steve hearts elaine

So What Should I Do In Chicago?

steveheartselaine — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:08:53 +0000

As much as we would love to run around with you guys while you are in town, we have a lot going on! So, with that in mind I thought I would post some things to do for those of you who don’t know Chicago.

First off, there are many things to do, shopping, museums, restaurants, parks, partying are just a start. So here’s a list of options:

Museums:

The Art Institute of Chicago just opened their new Modern Art wing which was designed by architect Renzo Piano. They currently have an exhibit on Matisse. This is also right next to Millenium Park.

Museum of Contemporary Art is always a good bet and is housed in a building designed by Mies van der Rohe which is just off the Magnificent Mile.

Adler Planetarium currently has an exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo XIII and even though it’s small, it has an amazing view of the city.

Near by is Shedd Aquarium with, you know, penguins and junk…

Also close is The Field Museum of natural history, which is worth checking just to see Sue, “the world’s largest, most complete and most famous T. Rex.”

Very close to where the wedding is happening is the Chicago History Museum.

On the South Side is The Museum of Science and Industry, they currently have a Science of Storms exhibit going on, oh and a U-505 submarine. So if you want to see an enigma machine captured off a German war ship this is the place, but you need a separate ticket to get inside the sub so make sure you buy it early.

Nightlife:

There are a ton of places to go out at night here in Chicago but here’s a start…

Manor (642 N. Clark) – Night club done up to look like an English manor house.

Stay (111 W. Erie) – Rock themed place.

Spybar (646 N. Franklin) – Full on dance club with an awesome sound system.

Y Bar (224 W. Ontario) – Lounge with well dressed clientele.

Sound Bar (226 W. Ontario) – Full on dance club with several rooms on two separate floors, they usually bring big acts to the main floor (bring ear protection).

NV Penthouse (116 W. Hubbard) – Club with a rooftop patio, maybe a bit crowded.

Mad Poison (806 W. Randolph) -”Ultra Lounge” with auto drink maker 5000.

Bon V (1100 W. Randolph) – Fun place, owned by Brian Urlacher’s brother.

Market (1113 W. Randolph) – Sports themed place owned by one of the Sox’s GM.

Bottom Lounge (1375 W. Lake) – Concert space, but they also have a Tiki rum bar patio on the roof.

Roof (201 N. State) – The undisputed king of roof top bars last summer, at the Wit Hotel.

Also for restaurant tips and more current goings-on check out:

Time Out Chicago

Metromix

That should keep everybody busy

-steve

So where should I stay?

steveheartselaine — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:42:18 +0000

We decided not to get a block of rooms for you, sorry, because everyone has such different tastes we thought that it would be best if you guys found the hotel that best fit your needs. So the big question is do you want to stay close to the event or close to downtown? There are 2 hotels within walking distance to the wedding/reception: The Belden Stratford, and Hotel Indigo. They’re both about a mile away, the Belden Stratford also houses residential apartments and is right next to Lincoln Park Zoo, and Hotel Indigo is a few blocks from the Clark/Division CTA Red Line stop.

If you are more inclined to stay close to the hustle and bustle of downtown there are tons of hotels, most of which will be a short cab ride to the wedding (less than $10). But here are a few suggetions:

Felix Hotel (rooms starting at $159/night),
111 West Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60654

James Hotel (rooms starting at $159/night),
55 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611

Dana Hotel (rooms starting at $160/night),
660 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

W Hotel (rooms starting at $200/night),
644 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60611

The Wit (rooms starting at $230/night, $200/night if you prepay),
201 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601

-steve

We’ve got the DJ and photographer

steveheartselaine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:23:28 +0000

So Elaine and I have settled on our DJ and our photographer. For the music we decided to go with the girls over at Toast and Jam because there eclectic tastes seemed to line up with our eclectic friends! And the shutterbug is from Creativo, and has a great eye for wedding photography that comes across as more fashion editorial than documentarian, plus he’s Italian, so all the animated hand gestures will just add to the excitement!

Next up is the caterers and the all-important booze…

-steve

So where are you guys registered?

steveheartselaine — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:25:06 +0000

Well, that’s very nice of you! But, we aren’t registered anywhere…we think that the emphasis should be on everyone celebrating and having a good time, not coordinating flatware. Besides, we already have waayyy more stuff than we need!

So, use that money on gas for the drive, plane tickets, or a babysitter so you can have as much fun as everybody else!

No presents other than your presence are requested.

-steve

So what’s for dinner?

steveheartselaine — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:53:49 +0000

Well, as many of you probably already know, Chicago isn’t exactly a cheap place. So why should catering be any different!? After getting several prices over $100 per person, we thought that we had better rethink the situation…seriously! $120 per person! I don’t think I’ve ever gone out to a swank restaurant and paid that much, so why would we pay it for prime rib that’s been stewing over a sterno can?

Instead, we are serving a variety of hors d’oeuvres rather than a traditional sit-down meal. I think this will also provide a less formal coctail reception style vibe. If you are the hungry type, make sure you eat a big lunch!

-steve

So what should I wear?

steveheartselaine — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:29:18 +0000

We are hoping to keep this party comfortable, but at the same time we didn’t want you guys showing up in Bermuda shorts and flip-flops either…so aim for something a little closer to dapper-dan than to sloppy-sam!

We know how hard it is to breakdance in formal attire, so the reception is going to be a lot more casual so bring your dancing shoes. But most importantly: bring your drinking cap!

-steve

So where is this thing going down?

steveheartselaine — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:07:10 +0000

Good question! We put the deposit down on the location for the wedding…So, come out and join us on April 24th 2010 at A New Leaf in Old Town (1820 N. Wells).

Check out their website and some pictures of the space.

View Larger Map

-steve