While walking away from Hyde Park just days after the election, we came across this painting on the wall of an underpass. (JOY L. LEE FOR LIVETHEMOVIES.COM.)
With his inauguration as president on January 20, President Barack Obama finished his move from Chicago to Washington. Obama’s work as a young man serving as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago has been well-documented, but during a recent trip to Chicago, we tracked down some of the more recent places the president has been seen.
The bean structure in Millennium Park. (LTM)
When you first arrive in downtown Chicago, head east to Grant Park. This park was home to the president-elect’s Election-Night rally and acceptance speech; local police reports placed 240,000 people in the park. Grant Park and the adjacent Millennium Park are must-visits on any trip to Chicago. With good views of architecture and a nice landscape, they provide a welcome respite from the busyness of the city just a few blocks away.
The Hyatt Regency Chicago (151 East Wacker Drive) stands a few blocks north of Millennium Park. Obama and his family watched election returns from this hotel before going to Grant Park for his acceptance speech. There’s not much else to see here, so we wouldn’t recommend walking to this hotel just to get a glimpse of the outside. (However, if you are able to afford a room at the Hyatt or Swissotel Chicago, which is next door, you’ll be treated to excellent views of the Magnificent Mile area or Lake Michigan.)
Walk about thirteen blocks north on the Magnificent Mile and you’ll come across Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan Avenue), a sophisticated Italian restaurant where the First Couple dined for their anniversary dinner a week after the election. News reports indicated that a crowd gathered outside the restaurant and cheered as President-elect and Mrs. Obama exited. The restaurant’s dress code requires men to wear a jacket, and be sure to check the restaurant’s menu before making required reservations — you’ll need a hefty wad of cash to check out.
However, we suggest skipping the fanfare and grabbing a meal at a place more authentically Obama: Medici on 57th (1327 57th Street). This restaurant is located in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Obama lives in the community and served as a law professor in this college neighborhood before becoming a United States senator in 2004.
Pizza joint Medici is frequented by University of Chicago students and professors -- and President-elect Barack Obama. (LTM)
Travel southwest using city buses to get to Hyde Park. Once you arrive at Medici, you’ll find pizza, pasta, and burgers in a cozy restaurant. Over the years, diners have scribbled their names and messages on the wooden walls and tables — a practice that is now discouraged. The pizza comes famous Chicago deep-dish style; the smallest size is perfect for lunch, and the “Garbage Pizza” comes filled with all the ingredients you could ever want. Our waitress said she had served Obama a few times, and some staffers wore T-shirts declaring the same. After lunch, we stumbled across the nearby 57th Street Books (1301 57th Street); the store professes that Obama regularly bought books there. Shop through five or six rooms packed with books, including ample selections on Chicago and Chicago-related writers. Displays featuring books by Studs Turkel and tomes about Barack Obama were prominent during our visit.
Obama lives near the University of Chicago campus, but the area around the house is heavily secured and shouldn’t be approached by tourists. The Law School is not located on the main campus quadrangle area we visited during our trip, and we haven’t found any evidence to show that it’s worth a trip. (Indeed, most of the university’s buildings have “No Trespassing” stickers secured to every exterior door.) Instead, you can get a haircut by heading (ha!) a bit north to the Hyde Park Hair Salon at S. Blackstone and 54th. Don’t expect to see the president-elect here; following the election, his barber began traveling to him for security reasons.
The view from the Hancock Tower lounge is worth the price of a drink. (LTM)
After your day exploring Chicago, head back to the Magnificent Mile and the John Hancock Center (875 N. Michigan Avenue). We know of no Obama connection, but can’t help sharing this favorite part of our trip. Instead of paying the $15 admission fee for the observatory at the very top of the building, take the elevator to the The Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. For the price of a drink, you’ll relax at tables to next to floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at incredible views of Chicago. Our $12 Sky High Martini in particular was top-of-the-shelf. Great drinks, great company, great views, and the feeling that we had beat the system. That’s change we’ll take any day.
-Story written and reported by Bobby Guerette.
UPDATE: After our trip, The New York Times published its own story about Hyde Park. If you’re planning to visit Chicago, be sure to check The Times article for a few more tips on places to visit. The Times mentions the Museum of Science and Industry. We will caution you: This sprawling museum is perfect for kids, younger teens, and parents, but twentysomethings may want to opt for one of the city’s many other museums instead.
