I have to go to Chicago next weekend. Can you answer some questions?

Question

Do they really have taxi's sitting in front of the hotels in case I decide I need to go somewhere? Can I just hop in one and tell them where to go? How much does a taxi cost?
How tall is the Sax hotel in stories?
Where is the best place to eat?
Is the Shedd Aquarium open next weekend and how much does it cost?
Thanks!!!!

Answer 1

Yes, taxis are all over the downtown area. In some outlying neighborhoods, they might be harder to find, but the "trendy" neighborhoods are full of them, just like the downtown areas are. Like the above poster wrote, your hotel can hail one for you or call one for you if for some odd reason not a taxi is in sight.

Not sure about how many stories Hotel Sax is but if you haven't already checked out the site, I posted the link below.

There are SO many good restaurants in Chicago, and to enjoy a good one does not mean you have to spend outrageous amounts of money. I highly recommend you try cuisines with which you might not be familiar. Totally worth it. And don't be afraid to venture beyond the downtown areas! (Exploring beyond downtown: Also totally worth it.) Metromix Chicago's restaurant search would be a good way to find some restaurants by type, location and/or price range. See link below.

Yes, the Shedd is on the pricey side, but I think it's worth it if you've never been, and especially if you like marine life and/or have kids in tow. They regularly feature dolphin shows.... I love seeing the belugas. There's so much there; check out the site for details on ticket prices, hours and attractions.

Hope you have fun! :)

Answer 2

Are there taxis in front of hotels? Depends on the hotel. The Sax hotel will have cabs going by all the time even if none are standing there. The Sax is 15 stories tall.
http://chicago-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g35805-d90957-Reviews-Hotel_Sax_Chicago-Chicago_Illinois.html

The Shedd is open every day of the year except Christmas. It costs $27.50 if you want everything, down to $8 if you're just interested in the non-Oceanarium parts of the museum.
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/

Best place to eat? Well, the best restaurants downtown are mighty pricy, but in the area of the Sax the best restaurant is what may be the best Mexican restaurant in the country, Rick Bayless's Topolobampo. You need reservations for there; the Frontera Grill is Bayless's more casual restaurant next door; it's somewhat less pricy (but still expensive) next door and you just need an hour or two to wait there. We were down there on a Thursday night in late August and the wait was about an hour at 7PM.
http://www.fronterakitchens.com/restaurants/restaurants.html

There are so many good restaurants around there, though, that you can't count them. Figure out what kind of food you want, then you can check listings either at Timeout Chicago or the Chicago Reader.
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/section/restaurants-bars
http://www.chicagoreader.com/cgi-bin/rrr/form.cgi?/

The Reader has ratings on their site, and you can search by price and more. Or if you pay $5, you can see ratings at Zagat.com. (Or if you go to a bookstore once you get to Chicago, you'll find the Zagat on the shelf and can consult it.)

Answer 3

Taxis are all over downtown, and if there isn't one in sight, your hotel will call one for you.
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/ticketprices.html
The Shedd is pretty expensive, I think its like 27.00 for adults.
My Favorite Restaurant is an Italian place called Club Lago
http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/italian/club-lago-river-north/134565/content