Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/809106
together under pressure to emerge victorious in under 60 minutes. 54 E. Ontario St., 312-981-6633; escapehousechicago.com FIELD MUSEUM This natural history nerve center is beloved for its world-famous resident T. rex fossil SUE, as well as dynamic changing exhibitions and the new interactive Grainger Science Hub. Currently on view is "Specimens: Unlocking the Secrets of Life," an examination of the importance of some of the museum's more than 30 million specimens. 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312-922-9410; fieldmuseum.org GREEN MILL This century-old nightclub was a favorite of the Al Capone set and still attracts jazzheads from around the world for performances by Patricia Barber and the Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra. INSIDER TIP: The Uptown Poetry Slam (Sundays, 7 – 10 pm) is a rollicking celebration of the spoken word, hosted with lacerating wit by slam poetry legend Marc Kelly Smith. 4802 N. Broadway, 773-878-5552; greenmilljazz.com HARRIS THEATER From hosting performances of world music and international dance to serving as home to local companies like Hubbard Street Dance and Chicago Opera Theater, this sleek, subterranean Millennium Park oasis has evolved into one of the city's most compelling cultural venues. 203 E. Randolph St., 312-334-7777; harristheater chicago.org HORSESHOE CASINO HAMMOND Twenty minutes from Chicago, in northwest Indiana, this 400,000- square-foot gaming mecca offers diversions for beginners and high rollers alike, from 1,500 penny slots to $100,000 hands of baccarat, plus four restaurants and the acoustically perfect concert space Venue. 777 Casino Center Dr., Hammond, IN, 219-473-7000; caesars.com/horseshoe-hammond MACKINAC ISLAND Four hundred miles northwest of Chicago, between upper and lower Michigan, this idyllic island getaway has been charming visitors for 150 years. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride (no motorized vehicles are allowed), visit historic Fort Mackinac, or just lounge on the spacious front porch of the legendary Grand Hotel. 906-847- 3783; mackinacisland.org MILLENNIUM PARK From expansive lawns and an extraordinary live-music venue to a duo of crowd-pleasing public art installations in Anish Kapoor's iconic Cloud Gate ("The Bean") and Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain, this 25-acre playground has become the epicenter of downtown Chicago. INSIDER TIP: Stroll across Frank Gehry's sinuous bridge toward the lake to discover the kid-tastic Maggie Daley Park, with climbing walls and slides aplenty. 201 E. Randolph St., 312-742-1168; millenniumpark.org MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY The largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, this institution celebrates innovation with interactive exhibits that explore green energy, space travel, future tech, and more. INSIDER TIP: On a scale of 1 to 10, the baby chick hatchery scores an 11 for cuteness, eliciting "oohs" and "aahs" from all ages. 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., 773-684-1414; msichicago.org NAVY PIER Chicago's number-one attraction, with more than 9 million annual visitors, this family-friendly landmark recently celebrated its centennial with an extensive redesign, including a new all-weather Ferris wheel that soars a towering 196 feet. On view from April 15 through July 30 is "Exhibitionism," an 18,000-square-foot exhibit docu- menting the career and influence of the Rolling Stones. 600 E. Grand Ave., 800-595-7437; navypier.com THALIA HALL A Pilsen landmark, this refurbished complex boasts the hot spots Dusek's, Punch House, and Tack Room, as well as an eponymous concert hall, which embraces the bohemian spirit of the neighborhood with an array of entertainment, ranging from Janeane Garofalo to George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. 1807 S. Allport St., 312-526-3851; thaliahallchicago.com ZANIES COMEDY CLUB A comedy mainstay in Old Town since 1978, this 100-seat club—which featured the likes of Chelsea Handler, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jay Leno before they hit it big—is one of the most intimate venues to see rising standup stars from Chicago and across the US. 1548 N. Wells St., 312-337-4027; chicago.zanies.com 132 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM ‒ Secret Source ‒ RICK SIMON TITLE: President and CEO, United Service Companies (unitedhq.com). HOME 'HOOD: "The South Loop. I enjoy being five minutes from anything we want to do. It's a growing area with more restaurants and shops opening almost weekly." GO-TO SPOT: "Harry Caray's (33 W. Kinzie St., 312-828-0966; harrycarays.com), where I'm a partner. The food is great, the service exceptional. Gibsons (1028 N. Rush St., 312- 266-8999; gibsonssteakhouse.com) for Sunday brunch, too." HIDDEN GEM: "Tuscany on Taylor (1014 W. Taylor St., 312-828-1990; tuscany chicago.com), and the lobby of The Ritz-Carlton (160 E. Pearson St., 312-266-1000; ritzcarlton.com/chicago) for a drink." FAVORITE ARCHITECTURE: "Anything built before 1930." SPRINGTIME LOVE: "There's no better place than Chicago in spring and summer: Flowers are blooming, everyone's out walking and using the sidewalk cafés, and the city reawakens after a cold winter." EVERY VISITOR SHOULD: "Shop the Mag Mile, visit Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave., 312-595-7437; navypier.com) for a Ferris wheel ride, walk the lakefront, and go to Wrigley Field for a game." The SOURCE: SCENE