Tag: The Bean

Sweet Home CHICAGO

Sweet Home CHICAGO

 

There is no better place on earth than Chicago and let me tell  you why…

  • Explore: Get to know the city through the CTA (Chicago’s public trains and buses). Students get U-Passes which provide unlimited access and serves as your passport to the city. This is a great way to explore different neighborhoods all over the city.
  • Cheer on Your Team: 24 hours after the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the 3rd time in 6 years, Chelsea Dagger is still playing in my head. Now Chicagoans are tracking the cup (AKA Lord Stanley) as it travels all around the city and prepare to continue the celebration during the parade and Rally at Soldier Field on Friday. Chicago is not only a hockey dynasty but also home to the Chicago Bears,  the Bulls, and crosstown rivals – White Sox and Cubs. Even if you’re not a die-hard Chicago sports fan, you can likely cheer for your hometown team with they compete in town (and Loyola students often have access to tickets ranging from $2-20 to check out these events)! This year not only did the Bulls make the playoffs, the Blackhawks win the championship, and the NFL held the draft in Millennium Park, but our own Loyola Ramblers won the Division 1 Men’s National Volleyball Championship for the second year in a row, but the Men’s Basketball Team also won the CBI tournament this spring. There really is no better place to cheer on both your collegiate and professional teams
  • Enjoy the Waves: Have you ever sailed before? Kayaked down the Chicago River? Or is the beach more of your scene? Or hop on an architectural boat tour of the city from Navy Pier. Either way, there are countless ways to enjoy Lake Michigan.
  • Get Fit: Work out at Halas, Loyola’s awesome new fitness center (complete with a new pool and rock climbing wall) that hosts several club, recreational and intramural sporting events and teams throughout the year. Or join a beach volleyball team, do yoga in Grant Park, run along the lake, or rent a bike from Chain Links or Divvy.
  • Bon appetit: Chicago has some amazing places to eat from Portillo’s  to Lou Malnatti’s to Taste of Chicago where you can try all of Chicago’s tastiest items (may we recommend a Chicago style hotdog, italian beef, and deep dish pizza). This is another time to hop onto the CTA and go to Little Italy, Chinatown, or any other cultural neighbordhood in the city to try some of the best ethnic food.
  • Appreciate the Arts: World-class artists & performers swarm the city throughout the year so catch a Broadway Show, the Joffrey Ballet, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony, a late night show at The Green Mill, or concerts at venues all over the city. Looking to see an inexpensive show on campus, learn what Colossus means at Loyola (it’s one of my favorite Loyola events)!
  • See the Sights: It’s never too late to play tourist and find out why everyone takes selfies at “The Bean” or see why everyone loves Sue at the Field Museum. Don’t forget to check out the view of the skyline from the Adler Planetarium, the SkyDeck in the Sears Tower, or from the Signature Room in the John Hancock Building. While you’re at it, just hit up the rest of the museum campus – The Shedd Aquarium, and The Museum of Science & Industry (thought some of the smaller, more niche museums are among my favorites).

Really though, the only way to fall in love with Chicago is visit and explore it yourself!

Joyful Hearts at Millennium Park

Joyful Hearts at Millennium Park

Last Day of Class. Downtown Chicago. Millennium Park. The Bean. Christmas Lights. An Ice Skating Rink. Enough Said. Well almost…

To celebrate the last day of classes two of my roommates and I made our way downtown for an ice skating adventure. This wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, Chloe and I planned far enough ahead that we brought our ice skates to school with us. Bringing your own skates is a little trick we learned last year after we paid $10 last year to rent them at Millennium. Don’t get me wrong, $10 rentals aren’t bad at all, but when you can go for free instead…Count me in.

Reason #2 to bring your own skates: The rental wait on a Friday night is approximately an hour. Lucky for us, we were able to hop right on the ice. Considering I haven’t skated in a year, I was pretty impressed with how quickly I got the hang of it again. After a few laps I was feeling my inner “Michelle Kwan” break out. So, naturally… I fell. It wasn’t a full blown wipe out by any means. Thankfully, Chloe was holding my hand and was able to support me enough that I only slid on my knees for a bit. I escaped with a little bruise on my knee, but lost all of my Michelle Kwan confidence.

Chicago at Christmas time is one of my favorite parts of the year and ice skating downtown was the perfect way to spread so Christmas cheer. I don’t think there is anything more magical than ice skating under the Bean, enjoying the city lights, and soaking up a little Christmas spirit with some of my favorite people.