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Theia dress, Jones & Jones, $495. Kate Spade bangles, Handbags in the City, $38 each. Earrings, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $83. Foley + Corinna clutch, foleyandcorinna.com, $150. Burberry boot, $225, handbag, $1,295, and dress, $495; all Nordstrom, $225. Rachel Mulherin necklace, Rachel Mulherin, $82. On Anna (left): Theia gown, Jones & Jones, $995. Jimmy Choo clutch, Nordstrom, $650. Earrings, $210; La Vie Parisienne necklace, $455; both Bijoux Inspired Jewels. Plaza Suite fascinator, Hats in the Belfry, $129. On Bethany: Theia cocktail dress, Jones & Jones, $450. Jimmy Choo clutch, Nordstrom, $1,250. Scala fascinator, Hats in the Belfry, $45. Necklace, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $3,275. Kate Spade ring, Handbags in the City, $98. Theory pants, $220, and fringe top, $325; Alice + Olivia tweed jacket, $495; all L’Apparenza. Kate Spade purse, $318; Prada glasses, $475; both Handbags in the City. Pearl earrings, Jones & Jones, $98. Rococo Rocks necklace, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $590. United Nude Ultra Rockerfeller slingbacks, epitomeatl.com, $440. Think film noir-inspired looks for spring. Beauty, drama-even a hint of danger-emanate from the black and white shades suitable for this season’s femme fatales. — MCT lifestyle F e a t u r e s Jason Wu dress, Ruth Shaw, $2,250. Earrings, $94; Oliver Webber bracelet, $345; both Bijoux Inspired Jewels. Diane Von Furstenberg clutch, Handbags in the City, $295. Slideshow Miss Wu silk collared dress, Nordstrom, $495. Chloe Alice Springs Large Tote, Nordstrom, $1,995. Cuff, Jones & Jones, $98. Rococo Rocks bird necklace, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $350. —MCT photos On Bethany (left): Marc Cain print pants, $318; Athena earrings, $78; both Jones & Jones. Rag & Bone blazer, Ruth Shaw, $795. Avec fringe top, Lori K, $110. Isabelle Fiore bag, urbanminx.com, $350. Rococo Rocks necklace, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $460. On Anna: Theory pants, $220, and fringe top, $325; Alice + Olivia tweed jacket, $495; all LíApparenza. Kate Spade purse, $318; Prada glasses, $475; both Handbags in the City. Pearl earrings, Jones & Jones, $98. Rococo Rocks necklace, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $590. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, <strong>2013</strong> On Anna (left): DKNY perforated leather jacket, $995; Rag & Bone leather pants, $895; both Ruth Shaw. Muse dress, Jones & Jones, $165. Rachel Mulherin bib necklace, Rachel Mulherin, $130. Plaza Suite fascinator, Hats in the Belfry, $129. Kate Spade tote, $398; Dior sunglasses, $395; both Handbags in the City. On Bethany: Alice + Olivia leather jacket, $880, and dress, $798; both L’Apparenza. Marc Jacobs handbag, Nordstrom,$1,395. Rachel Mulherin necklace, Rachel Mulherin, $130. Tom Ford sunglasses, Handbags in the City, $495. La Vie Parisienne earrings, Bijoux Inspired Jewels, $70. Marc Cain dress, Jones & Jones, $568. Earrings, Jones & Jones, $115. Kate Spade bangle, $148, and ring, $78; both Handbags in the City. United Nude Ultra Rockefeller bootie, solestruck.com, $485. Performers walk through the street during Lagos Carnival in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday. Performers filled the streets of Lagos’ islands Monday as part of the Lagos Carnival, a major festival in Nigeria’s largest city during Easter weekend. — AP/AFP photos
By Ellen Creager It’s sleek, shiny and sensational. But let’s add two more words to describe Chicago for tourists: darn expensive. On Feb 1, admission to the Art Institute of Chicago jumped to $23 for out-of-state visitors. In the past month, a host of other price hikes that affect tourists have also taken effect: Museum of Science and Industry ticket prices rose. The Chicago Transit Authority hiked the price of passes to ride the L and city buses. Parking prices downtown jumped. Even the toll on the Chicago Skyway went up. Chicago has the highest tax burden for travelers in the nation, even higher than New York and Boston, the Global Business Travel Association reported last fall, when it compared cities’ taxes on hotel rooms, car rental and meals. Chicago has 2.7 million residents and 43.6 million visitors a year. It doesn’t need to offer constant cut-rate attractions. That’s the power of a popular city. So how can you visit without going broke? Visit in winter. With more than 33,000 hotel rooms in the downtown district and an occupancy rate of only 50 percent in January and 52 percent in February, Chicago hotel prices in winter are about half of what they are in the summer and fall, when occupancy can hit over 90 percent. For example, the weekend of Jan 25-27, rates before taxes were $139 for the historic Palmer House Hilton, $135 for the Fairmont Chicago and $92 for Embassy Suites. Even adding the city’s steep 16.4 percent per night hotel tax to those prices won’t break the bank. I like Chicago in winter for other reasons, too. Psychologically, it seems to have more room. It still is breathtakingly beautiful on a sunny day. Skating at Millennium Park is free, and so is clowning around at the Bean (the shiny Cloud Gate sculpture in the park). If you can handle the bracing wind off Lake Michigan, strolling and shopping are relaxing this time of year. In winter, you can still ride the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier for $6, or take in the winter views from the John Hancock Observatory or watch the crowds from a window seat at lifestyle T r a v e l the nearby Ghirardelli chocolate shop while sipping hot cocoa. In winter, it’s easier to get restaurant reservations — and Chicago Restaurant Week is running now through Feb. 10. With more than 250 restaurants participating, prices for a prix fixe menu start at $22 for lunch and $33 or $44 for dinner (for details, see www.eatitupchicago.com). It’s also a great time for theater. Get discount tickets for shows during Chicago Theater Week, Feb 12-17, with dozens of theaters participating (www.chicagotheatreweek.com). In winter, you also might score tickets for the hottest Visitors to the John Hancock observatory floor don’t have to fight the crowds of summer. Tourists at Millennium Park still visit the Cloud Gate sculpture, better known as the Bean, despite the cold. show in the country, “The Book of Mormon,” if you are flexible with your dates or seeking a single seat on weekends. The musical at the Bank of America Theatre has been extended through Sept 8. When I arrived in Chicago in late January, I heard grumbling from hotel clerks and even transit workers about all the new price hikes around town. Some affect residents, but most of the increases seem meanly aimed at tourists. For example: See the skyline of Chicago without getting cold, from inside the Lego store inside Water Tower Place, where many of the city’s iconic buildings are recreated out of Legos. Snowmen cookies in a bakery window in Chicago’s loop add to the winter fun. The cost of a day pass often used by tourists to ride buses and the L is now $10, a 74 percent hike over the old price of $5.75. You now need to ride at least five times in one day to make the pass worthwhile, because individual trips are $2.25. Prices for seven-day and 30-day passes also went up Jan 14. It’s now $5 to take public transit from O’Hare airport to downtown, up from $2.25. Art Institute of Chicago tickets for out-of-state visitors are now $23 (they were $18). Museum of Science and Industry tickets for out-of-state visitors are $18 (they were $16). And there are no more free days for out-of-state visitors to any Illinois museum — those were dropped 18 months ago. It’s now $6.50 per hour to park in the Loop, the highest city parking meter rate in the nation. Parking near downtown is now $4 an hour, and neighborhood parking is $2 an hour. Parking prices rose Jan 1. The toll for the Chicago Skyway is now $4, up 50 cents. So how can a simple visitor from out of state still enjoy Chicago? Come now. If you have two or fewer people, don’t bring a car to Chicago — the parking alone costs more than mass transit or taxis, about $45 to $55 a day, even if you self-park. Take the train or a bus. Stay with a relative or friend. Seek out small neighborhood restaurants. Save your money for the few things that really matter to you — the symphony, a play, a museum, a great jazz club, a Chicago pizza, an American Girl doll with her very own hot air balloon, or just a hot cup of cocoa while looking out at a bustling Magnificent Mile.—MCT Winter in Chicago should include a stop at the Ghirardelli chocolate shop near the Water Tower, where you can get hot chocolate for $3.50. — MCT photos A small customer looks at the dreamy wares at the American Girl store in Water Tower Place in Chicago. The balloon pictured is really for sale, for $150. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, <strong>2013</strong> Visitors can skate for free in Millennium Park downtown, surrounded by the Chicago skyline.
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