Read it, tick it, take it with you
Each story is one of the lists below, written up — with a tick box on every place that works before you sign in.
Guide · 10 places · 3 min
Your First Day in Chicago, Done on Foot
Ten landmarks, grouped so you can walk between them, with the two that need a train saved for last.
MyCheck · tick it as you read
The list · 10 places · 3 min
Ten Chicago Restaurants, and the Order to Eat Them In
Deep dish, Italian beef, a hot dog from a drive-in and two rooms you book weeks ahead. A list you can work through in a long weekend.
MyCheck · tick it as you read
Guide · 8 places · 3 min
A Coffee Walk from the Loop to Lincoln Park
Eight cafés, one long day, and a route you can actually walk. Tick them off as you go.
MyCheck · tick it as you read
Discover Chicago
Save Chicago’s best places and experiences to MyCheck.
Chicago is the largest city in the Midwest, laid out along Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Its best-known museums, parks and landmarks sit close together downtown, and its neighborhoods each have their own food and coffee. These checklists group real places by what you want to do, so you can save one to MyCheck and check places off as you go.
- 5 checklists
- 51 places
- 4 categories
Popular checklists
Hand-picked Chicago lists to start with.
Moving & Settling In
What to sort out when you arrive: the licence, the plates, the sticker, the parking rules and the cards that make a city usable. Every step links to the official page that sets the rule, and says when it was last checked.
- Moving & Settling In
Renting in Chicago: What the Ordinance Gives You
Ten things the Chicago rental ordinance entitles a tenant to, with the deadlines that bind the landlord and the penalties when they are missed.
10 stepsChicago - Moving & Settling In
Moving to Chicago Checklist
Thirteen things to sort out after you move to Chicago, in deadline order, each linking to the official page that sets the rule.
13 stepsChicago
Restaurants
Where to eat, from the dishes a city is known for to the long-running institutions that serve them. Lists are grouped by cuisine or occasion so each one can be worked through on its own.
Coffee
Cafés and roasters worth a detour. Each list runs neighborhood by neighborhood so it can be walked in sections rather than criss-crossing the city.
Things to Do
Landmarks, museums, parks and trails. These are the lists to start with on a first visit, and the free ones are marked so a day out does not have to cost anything.
Editor's picks in Chicago
We do not track what is trending yet. These are the lists we would hand a friend visiting this week.
Best Coffee Shops in Chicago
Eight Chicago cafés and roasters, ordered from the Loop outward so the list can be walked in sections.
Coffee8 places
Chicago Restaurants You Should Try at Least Once
Ten Chicago restaurants, from Lou Malnati's and Portillo's to Alinea and Manny's Deli.
Restaurants10 places
Things to Do in Chicago for First-Time Visitors
Ten well-known Chicago landmarks and museums for a first visit, ordered so they can be done on foot and by train.
Things to Do10 placesRenting in Chicago: What the Ordinance Gives You
Ten things the Chicago rental ordinance entitles a tenant to, with the deadlines that bind the landlord and the penalties when they are missed.
Moving & Settling In10 steps
Newest checklists
The most recently published or updated Chicago lists.
- Coffee
Best Coffee Shops in Chicago
Eight Chicago cafés and roasters, ordered from the Loop outward so the list can be walked in sections.
8 placesChicago - Restaurants
Chicago Restaurants You Should Try at Least Once
Ten Chicago restaurants, from Lou Malnati's and Portillo's to Alinea and Manny's Deli.
10 placesChicago - Things to Do
Things to Do in Chicago for First-Time Visitors
Ten well-known Chicago landmarks and museums for a first visit, ordered so they can be done on foot and by train.
10 placesChicago - Moving & Settling In
Renting in Chicago: What the Ordinance Gives You
Ten things the Chicago rental ordinance entitles a tenant to, with the deadlines that bind the landlord and the penalties when they are missed.
10 stepsChicago - Moving & Settling In
Moving to Chicago Checklist
Thirteen things to sort out after you move to Chicago, in deadline order, each linking to the official page that sets the rule.
13 stepsChicago
Build your Chicago checklist with MyCheck
Save the places you want to try and check them off as you go.
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