studios downtown in Chicago that aren't brand-new corporate apartments for rich people?

35th and Halsted is on the south side in Bridgeport. Boystown is in Lakeview on the north side, Halsted an Belmont up to Addison or so, or a little north of that. Probably cheaper up there than downtown though.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

People tend to gravitate toward the bright spots.
Chicago has a beautiful "downtown" , even tourists from other countries marvel at its architecture and its views.

To the original poster dont forget the area attracts a lot of business travelers who tend to stay for a day or two after the scheduled meeting or conventions they may have.

Many of these travelers stay in the loop area.
Without the loop Chicago would not be a top destination for many.


Why would anyone not want to see the historical buildings and architecture among beautiful city parks , lake michigan, theater, world class restaurants one of the best skylines in america ,if not the best.

the tourists are a huge and vital component of the areas success.

The city also does a pretty good job of promoting and keeping up with the maintenance of the downtown area, the front room of Chicago is always clean.

[FAReastcoast]

Why would anybody want clueless tourists taking over their neighborhood? Keep the tourists at Navy Pier.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

Why would anybody want clueless tourists taking over their neighborhood? Keep the tourists at Navy Pier.

Many reasons-

For starters tourists fuel the economy with dollars.
The ripple effects is felt thru many industries and supports thousands of jobs and every dollar a tourist spends goes into the coffers.

The discussion was tourists in the loop.

[ML North]

Originally Posted by CoolSocks

Judging by my Facebook newsfeed and all of the friends who have visited Chicago this summer, it seems like so many tourists who visit think that the downtown area is the only part of Chicago. That's all I hear people talking about and the only pictures I ever see.

That could be a bit misleading, though. The Skyline is obviously a magnet for pictures. So while a tourist may visit a lot of areas, the Skyline/Loop is the most likely to end up on his Facebook picture feed.

Originally Posted by CoolSocks

Is this a common thing you guys have discovered? Visitors who stay solely in the downtown area, thinking that that's where everything happens and end up missing out on discovering more of what Chicago has to offer?

There are a variety of reasons that a tourist's trip to Chicago will involve a disproportionate amount of time spent in the Loop. Many of them have been mentioned already, but two important (and relatively obvious) considerations are that (1) it's the main transportation hub, and (2) it has the most hotels.

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

Why would anybody want clueless tourists taking over their neighborhood? Keep the tourists at Navy Pier.

You're lumping all the tourists into one category and then using that category to vent your frustration with presumably the worst type of tourist. That's a lousy argument for a lot of reasons, but mainly because you're likely mislabeling the majority of tourists.

It's reasonable to expect that a lot tourists visiting Chicago, and especially those who are journeying into the more residential neighborhoods are doing so because they appreciate the same things that make you want to live there -- indie restaurants and shops, interesting architecture, convenience to public transportation, etc. Given that assumption, these people may be (1) interesting to talk with, (2) considering relocating to the neighborhood, and (3) supporting and giving money directly to the things that you value. Additionally, a healthy level of tourism is both a characteristic of, and a contributor to, healthy neighborhoods.

Obviously the extreme example -- being totally overwhelmed with tourists to the point that it is detrimental to the local residents -- is not desirable, but in most places that is likely not the case.

[aragx6]

For cities like Chicago, tourists often become transplants, so I think it is good for everyone when they like what they see and get out to enjoy the 'hoods.

[SJaye]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

Many reasons-

For starters tourists fuel the economy with dollars.
The ripple effects is felt thru many industries and supports thousands of jobs and every dollar a tourist spends goes into the coffers.

The discussion was tourists in the loop.

This is the same thing Wisconsin-ites overlook when complaining about Chicago tourists, New Eglanders about Boston tourists, and so on....

[It'sAutomatic]

People do what they want to do. Personally, I am much more interested in the vibe and built environment of places where actual residents spend their leisure time.

[AZPam]

So, where exactly would you recommend a tourist go see and do? I am totally open for suggestions. I arrive on Sat and leave Wed, staying at the Drake. I have to admit, we are coming mostly just to shop and get cold for a few days so it feels like Christmas. Can you order up some snow? We won't have a car or anything so it would have to be by taxi or train.

[knitgirl]

You might want to do some shopping in Lincoln Park or Lincoln Square or Andersonville. If you go to Andersonville on Tuesday you could check out the St. Lucia Festival of Lights Swedish American Museum -. You could also check out the Christkindl Market at Daley Plaza in the Loop: Christkindlmarket Chicago From what I've heard, they actually have German vendors come to Chicago for this. When I went to the website, the home page was in German, I had to switch it to English.