Chicago’s Eco-Friendly Hotels, Attractions, and Activities

With the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day happening this moth, “being green” seems to be the “topic de jour.”

This is especially true in Chicago, which is one of the more “green friendly” cities in the U.S. and is leading the green movement with several environmentally-friendly hotels, attractions, and activities. Tip: Chicago was recently ranked 10th out of 50 large U.S. cities for being bike-friendly with over 300 miles of bikeways. Not only does the city have several streets with bike lanes, it also has one of the longest bike paths for a major metropolitan area: the path that runs along Lake Michigan.

According to the Chicago Office of Tourism (1-877-244-2246), here are some of Chicago’s top green-friendly hotels, attractions, and activities.

Environmentally-Friendly Hotels
Chicago has 14 Green Seal Certified hotels—the most of any city in the U.S. Earth-friendly and energy efficient, these properties include: Essex Inn, Four Seasons, Hilton Chicago, Ritz-Carlton Chicago, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Silversmith Hotel & Suites, Westin Michigan Avenue, Hotel Monaco Chicago, Hotel Burnham, Hotel Allegro Chicago, InterContinental Chicago, the Talbott, and the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park.

Organic Dining
Chicago recently earned a reputation for being one of the greenest culinary hot spots in the world. Top green restaurants in the city include Sprout (1417 W. Fullerton Ave.; map it) in Lincoln Park that serves seasonal dishes and organic wines, and Raw (500 W. Madison St.; map it) that offers a variety of healthy dishes including noodles made from shredded zucchini and pizza crust made from sprouted wheat berries.

Green Spas
Located in the environmentally-conscious neighborhood of Edgewater, one of Chicago’s eco-friendly spas is Salon Echo (1134 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.; map it) built with 85% recycled or sustainable materials (such as recycled PVC floors and marble counters salvaged from a yacht).  Hair and nail care treatments use organic and botanic products. Facials are performed with organic ingredients and nut-based oils.

Local Farmers Markets
Shop for “green” groceries at these Chicago Farmers’ Markets, including the Downtown Farmstand (66 E. Randolph St.; map it), which has products from within a 250-mile radius of Chicago; the Green City Market (1750 N. Clark St.; map it), which is Chicago’s first sustainable farmers market featuring organically-grown produce, meats, and cheeses from local vendors; and City Farm (1204 N. Clybourn; map it), which is a sustainable vegetable farm with produce grown in composted soil generated from various sources.

Green Technology
The Chicago Center for Green Technology (445 N. Sacramento Blvd.; map it) is the first rehabilitated municipal building in the nation to receive the U.S. Building Council’s LEED™ Platinum rating, and is a resource for information about green technologies and environmental impact, including water use, creative landscaping, and solar power.

Greenhouses
Chicago is home to two world-class conservatories: the Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.; map it), which is one of the nation’s largest and oldest conservatories that houses over a thousand different plant species in indoor and outdoor display rooms, and the Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N. Stockton Dr.; map it), which is a smaller Victorian glass-house facility with a large collection of palms, ferns, and tropical plants. Also be sure to check out some of Chicago’s largest outdoor green spaces like Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.; map it).

Green Tours
Take a guided bus tour of former industrial pockets in South Chicago that have recently undergone green transformation, including the old U.S. Steel South Works site slated for reuse in a new LEED-certified eco-friendly community.

Tip: Get Chicago brochures, reserve hotel accommodations, and get trip-planning assistance by visiting the Chicago Visitor Information Centers at the Chicago Water Works (163 East Pearson St.; map it) and at the Chicago Cultural Center (77 East Randolph St.; map it).

Photo credit: SXC