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Chicago! The Windy City! What a crazy month to visit Chicago, in the middle of winter, in January haha! Honestly, as a born and raised Californian, it was such a neat experience to get to live in a city in the middle of winter, with snow and ice storms, below freezing days, and living a lifestyle that is so far removed from the sunny January days I’m used to! It was so much fun to dress differently and figure out winter fashion, which might seem silly, but it’s no easy feat. I had to really get my thinking cap and creativity on another level in order to dress warm while still staying on trend. Anyway, I’m sharing what we did, where we stayed, and everything you need to know about visiting Chicago (at least in the winter)…
WHERE TO STAY:
After lots of research on google and social media, we found the BEST company to stay with in Chicago: Suite Home Chicago! They have the absolute best apartments in the heart of the city, with the best amenities. We were SO happy in our gorgeous floor to ceiling windowed 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment right in the heart of the Loop (the heart of downtown Chi). The building amenities were great- rooftop gym and 360 views of the city and Lake Michigan, a great pool area, bbq’s, laundry in-unit, and all around welcoming staff. We thoroughly enjoyed the weekly cleaning that is included with your stay too! Suite Home Chicago was super responsive with any of our needs, and truly took the time to ensure that each unit feels like home away from home! I highly recommend staying with Suite Home Chicago if you have an upcoming trip to the Windy City (our location was the Marquee building at Block 37 and I rate it 5/5 stars)!
WHAT TO DO:
Ribbon Ice Skating (of course this is only in the winter but amazing!)
Architectural Tour (#1 recommended thing to do in Chicago)
Visit and walk around the Gold Coast
Take a stroll through Lincoln Park- gorgeous!
Sheds Aquarium
Gangster Tour
Garfield Park Conservatory
Ferris’s Wheel at Navy Pier
Starbucks Reserve- 4+ story Starbucks that serves cocktails + food
Michigan Avenue (all the shopping- stop by the Ralph Lauren store)
Take a bike ride along North Beach
Walk around the Loop
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK:
Camper
Girl and the Goat
Eataly
RPM Italian
Restoration Hardware
Ralph Lauren Restaurant
Stans
Toast
Quartino
Hugo’s
Gibson
Bar Siena
Luxbar
Beatnik
The Dawson
Barcocina
OTHER TIPS:
Definitely use the “L” to get around- it’s their elevated subway system in the city! Super convenient and goes all over. I also recommend staying as close to the Loop as possible- it’s such a great area with lots of action and you can easily get to essentially anywhere you’ll need just by walking. Our apartment with Suite Home Chicago was the best location!