In general, I am very interested in trying local food as much as possible, so will be sure to try th

In a few weeks, I will be coming to Chicago for a business meeting on 4/16. I decided to fly in early on 4/15(arrive at O'Hare at 10:45 AM) to explore Chicago for a day before the meeting, as I have never been to the area.
I am debating between the Chicago Loop and Magnificent Mile areas for staying that night. My tentative plan for the day is to arrive at O'Hare, take the blue downtown. Drop my bag off at the hotel and find a place to rent a bicycle. Bike around Millenium Park and along the lake for the entire afternoon(stopping cheap pop concert tickets at interesting looking places along the way). Then get dinner and walk around cheap pop concert tickets at night, perhaps stopping at a jazz show(preferably free).
In general, I am very interested in trying local food as much as possible, so will be sure to try the deep dish pizza, cheap pop concert tickets but am not sure where yet. I also love pastry/dessert/ice cream shops and would love to find one along the way.
Which area would you recommend that I stay in? I do not need any bit of luxury, cheap pop concert tickets nor will I be spending much or any time in the hotel other than sleeping. I am also not interested in luxury shopping, theater, the Sears tower, bars(as I will be alone), etc.
For some local food places, I would suggest checking out Xoco, The Gage, Garrett's Popcorn (a big tourist place), Beard Papa's Cream Puffs, The Purple Pig, or Do Rite Doughnuts. cheap pop concert tickets Not a fan of deep dish pizza.
The Loop is the area just south of the river bounded by the L track on Lake, Wabash, Wells and Van Buren. Again, the term is subject to interpretation. The farthest points in the two areas are only about two miles apart, so you can easily walk anywhere within them.
If you'll be relying on public transit, you can purchase passes at the O'Hare rail station. A 1-day pass is $5.75 and allows unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses. Three and seven day passes are also available. A "day" is 24-hours. For complete transportation info, check the CTA site at www.transitchicago.com . You'll find maps, a trip planner and how to track trains and buses with your smart phone.
cheap pop concert tickets Instead of the Sears Tower (which is actually now the Willis Tower), you could visit the lounge on 96th floor the John Hancock Center. The cost of a cocktail would be comprable to just visiting one of the observatories. You could have a drink around dusk, then head elsewhere for dinner.
I stayed at The River Hotel on Wacker just east of Michigan Ave when I went for a few days alone. It is more of a business hotel than luxury. The staff was wonderful and the room was very clean and comfortable. Small but big enough for one. It is only about 2 blocks from Millenium Park. The restaurant had great pizza.
I love Chicago and try to get there every other month or so. I've tried a LOT of pizza there, and the best is "Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder" cheap pop concert tickets Located at 2121 N Clark. Hope you go, and if you do I know you will love it!
Club Quarters has cheap but nice rooms. Bobbies Bikes has better bikes and is a few feet from the bike trail. Walk around Millennium Park and get the bike later. Bike south if you want smaller crowds and great city views. Northerly Island is a great place to ride. Go north to see the beaches cheap pop concert tickets or walk through the zoo.
First, biking. Although Chicago is very bike-friendly, I do hope that you are familiar with biking in a major metropolitan area. It's not like biking in the 'burbs or small towns. You have to use the designated bike ways in Chicago (either the off-road ones, such as the Lakefront Trail, or bike in the street), and the latter is usually sharing the road with vehicular traffic including city busses and taxicabs. There are very few protected bike paths on city streets. You cannot bike on sidewalks.
I suggest that you take a look at the City of Chicago's website first which has maps of the bike paths. It also has photos of what to expect when using the city streets for biking as well as all the rules of biking there.
BTW, the Lakefront Trail is not just for biking - walkers, runners, in-line skaters, etc. all use the trail. You have to be extra careful in some areas where a lot of congestion takes place, particularly north from the Museum Campus up to Fullerton, the area between Navy Pier and Fullerton usually being the worst.
Keep in mind that the whole lakefront of Chicago is a series of parks, harbors and beaches (not yet open until Memorial Day weekend) which some museums (Museum Campus). The only area which has a number of restaurants and businesses along this area is Navy Pier, and we usually recommend dining elsewhere, as there are better cheap pop concert tickets choices.
What you could also do is bike through Lincoln Park - I'm speaking of the park itself, not particularly the neighborhood. Again, remember that you have to remain on the bike paths, not use the sidewalks.
IMHO, if you are looking for something which the locals generally eat, it wouldn't cheap pop concert tickets be deep-dish pizza. However, if you still are desirous of trying it, as most first timers are, remember that it usually takes 40-45 minutes once you place the order to be served the pizza. There are many options around the most touristy area of the city where you can try them, though.
Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder doesn't serve deep-dish pizza. They are more like pizza pot-pies. IMHO, they are just OK. Nothing for which I would necessarily go out of my way (and I used to live in this area for 20+ years).
Currently, my plan is to stop at Big Star in Wicker Park for some cheap lunch on my way from the airport to my hotel(Public Hotel Chicago at $120 off thanks to Priceline). cheap pop concert tickets I was told that there may also be a new donut place in that area that I might try as well.
Then, I'll drop off my bag and rent a bike(either Bobby's Bike Hike or Chicago Bike and Roll) and head up to Lincoln cheap pop concert tickets Park to bike around and maybe stop by the zoo. Then, I'll head down to Millenium Park to coast through and enjoy the architecture. I'll then stop by Dose Market and/or Germania cheap pop concert tickets on the Pier before heading back up to drop off the bike.
If you wish to partake of deep-dish pizza to find out what it's about, please do so (keeping in mind that there's a difference between deep-dish and stuffed pizzas). But if you are expecting that's where the locals hang out, you will be sorely disappointed.
cheap pop concert tickets My preference is Al's #1 Beef Sandwich on Taylor street right next to UIL. It's a dive but they do know how to make the sandwich. Inside you have to stand but there are outside tables. The Italian Ices place across the street is just amazing.
Well, Portillo's Hot Dogs is just about a mile down from the lakefront on Ontario. Al's Beef is just a block further, also on Ontario and Mr. Beef is just 2 block west and 2 blocks north on Orleans cheap pop concert tickets and Huron.
AA, to clarify my response of your suggestion. Here is an URL on which to view the maps of the (downtown) streets which have bike routes - as well as the direction on which you can travel: www.cityofchicago.org/cityinfo/cdot/bikemap/index.html
You'll also see on the maps where there are conditions of which to pay particular heed (such as gratings). I would strongly suggest for anyone viewing these to also be sure to READ EVERYTHING CONTAINED THEREON.
Navigating bike routes on city streets, especially in the busiest areas of the downtown areas - with taxis, busses, as well as other vehicular traffic (many of which may be out-of-towners who are unfamiliar with the streets themselves) - is not something I would encourage a novice to do. IMHO, if you aren't experienced at that sort of thing in a major metropolitan area, I urge you not to try it for the first time under those circumstances, especially during a weekend.
I think it would be a real shame for anyone to consider deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and Chicago-style hot dogs Chicago's sole contributions to U.S. (and world) cuisine. And, quite frankly, that's the vast majority of comments seen on these threads. Makes me very sad because Chicago cheap pop concert tickets is a whole lot more than that.
The OP clearly stated cheap pop concert tickets that they want something "Chicago original" and followed up that they are not really interested in high end experience, just some fun places such as deep-dish pizza and that's what I based my reply on.
I lived in Chicago for a long time. We own a downtown condo in which we spend about a month a year in, a week here and a week there. I know my beautiful city, so when I get a feeling of what the OP is looking for, whether correct cheap pop concert tickets or not in my analysis of the original question, I don't try to change their mind, I try to steer them towards what I believe is the best for that request, price range and most importantly their request for something specific, NOT what I believe they should be thinking about. It does not mean that anybody else can't post their suggestions, but don't challenge others who reply.
The reason why I think people post inquiries here is to get useful information to make their travels MEMORABLE. cheap pop concert tickets And, sometimes, that means giving them information about items OTHER than what they are specifically asking. In other words, OPTIONS.
The exact reason why I even contribute to these forums is that I myself have received insightful information from thoughtful cheap pop concert tickets individuals. That information (of which I would have NEVER known by my own research - and, trust me, I do plenty of it ahead of time) were often the high points of those trips.
IMHO, I also think that if a responder is recommending a chain restaurant (such as Portillo's or Al's Beef) or a pizza place owned by a corporation or bank, frequented by tourists and not locals (especially when the OP requests dining where locals do), they should indicate the same to the OP.
Now, when I read the above original inquiry, I had the understanding that the OP wants to go where the locals cheap pop concert tickets do. Something quintessentially Chicago. That doesn't mean that they have to spend mega-bucks to do it, either.
Quite frankly, the main difficulty might be that the OP will be remaining in the most touristy areas of Chicago and on a bicycle, no less. That's why I have asked