Kate Spade City Guides

You know Kate Spade? Of course.  You know that Kate Spade has teamed up with travel experts to create city guides for 10 great cities world-wide? Yes! It's true! And they are great.

Check out the 10 city guides...
NEW YORK
LONDON
LOS ANGELES
TOKYO
TAHITI
CHICAGO
TORONTO
SAN FRANCISCO
COPENHAGEN
SHANGHAI

Of course I had to look into the highlights for Chicago! I think they hit it almost dead on.  They managed forget my lovely neighborhood of Lakeview... which obviously is a top Chicago hotspot :)

I am impressed that there is a nice mix of popular must-dos along with a few unknown, local-only sort of destinations.

Take a look at the Chicago Itinerary...

ITINERARY FOR CHICAGO "eventually, i think chicago will be the most beautiful great city left in the world." —frank lloyd wright and who's to say it isn't already there. no more talk of second city inferiority complexes—not when chicago is outpacing nyc and san francisco for its ambitious (and delicious) food scene, the boutiques rival those in la, the architecture is the stuff that other cities dream about, and the locals wouldn't rather be anywhere else. chicago is all about its neighborhoods, which have distinct personalities, scenes, and world views. you might be staying downtown or in the gold coast, but to get a feel for the city, go wandering. WICKER PARK/BUCKTOWN the scene: hipsters and foodies; indie boutiques and stunning victorian mansions. the stops: granola from milk + honey. flowers at asrai gardenshop. doughnuts at the glazed and infused window across from the damen el stop. tacos at big star. dresses from penelope's. staring in the mansions on hoyne ave.  PILSEN the scene: every artist in town lives and works here. the stops: gallery crawls on the 2nd friday of the month in the chicago arts district. inventive spa treatments at chocolate for your body. vintage clothing for men and women at knee deep. tres leches cake at kristoffer's cafe & bakery. dinner at hotspotnightwood. late nights and live music at honky tonk bbq.  WEST LOOP/WEST TOWN the scene: out with the meatpackers; in with the restaurants, cafes, and the people who love them. the stops: evaluate tomorrow's art stars at packer schopf gallery. have a head-to-toe massage at spa space. channel the rolling stones in france at nellcôte restaurant. unearth a vintage fashion treasure at decollage. find something nice for the living room at morlen sinoway atelier.        LINCOLN PARK the scene: college kids and yuppies, strollers and ladies who lunch. the stops: zebras at the lincoln park zoo. green city markets on wednesday and saturday mornings. sweets from floriole and pizza from balena. theatrics at the wizard of oz-themed oz park. steppenwolf theatre and alinea restaurant.  LOGAN SQUARE  the scene: epicurians meet hipsters over the dinner table. the stops: sunday brunch at lula cafe, followed by shopping at the logan square farmers market. cocktails, live music, and art at the whistler. gastropub fare and cozy hotel rooms at longman + eagle. nouveau yakitori at yusho. dumplings at urbanbelly. artisanal craft beers with a shot of political activism revolution brewing.

I know I will be turning to Kate's expertise the next time I'm traveling (I'm voting for Tahiti).  Also, finding out about these travel guides coincides nicely with a new Merrimint project- city guides of our own! Stay tuned for our favorite eat/drink/sleep/shop moments of Minneapolis and Chicago.

Happy weekend!


Note: Kate Spade City Guide information and photos from the City Guide website.