Living in Chicago, this is What I’ve Learned...

Limo drivers have loads of downtime between pick-ups and dropoffs during an evening. During the down times they will give you and your friends a ride to the next bar for about the same cost as a cab. Next time you see one parked on the street, lean in the window and just ask, “You workin’ for gas money?” The last time I used this “trick” I was with my girlfriend and her family. For $5 a person, we rode from the Shedd Aquarium to the Lalo’s on Illinois. Not bad.
— Rich Zell

I’ve learned that you can get a parking ticket by parking anywhere without a city sticker, parking at a meter without putting in a handful of quarters, parking too close to a fire hydrant, stop sign, sidewalk, loading zone or bus stop, parking on the wrong side of the steet during street cleaning (which is posted a whole 24 hours ahead of time in Wrigleyville, apparently because they can’t post a set schedule due to Cubs games — even in winter!), parking in a zoned area without a zone sticker, parking without a Cubs night-game sticker, and sometimes for no reason at all.
— Kyle Craig

Always feel a bus seat the morning after a heavy rain, or you will go to work with a wet ass.

Always ask who it is before buzzing someone into a building.

There is no better way to start your day than to see the sun rising over Lake Michigan.
— Melissa Wolf

For those who love Papa Johns, there’s one in Evanston!

Matilda on Sheffield holds the best wine tastings; they don’t overwhelm with the number of bottles, they couple it with nice little meals/appetizers and it’s affordable! You actually get to learn about the wine and appreciate it.
— Debbie Podmore

When returning to Chicago, it’s always easy to spot the tourists on your flight, because they’ll be the ones leaning over three people for a glimpse of the skyline on your approach. When you’re landing in Las Vegas, however, anything short of a riot on board is expected and fully welcome when the strip is in view for the first time.

If I had $1 for every time a cab driver honked his horn during the course of a day, I would be a very rich man. Add in $1 for every time a cab driver is on the phone talking in a foreign language while driving you, and I’m calling a real estate broker to talk about my new three-flat right now.
— Trent Modglin

There isn’t a better place to be in the summertime. Street festivals with live music, outdoor seating at restaurants, beer gardens, the lakefront and all the happy people enjoying it all. I don’t think that there is any other place that once the temperature hits 50 degrees, people come out of the woodwork, shirtless, to light up the grill.
— Cori

If you’re looking for an idea for a bachelorette party, it’s fun dancing with fine-looking gay men at Roscoe’s. What would seem totally inappropriate at a straight bar seems almost innocent at a gay bar. Straight men could do well there preying on the unsuspecting bachelorette.
— Jen T.

If you’re looking for one of the best breakfast places in the city, check out Southport Grocery & Cafe. They take the typical breakfast items, pancakes, omelettes, French toast, and enhance the taste with their own unique infusion of complementary ingredients. In addition to their outrageous breakfast menu, they serve a unique lunch and dinner menu that I’ll be trying in the near future.

Ever had Bubble Tea from Joy Yee’s Noodles in Chinatown or one of the three other locations? If you’re unfamiliar with Bubble Tea, it’s a fruit smoothie-esque drink, not really tea. Joy Yee’s has a variety of unique fruit flavors and mixtures to choose from. They’re strangely addictive and refreshing!
— Mark Schwalenburg

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