Every year, we feature the cities that our Galavante Team calls home for the holidays. We spend a lot of the year traveling: This year I’ve been to 14 countries and on the road for over 110 days. While I would have spent double that time exploring the world for Galavante, like a wise girl with ruby red slippers once said, There’s No Place Like Home.
Chicago has a special place in the Galavante Team’s heart. Sharmila and I grew up in the Midwest. We were sorority sisters at the University of Illinois in Champaign, which means we have the best dirt on each other. I stayed in Chicago for 4 years after college while my husband finished business school, and Sharmila joined me for 2 of those years. As girls in their early twenties, we tore it up. While I love New York, Chicago was the perfect place to spend our post-college days. I have many fond memories of the bleachers at Wrigely Field, grand black tie events at the Field Museum and nights of debauchery in the Viagra Triangle. The Viagra Triangle is where mature men chase after girls who are way too young for their age group. We had many a fun night at Gibson’s, Cactus and Tavern on Rush, when I called Chicago home.
Most of all, Chicago has a special place in my heart because of family and friends. My family and longest-time friends are in Chicago, so I visit about 6-7 times a year. I balance my time in the suburbs with a few days in the city, where we often stay at the Elysian Hotel (now the Waldorf Astoria Chicago). The Elysian is my favorite city hotel in the U.S. It’s been open for about 2 years, and I’ve stayed there 9 times. In many ways, it’s my second home. I’ll often order in Le Coloniel across the street and have friends over for lunch and dinners. We light a big, warm fire during the winter and serve drinks on our private terrace during the summer. The service also sets the Elysian apart; this is one special place.
Two of my oldest and dearest friends, Mike and Salem, are the Chicago locals we interviewed. I’ve known them for over 20 years, and will know them for many more. There is Chicago as a visitor, and Chicago as a local. The Chicago neighborhoods like Logan Square, Bucktown and Lincoln Park best represent the charm of the city. Chicagoans could not be more warm and welcoming. It’s a place where you’re comfortable enough with friends to drop by casually to see what’s up, and find yourself invited to an impromptu cookout. The Midwestern hospitlaity is just one of the many reasons why I love to be in Sweet Home Chicago.
All the best,
