AIRPORT TO CITY CENTRE

Chicago O’Hare airport is located 17 miles or 27kms north-west of Chicago. A taxi from the airport will cost approximately $45.00 Blue Line “L”, operates a 24 hour service between Chicago O’Hare and the Forest Park terminal via downtown Chicago. The journey time is 45 minutes and a one-way fare is currently $2.25.

CHICAGO AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system--a regional transit system that serves the City of Chicago and 40 neighbouring communities. CTA provides 1.8 million rides on an average weekday (as of November, 2008), accounting for over 80% of all transit trips taken in the six-county Chicago metropolitan region. Presently, CTA service is provided by two modes: bus and rail.

EMERGENCY SRVICES
Police and medical emergencies: 911

BRITISH CONSULATE
The Wrigley Building400, N Michigan Avenue Suite 1300 Chicago Tel 312-970-3800

BANKING HOURS
Monday-Friday, 0900-1700 Saturday, 0900-1300

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Sears Tower Skydeck 233, S.Wacker Drive, Enter Skydeck on Jackson Blvd You’ll see the best view and best overview of Chicago. At 1353 feet, the Skydeck is the highest observatory in Chicago. The view is amazing! You can see 40-50 miles on a clear day. Imagine seeing Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin just by walking around the Skydeck.  Chicago City Hop-on Hop-off Tour See all the sights of Chicago at your own pace! On a Chicago City Hop-on Hop-off Tour you can get off the bus at any scheduled stop to visit Chicago's most popular attractions, then pick up the tour where you left off or get on at any other regular stop on the route. For individuals and families, this is the best way to see the sites in a day! Your fully-narrated trolley (heated in winter) or double decker bus will tour 13 magnificent miles of Chicago's downtown and The Loop, taking you by the city's premier shopping, dining and attractions. The tour is about two hours if you do not get off.

Navy Pier, Chicago. Historic Navy Pier® is Chicago's lakefront playground. And it's the Midwest's #1 tourist and leisure destination, attracting more than 8.6 million visitors a year. Navy Pier is the place where all of Chicago and tourists from around the world have come together since 1995 to enjoy the beauty and the thrills of a day on Lake Michigan. From rides to restaurants, exhibitions to entertainment, shopping to dining cruises and tour boats Navy Pier has it all - in a location unlike any other!

There's so much to do inChicago's 50 acres of parks, promenades, gardens, shops, eateries and attractions. Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre Park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park's prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor’s hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture.

Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the North and Monroe Street to the South. The Park is open daily from 6am - 11pm. Admission is free.

ESPN Zone is a combination sports, entertainment and dining venue featuring the Sports Arena for interactive sports and the Screening Room for viewing sporting events.
Here are just a few of the many interactive sports played at ESPN Zone: MoCap Golf is set amongst the beautiful scenery of Hawaii and uses sensors to emulate the actual swing of the player and translates the power, direction and accuracy into the onscreen shot. MoCap Boxing simulates a real pro fight, forcing you to bob and weave to avoid your opponent's punches, while throwing punches of your own. ESPN Hoops Hysteria is a great basketball shooting attraction. NHL 2 Night is an interactive hockey attraction that you can play against the ESPN computer goalie or against a friend.
The Screening Room features a 16-foot screen surrounded by skybox suites. There are 37 monitors throughout the facility for watching all sorts of sporting events. ESPN Zone Chicago is one of few places to feature high definition TV.
ESPN Zone also has a restaurant offering American grill selections, as well as a Sports Center Studio Store for ESPN & ESPN Zone apparel and Chicago merchandise.          

Chicago Gangster Tour 
EXPERIENCE...Chicago as it was during the 1920s and 30s!
SEE...the old gangster hot spots and hit spots!
HEAR...historically accurate accounts of the exploits of Capone, Moran, Dillinger and the rest a da boys!
FEEL...the excitement of jazz-age Chicago during the era of Prohibition!
ENJOY...a journey into the past as we cruise the city in search of the old hoodlum haunts, brothels, gambling dens and sites of gangland shootouts!

Have a bang-up time on this 2 hour romp back to the Roaring Twenties. See Chicago's most infamous sites: the Biograph Theater, scene of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Dion O'Bannion's flower shop, Holy Name Cathedral and many, many more!

BARS

Cullen's Bar & Grill 3741 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613  
A pressed tin ceiling and cosy booths lining one wall are just a few of the details that help Cullen's distinguish itself from Chicago's glut of Irish bars and restaurants. Folks come here to grab a bite to eat or simply to knock back a couple of pints. Shepherd's pie, burgers, and Mac and cheese represent the edible offerings, while a decent selection of beer and spirits satisfies most merry-makers. Come on a weekend morning for a traditional Irish fry-up, or on Sunday night for energetic live Irish music.

Hopleaf Bar 5148 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640 199 bottles of beer on the wall...and 30 drafts, too. How do you choose? Just ask one of the well-versed staff, who can also recommend an entree to pair perfectly with your brew of choice. A somewhat smoky front room doesn't discourage locals and visitors from crowding in, but the spacious backroom invites lingering and enjoying above-average food offerings that boast Belgian flair, like moules frites and stewed rabbit legs.

Murphy's Bleachers 3655 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60613  
What could beat roof-top seating looking out onto Wrigley Field? This sports bar offers just that, as well as a bevy of monitors to keep you posted on competitions across the globe. Sports memorabilia lines the walls, reminding folks that Murphy's is a shrine to all things athletic. Daily drink specials make for a great value, and the signature pink vodka lemonade is so good that you'll probably order more than one. Sidewalk seating is available.

Sluggers World Class Sports Bar & Grill 3540 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657 

Since 1985 Sluggers World Class Sports Bar and Grill has been giving the Wrigleyville area a place to go for much more than just a drink. We have 6-12 foot big screens, Plasma screens all over, and over 30 TV's to see your favourite sports teams.

Upstairs we have a full indoor sports complex with batting cages, trampoline basketball, electronic football, basketball, ski simulator, golf, Skeeball, virtual driving games, air hockey and much, much more.

We have a full menu that includes Burgers, Pizza, Salads and a bunch of Appetizers. We even have an outdoor patio for those beautiful Chicago summer days.

The Red Lion Pub 2446, North Lincoln Ave,  The Red Lion Pub is a casual pub offering fresh, made from scratch menu items in a relaxed atmosphere featuring authentic English fare created from high-quality, fresh ingredients prepared to your request. Chicago's finest English pub is a hub of activity that welcomes all for casual dining and a wonderful assortment of domestic and imported Scotch, Ales, Lagers, Cider and of course Guinness. 

ESPN Zone, see Restaurants and Cafes. 

RESTAURANTS AND CAFES

Hard Rock Café, 63, West Ontario
Hard Rock Cafe Chicago has celebrated 21 years at the corner of Clark and Ontario, in the heart of Chicago's River North neighbourhood. Located just 5 blocks west of Michigan Avenue, Hard Rock continues to "Love All Serve All" 364 days of the year.  Lauded for diversity in all areas and embracing classic and funky trends with equal ardour, Hard Rock Cafe has something special for all. Whether you need a Hickory-Smoked Pulled-Pork sandwich after shopping on the Magnificent Mile or a Rockarita after the theatre, you'll find a wide variety of Legendary Cuisine.

Hooters of Chicago
One for the boys
660 N. Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610

Rainforest Café
One for the kids. 605, North Clark St. tel. 312-787-1501 This mind-blowing theme restaurant surrounds diners with the sights and sounds of tropical jungles--vine-wrapped trees, water-dripping ledges laced with bright flora and lush foliage hanging from the ceiling. You can sip a 'Jungle River' (a spiced rum drink with orange sherbet), munch on 'Mojo Bones' (a rib appetizer) or savour 'The Southern Cross' (vegetable lasagne) while listening to the thunder and watching tropical fish dart about in floor-to-ceiling aquarium tanks.