Local Expert
Lisa Davis
I am a Chicagoan through and through. I live in the Old Town area of the city with a view of Lake Michigan and Lincoln Park Zoo (well, the zoo's petting zoo to be precise - better view anyway than the…
I am a Chicagoan through and through. I live in the Old Town area of the city with a view of Lake Michigan and Lincoln Park Zoo (well, the zoo's petting zoo to be precise - better view anyway than the main zoo because it includes a beautiful lagoon with trees and flowers). Neighbors include Second City where the great John Belushi and Chris Farley used to perform, as well as Chicago's #1 Sunday night spot Stanley’s (because of the live karaoke) where you will see Michael Jordan when he is in town. I am a Cubs season ticket holder (sorry White Sox fan), Pilates instructor, beach volleyball fanatic (Yes, Chicago's North Ave. Beach looks just as good as any beach in southern California; in the summer, of course.) and marathon runner (This year's Chicago Marathon will be my fifth.). I am also a highly respected and trusted editor and writer who has worked and written for such publications as Working Woman, Reader’s Digest, Chicago Tribune, Spa, New Haven Register, UR Chicago, About.com, and most recently as editor of Frequent Flyer magazine. I created and published a book called Mileage Pro: The Insider’s Guide to Frequent Flyer Programs, which was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ways to improve your travels in 2006. I am considered an expert in business and luxury travel (and Chicago of course) including spas, hotels, airlines, destinations, golf and frequent flyer programs. Sought after for this expertise, I have appeared on Fox News, CNBC, ABC, to name a few, and in numerous national press articles, including The Washington Post, USAToday and The New York Times. I am a correspondent for a Sirius Radio travel show and am the creator and author of a spa and hotel column called Travel Well on Justsaygo.com.
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Lincoln Square and September's German Fests
One of my favorite areas of Chicago is Lincoln Square, and if you love German food then Lincoln Square should be on your agenda. The neighborhood has several authentic German restaurants and bars such as the Chicago Brauhaus
(4732 North Lincoln Ave.) and Huettenbar
(4721 North Lincoln Ave.), as well as electic stores such as the The Book Cellar, (4736-38 North Lincoln Ave.) where you can browse books and sip wine.. For a "non-German" bar, I like the Daily Bar & Grill (4560 North Lincoln Ave.).
What draws me to Lincoln Square - besides the bratwurst and beer steins - is its down-to-earth attitude and that it reminds me of a little European city with its cafes, international delis, and German restaurants and bars. Its look is tree-lined streets and beautiful Victorian houses and greystones. There is also a public square where they have the annual Chicago Folk & Roots music festival in July. But my favorite festival is the German-American Fest Sept. 5-7 (4700 North Lincoln Ave.) where people gather for German music, food, and, of course, beer. If you happen to miss that festival, there is another German fest - Oktoberfest - Sept. 26 - 27 but in another area of town - Lincoln Ave. and Southport (3000 North Lincoln Ave.).