Must See Sights and Landmarks in 31st Street Harbor Area

"Navy Pier is one of Chicago’s most popular attractions and is certainly not your average pier. Stretching over 3,000-feet into Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is packed full of entertainment, offering 50-acres of shops, restaurants, parks, and attractions. Enjoy a ride on the Centennial Wheel that stands prominently in the middle of Pier Park, and there’s often live music, art exhibitions, and firework displays throughout the summer."

"Set where the Chicago Portage enters Lake Michigan, the Navy Pier is a multifaceted visitor attraction extending over the water for six city blocks. As one of the top days out in the Midwest, an attraction of this magnitude is hard to sum up in one paragraph. But in 50 acres you’ll come across the vast multisensory Funhouse Maze and the 65-metre Centennial Wheel, footed by fairground rides and amusements."

"Head over to Navy Pier to go up on the Centennial Ferris Wheel!. A fun way to get an amazing view of Chicago and the lakefront. You can get tickets through the Go Chicago Explorer Pass or check with the Loew’s hotel – they sometimes have specials going where you can get tickets with your stay."

"Just beyond Wrigleyville lies this section of Lakeview; it's been a major "gayborhood" since the 1970s, which also makes it one of the…"

"Address: 642 W Deming PlSaturday Mass Times: 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 6:30pmA/C: YesCost: $1,900.00, includes organist and cantorParishioner?. Yes, at least one of youTime for photos after: 15 minutesCan you bring your own priest?. YesOther info to note:If there are 3 weddings already scheduled on a particular day, a visiting priest must preside at the 4th wedding."

"The St. Clement Catholic Church of Lincoln Park- is a stunning example of the byzantine style that features greek geometrics. The inspiration behind the structure is the mosque of Istanbul- Hagia Sophia. You can find 12th and 13th-century fashioned mosaics on the apse of the dome."

"It’s fun to eat with your hands as a kid, which makes dumplings a great choice. For a fun mashup, Urbanbelly’s kids’ menu has a cheeseburger dumpling, but there are also more adventurous options like pork-cilantro or chicken curry fillings. Kids can also snack on edamame, slurp noodle soup or practice their chopsticks skills with a rice bowl."

"Located in Avondale (and hence, a bit out of the way for those traveling without a car), Urban Belly offers a small number of seats in a surprisingly chic space. The most expensive noodle dishes – ramen with pork belly and udon with shrimp – are $13. Dumpling and rice plates like lamb and brandy or short rib and scallion are $7-8 each."

"Its popularity inspired Chef Kim to open a second location just this year. Other than their famous dumplings, Urbanbelly favorites include the Phat Rice (or Noodle) and the Wok Fired Rice Cakes."

"The menu is full of Asian flare featuring Filipino, Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese inspired ingredients served in the bahn-mi or taco style, salad, rice or noodle box. Spicy rangoons or cool chicken spring rolls are a good way to start off, or as a decent break time snack. You’ll find this rolling lunchbox at Daley Plaza most days, but also at block parties, fests, and even museum parking lots."

"I almost skipped this tiny storefront because the name sounded so generic. What a mistake that would have been. Chicago Lunchbox serves an aggressively flavored Pan-Asian menu, featuring the likes of Filipino pork sausage and Thai-style ground chicken with basil, which you can get as a sandwich, a taco, a salad, a rice bowl or a noodle bowl."

"Vermicelli noodle salad bowl with grilled pork meatballs is a ginormous bowl layered with thin rice noodles, crispy lettuce, strips of crunchy carrots and cucumbers, bean sprouts, basil, ground peanuts and a fried egg roll, plus your protein of choice. Go to Cafe Hoang, one of the original restaurants in Viet Town, for the pho, the vermicelli noodle salad bowl or the bun bo hue."

"Many of Chicago’s most historic buildings are located in the loop. The Willis Tower was the world’s tallest building until 1998. Including the antenna, it is 1,730 feet tall."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Roman Boed used under CC BY 2.0. Bloomingdale’s needs little introduction. One of three such sites dotted around the city, the store at 900 North Michigan Avenue is well-placed in downtown Chicago for those looking to pop in while sightseeing or visiting the lake front."

"The Helen Brach Primate House is yet another extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo and is home to primates of varying shapes, sizes and colour. The area is made in a way to imitate the natural habitat for the primates to make them feel safe and familiar at the place that they are residing in. It was opened back in 1927 which finally underwent an extensive renovation in the year 1992."

"Lincoln Park Zoo is a renowned 35-acre zoo in Lincoln Park and a hotspot for tourists. It’s the zoo’s pavilion, designed to provide shelter for open-air on-site classes, that offers such a fantastically picturesque snap. With the design drawing inspiration from the appearance of a tortoise’s shell, the stunning curved wooden pavilion elegantly frames the Chicago skyline."

"Not only is Brookfield Zoo a wonderful place to visit the animals, it’s also a world leader in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Admission is free for zoo members and all active, reservist, and retired members of the military."

"However, for the admission, they should include some sort of souvenir or discount gift for next visit. On another note, the Zoo is pretty big and the parking lot is conveniently close by. Admissions process on a weekend was pretty quick."