Chicago

Got in last from my trip night, and although it was almost entirely work-related, still did get a chance to tour the city, at least the downtown core of it.

Stayed at The W Hotel (no relation to the website), and it is without a doubt the hippest place I've ever stayed at. You walk into the lobby and think you've stepped into a nightclub. I mean, there's a bar right there out in the open, music, dancing, cool furniture, fancy lighting, you name it. And the whole hotel sticks to that theme. The amenities are incredibly cool and my suite was very trendy. So top marks for the hotel.

Walking around the downtown core, I couldn't believe how friendly people are (must be that Midwest hospitality I've heard so much about). I mean, even in crowded city streets with people asking for change and cops and traffic accidents, people were still ultra-friendly. And the streets were kept remarkably clean. What a contrast to Toronto, which I would still think is pretty tame by the world's urban center standards.

Got to sample the famous Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza at a couple of places, including Giordano's (which was okay, but certainly not worth the 30-minute wait) and Lou Malnati's (which was fantastic). Also got watch both of the Chi Sox games (not at the stadium, but in local bars), which was interesting to see in front of a hometown crowd.

And finally, Millenium Park. One of my work contacts insisted I check this out, and in my last hour or so there, I did. For those who haven't been (I believe its only about 18 months old), it's definitely worth seeing and looks like it would be a blast in the summer. Just a really nice use of space over what used to be train tracks.

Next time, I'm definitely going for more than 48 hours. An awesome city!