Things to do in Chicago and Hyde Park

Hyde Park and Chicago have much to offer in terms of culture, from delicious restaurants and cafes to beautiful museums, buildings, and parks.  Check out:

• Restaurants in Hyde Park
• Cafes on Campus
• Things to do in Hyde Park
• Things to do in Chicago

Restaurants in Hyde Park

• Medici – Known by students as the place to go to get a delicious Mexicana milkshake, the Med also offers pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and pasta.
  • Address: 1327 E 57th St.
  • Website: http://www.medici57.com/
• Valois – Though Valois has a lunch and dinner menu, it is well known for its all-day breakfast options.  A favorite spot of President Obama.
  • Address: 1518 E 53rd St.
  • Website: http://www.valoisrestaurant.com/
• The Snail – Traditional Thai cuisine, best for small- to medium-sized groups, as food is served family-style.
  • Address: 1649 E 55th St.
  • Website: http://www.snailthai.com/
• Z&H – This café is a great place to pick up a sandwich and a coffee.
  • Address: 1323 E 57th St.
  • Website: http://www.zhmarketcafe.com/
• Noodles Etc. – Pan-Asian cuisine best known, of course, for their noodle dishes.
  • Address: 1333 E 57th St.
  • Website: http://noodlesetc.com/
• The Promontory – Hyde Park’s newest restaurant/music venue!
  • Address: 5311 S Lake Park Ave. West
  • Website: http://promontorychicago.com/
• A10 – Located right next to Hyatt Place on bustling 53rd Street, A10 is one of Hyde Park’s newest spots to enjoy innovative cuisine. (Closed on Mondays).
  • Address: 1462 E. 53rd Street
  • Website: http://a10hydepark.com/
• Chant - Also on 53rd Street, Chant is a bustling neighborhood favorite with a wide assortment of interesting Pan Asian dishes to choose from.
  • Address: 1509 E. 53rd Street
  • Website: http://www.chantchicago.com/

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Cafes on Campus

• Einstein’s Bagels – Known by students as the “C-Shop,” it’s a great place to grab something and go, as it is conveniently located inside the Reynolds Club in the north-east corner of the quads.
• Booth School Café – Located on the first floor of the business school, this café is set up cafeteria style, with a grill station, pizza, and salad bar.
  • Website: http://aramarkcafe.com/layouts/canary_2010/locationhome.aspx?locationid=2298
• Divinity School Café – Argued by many to be the best place to get coffee on campus, this café is located in the basement of Swift Hall and also offers food from local restaurants.
  • Website: https://divinity.uchicago.edu/grounds-being
• Plein Air Café – Grab a coffee or a snack as you browse the bookshelves, because this café is right next door to the Seminary Co-op.
  • Website: http://www.pleinaircafe.co/
• Starbucks – If you’re looking for your Frappuccino fix, there is a Starbucks located in the Barnes & Noble bookstore.
• Hutchinson Commons – Located in the Reynolds Club, Hutch is a food court with a variety of options, from pizza, burgers, and Subway sandwiches to pad thai and Indian curry.

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Things to do in Hyde Park

• Interactive map: https://maps.uchicago.edu/
• Book a tour: https://visit.uchicago.edu/page/tours
• Take a look at the Oriental Institute. This is a fantastic museum with a wonderful collection of Ancient Near and Middle East artifacts.  Of special interest is the 40-ton lamassu, a completely intact statue of an Assyrian protective deity.
  • Admission is free.
  • Address: 1155 E 58th St, Chicago, IL 60637 
  • Hours:
    • Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
    • Thurs, Fri, Sat, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
    • Closed Mondays
  • http://oi.uchicago.edu/
• Take a walk to the Promontory Point.  This park juts into Lake Michigan and is perfect for a stroll.  On clear days, you can even see the city skyline.
  • To get there, walk east along 55^th street towards the lake.  It is roughly a mile from the main campus
  • It neighbors the Museum of Science and Industry and the 57^th Street Beach
• Explore the Museum of Science and Industry.  The building was originally built for the 1893 World’s Fair and now houses a series of fascinating interactive exhibits.  There is a special exhibit this fall called “Numbers in Nature.”
  • Admission:
    • $18 for adults
    • $11 for children aged 3-11
    • $17 for seniors aged 65+
    • Various extra packages available (see http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the-museum/museum-info/admission/)
  • Address: 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637
  • Hours: Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • http://www.msichicago.org/
• Admire the lofty heights of Rockefeller Chapel.  It is the tallest building on campus and features some beautiful stained glass windows, carvings, and architectural highlights, as well as regular organ and carillon concerts.
  • Admission is free
  • Address:  5850 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
  • Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • http://rockefeller.uchicago.edu/
  • Carillon and tower tour info: http://rockefeller.uchicago.edu/the-carillon/carillon-recitals-and-tower-tours
• Walk around Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House.  Designed and built between 1908 and 1910, it is a prime example of Prairie Style architecture.  It is definitely worth seeing, if not for its beauty, then because it is a National Historic Landmark.
  • Three different tours available.  See details here: http://cal.flwright.org/tours/robie
  • Address: 5757 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
  • Hours: Open Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • http://www.flwright.org/visit/robiehouse
• Browse the Seminary Co-Op Bookstore.  Though no longer located in the basement of the Chicago Theological Seminary (and unfortunately losing the maze-like qualities of its shelf arrangement), this bookstore is worth a visit.  It is one of the best academic bookstores on the planet, though it also stocks commercial literature.
  • Address:  5751 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
  • Hours:
    • Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
    • Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • http://www.semcoop.com/
• For more, visit:
  • http://visit.uchicago.edu/attractions.shtml
  • http://visit.uchicago.edu/neighborhood.shtml

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Things to do in Chicago

• Millennium Park – A gorgeous outdoor area, Millennium Park has a lot to offer, from the Bean to the Crown Fountain to beautiful gardens.
  • Website: http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html
• Willis Tower – A well-known landmark of Chicago, the skyscraper formerly known as the Sears Tower is a must-see for visitors.  Take an elevator to the top and look out at the city sprawled beneath you!
  • Website: http://theskydeck.com/
• Navy Pier – Navy Pier is the place to go if you want to ride a Ferris wheel, go to the circus, or see a show at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
  • Website: http://www.navypier.com/#
• Field Museum – One of the best natural history museums in the country.  Take a look at Sue the T-Rex or investigate the new exhibit on the World’s Fair.  Special exhibits this fall include: “Vodou: Sacred Powers of Haiti,” “The Machine Inside: Biomechanics,” “Tiny Giants 3D,” “Before Dinosaurs: Tracking the Reptiles of Pangaea,” “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior,” and “Titans of the Ice Age 3D”
  • Website: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/
• Art Institute – A wonderful museum, especially known for their collection of impressionist work.  Special exhibits this fall include: “Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections,” “Ghosts and Demons in Japanese Prints,” “The City Lost and Found: Capturing New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, 1960-1980,” and “Strokes of Genius: Italian Drawings from the Goldman Collection.”
  • Website: http://www.artic.edu/
• Catch the end of the Chicago Humanities Festival on November 9^th!
  • http://chicagohumanities.org/events/2014/journeys
• Other resources:
  • http://visit.uchicago.edu/page/explore-chicago
  • http://www.choosechicago.com/plan-your-trip/visitor-services-and-resources/request-visitors-guide/
  • http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g35805-Chicago_Illinoi.html
  • http://www.timeout.com/chicago

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