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Under the Chicago Skyline

By Paul Pence

When you visit Chicago, you can't miss its remarkable skyline, dominated by architectural wonders like the 1454-foot Sears Tower and the still-futuristic-looking Marina City "corncobs" built in the early 60's. The skyline jumps out at you from every window, leers over you as you shop Michigan Street's "Magnificent Mile", and reaches up at you from below when you ride up 100 floors to the observation level on the John Hancock building. But under the skyline, under the streets even, lies another city.

Unlike Boston and Indianapolis with overhead walkways connecting hotels to convention centers to malls, Chicago connected its buildings underground. If you go to a convention in Chicago, you're likely to find yourself in the mammoth Hyatt Regency hotel, with over 2000 rooms, sitting right on top of one of the an underground "mall", the Illinois Center.

Illinois Center stretches from Michigan Avenue, halfway to Lake Michigan. You'll probably never eat at all of the restaurants, but if you're staying at the Hyatt, you're just upstairs from their Stetson's Chop House, with incredibly thick juicy steaks and hot sourdough bread. If you're located in one of the Swissotel's 600+ rooms, you're at the east end of the Illinois center. From there, you can catch an elevator to their steak-house, the Palm, overlooking the Navy Pier. 

Or maybe you'd like a little more relaxed atmosphere, like the Hyatt's sports bar, Knuckles. Or maybe Hoolihan's, where you can enjoy dishes like their original "Irish pot roast" -- a kind of an inside-out shepherd's pie with a huge mound of seasoned mashed potatoes topped with pot roast and mushroom gravy and surrounded by crisp veggies.

Illinois center has enough restaurants to keep you through any convention stay you're likely to encounter. Christi's has seafood and pasta dishes in generous helpings. Fakurr's Urban market's always close and always popular, with dishes ranging from simple sandwiches to roasted meats. Boudin's Bakery serves great sandwiches and salads, and Bennigan's is always a decent choice for dinner and a beer.

Still too fancy? You can even find a Burger King, Sbarro's and Dunkin Donuts inside the mall.

In theory at least, you could take up residence in this city-within-a-city and never be exposed to outside air. Live in the hotel, preferably in one of the Hyatt's spectacular penthouse suites. Work in one of the connected office buildings. Dine at the many restaurants. Relax at the spa. Buy cameras and get your film developed in the mall. You can even shop for Pop-Tarts and toothbrushes at a grocery hidden underground beneath the Hyatt's half-acre glass-topped atrium.

Unlike other undergounds, Illinois center is technically above ground. People exiting the Hyatt at "ground level" find themselves on a normal street that's actually three levels above lake level. It looks and feels like a normal street, and there is even an aerial walkway overhead connecting the Hyatt's two 30+ story towers. One level below is the "concourse level" which is part of Illinois Center. One more level is the hotel's ballroom level. One more level down is the hotel's huge exhibit hall at riverside level. But it's still a good six feet or more above lake level. It's this odd arrangement that makes it possible for you to start out underground at the Hyatt, wander through the Illinois center, and then look out a window to see yourself one level above the shops on Michigan Avenue.

So now that you know that you're not really underground, you shouldn't feel buried. Dig yourself out and go outside -- enjoy yourself. Here's a few ideas on how to spend a day in the Chicago sunshine. Shop the "Magnificent Mile". Take in a baseball game in Wrigley Field. Walk to the shops, restaurants, and museums on the 3000-foot-long Navy Pier, catch a water taxi to chill out with the beluga whales at the Shedd Aquarium, and ride a cute little red trolley back. Or, if you can't resist that skyline after all, take a tour-boat on the Chicago river, sit back, and enjoy the scenery.

Contact Information:

Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau http://choosechicago.com

Hyatt Regency /www.hyatt.com/usa/chicago/hotels/hotel_chirc.html

The Navy Pier www.navypier.com

Shoreline Sightseeing www.shorelinesightseeing.com

Chicago's First Lady tour boat cruisechicago.com

Sears Tower www.the-skydeck.com

Houlihan's Restaurant www.houlihans.com

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