johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 2, 2016 20:43:54 GMT
My husband is still working on a project in Chicago so we're going out with him for a couple days next week during spring break. It'll be ds5, ds14 and his friend who is 13. DS asked to go shopping 'for clothes' one day. Obviously there's tons of options for shopping there, any suggestions on where is best and won't break the bank (bonus points if they have something younger ds can do to break up the shopping day). It'll be chilly so I'm trying to keep that in mind as well. We'll be staying in the Lombard area but I'll have a car this time.
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 2, 2016 21:03:24 GMT
I would not shop downtown. Taxes are high. Near Lombard you have Yorktown Mall and Oak Brook Center. Woodfield Mall is also good and there might be a big Lego store up there. The Goodwills in the burbs are amazing. I buy very few things new for my family in actual stores. The best and not far from Lombard for clothes for everyone is Naperville on Fox Hill Drive. Not unusual to find new with tags clothing.
Downtown? Not sure I would drive. The Metra UP west line goes to downtown. Then walk or taxi. Get to Michigan Avenue for heaps of shopping, the Bean, the Art Institute. Go north to river boat rides, the Hancock, and Water Tower Place, a mall. If you like museums, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium are all in the same place. Museum of Science and Industry south on Lake shore drive. For those museums it might be easier to drive.
If you like zoos, Brookfield is good and easy from lombard. Lincoln park is in Chicago.
If you want a walk in the woods, Waterfall Glen is a nice one.
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johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 2, 2016 21:38:14 GMT
I would not shop downtown. Taxes are high. Near Lombard you have Yorktown Mall and Oak Brook Center. Woodfield Mall is also good and there might be a big Lego store up there. The Goodwills in the burbs are amazing. I buy very few things new for my family in actual stores. The best and not far from Lombard for clothes for everyone is Naperville on Fox Hill Drive. Not unusual to find new with tags clothing. Downtown? Not sure I would drive. The Metra UP west line goes to downtown. Then walk or taxi. Get to Michigan Avenue for heaps of shopping, the Bean, the Art Institute. Go north to river boat rides, the Hancock, and Water Tower Place, a mall. If you like museums, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium are all in the same place. Museum of Science and Industry south on Lake shore drive. For those museums it might be easier to drive. If you like zoos, Brookfield is good and easy from lombard. Lincoln park is in Chicago. If you want a walk in the woods, Waterfall Glen is a nice one. Thank you! I'll check out those malls. I think Woodfield must be where the LegoLand is, we went there last time we tagged along w/ dh, last summer. I was underwhelmed and ODS pretty much hated it The little guy loved it, but he can't always win Fortunately for him the Museum of Science and Industry currently has a Lego thing so he'll be able to get his fix that way. I found a place called Enchanted Castle not far from our hotel, sounds like Chuck E Cheese on steroids. When I told ds about the indoor go-carts and laser tag he say "yes, 100%" So we'll do that a day. Normally we'd walk around downtown, see the bean, go to the navy pier, yada yada, but the weather is supposed to be crappy from what I can see If it's nice I wouldn't mind finding a nice park nearby with a basketball court and playground but not sure it'll be warm and/or dry, at least we'll have an indoor pool. This is the first time we'll set out with the intention to shop so I'm in uncharted territory here. Oh, and we considered not driving into downtown but dh doesn't want me taking the subway with the kids. Darn small-towners and their fear of big cities I'm ok with it, but it's not my preference so I'll just drive.
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AmeliaBloomer
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Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Apr 2, 2016 22:05:53 GMT
You'll find tons of shopping in Yorktown and Oakbrook malls. Oakbook Mall is much more upscale (read: pricier). There's also a good TJ Maxx and a Nordstrom Rack on 22nd Street, west of Oakbrook Mall. It's a retail mecca out there. Oh, and we considered not driving into downtown but dh doesn't want me taking the subway with the kids. Darn small-towners and their fear of big cities I'm ok with it, but it's not my preference so I'll just drive. Not sure how you would be taking the subway from Lombard. Thr nearest el line is the Blue Line, which starts in Forest Park, about ten miles east of Lombard. People out in the Lombard area take the commuter trains (Metra), instead, which are about as far from a subway - physically and culturally - as you can get. If your husband doesn't want you on Metra with kids, he has an...erm...abundance of caution.
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johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 2, 2016 22:22:08 GMT
If your husband doesn't want you on Metra with kids, he has an...erm...abundance of caution. LOL, yes he does have an abundance of caution (annoyingly so ) but one of the hotels we were looking at was a little closer to Ohare and offered a shuttle to the Blue Line.
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CeeScraps
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Jun 26, 2014 12:56:40 GMT
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Post by CeeScraps on Apr 2, 2016 22:45:46 GMT
Chicago shopping is very expensive because of the taxes.
Since you'll be in Lombard go to Oak Brook or even out to Woodfield in Schaumburg. At Woodfield you'll have great shopping at the mall and across the street at the "Streets of Woodfield". There are a lot of restaurants out there too.
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Post by SockMonkey on Apr 2, 2016 23:51:16 GMT
Don't go to Woodfield if you're staying in Lombard. Go to Oakbrook and/or Yorktown. DuPage County taxes vs. Cook County taxes; Same items, same stores, but cheaper. I mean, unless you want to go to something like Rainforest Cafe at Woodfield, and in that case, bless your heart.
Oakbrook Mall has a Build A Bear if your 5 year old is into that. I mean, it makes me want to run screaming into the night, but kids dig it, I guess.
I guess there is a Lego thing near Woodfield for the little guy... That might be worth it.
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 3, 2016 0:17:00 GMT
Thanks! In light of the high taxes we decided to forego shopping there and stop at the outlet shops in IN on the way home. But that leaves us with lots of extra time (a whole day, at least). Any suggestions on what to do, not outside and preferably won't cost a small fortune?
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AmeliaBloomer
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Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Apr 3, 2016 0:32:46 GMT
If your husband doesn't want you on Metra with kids, he has an...erm...abundance of caution. LOL, yes he does have an abundance of caution (annoyingly so ) but one of the hotels we were looking at was a little closer to Ohare and offered a shuttle to the Blue Line. Ah, I thought maybe Hubs was afraid you'd get mugged on Metra by a testy accountant on his way to work. (And for future reference: the leg of the Blue Line from O'Hare to the Loop is the much-safer half of the line.) Just thought of this: All the boys might enjoy Cantigny in Wheaton (8 miles west of Lombard). It's a huge park with gardens, walking paths, real army tanks to climb on, and an army museum. Pay per car. Downtown Wheaton is cute...shops, restaurants. Nearby GlenEllyn has a little diner where your food gets delivered by a toy train - the 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill. DuPage County taxes vs. Cook County taxes. It was until this thread that I realized how much non-Cook County-ers are eschewing shopping here. And here I thought having the highest sales tax in the nation was a badge of honor...
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 3, 2016 0:59:05 GMT
Oh Cantigny! I totally second that. An amazing museum and grounds. One of the best museums you will ever see.
The Metra is not the subway/El, which itself is nice. The Metra Lombard to Chicago is vert clean, very safe, very modern.
Enchanted castle is like big chuckle cheese. You are right. Naperville has a children's science museum.
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Post by Chips on Apr 3, 2016 6:07:20 GMT
My husband is still working on a project in Chicago so we're going out with him for a couple days next week during spring break. It'll be ds5, ds14 and his friend who is 13. DS asked to go shopping 'for clothes' one day. Obviously there's tons of options for shopping there, any suggestions on where is best and won't break the bank (bonus points if they have something younger ds can do to break up the shopping day). It'll be chilly so I'm trying to keep that in mind as well. We'll be staying in the Lombard area but I'll have a car this time. For shopping that doesn't break the bank too much I was thinking of the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall in Aurora and it is just off of 88. Here is a link to the Website You could stop by Fermilab, Morton Arboretum or SciTech Museum as a side trip too. Your boys will love Enchanted Castle! Cantigny is awesome too. If your looking for other things in the area be sure and check out Groupon or Living Social for deals.
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johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 3, 2016 12:52:21 GMT
Anyone ever heard of/done Urban Adventure Quest www.urbanadventurequest.com It's a scavenger hunt using a smart phone. I found it on Groupon for $25, thought if it's not too cold/rainy the boys might like it.
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 3, 2016 13:33:57 GMT
Anyone ever heard of/done Urban Adventure Quest www.urbanadventurequest.com It's a scavenger hunt using a smart phone. I found it on Groupon for $25, thought if it's not too cold/rainy the boys might like it. I had not heard of it, so I Googled. Has positive reviews. It's two miles of walking. Not sure about your five year old liking it. The big negative I see is that everyone gets the exact same tour and your only guide is your phone and whatever maps that you take. I would bet that thieves have figured out people on the tour are targets. Chicago is relatively safe, but being distracted on a cell phone, looking at maps, etc may not be a good idea. Me? I would take an architectural river boat tour. They get rave reviews.
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 3, 2016 13:41:03 GMT
To add-if you want a walking tour, I suggest a guided one. There are several types including a mob/crime one. I have not done any of them, but have thought that one would be interesting for teens.
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 3, 2016 13:53:07 GMT
Hmmm, I'm not sure I really want to do a tour. I saw the urban adventure and thought it might mix well with just wandering around the loop/Michigan Ave area, kinda give us a little direction while allowing us to just explore/eat/shop/whatever.
At this point I'm thinking either that and/or walking around Michigan Ave. Or, going to Cantigny, then the 2 Toots restaurant and maybe up to Woodfield Mall to window shop. It looks like Wednesday is going to be warmer with just a slight chance of rain.
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 3, 2016 13:59:45 GMT
Hmmm, I'm not sure I really want to do a tour. I saw the urban adventure and thought it might mix well with just wandering around the loop/Michigan Ave area, kinda give us a little direction while allowing us to just explore/eat/shop/whatever. At this point I'm thinking either that and/or walking around Michigan Ave. Or, going to Cantigny, then the 2 Toots restaurant and maybe up to Woodfield Mall to window shop. It looks like Wednesday is going to be warmer with just a slight chance of rain. There are free self guided tours that would accomplish the same thing, although not the game playing part. I would spend one day in the burbs seeing Cantigny two toots and Woodfield/Lego. IKEA is up there too if interested. The warmer day, see Chicago (maybe walk up Michigan Avenue- from the Bean to the Hancock and go to the observation deck- or vice versa) and MSI if you want a museum.
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julieb
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Jul 3, 2014 16:02:54 GMT
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Post by julieb on Apr 3, 2016 14:10:14 GMT
I wouldn't count on the weather being horrible just yet. Yesterday it was snowing out and the sun was shining! You never know.
I agree with others - plenty of shopping in Yorktown and Oakbrook. Oakbrook Mall has some nice restaurants - we had lunch at Old Town Pour House a few weeks ago. Very good. Cheesecake Factory, etc. Downtown Naperville has a great river walk with shopping, but I don't think your boys would go for that.
Have a great time. As much as I hate Illinois, I love the many available shopping areas in the suburbs.
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AmeliaBloomer
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Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Apr 3, 2016 14:22:21 GMT
-Personally, I wouldn't vote for schlepping up to Schaumburg just for general window-shopping, but that's just me. Woodfield gives me a headache. Unless you want to go to the Lego store in the mall or the separate Lego Discovery Center. That said, I used to drive up there just to take my kids to IKEA, but they loved to pretend they lived in all the room set-ups. Weirdos.
-I assume you know there's a Lego store on Michigan Avenue?
-Since I'm the one who suggested the train restaurant, know that it's very small and low-tech. (We used to go to places like this 15 years ago, but kids have changed; hence, the disclaimer.)
-I think the cell phone tour sounds fun. There are always lots of tourists in those areas looking at maps.
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johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 3, 2016 14:22:56 GMT
Thank you all for being so helpful! I'm planning to do the MSI on the first day, getting there probably around 10. No idea how much time we'll spend there but if it's not long then maybe we'll go up to Michigan Ave/Magnificent Mile afterwards but I want to be headed out of downtown by about 3/3:30 (in hopes of avoiding rush hour). Does it make more sense to move the car, paying parking again, or take the subway (don't tell dh) or cabbing it there and back?
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AmeliaBloomer
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Apr 3, 2016 14:39:30 GMT
Does it make more sense to move the car, paying parking again, or take the subway (don't tell dh) or cabbing it there and back? There's no nearby el line from the museum; you'd have to walk west in a neighborhood that would freak out your husband. But there's a bus. It's about 8 or 9 miles and then back again. A taxi would probably cost at least $30 each way (you'll have to google). I would just bite the bullet and drive/park. Plus, it's not like the museum is more convenient to your return to Lombard.
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AmeliaBloomer
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Apr 3, 2016 14:43:42 GMT
(Cont.) Also, if you haven't been to the museum before, it's very easy to stay all day. Well, it's easy even if you HAVE been... Also, it's very easy to drop a LOT of money there. Look at the prices of all you'd want to do and then look at the membership prices. Unbelievably, it sometimes saves money to buy a membership, even for one day.
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johnnysmom
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 3, 2016 15:11:46 GMT
(Cont.) Also, if you haven't been to the museum before, it's very easy to stay all day. Well, it's easy even if you HAVE been... Also, it's very easy to drop a LOT of money there. Look at the prices of all you'd want to do and then look at the membership prices. Unbelievably, it sometimes saves money to buy a membership, even for one day. Oh, you're a genius! Buying a membership is actually a little more than just paying for the day, but they have reciprocal benefits with a museum in Toledo (where coincidentally there is also a train restaurant that I've never been to) so I can buy a membership for the museum in Toledo (which is less than the cost of one in Chicago) and use it for free admission in Chicago. Sweet! And, bonus, the Adler Planetarium is on the list too so maybe we'll check that out, I don't think we've been there before.
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Post by lisacharlotte on Apr 3, 2016 15:31:43 GMT
The Lincoln Park Zoo is free. My DH and I walked up from downtown. Nice walk, nice free zoo. We enjoyed looking at the Halloween displays in the Gold Coast neighborhood. Since you'll have a car, easy peasy.
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 3, 2016 15:33:16 GMT
If you want to be heading out by 3:30, that makes for a short day. I would drive to MSI, park, and just stay there. OR, plan to stay until after rush hour. Go to MSI, then move to a garage near the Art Institute. There is a huge underground garage there. Then see the Bean, walk Michigan Avenue to the Hancock, and taxi back to your car. Have dinner someplace in Chicago. Head out early evening and you are done.
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Post by hop2 on Apr 3, 2016 16:16:28 GMT
When we were in Chicago last, my DS was 15 and we did this free tour of public art in downtown Chicago you just follow the #s in the guide on your smartphone. DS enjoyed navigating by himself and 'guiding' me thru the tour. Lol. We had already done the art institute so we skipped that one on the tour. I may be mistaken but I think it's too early inbthevtear to go to the farmers market for lunch. But there's tons of stuff on the way. www.everytrail.com/guide/walking-tour-of-public-outdoor-art-in-the-loop
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