A Key to Chicago for Visitors
Find hotels, restaurants and more . . . 
January 2008

Welcome to Chicago
FEMA Region V Offices
536 S. Clark St., 6th Floor, Chicago, IL  60605                                          Phone:  312-
408-5500

Welcome to Chicago
Chicago is an exciting and vast city to explore.  Home to countless museums, great 
restaurants, shopping districts and historical landmarks, Chicago provides an excellent 
opportunity to discover the heart of the Midwest.
Provided for your convenience is a compilation of museums, cultural attractions, hotel 
locations, theaters, landmarks, neighborhoods, shopping, and dining options that 
highlight what makes Chicago what it is.  Maps are also provided to help you explore an 
area that more than six million people call home.
When visiting the FEMA Region V Office, if you have the time, experience Chicago and 
all that it has to offer.  This guide will hopefully assist you in deciding where to stay, 
where to go, what to do and what not to miss during your stay in the city on the lake.
The FEMA Region V office is located at 536 S. Clark Street between Congress and 
Harrison Streets, just south of the Chicago Loop.  
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Chicago is the largest city in the state of Illinois and the largest in the Midwest.  With a 
population of nearly three million people, the city is the third largest in the United States.  
The city is the anchor of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area which includes 
Milwaukee, Wis. and Gary, Ind. This area has a population of over 9.7 million people. 
Rich in history and renowned for its architecture, the city was incorporated in 1833.  
Since the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893, Chicago has been regarded as one of the t10 
most influential cities in the world. 
The name Chicago is the French rendering of the Miami-Illinois name shikaakwa, 
meaning wild leek.   Etymologically, the sound /shikaakwa/ in Miami-Illinois literally 
meant "striped skunk," and referred to wild leek, or the smell of onions, metaphorically.  
It was initially applied to the river, and came to denote the site of the present city later. 
The sound "Chicago" is the result of a French mis-transcription of the original sound. 
Chicago in its first century was one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Within the 
span of 40 years, its population grew from slightly under 30,000 to more than one million 
by 1890. In the next 40 years, the population tripled to more than three million.  By the 
close of the 19th century, Chicago was the fifth largest city in the world and the largest of 
the cities that didn't exist at the dawn of the century.
The outcome of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 led to the largest building boom in the 
history of the nation. Perhaps the most outstanding of these events was the relocation of 
many of the nation's most prominent architects to the city from New England for 
construction of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. Many architects including Danial 
Hudson Burnham, John Wellborn Root, Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan went on to 
design other well-known Chicago landmarks because of the Exposition.  
As a transportation hub, and possibly because of political clout, Chicago has attracted 
more political conventions than any other city, hosting 14 Republican Conventions and 
11 Democratic Conventions.  Franklin Roosevelt gave his New Deal speech in Chicago 
in 1932, and some favorite sons were nominated in Chicago, including Abraham Lincoln, 
Ulysses S. Grant, and Adlai Stevenson II.  
Regionally, Chicago can be divided by the river and its branches into three main sections: 
the North Side, the South Side and the West Side. In the late 1920s, the city was 
subdivided into 77 community areas by  sociologists at the University of Chicago. The 
boundaries of the community areas are better defined than those of the over 210 
neighborhoods allowing for better year-by-year comparisons.  
The city of Chicago has many nicknames, but it is most widely recognized as The Windy 
City. Possible explanations for this particular nickname include Chicago's weather, 
politics, Worlds Fair and rivalry with Cincinnati.*
After the Great Chicago Fire, rebuilding of the second city created a new metropolis 
that offers so much to see and experience.  Whether you have only a few hours to take in 
the sights or a few days, there is something exciting to do no matter what sparks your 
interest.  We hope your visit to FEMA Region V in Chicago is one that you will fondly 
remember and share with others. 

There are several ways to commute from OHare and Midway airports to FEMA RV 
Offices:
From OHare International Airport (by car):  Take the I-90 East ramp toward Chicago 
Loop and merge onto I-90 East.  Take I-90 East/Kennedy Expressway and exit onto 
Eisenhower Expressway East I-290 East.  Turn right onto South Michigan Avenue.  
Make a right onto South Clark Street. 
From OHare (by train):  Take the Blue Line train to the LaSalle Station.  Upon exiting 
train station, go right.  You will be at the corner of the building at Congress and Clark.
From Midway Airport (by car): Take I-55 N/Stevenson to I-94 W/I-90 W toward WI, 
then merge onto I-290 E, continuing on to W. Congress Pkwy . Turn right on Clark 
Street.  
From Midway (by train): Take the Orange Line train to the LaSalle Station. Walk south 
to the regional office at Congress and Clark.
If driving:
From North:  Take I-90/I-94 to Congress Pkwy Exit, follow W Congress Pkwy and take a 
right at Clark Street.
From South:  Take I-90/I-94 to Congress Pkwy Exit, follow W Congress Pkwy and take a 
right at Clark Street.
From West:  Take I-290 towards Chicago Loop/Congress Pkwy. Continue on W 
Congress Pkwy. Take a right on Clark Street.

Museums

Art Institute of Chicago 			111 S. Michigan Ave.		Chicago, IL 
60603	(312) 443-3600
Located on Michigan and Adams

Chicago History Museum	1601 N. Clark St.		Chicago, IL  60614	(312) 
642-4600
Located off North Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood area


DuSable Museum 	740 E. 56th Place		Chicago, IL 60637	(773) 947-
0600
Located near S. Cottage

Lincoln Park Zoo	2200 N. Cannon Drive		Chicago, IL  60637	(312) 
742-2000
Located off Lakeshore Drive and Fullerton Parkway			

Mexican Fine Arts Museum 	1401 W. 18th St.		Chicago, IL 60608	(312) 
492-6136	
Located near S. Ashland

Museum Campus 									
	(312) 409-9696
  Field Museum of Natural History, Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium
Located east of Lake Shore Drive on McFetridge near W. Randolph

Museum of Contemporary Art 	220 E. Chicago Ave.		Chicago, IL 60611
	(312) 280-2660
Located at Mies van der Rohe and Chicago

Museum of Science and Industry 5700 S. Lakeshore Drive	Chicago, IL 60637	(773) 
684-9844
Located at Lake Shore Drive and 57th Street 

Polish Museum of America 	984 N. Milwaukee Ave.		Chicago, IL 60622
	(773) 384-3352
Located near N. Noble 




Attractions and neighborhoods                   

Armitage Avenue - Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood

Harlem/Irving Plaza - Located at Harlem and Irving Park

Lincolnwood Town Center- Touhy and McCormick Ave 

Magnificent Mile - Located along Michigan Avenue between Chicago Avenue and the 
Chicago River

State Street Shopping - Located along downtown State Street 

Woodfield Mall- Located in Schaumburg, at I-90 and I-53 

Chinatown					22nd and Cermak 

Grant Park					Located east of Downtown 

Greektown					Located west of Downtown along Halsted, 
between Madison and Van Buren


Harold Washington Library 		Located on State Street, between Van Buren and 
Congress

John Hancock Observatory		875 N. Michigan at Delaware 

Lincoln Park				Fullerton Avenue at Halsted and Lincoln Avenues

Lincoln Square				Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and 
Lawrence Avenues

Little Italy					Downtown, southwest along Taylor between 
Morgan and Ashland 

Millennium Park 				Located east of Downtown 

Navy Pier  					Located at the east end of Grand Avenue

Pilsen						Downtown southwest along 18th street, 
between Halsted and Western

Sears Tower					Located at Jackson and Wacker

Wrigleyville					Located at Addison Street between Clark 
and Shefield

Where to Eat
  
Chicago Chop House    		60 W. Ontario St.      	Chicago, IL 60610                   
	(312) 787-7100
Between Dearborn and Clark 

Devon Seafood Grill      		39 E. Chicago St.		Chicago, IL 60611  	
	(312) 440-6660
Between Michigan and State 

Ed Debevics  	        		640 N. Wells St.   		Chicago, IL 60610             	
	(312) 664-1707
Located off Erie Street

Gene and Georgettis     		500 N. Franklin St.    	Chicago, IL 60610             	
	(312) 527-3718
Located at Franklin and Illinois Streets

Gibsons  				1028 N. Rush St.               	Chicago, IL 60611                 
	(312) 266-8999

Located at Bellevue Place

Harry Carays Restaurant   	33 W. Kinzie St.                   Chicago, IL 60610                            
(312) 828-0966
Located at Dearborn Street

Mike Ditkas Restaurant 		100 E. Chestnut St.	Chicago, IL 60611                          
	(312) 587-8989
Located at Michigan Avenue

The Original Ginos East             633 N. Wells St.                   Chicago, IL 60610                         
	(312) 943-1124
Located at Ontario Street 

Pizzeria Uno 		               29 E. Ohio St.                       Chicago, IL 60611	
	(312) 280-5120
Located at North State Street

Riva  			           	               700 E. Grand Ave.  	 Chicago, IL 60611   	
	(312) 644-7482
Located at the Navy Pier 

Signature Room at the 95th         875 N. Michigan Ave.           Chicago, IL 60611  	               
(312) 787-9596
Located at the top of the John Hancock Building

The Village 				71 W. Monroe St.		               
Chicago, IL 60603  	    (312) 332-7005
Located near Monroe

Twin Anchors			1655 N. Sedgwick St.	               Chicago, IL 60614                 
(312) 266-1616
Located near Sedgwick

Wildfire				159 W. Erie St.		               Chicago, IL  
60610                  (312) 787-9000
Located off N. Orleans St. 


Moonstruck Chocolate Caf 			320 N. Michigan		(312) 696-
1201
Located near Wacker Drive

Blommer Chocolate Outlet			600 W. Kinzie St.		(312) 492-
1336
Located near Milwaukee

Ethels Chocolate Lounge			520 N. Michigan Avenue	(312) 454-
9330
Located near Ohio Street

Ghirardelli Chocolate				830 N. Michigan Avenue	(312) 337-
9330
Located near Water Tower Place

Hersheys Chicago				822 N. Michigan Avenue	(312) 337-
7711
Located near Water Tower Place

Suckers Candy, Inc. (Retro)			3256 N. Damen Avenue	(773) 549-
1706
Located at Melrose

The Chicago Chocolate Outlet			4010 S. Morgan		(773) 
650-0535
Located off W. Pershing Road 

The Fudge Pot (Old Town)			1532 N. Wells 		(312) 943-
1777
Located near W. Schiller Street

The Popcorn Palace 				Grand Avenue			(800) 873-
2686
Located at Navy Pier 

Elis Cheesecake 					6701 Forest Preserve Drive	(773) 
736-3417
Located at Montrose

Garretts Popcorn					670 N. Michigan Avenue	(866) 
6-POPCORN
(Various Chicago Locations)
OHare Airport Area 

Chicago Style Specialties
Billy Goat Tavern			430 N. Michigan Ave.		Chicago, IL  60611
	(312) 222-1525
Located at Navy Pier - known from SNL fame of Cheese-borger, Cheese-borger!

Portillos 				100 W. Ontario			Chicago, IL 
60610		(312) 587-8910
Choose your favorite at different counters from Chicago-style pizza to hot dogs, sausage 
and Italian Beef Sandwiches.
Hot Dougs				3324 N. California St.		Chicago, IL 60618
	(773) 348-0326
Over a dozen types of sausages - even a veggie dog for vegetarians (lines can be very 
long).
Gold Coast Dogs 			159 W. Wabash Ave.		Chicago, IL 60601
	(312) 917-1677
Known for their char-grilled and steamed hot dogs.
Lukes Italian Beef			215 W. Jackson St.		Chicago, IL 60606
	(312) 939-4202
Offers a variety menu too.
Tavern on Rush  			1031 N. Rush St.		
	Chicago, IL 60611                  (312) 664-9600
Located at Bellevue  


Hotels
  
Hilton Chicago OHare		OHare International Airport	Chicago, IL 60666
	(773) 686-8000
Located directly at the airport - take CTA Blue Line, exit at LaSalle 

Marriott Residence Inn 		7101 Chestnut Street		Rosemont, IL 60018
	(847) 375-9000
Hotel has shuttle to and from airport that leaves frequently - take CTA Blue Line, exit at 
LaSalle 


Within Walking Distance of Region V Office

Club Quarters Central Loop	111 West Adams St.		Chicago, IL 60603	(312) 
214-6400

Hilton Chicago			720 S. Michigan Ave.		Chicago, IL  60605
	(312) 922-4400

Hotel Blake				500 S. Dearborn St.		Chicago, IL 60605
	(312) 663-3200

Palmer House Hilton 		17 E. Monroe St.		Chicago, IL 60603	(312) 
726-7500
Other Nearby Hotels

DoubleTree				198 E. Delaware		Chicago, IL 60611
	(312) 664-1500

Embassy Suites			600 N. State			Chicago, IL 60610
	(866) 451-3191	

Hilton Garden Inn			10 E. Grand			Chicago, IL 60611
	(312) 595-0000 
(Red Line is outside front door)

Hyatt Regency McCormick 	2233 S. King Drive		Chicago, IL 60616	(312) 
565-1234
(Metra Train is located in lobby.  Exit at the Van Buren/Jackson exit.  Walk to Clark.)

Marriott				521 N. Rush Street		Chicago, IL 60611
	(312) 645-1500

Renaissance Chicago Hotel	1 W. Wacker Drive		Chicago, IL 60601	(312) 
372-7200

Summerfield Suites 		166 E. Superior			Chicago, IL  60611
	(312) 787-6000

Contact information may frequently change. Please call locations of interest for specific 
information.  

Theaters

Auditorium Theater 		50 E. Congress Parkway	Chicago, IL 60605	(312) 
922-2110
Located at Wabash and Congress

Briar Street Theater 		3133 N. Halstead St.		Chicago, IL 60657	(773) 
348-4000
Located at Halsted and Briar, home of Blue Man Group

Cadillac Palace Theater 		151 W. Randolph St.		Chicago, IL 60602
	(312) 902-1400
Located on Randolph between LaSalle and Wells

Chicago Theater  			175 N. State St.			Chicago, IL 
60601	(312) 462-6300
Located on State, between Randolph and Lake

Civic Opera House 		20 N. Wacker Drive		Chicago, IL 60606	(312) 
419-0033
Located on Wacker, between Madison and Washington

Goodman Theater 			170 N. Dearborn St.		Chicago, IL 60601
	(312) 443-3811
Located on Dearborn, between Randolph and Lake

Ford Center - Oriental Theater 	24 W. Randolph St.		Chicago, IL  60601
	(312) 986-6863
Located on Randolph between State and Dearborn

Harris Music & Dance Theater 	205 E. Randolph St.		Chicago, IL  60601
	(312) 629-8696
Located at Michigan and Randolph

Pritzker Pavilion 			 Michigan Ave.			Chicago, IL  
60601	(312) 742-1168
Located in Millennium Park, east of Downtown between Randolph and Monroe

Reskin Theater 			60 Balbo Ave.			Chicago, IL 60605
	(312) 922-1999
Located at Wabash and Balbo

Steppenwolf Theater 		1650 N. Halsted St.		Chicago, IL 60614	(312) 
335-1650
Located on Halsted, one block north of North Avenue

Symphony Center 			2205 S. Michigan Ave.		Chicago, IL 
60604	(312) 294-3333
Located on Michigan, between Jackson and Adams


Baseball
Chicago Cubs		1060 W. Addison		Chicago, IL 60613	 	(773) 
404-CUBS
Play at Wrigley Field located at Addison and Clark, one of baseballs oldest parks
Chicago White Sox		333 W. 35th St.		Chicago, IL 60616	
	(312) 674-1000	
Play at the  U.S. Cellular Field off the Dan Ryan Expressway and 35th

Football
Chicago Bears 		425 E. Mcfetridge Drive	Chicago, IL  60605	
	(888) 79-BEARS, x4
(DA Bears) Play at Soldier Field off Lake Shore Drive 
Chicago Rush 		6920 N. Mannheim Road	Rosemont, IL 60018		(773) 
243-3434
Play in Rosemont at the Allstate Arena

Basketball
Chicago Bulls 		1901 W. Madison		Chicago, IL 60612		(312) 
455-4000
(Da Bulls) Play at the United Center on Madison Street near N. Damen

Hockey
Chicago Blackhawks 	1901 W. Madison		Chicago, IL 60612		(312) 
455-7000
Play at the United Center on Madison St. (one of the original six teams of the NHL)   
Chicago Wolves 		6920 N. Manneim Road	Rosemont, IL 60018	
	(800) THE-WOLVES
(AHL) Play at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont   

Soccer 
Chicago Fire 			7000 S. Harlem Ave.		Bridgeview, IL 60455	
	(708) 594-7200
Play at Toyota Park 71st and Harlem Avenue



 
Hockey

Chicago BlackhawksOne of the original 6 teams of the NHL, the     Blackhawks have a 
long history in Chicago reflected in the countless     banners that line the roof in the 
United Center. The United Center on Madison St.  

The Chicago Wolves The AHL is one of the most fan-oriented leagues in sports, and 
this cant be any more prevalent at the always exciting games in Rosemont.
Allstate Arena, Rosemont. 

Soccer 

The Chicago FireChicagos newest professional sports teams, The Fire have brought 
Americas fastest growing sport to the City.