Take a residential palace. Add incredible views. Dress it up with refined classic European furnishings. Then gently toss in visiting teens and tweens with hormones run amok. The result is the Teen Concierge program from the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago that has the inside skinny on the coolest boutiques and hippest eateries in Chicagoland.
Cynthia Waldmeir, the hotel’s Teen Concierge, has chosen these lists of Top Picks:
Where to eat:
1. Best Place to Enjoy Sushi: Kamehachi, 240 East Ontario Street
2. Best Sweets in City: Sweet Mandy B’s, 1208 West Webster Avenue
3. Best Place for Something Different: L’Appetito, 875 North Michigan Avenue.
4. Best Place for a Chicago hot dog: Downtown Dogs, 804 North Rush Street
5. Best Place for Chicago-style Pizza: Giordano’s, 730 North Rush Street
Where to Shop:
1. Best Place for Jeans: The Denim Lounge, 940 N. Rush Street
2. Best Place for Sunglasses: Active Endeavors, 935 West Armitage Avenue
3. Best Place for CD’s and DVD’s: Virgin Megastore, 540 North Michigan Avenue
4. Best Place for Jewelry and Handbags: Francesca’s Collections, 2012 North Halsted Street and 1154 Lill Studio, 904 W. Armitage Avenue
5. Best Place for Cosmetics: Sephora, Water Tower Place/Shops at Northbridge
Where to Play:
1. Best Scenic Beach Spot: Oak Street Beach
2. Best Recreational Beach Spot: North Avenue Beach
3. Best Cultural Spot: The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Avenue
4. Best City Park: Millennium Park, 222 North Columbus Drive
5. Best Snapshot Spot: Outside the Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lakeshore Drive
[Read Cynthia’s comments on each venue at: TheInformedTraveler.com.]