The HR Tech Conference Goers Guide to the Windy City
The 2012 HR Technology Conference is right around the corner, and not only do you have the opportunity to network with the smartest HR professionals in the business, see the most cutting edge HR technology and learn about the latest trends and issues affecting HR today, you get to do it all in one of the world’s great cities. In case you are coming a few days early or can sneak away from the conference for a few hours to explore Chicago, we’ve made a city guide for conference attendees to help you navigate it. Chicago is filled with great shopping, theaters, museums, skyscrapers and dining- many within a short walk or bus stop from the McCormick Place Conference Center.
Transportation:
If you are driving there are two main parking lots on the McCormick Place campus. All are managed by Standard Parking and are in close proximity and walking distance to the Convention Center. A standard flat rate of $17.00 is required to park.
Getting to McCormick Place also is possible by using the city transit system. The bus service runs approximately every 15 minutes. Drop off is located at the main entrance to the South Building on Martin Luther King Drive. Buses From Downtown Chicago: The #3 King Drive and the #4 Cottage Grove buses run downtown and may be picked up at the following locations: South Building – King Drive and 23rd Street West Building – southwest and northeast corners of the Indiana Avenue and Cermak Road intersection.
Restaurants:
Chicago is famed for its fantastic selection of restaurants and fine cuisine. With entire magazines dedicated to the diversity of dining, Chicago cuisine will not disappoint your appetite although it might tighten your waistband. Just about every type of food and taste is available in Chicago, from the wide selection of Asian restaurants found in Chinatown to traditional Italian restaurants in Little Italy – there is something in Chicago for everyone.
Here are a few near-by restaurants to check out:
Gioco’s menu offers rustic Italian dishes prepared with the finest available seasonal products. The menu features homemade pastas and wood-fired thin crust pizzas.
Located in the South Loop area of Chicago, Gioco’s is one of the closest restaurants to the Convention Center.
1312 S Wabash Chicago, IL 60605
Don’t miss out on the sandwiches here. With great reviews by publications such as USA Today and Gourmet Magazine, it is no wonder that Zagat refers to Manny’s as “The closest thing Chicago has to a New York deli.”
Besides sandwiches, there is a daily menu of generally well-made steam table entrees ($4.95 to $7.95). Each day there is also a changing array of half a dozen or more specials.
1141 S. Jefferson Chicago IL
Within walking distance lies Chicago’s Chinatown. Filled with shops, street food and restaurants, it’s a must-see for visitors. Lao Hunan is a unique local favorite. Hunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. “The menu’s filled with powerfully seasoned dishes you won’t find anywhere else in town”- Mike Sula, the Chicago Reader.
Lao Hunan is located less than a mile from the convention center at: 2230 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
If you are looking for a fine dining experience, look no further than the award-winning restaurant Vivere. Vivere has become a world-renowned restaurant for its take on “new” regional Italian cuisine. Vivere is on “Esquire’s and the Wine Spectator’s Best New Restaurant list. Vivere’s awards also include: Top 10 in Chicago for business dining and downtown dining, and Ultimate Distinction Award “Wine Enthusiast”.
Vivere is located less than three miles from the convention center at:
71 W Monroe St Loop Footwear, Chicago, IL 60603
Night Life:
If you want to unwind after long day at the conference, be ready to make some tough choices – or not, many of bars stay open until 4am. Chicago is home to a variety of clubs and venues. With such a unique night-life surrounding you, you’ll have to check out a few of the lounges and bars around the conference center, you might have to schedule an extra day just to recover.
Primebar is a contemporary alehouse featuring cool food and great cocktails. The urban American kitchen is head up by (former Corporate Chef for Rosebud Restaurants) Bradley Alexander and highlights seasonal and sustainable foods with an emphasis on local organic products. Primebar’s menu is complimented by its selection of handcrafted local brews including 40 beers on tap, as well as local distilled spirits, and an extensive wine list. With over 30 wines from some of the world’s finest vineyards, you’ll be sure to find a suitable selection.
155 N Wacker Chicago IL 60606
Featuring warm wood-paneled walls, beautiful hardwood flooring, an alluring wine wall and floor-to-ceiling windows, Townhouse is a distinctively urban restaurant and wine bar in the center of Chicago’s bustling financial Loop provides an elegant yet casual feel, ideal for lunch, dinner or after-work cocktails. Chicagoans recommend TownHouse for its ambiance and atmosphere, the drinks are pricey but the food and quality make it worth every penny. This sleek restaurant features a unique menu ranging from appetizer empanadas to the bacon donut dessert- and of course drinks!
111 South Wacker Drive Chicago IL 60606
In downtown Chicago, Pops is the nation’s most acclaimed champagne bar and the city’s most elegant nightlife destination. Their extensive champagne and sparkling wine selection, along with a full premium bar and exquisite small plate food menu, are perfect for impressing clients, mingling with colleagues or hosting unique private events. The menu features champagne and sparkling wines for almost every price point. This hot-spot combines a Champagne lounge with a downstairs lounge and retail wine shop specializing in — you guessed it — bubbles!
601 North State Street Chicago, IL 60611
Attractions:
What’s your passion? Theater, the arts? The great outdoors? Space? Chicago is a city where a visitor would find it difficult to run out of things to do. No matter what you interests, there’s plenty of Chicago attractions for every Chicago visitor to do when visiting the city.
The Skydeck is open daily offering spectacular views spanning up to four states, a one-stop Chicago experience full of interactive exhibits and…The Ledge, a glass balcony experience extending four feet outside the 103rd floor of Willis Tower! Get a bird’s eye view of the Windy City from 1, 305 feet above.
233 S. Wacker Dr., Enter Skydeck on Jackson Blvd. (south side of building), Chicago, IL 60606
Lookingglass Theatre may be found in the historic Water Tower Water Works building in the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The Lookingglass Theatre Company is known for their visual metaphors and literally adaptations; during the convention they will be showing Tony Award-winning Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman’s smash hit Metamorphoses, which will kick off Lookingglass’ 25th Anniversary Season.
For more information visit: www.lookingglasstheatre.org
821 N Michigan Ave?Chicago, IL 60611
The Chicago Cultural Center is the nation’s first free municipal cultural center and one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building, opened in 1897 as the city’s first public library, is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, and annually presents hundreds of free cultural exhibits and performances. The building also houses a Visitor Information Center, gift shop, and café. Admission is free
78 East Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602
For those who love looking at the sky, the first planetarium founded in the western hemisphere is in the same neighborhood as the convention center. The Adler Planetarium hosts many hands-on exhibits and is home to an IMAX theater, which many Chicagoans regard as the highlight of a visit to the planetarium. Free admission days are Monday and Tuesday from September to February, so don’t miss out!
1300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
For the equivalent of a “bachelor’s degree in art history in one building”, check out this “A-list” Loop museum that houses a trove of instantly recognizable treasures beyond measure” (i.e. Seurat’s La Grande Jatte, Hopper’s Nighthawks, Wood’s American Gothic). There’s something for every buff or amateur here, it’s a must-see!
111 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60603
McCormick Place:
Let’s not forget the Convention Center. There will be plenty to do in this Chicago gem itself. Besides the Conference, you can grab a margarita (Dovetail Software booth #659), play video games (Dovetail Software booth #659), enter to win fabulous prizes (Dovetail Software booth #659)… you get my drift.
We hope you get to see the city of Chicago while you’re here for the conference, and we hope we get to see you!
