there is the The J. Ira & Nicki Harris Family Hostel near congress and wabash [right downtown, safe] but at $30/night in a room of 10 is great for a single but if there is 2 of you its you are probable better off in a hotel.

chicago hotels are actually pretty cheap.

I spent 5 days at the afforementioned J. Ira Hostel one spring break and was impressed. Not the cheapest hostel I've ever stayed in but one of my favorites. Great location, nice building, fine kitchen with a cool dining room. No curfew but you'll have to get buzzed in when you get in for the evening (bars don't close until 4am!). I imagine you could get a decent hotel room for the price of two beds, but then again, hoteling and hosteling are two different things.

Here's a touristy tip -- It costs some 12 odd dollars for admission to the observation deck at the Hancock Tower, Martinis at the bar just one floor below run just shy of $11. Might as well grab a comfy seat in front of the same view and enjoy your [free] Martini. On the topic of touristy shit -- I liked the pie at Gino's the best out of all we had there. Uno's was the least impressive (maybe too hyped?) -- serving up a deep dish that couldn't even touch the pizzas I used to get in California (Zachary's in Berkeley and Zelda's in Sacramento).

Best taco in town La pasidita on Ashland and Division…three stores all with the same name go to the one with the yellow front.

any other things we should see or good (and cheap) places to eat?
we're going to all the usual... millennium park, venetian night, IIT, john hancock... it's basically a geeky archi road trip.

Also, I've had good luck w/ Priceline - $50 for **** hotels.

I think the Big and Green exhibit is still up in the Santa Fe building.

CUBS!

As a past resident nothing beats living there but if only visiting...

Go with Hotwire if there are more than one of you. I stayed in the Palmer House Hilton for $60.

The Ginos East pie is by far the best and bring a sharpie to grafitti the wall.

For general fun in a sports bar go up to Clark & Addison when a cubs or Illini game is on. I like the Goose Island Brew Pub.

Avoid Navy Pier at all costs and the Sears Tower observation deck is overrated for the lines.

I'm sorry but My Pie is far and away better than Ginos East.

yah ag....i am certain they will be able to get cheap cubs tickets now that the season is over!!!!!! week day games for some seats are still only sold the day of the game so go to the ticket box early. its worth seeing the park even if the cubbies are a bit down.

if not do monday night or tues nights at sox park to see the first place white sox[all ticks are half price those nights] and you can go early take a walk in the rem jem at iit and the jahn stuff which is a 10 min walk from the ball park......

if you end up staying at that hostel or not...do happy hour at buddy guys on fridays nights i think up to 7. [which is about 4 blocks away].
free eats. cheap beer. good blues. the mainliners start at 9ish and you have to then pay a cover.....

if you are looking for blues stay away from kingston mines...they charge a huge cover and go after tourist. all the blues guys do all the same clubs and its much cheaper at places like blues chicago or B.L.U.E.S. look on metromix or better yet the free weekly paper, the reader, look in their coupon section also because you can often get cheap eat discounts there.

AG - do you live in chicago or something?

oregon - no, I'm just passing through.

the cass hotel

go to lincoln street at bout 3 in the morning

go to B.L.U.E.S i know it was already said, just go

don't go to michigan ave

don't go to rush street

go to shefields or Zella for a beer garden, until midnight, they shut those down early

eat dinner on the corner of clark and wrightwood, forgot the name of the place, been many time, very sad. Great frozen drinks and good food too.

Check out a band at Shubas

Go to High Tops during a cubs game

Go to NORTH BEACH, very fun, castaways has a nice bar, lots of ladies and play beach volleyball or sand football, bring a frisbe

check out a random house party in lincoln park, shit come to my place we have parties all the time, too much fun

light some thunderbombs off at 3 am. i hear my neighbors like it, others may too

go to Satay for some great sushi, or Hey Sushi

grab some 40s blunts bitches and beepers

don't go to bucktown, not so much fun

clark and wrightwood - Dunley's on Clark or Tarascas or Gioio's.

Tarascas
thanks
frozen drinks
very good
Dunley's is good, but not a place to drink
Gioio's may be the worst place in chicago
my friends and I give it bout 6 months longer before they turn it back into a poncharos (sp?)

oh yeah and a little further south,
Mickey's for drinks and dinner (eat outside of course)
and Tin Lizzy for cheap drinks
not bad for a state bar
can't touch Duffys though
Best bar in ann arbor, i mean Chicago

Never been to Gioio's. Tarascas is very good, went their last week and split a pitcher of margarita. It was a rough next day. Dunley's has terrible service.

My god, do live next door to me?

probably
i think you are following me, uofm - chicago - Tarascas