We're so excited to celebrate with all of you!
O'Hare (ORD) or Midway (MDW) are the two major airports in Chicago. Book with a 5% discount on American by using code: 3384AZ.
From ORD, there's a Blue line CTA stop in the lower level of the airport, just follow the signs towards the CTA. Fares from the airport are $5 each, but are included if you buy a day pass or multi-day pass. Taking the Blue Line to Clark/Lake station (42 minutes) will drop you a short (>5 minute) walk from the hotels in River North.
From MDW, there's an Orange line CTA stop right next to the airport. Taking the Orange line to State/Lake station (38 minutes) will drop you a short (>5 minute) walk to the hotels in River North.
Otherwise, taking a cab is around $40, but can take a while in traffic. We would not recommend renting a car, as street parking can be very difficult to find, and garage parking can be extremely expensive.
For getting around the city we recommend taking the L as well as the buses. You can buy a Ventra card at the L station in the airport (like a MetroCard or a SmartTrip). Buses can be tracked on the phone with the CTA Bus Tracker.
Most of the time the Google Maps app on the phone will be really helpful, and we use it all the time, even though we live here. Certain areas can be tough to get to with public transit, cabs and Ubers are easy and fairly inexpensive for these trips. In addition, there's a Chicago bike share program, Divvy Bikes, where you can buy 30 minute or day passes. This can be great for exploring neighborhoods, and getting from point A to B.
Our wedding venue is located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and is very accessible by both bus (151) and cab. There are a few smaller hotels in the vicinity of the venue, and many hotels around Chicago. Feel free to stay wherever you like.
If you're looking for some outdoor activities: The Orioles are playing the Cubs at Wrigley field on Sunday afternoon.
If you're looking for some exercise you can rent a Divvy bike and cruise down the the lakefront trail, or use the trail for a nice run or a walk.
If you're looking for the sun, head to North Avenue Beach. It's not like east coast beaches, but the shores of Lake Michigan can be nice on a hot summer day.
If you're looking for some culture: Chicago has some great museums: The Field Museum, The Art Institute, and the Chicago History Museum are great and close to the hotel area. Also, the Architectural Boat Tour is a fantastic way to see the city while cruising down the Chicago river.
If you like to eat: Well there's a lot for you here. Here are some quick tips:
Close to the hotel area: Davanti Enoteca makes some great Italian food, head to Rockit for some good burgers and American food, or Bub City for some good BBQ. Also close to the hotel area you can head to Portillo's for a classic Chicago dog, or XOCO for some tortas.
For pizza we like Lou Malnati's for some classic Chicago deep dish pizza.
Further away from the hotel area, there are a lot of great restaurants. The West Loop area is a hot-spot for some great new eats: Little Goat, avec, The Publican, and Au Cheval. A bit further away, Balena, in Lincoln Park makes some fantastic Italian dishes. And its sister restaurant, The Bristol, in Bucktown makes some great modern American food. Feel free to reach out about restaurant recommendations, we love to give them.
If you need something to drink: Close to the hotel area, head up to the Signature Room in the Hancock Tower for some amazing views but expensive drinks. Also near the hotel area is Three Dots and a Dash, a fun tiki themed bar with fantastic drinks.
A little further away, Hopleaf, and Local Option are some great places to drink beer. If you're more into cocktails and want to travel head out to Longman & Eagle, The Barrelhouse Flat, Scofflaw or The Aviary.
Conveniently, Serious Eats has put out a fantastic guide to drinking in Chicago.
The wedding is on Saturday, August 23. The ceremony starts at 6:00 PM at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Dinner and dancing will be immediately following the reception. There are a few ways to get to the Museum:
I heard there’s a bus: We will provide buses from the hotel area to and from the venue for those staying in the room blocks. These buses look like white city buses and have both sitting and standing room. The buses will each depart at 5:30 PM on Saturday, from the Courtyard Marriott River North and The Intercontinental. If you're staying at a hotel nearby and would like to take the bus, the Intercontinental bus will have more room, if you'd like to be guaranteed a place to sit. These buses will have signs on them for our wedding, so please make sure you don't get on the wrong bus!
What about cabs?: You can find plenty of cabs all over Chicago that can take you directly to the venue. If you need to call a cab for any reason, we recommend downloading the Uber app on your phone, or calling Flashcab: (773) 561-4444. A cab ride from downtown will be about $15.
I like to drive: For those of you who plan to park, you can park at the Lincoln Park Zoo parking lot at Fullerton Parkway and N. Cannon Drive: 2400 N. Cannon Drive. Parking in this lot is $35. There is also street parking in the area, which will be much cheaper!
I really like public transit: The best way to get to the venue via public transit is to take the 151 bus to Stockton and Fullerton. The bus drops off around the corner from the venue.
We’re having a brunch for out of town guests on Sunday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown River North. If you’d like to join us please RSVP to us@specberg.com!
Please plan to dress in cocktail attire (suits, dresses). Our ceremony will be outside, weather permitting, and it will hopefully be nice and warm, so plan accordingly!