OT: Visiting Chicago 2 - All Pizza, All the Time

[Pez68]

Since I loved to the suburbs 3 years ago I feel like a tourist when I return so this feels like the proper spot for me to post this question.

Need a spot to eat before the game Saturday west loop area, nothing fancy. Just for me and my buddy and his college aged son who is not an adventurous eater.. Was thinking the Loyalist, but the menu is pretty limited if you're not there for the burger.

Would love to hit Au Cheval, but scared of the wait time.

Any other suggestions? was gonna go to Little Goat Diner, but didn't realize it moved to Southport corridor.

Does....not....compute....

 

[S E P H]

Hey guys, there is a chance I might be getting a job in Chicago and I was wondering about Downers Grove; good area, bad area, and anything else I need to know?

 

[ChiHawks10]

Hey guys, there is a chance I might be getting a job in Chicago and I was wondering about Downers Grove; good area, bad area, and anything else I need to know?

Great area. I live 10 mins south of there. No reason not to move there. There's a small "downtown" area with a little bit of a bar scene, including a great sports bar, and some restaurants and coffee shops. There's a train station into the city right in the little downtown area, also. Shopping and restaurants all close by. You should have absolutely no concerns with moving there. It's a pretty well-off/affluent suburb. Lots of upper-middle to upper-class homes, minimal crime, etc.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Hey guys, there is a chance I might be getting a job in Chicago and I was wondering about Downers Grove; good area, bad area, and anything else I need to know?

Solid place

 

[S E P H]

Great area. I live 10 mins south of there. No reason not to move there. There's a small "downtown" area with a little bit of a bar scene, including a great sports bar, and some restaurants and coffee shops. There's a train station into the city right in the little downtown area, also. Shopping and restaurants all close by. You should have absolutely no concerns with moving there. It's a pretty well-off/affluent suburb. Lots of upper-middle to upper-class homes, minimal crime, etc.

Solid place

Thanks lads! How far is it from all the good stuff in downtown Chicago? Also, does the city have a good Polish population?

Additionally, should I worry about tornadoes? I saw that Fairdale got hit by a nasty one some years ago and one that hit Plainfield which is not that far away from DG.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Thanks lads! How far is it from all the good stuff in downtown Chicago? Also, does the city have a good Polish population?

Additionally, should I worry about tornadoes? I saw that Fairdale got hit by a nasty one some years ago and one that hit Plainfield which is not that far away from DG.

Depends on how you go into the city. By drive? Probably anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour+ depending on the time of day/traffic. By train I believe it's about 45 mins to the heart of the city at Union Station. Not too bad, either way. It has a roughly 15% population of Polish ancestry. Which is a pretty solid number. Quite a bit of Polish ancestry in the suburbs surrounding Downers, also. No, you shouldn't worry about tornadoes really.

 

[Crow]

Downers grove is a lovely town, my home town. My mother’s too. Very safe, good schools, library, parks, nice little restaurant scene that has grown steadily over the last 30 years or so.

The train is great to have, there are express trains to the city that take about 35 min, and normal trains that will get you to union station in 50 min or so. Trains also bring some strange people sometimes, but it’s hardly a problem.

A tornado touched down by my parents house in downers about 30 years ago, destroyed a massive tree, and did some other considerable damage, but from what I’ve heard, the likelihood of a tornado in the whole Chicagoland area has decreased as the climate has changed. Can’t say it won’t happen again but it’s unlikely.

A lot of polish people moved from the city about 50 years ago to downers grove and other nearby suburbs, but you likely won’t find too many polish speaking people anymore, just people of polish heritage.

Another one of the long time posters here is from there. Wish I could remember who. Never really talked to them about it just noticed it in their location.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Thanks lads! How far is it from all the good stuff in downtown Chicago? Also, does the city have a good Polish population?

Additionally, should I worry about tornadoes? I saw that Fairdale got hit by a nasty one some years ago and one that hit Plainfield which is not that far away from DG.

Chicago is the most Polish city in the world outside of Poland.

 

[Sarava]

Thanks lads! How far is it from all the good stuff in downtown Chicago? Also, does the city have a good Polish population?

Additionally, should I worry about tornadoes? I saw that Fairdale got hit by a nasty one some years ago and one that hit Plainfield which is not that far away from DG.

Downer's Grove is nice. Naperville is slightly west of there and is often voted one of the best towns in America to live in, if it's within your budget of course.

From either of them you can jump on the metra train and be downtown within an hour. I wouldn't worry about tornados...it's like hitting the lottery in a bad way. Not likely to ever happen.

And yeah, Chicago long held the title as the #2 city in the world for most Polish citizens after Warsaw. Not sure if that has changed over the last couple of decades, though.

 

[S E P H]

Thanks a lot, everyone! If I ever move there, I will be here quite a bit with probably a million other questions lol!

 

[Crow]

@Callidusblackhawk

 

[Callidusblackhawk]

Can confirm that Downers Grove is a great place to live. It would be pretty hard to go wrong with any of the towns surrounding it, really.

 

[AlphaLackey]

Hey all, going to be town for a couple nights to catch They Might Be Giants down at the Vic. Which naturally means I'm looking for dinner recommendations that I can Uber to and then walk to the theater after. Most any genre works but bonus marks for things authentically Chicago-like.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Hey all, going to be town for a couple nights to catch They Might Be Giants down at the Vic. Which naturally means I'm looking for dinner recommendations that I can Uber to and then walk to the theater after. Most any genre works but bonus marks for things authentically Chicago-like.

Sheffield's is right there a block north, good food and great patio.

 

[AlphaLackey]

Sheffield's is right there a block north, good food and great patio.

I'm always down for a good BBQ, their menu looks amazing. Good enough to skip lunch!

 

[AlphaLackey]

Thanks for the Sheffield’s recommendation — I ordered the Armadillo Eggs but once the owner found out I was visiting for the first time he sent out like a whole ass sampler plate of meats and a bucket of fries. All of it was great. Everyone was super friendly too!

 

[AlphaLackey]

Concert(s) were rad both nights. That’s a nice cozy little theatre you all have. Have to leave for my red-eye in a bit but figured I’d try some staples from Portillo’s. Please feel free to roast me for how tourist-y my choice was, but they were gooooood. Hot peppers on hot dogs and hoagies is my new tech.

 

[Crow]

Concert(s) were rad both nights. That’s a nice cozy little theatre you all have. Have to leave for my red-eye in a bit but figured I’d try some staples from Portillo’s. Please feel free to roast me for how tourist-y my choice was, but they were gooooood. Hot peppers on hot dogs and hoagies is my new tech.View attachment 884677

That’s just good food, not at all touristy. f*** I’d probably get the same thing and a cheese fry and a beer.

 

[ChiHawks10]

That’s just good food, not at all touristy. f*** I’d probably get the same thing and a cheese fry and a beer.

My Portillo's staples are the Maxwell Polish or the Bacon Cheeseburger. Portillo's still makes one of the best burgers you can find. And of course a cheese fry.

 

[Crow]

My Portillo's staples are the Maxwell Polish or the Bacon Cheeseburger. Portillo's still makes one of the best burgers you can find. And of course a cheese fry.

I actually just had a burger there a few days ago. I moved dangerously close to one. I hope my cholesterol medication is doing it’s job.

 

[AlphaLackey]

Yeah I had cheese fries with my lunch at the hotel restaurant, they were definitely good. I may not even have a BM until I get back home, but for now, my tummy feels good.

Thanks to all for the advice on the eats and who knows, might even make it down for a Hawks game

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Glad you had a good time!

 

[Il Stugotz]

Not sure where to post this, but:
How much are Ice Hogs tickets right up against the glass? Website only has ticket packages, not single game info

 

[Crow]

Not sure where to post this, but:
How much are Ice Hogs tickets right up against the glass? Website only has ticket packages, not single game info

Yeah same with the wolves. I’m assuming single game tickets will go on sale soon. I at least want to get the best available seats for the 3 Rockford games.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Best seats at Allstate are upstairs.