(Yet more) tips-Chicago!

Shows. I'd suggest checking listings with the Chicago Reader online during the week before you arrive. Depending on what you like, you can also check the sites for the Empty Bottle (avant, indie), Schubas (indie, folk, pop), the Abbey Pub (indie, rock), the Fireside Bowl (punk, rock, etc.), the Metro (bigger rock and electronic groups), the Double Door (same as Metro but lower-profile), and others. I'd suggest something but I haven't looked into shows for that period, as I expect to be very busy and possibly out of town for much of it.

Other Stuff. I like the neighborhood around Division and Damen and from there south. This is where Weekend is, this is sort of where Dusty Groove is, and there are a number of interesting bars around. North of there along Milwaukee are a ton of thrift stores and boutiques, but also Myopic (a good used bookstore) and the Wicker Park branch of Reckless Records. (Re: bookstores, by the way -- if you head to the south side for any reason, the Seminary Co-op Bookstore at the University of Chicago is fantastic. I'm not sure what else you'd do down here in Hyde Park, though.) Visit Weekend and Dusty Groove, have lunch at Leo's on Division, check out some shops on Milwaukee, wander south and have dinner down on Chicago (there's a great little Mexican/Italian place called Privata), and spend the night at a show at the Empty Bottle or wandering around the surrounding bars: Lava Lounge is nice, or, if you like wonderful dives, Toomin's Alcohol Abuse Center. If a woman wanders through and offers to sell you brownies, the answer to your mental question is "yes, they are." Are you there through a Monday? At Danny's, a pleasant and massively dark bar on Damen and I think Dickens, they have a weekly low-key DJ thing there called "Play" that's very enjoyable.

If you're spending any time with white people, chances are you'll spend some of it on the north side, along the lake, which is where Chicago sort of "is." (This isn't a dig; that's just the state of things.) This is where your run-of-mill bars and activities are, primarily from the sports bars around Wrigley Field down to the ostensibly more "upscale" clubs in Lincoln Park. (For caricatured of Lincoln Park google the phrase "Lincoln Park Trixie" and visit the parody website.) There's plenty of decent stuff over in that direction: cinemas, theaters, decent bars, small bookstores. The area around Belmont is sort of the cheesed-out Haight-Asbury of Chicago, with lots of thrift stores and head shops and sex shops and small record stores, some of them quite useful. (I sometimes buy sneakers at the Army store next to the train; I'm occasionally amused by the ultra-kitch thrift shopping at Land of the Lost; there's a nice comic book store on Clark a block north of Belmont.) Up toward Wrigley you get decent bars and restaurants, the Metro and Smart Bar, the actually-quite-good club underneath it. (Great Ethiopian food at Addis Abeba, too, just south of Wrigley.)

And see downtown. No, there's not a lot to do down there, unless you really enjoy department store shopping. But the architecture can be pretty great, and there's the fantastic Art Institute, and it's pleasant and impressive for an afternoon. I dunno, is the aquarium open then? Am I the only one who loves aquariums? They have penguins. So does the Lincoln Park Zoo, but I like the aquarium ones better.

I wish I knew more about the film and theater scenes here, particularly theater -- if you're into that, I strongly suggest looking through those Reader listings and finding events, because there are always loads of shows going strong here.

Also clubs. I haven't been clubbing in too long, so don't listen to what I say. But: the Old Gray Lady of Chicago clubs is Crobar, in a serious old-school house kind of way. Right under the Belmont train is Berlin, which is weird and cheesy now but in the best possible way: just this tiny room of shirtless grinding men on platforms and big fun obvious dancepop. More seriously, RedNoFive is good; the Dragon Room is I think still open and was okay last time I was there; I hear mixed things these days about Transit; Red Dog is sucky but then for some reason Felix da Housecat was spinning there a few months back; Funky Buddha Lounge has a nice non-clubbing hangout feel; I hear tell of some new place where every room is a lavish period recreation. The new good clubs that I wouldn't know anything about are all on the west end of the downtown loop stretching off into a formerly industrial zone. If anyone tells you about a great club in the heart of Lincoln Park be frightened. If anyone suggests going out to the strip of bars along Rush and Division be frightened, or at least approach it with the idea that you are going to be laid-back and non-judgmental and just get very drunk and laugh silently at the sheer number of bachelor and bachelorette parties around you and the absolute through-the-roof ludicrous creepy skank factor of the whole experience.

I may be being very presumptuous in assuming that my tastes in these things will match yours, but eh: can't do much else. I'd offer to buy you a drink, or something, but I probably won't be in town then. Hope you have fun.

Also hstencil to thread to offer differing perspective!

hstencil is so coked out in williamsburg now, he's practically forgotten everything about chicago.

he got a flock of 'gulls cut, wears smudged black eyeliner and listens exclusively to the music from Space Invaders.

you wouldn't even recognize him... i didn't.

*cries*

wax trax, on fullerton st. or certainly near that, in the lincoln park area.

This store has not existed in years.

Nabisco did pretty much an awesome job with recommendations. I'd also recommend Hard Boiled (a record store, Roscoe Village), Soul Vegetarian (restaurant, far South), Thai Village (restaurant, Wicker Park), Rainbo (bar, Wicker Park), GoldStar Bar (bar, Wicker Park), The Velvet Lounge (bar/music
venue, Near South - best jazz club in the world!), The Empty ButtholeEmpty Bottle (bar/music venue, Ukrainian Village), Ethiopian Diamond (restaurant, Uptown), Lakeview Lounge (bar, Uptown - the BEST cover band in the WORLD plays here Thursday-Saturday), Tecalitlan (restaurant, Ukrainian Village), The Signature Room (bar, Michigan Avenue - this is probably the highest bar in the world as it's at the top of the Hancock Building), Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap (bar, Hyde Park - watch U of C students get drunk)...

Okay, that's probably enough for now.

Don't eat at Leo's, it's gross. Multiple health code violations.

Gold Star and Rainbo are right on the same three-block Division strip as all that other stuff I mentioned and are both pretty great. (The brownie-selling tip stands for Gold Star.)

Stencil, do you really come down to Hyde Park for the Woodlawn Tap experience? ("Where low-income blacks drink happily with Nobel Prize winners!") Maybe between this and the Sem Co-op Nordicskillz really should make the trip. (Although you'll want to do this in a car, or at least during the day: public transportation south to Hyde Park can be an absolute bitch, and I say that as someone who used to commute that way from Rogers Park.)

Search: 47th Street.
Destroy(ed): Maxwell Street. FUCK UIC!

If Nordicskillz likes architecture, he could also check out the Robie House (Frank Lloyd Wright) if he's down in Hyde Park.

Sometimes thrifting / combing the mom & pop shops is worth it for record collectors who are coming in from abroad, because you might find things here that are not so easy to get elsewhere.

I love Belmont, actually - it's trendy whereas Wicker Park is more hipster and I don't want to know just how many hipsters there are in the world. But the shopping up and down Belmont is fun. There's a really fun retro store near the corner of Belmont & Broadway that often has fun LPs, too.

There used to be a really fun vinyl-only mom-and-pop store tucked into one of the side streets off Broadway, across the street from Reckless. It's crammed and you can barely move, but I spent hours there. I don't know if it's still there, though. Still, one shopping trip I like to make is east up Belmont and then south on Broadway, if you're into walking.

Jazz Record Mart : you have to get off the L at Grand and head one block south, then one block east and up the stairs. People have a hard time finding it from Michigan Avenue - it's easier to get to it from State Street. It has shitloads of jazz, blues and lots of Latin and "world" stuff if you're into that. Even if you're not, you might find some odd fun thing there.

Yes, Wicker Park SUX on the weekends. Used to take me 20 minutes just to drive from Thai Village back to my place at Division and Noble (and yes, Chicagoans drive everywhere).

If you go by the Chicago Board of Trade (which you should, although I'm not sure if they give tours anymore post-9/11), look for the old Continental Bank building across LaSalle street. I used to work there. Unfortunately, tourists can't go up to the 2nd floor lobby anymore, which is too bad 'cause it's awesome. Also, the Fed's branch in Chicago is on the west side of the street. So if you like finance and architecture, you're set.

Glory Of Love
Chicago

Tonight it's very clear
As we're both lying here
There's so many things i wanna say
I will always love you
I would never leave you alone

Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you cryin'
I don't wanna lose you
I could never make you be alone

I am the man who would fight for your honor
I'll be the hero you're dreamin' of
We'll live forever
Knowing together that we
Did it all for the glory of love

You keep me standing tall
You helped me through it all
I'm always strong when you're beside me
I have always needed you
I could never make you be alone

I am the man who will fight for your honor
I'll be the hero you been dreamin' of
We'll live forever
Knowing together that we
Did it all for the glory of love

LIke a knight in shining armor
From a long time ago
Just the time I'd save the day
Take you to my castle far away

I am the man who would fight for your honor
I'll be the hero that you're dreamin' of
Gonna live forever
Knowing together that we
Did it all for the Glory of Love

We'll live forever
Knowing together that we
Did it all for the Glory of Love

We did it all for love...

If you need a piece of Chicago (the rock band) history, I guess you could go hang out at DePaul, or even Demon Dogs.

The only Manhattan neighborhood I can think of that's that bad on weekends is Soho.

Soho is much worse! Infinitely worse! St. Mark's Place seems much worse, too, as do plenty of other portions of the East Village that I wouldn't remember the names of.

The weird thing is that crowds of that sort can seem worse in Chicago simply because of Chicago's unimpressed air of rejection: a massive annoying New York throng will be better dressed and seem more exciting than the idea that oh, it's Chicago, I'm unimpressed and just want all of these blonde women with state school marketing degrees to not be directly in my way.

Well, that, and Chicagoans/Midwesterners move MUCH slower than the average NooYakker. Like herds of bleating cattle. Which is why Soho sucks on the weekend (full of Midwestern tourists).

Flash Taco? Why would you wanna go there when there's like a billion better places close by. Namely, Tecalitlan.

I did see Flash Taco get robbed once.

What I value most is a bar with comfy seating, a great jukebox, and nary a live band in sight. A place to talk, in other words. Where would I be most likely to run into a fellow ILMer for rich, tasty beer and a debate about the merits of Elvis Costello's most recent work?

August in Chicago can be brutal. Like, upwards of 100 degrees. Hopefully it won't be too bad on the day you move or you might fall victim to heatstroke (it almost happened to me). You probably have until mid October to buy a nice thick coat, a hat, a scarf, and a few pairs of mittens.

From what I've heard, now is the time to stay the hell away from Wicker Park.

Wicker Park . . . well it's been steadily gentrifying for about 15 years, and the new development has exploded in the past 5 -- as a result there are a lot of new fancy clubs and restaurants and botiques etc., and the rents and traffic have gone way up as well. Wicker Park and the accompanying neighborhoods like Bucktown and Ukranian Village (none of these 'hoods being too well-defined really) are nice places to live overall but certain corners are extremely noisy and yeah, it'll be more expensive than where I'm at. And being able to live in Wicker Park might depend on your ability to tolerate the -- I'm not sure what to call them, I would say "yuppies" but the real yuppies live in Lincoln Park and (increasingly) Lakeview. Maybe Mr. Stencil can unleash the invective? And Nabisco can enumerate the positives and negatives with more authority.

Other north-east side 'hoods to consider if you don't have a car: on the blue line: Logan Square (west on Fullerton), Humboldt Park (still a bit sketchy in places) . . . on the red line: Edgewater (along the red line, just north of Uptown and comparable in most respects) and Rogers Park (the farthest-north 'hood in the city; still a bit crime-ridden but great deals can be found along the lake).

On the brown line are Lincoln Square and Ravenswood and Albany Park. Lincoln Square is gentrifying fast and the rents are increasing accordingly but it's still affordable. There's a pretty stretch of Lincoln Ave. there--near the Old Town School of Folk Music--but there's not actually much to do, yet (in my opinion); it used to be a German neighborhood so naturally there are one or two good German bars. Ravenswood is a vast, mostly low-key mostly middle-class residential neighborhood, a nice quiet place to live if you're near an L stop. Albany Park is a working-class neighborhood which hasn't changed much in 50 years, although the ethnic groups living there have. A lot of it is pretty far from the trains but there are a few brown line stops. I mention Albany Park because it has somehow managed to be overlooked by the hipsters, and it's extremely affordable. You won't be anywhere near any especially good bars or stores, though. You're unlikely to find Albany Park apartments in the Reader. In fact, in general it's best to walk around and look for "for rent" signs. That's true in most of these places; there are high vacancy rates and a lot of small-time working-class homeowners who don't bother to advertise in the papers.

As Mr. Diamond notes, increasing numbers of young educated white people living in temporary poverty are braving the south side these days, especially Pilsen (historical Mexican neighborhood, still mostly a working-class and sometimes-poor place but changing).

If you get a job downtown, any of these places will afford pretty easy access to work. But if you work elsewhere, it's important to note (as Nabisco mentioned) that it can be difficult getting from, say, Wicker Park to Andersonville quickly.

Heh.

That's the area that I meant by "Uptown"; since that name has a bit of a stigma now, all the other areas that were once Uptown are more often called other things, like Buena Park and Andersonville. My mom grew up in the '50s around Winnemac and Clark, and it was just called Uptown. She doesn't recall once hearing the word "Andersonville" even though most of her schoolmates were Swedish-American.

Any part of the far southwest and northwest sides should be pretty dependably unhip, but also far out of the reach of the train. (I'm certain those two things are related.)

Yes, it may be cool by then, but not cold enough for winter wear, just a jacket.
You most likely won't need a hat and gloves, along w/a very thick coat, until after Thanksgiving.

My ex-gf used to live in Uptown (Marine and Foster) and her parents still do. Her block and the ones adjoining to the south are filled with upper-middle class condos, but they are generally an island surrounded by, um, less inviting areas. Her parents seem to like the area, but I've run into some shady characters walking to my car at night.

Re: Wicker Park. It's gone from the good kind of hipster neighborhood to a slightly more annoying upscale-boutique neighborhood, but that's still a pretty small portion of it (along North, Milwaukee, down to Division) and it's pretty avoidable -- certain strips are packed on summer weekends with, sure, yuppie types. There's still loads of good stuff around, though. All you really need to do is to make sure you're just a few blocks off the beaten path -- namely, if you're south of Division you could go a long time without even really noticing the less appealing elements. And rent-wise there's still a giant dividing line along Western: you can say Wicker Park is gentrified in appearance, but walk a couple blocks to the other side of Western and you can rent a two-story four-bedroom house for $800.

xpost

Marina City is really cool, I also liket that other Bertrand Goldberg complex (the name of which I'm forgetting) on the south branch.

There's actually a HoB hotel at Marina City, right? I imagine that's where Moz will be staying (ie. it's expensive).

x-post: Yes, there is a HOB hotel, but it looked both tacky and expensive, though yes, the possible celebrity sightings are not to be overlooked. Perhaps Nabs and I could hang out all day in the foyer?

(The air in C.I. sucks all of the music up into nowhere; no matter where I stand I can't hear anything.)

i wish i had somewhere for you to crash, but i'm sort of homeless myself these days.

the new hostel is really nice. it's a nice walk to a lot of stuff, although the neighborhood itself is not especially hip or anything.

word. got a friend that works there, it rules.

vs.

Wicker Park . . . well it's been steadily gentrifying for about 15 years, and the new development has exploded in the past 5 -- as a result there are a lot of new fancy clubs and restaurants and botiques etc., and the rents and traffic have gone way up as well. Wicker Park and the accompanying neighborhoods like Bucktown and Ukranian Village (none of these 'hoods being too well-defined really) are nice places to live overall but certain corners are extremely noisy and yeah, it'll be more expensive than where I'm at. And being able to live in Wicker Park might depend on your ability to tolerate the -- I'm not sure what to call them, I would say "yuppies" but the real yuppies live in Lincoln Park and (increasingly) Lakeview. Maybe Mr. Stencil can unleash the invective? And Nabisco can enumerate the positives and negatives with more authority.

(yes, still bitter about the invective/no authority thing)

Still, not sure why it's a crime for some neighborhoods to be hip while others should be hipper.

it's a nice walk to a lot of stuff, although the neighborhood itself is not especially hip or anything.

a common theme among Chicago threads (and not necessarily posited by you) is that Wicker Park is "too hip."

-- Mary (maj23...) (webmail), June 23rd, 2004 11:13 PM. (Mary) (later) (link)

trixies.

hstencil: i meant hip as in, like, cool cafes and record stores and nice people watching etc. so hip in a good way. wicker park doesn't bother me very much nowadays.

Also, the Chicago Architecture Foundation's river boat tour is nice for a formal thing.

Indulge in an afternoon at the newly renovated Division Street Russian and Turkish Bathhouse that has a european spa side for women and an outdoor cafe, 1916 W. Division St., 773/384-9671

lots of great Wicker Park info from the twourns site (also they have a $69 room!).

it's not, that's just the neighborhood where the b&b I recommended is. At least it's in the "Dogpatch" section of W.P.

I'd rather go to Club Foot than Delilah's, and I hate Club Foot (altho I think they might have a Smiths night there, too).

The House of Blues and the HOB hotel are like the two of the ugliest buildings around. Who would want to stay at a hotel with NO WINDOWS (besides the suicidal)? I have never been in either though.

i can't agree more, especially if it's hotter than hell (which is 90% of the time from may to october). i'm not up on hip bars so i can't help on that front, i tend to gravitate towards anyplace without a subwoofer pumping and an old-style sign hanging out front.

Josh Stahl, with the Pittsburgh Typos, slides into home base safe during a game at Terry Park with the Chicago Typos. The game was part of the 92nd Annual United Printers International Baseball Tournament held in Ft. Myers.

man you don't know what you're missing.

And Oops: the thing is that Mary's coming from New York, and the only thing that seems unrepresentative about Wicker Park is that it's starting to feel pretty much like a downtown-Manhattan neighborhood. Everything that annoys Chicagoans about it is pretty much par for the course in Soho or around NYU.

uh, no.

lincoln park.

specifically, in volkswagen jettas in lincoln park.

Yupsters? Hupsties?

Hence that big "look, Wicker Park!" article in the NYT style section!

can someone really explain to me who "trixies" are and why they are so apparently loathsome?

I would direct you to the Lincoln Park Trixie website, but it appears to be in the process of being renovated. Actually, I've always wondered if the website coined the term or merely capitalized on it.

"A Lincoln Park Trixie is the prototype of the blond, late-twenties woman with a ponytail who works in PR or marketing, drives a black Jetta, gets manicures and no-foam skim lattes."

Whenever I hear the word "trixie," I also imagine dog-walking, capri pants, and a long-standing crush on former Cub Mark Grace.

" Are you -- or is some one you know -- a Lincoln Park Trixie? Do you hop out of bed at your overpriced Lincoln Park apartment, grab a frothy breakfast drink at a Clark Street Starbucks, hit a Pilates class at Lincoln Park Athletic Club, then drive your Jetta to your downtown job -- as a peon for Leo Burnett or a PR company, of course. If your days are filled with sunning on your boyfriend's cigarette boat, and your nights are spent at an Irish bar, you're probably Trixie material."

Every city has women like this! Among many other stereotypes!

i'm pretty much totally ignorant of the finer differences between wicker park and bucktown.

Oh, does anyone know if there are any good places to eat around there, either dinner or breakfast?

I don't think I'll be able to make it, although I've been wanting to check out the Lounge for a while!

This sounds like the best thing ever. What kind of wig?

The Velvet Lounge is a great place, I suggest that anyone who hasn't been there should go at least once in their lives. Even if you don't like jazz, it's fun.

Nicholas you should go to the Velvet Lounge tomorrow.

(I don't know what the hell just happened to my keyboard.)

The jam is indeed more standards (since the quality of the players varies depending on who shows up...more neighborhood types, or guys just in Chicago for a couple of days: I saw a trumpet player, Corey Wilkes, recently who killed me), and less Fred Anderson freak-outs. Simply the best drummer I've ever seen (admittedly, i haven't seen that many) usually plays: Kobie Watkins. He alone worth the $4 admission. Usually the other drummers who show up are white college kids.

Usually the other drummers who show up are white college kids.

Ha, like me! Although I am no longer in college!

a)Has meeting facilities
b)Is easily accessible for people who actually live and work in the city
c)Is actually a nice place for me to spend most of a 2-3 day weekend.

Anyone know of a good place? Has to be pretty high end.

You're right. I keep thinking the area North of the Loop is North Loop.

(Grand stop on the Red Line is probably closest).

Chicago stop, actually. It's one (or two?) blocks due west of Hancock.

LOL!

chicago is finishing it out with flair new york
chicago is reading the same book
chicago is closer to beloit
chicago is our kind of town
chicago is an october sort of city even in spring
chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose
chicago is on fire again
chicago is real cool idea city hall project will fight urban heat and
chicago is a 'cool place' for sleighful of winter festivals by megan swoyer / special to the detroit news "cleopatra of
chicago is provided courtesy of zachary bryant
chicago is site for major convention on mental illness nami 20th anniversary convention spotlights cutting
chicago is berwyn? dan
chicago is my kind fo town
chicago is a mecca of the steel industry
chicago is big and pretty and alive
chicago is my kind of town" in order to please mafia boss
chicago is no bull february
chicago is home to merchandise mart
chicago is a city of world
chicago is a new computer science department
chicago is a message focusing on the economic advantage of the cities? universities and teaching hospitals
chicago is the best theater town in the country and over people agree with me
chicago is paved with hearts
chicago is certainly my kind of town
chicago is looking for skilled motivated people to join our team
chicago is one of the easiest destinations to get to with non
chicago is connected to the following things
chicago is a community of people
chicago is a full service hang gliding operation with unparalleled commitment to safety and customer satisfaction
chicago is a great place to buy southeast asian food
chicago is the best city to locate a technology company
chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper
chicago is considerably different from many other vacation spots in the us
chicago is an integral part of the educational experience at depaul
chicago is to become familiar with its distinctive neighborhoods
chicago is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and much of this beauty is due to the fabulous shoreline of lake michigan
chicago is an area where public transportation is extensively used
chicago is the most civilised city in america
chicago is burning
chicago is back in the loop by michael mccarthy
chicago is the place to be for holiday adventure by norris ingells chicago is republic inc
chicago is meaningless by mitch lawrence special to espn
chicago is on centerstage chicago
chicago is a reservation service that books bed and breakfasts
chicago is history ocotber 2002
chicago is… sightseeing tour descriptions all tours depart from the chicago hilton hotel & towers
chicago is for sale
chicago is spelled with an "l"
chicago is a pleasant place to witness events that are more friendly in nature
chicago is a leader in the national effort to keep illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals
chicago is recognized november 2000 volume 1
chicago is an equal opportunity
chicago is a tight market for renters
chicago is big
chicago is berwyn? dan
chicago is berwyn? biker
chicago is
chicago is nascar's midwest connection
chicago is a hot
chicago is williams' kind of town
chicago is pleased to present a seminar specifically for ohio companies
chicago is closer to beloit
chicago is not a fisherman but he may become one after this beginners luck story
chicago is big and pretty and alive
chicago is different than other areas
chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper
chicago is a new computer science department
chicago is certainly my kind of town
chicago is paula's kind of town
chicago is looking for skilled motivated people to join our team
chicago is a city of world
chicago is home to merchandise mart
chicago is the best theater town in the country and over people agree with me
chicago is a full service hang gliding operation with unparalleled commitment to safety and customer satisfaction
chicago is home to several lasik centers
chicago is nice
chicago is the best city to locate a technology company
chicago is considerably different from many other vacation spots in the us it is filled with history
chicago is to become familiar with its distinctive neighborhoods
chicago is surely the most underrated city in the us
chicago is back in the loop
chicago is your source for new and used car pricing
chicago is meaningless
chicago is celebrated like nothing
chicago is a reservation service that books bed
chicago is history
chicago is for sale
chicago is for sale /
chicago is spelled with an ''l''
chicago is big
chicago is berwyn?
chicago is named in the top ten us
chicago is one of the world’s great
chicago is a hot spot for solar energy
chicago is pleased to present a seminar specifically for
chicago is cooler
chicago is a never ending
chicago is a message focusing on the
chicago is on

Yes, you have a laugh. I'm not sure how to describe it.

recommend me: 3 great restaurants, 3 great bars, 3 great attractions/areas/things to do.

restaurant:amitabul
bar: hopleaf
attraction: garfield park conservatory

3 great bars
* Ooh! The one in Andersonville with the band... Help me out, guys. Nightwatch! But what's the bar called again? It's tiny but ammusing.
* The Rainbow Room in my neighborhood isn't the best bar ever but it's fun to hipster-watch
* I don't know much about bars

3 great attractions/areas/things to do
* Wicker Park/Bucktown - walk around and window shop or just people watch - very trendy area - where I live!
* Explore Millinium Park and grant park and go to the art institute
* Walk up Magnificent Mile and see the shops and the tourists and the richie rich people

RESTAURANTS:
I am only going to do brunch restaurants, since that's the meal I eat out the most.
1. Victory's Banner (awesome vegetarian food)
2. Flo (mmm fritatta)
3. Sunshine Grill (on Chicago, for delicious dinery goodness)

BARS:
My knowledge of bars is not that deep but I will say:
1. Club Foot (rock)
2. Lava Lounge (but I haven't been since it's under new ownership, it may suck now)
3. Lakeview Lounge (for Nightwatch)

ATTRACTIONS/AREAS/THINGS TO DO:
I pretty much just like to wander aimlessly around random neighborhoods. I don't know, Millenium Park/Art Institute is pretty fun if you don't mind crowds.

I'm sure I'll be back again, Christmas, same as last year.

(dammit xpost)

all i really had planned was intonation and dusty groove and the cubs and maybe some drunk trixies.

Soul Vegetarian East: vegan soul food on the South Side; sort of far away from downtown, but surprisingly quick from the highway, and totally worth it. 75th and King.

Yes Thai: Chicago has a lot of small Thai places, but this is my favorite, because it's always really fresh and delicious when I go. The red curry I had there last week is prob. the best Thai curry I've ever had. Foster and Damen. (Andersonville-ish.)

Ras Dashen: If you like Ethiopian, it's the best in the city. Broadway and Ardmore. (Edgewater.)

I'm post-NYC.

also, what about deep dish pizza? sorry to be That Guy

Why a ponytail?

Every city has women like this! Among many other stereotypes!

-- AdamL :') (adamrl@gmail.com), June 25th, 2004 3:48 PM.

Carmen's across from Loyola

A class warrior, obv. More like a class sniper.

?

I want to try this Ras Dashen place jmc. The only ethiopian food I've had was at that adidas adidas adidas place on clark in drunkyville.

Ras Dashen > Ethiopian Diamond >>> Mama Desta > Addis Abeba

I should also retract my muffin-lady tip from the start of this thread -- is she in jail yet?

...

THESE DUDES WERE DRIVING IN A JEEP. Way to hipster, guys.

Additionally, every time I see a 4x4 in Chicago, I imagine it stuck in mud up to the wheelwells and the yuppies inside trembling with fear.

Finally, Schuba's is okay, but a couple time I've been there it's been way too full for the amount of space they actually have. Maybe I'm just old.

Restaurant: Buona Terra on California near Logan Blvd. I'm biased because this is my landlord's place and everytime I've been there they have given us free stuff. But it really is very good, imaginative Italian food for good prices.

Bar: The Corner aka Rich's First One Today at Palmer and Leavitt. Tiny little neighborhood bar with $1 beers, 12 taps, and super-laid back atmosphere. Bring your dog. Runners-up: Empty Bottle and Beechwood (a new favorite)

Pastime: Finding new swingsets to try out and (sometimes) getting sick on them. Usually while coming home from a bar.

And yes, Kelsey is right, my band is playing there tomorrow with a couple of Saddle Creek darlings!

Why do you ask, gabbneb?

I will give you six bars and zero attractions but I can't remember the names of them all, probably because I drink too much:
1. Simon's - my beloved Clark St. dive bar w/ an awesome juke box where everybody knows my name.
2. A really great dive bar in the loop where we stopped so I could pee and ended up staying for a long time drinking... Jeff what was the name of that place? I really liked it. The bartender was a BITCH.
3. I'll give props to the Hop Leaf because the beer is so very good.
4. There's a place called Quencher's that has a really great beer selection, if a stupid name, but I can't remember where it is either. We were there on an off night and had a great time but I could see it being the kind of place that gets packed full of assholes on a weekend night.
5. The L&L off the Belmont red or brown line stop - nice little dive bar. Don't go into the Lucky Horseshoe by mistake unless you are into gay junkie strippers.
6. The bar that turns off the jukebox when people play Hanson. It's named after its intersection.

I am Jeff's wife.

Here is a bonus seventh bar/attraction combo:
The bar at the top of the Hancock building. Awesome view but DAMN is it every pricey. Still, whenever friends come to Chicago for the first time, I usually take them up there for one drink. Then we go to bar number two, listed above.

isn't quencher's around western & fullerton?

last night i couldn't, for the life of me, remember jimmy buffett's name. i called him, in near seriousness, "joey margarita."

I sought outside counsel and confirmed the following:

Number two is probably Streeter's Pub and number six is the Beechwood, on the corner of Beech and Wood.

Also: Lovitt, but it just closed! Norman and Kristin Six moved outta town.

Kelsey ... what was the name you made up? We were in the car together? You know what I'm talking about. It was in reference to some guy in a passing car.

Yessss....a favorite of mine.

Another really good veggie restaurant operated by a mysterious religious group is Alice & Friends on Broadway, way up in Edgewater.

Good call on Cafe Lula, too. I should have put that one down.

I'm in the loop now. are we gonig to meet? It's easier to talk here than to email you.

I have a great book listing dive bars in chicago, the descriptions are hilarious.

xoxoxo

I don't have a cell phone, is this going to be a problem?

Seminary Co-op Bookstore
International Museum of Surgical Science
Bears/Panthers game this upcoming season
Out on the lake in some kind of floating vessel
The Zoo

also, museums: opo

Destroy: Field and Science and Industry.

We went here for my bachelor party and I drank a 400 YEAR OLD ARMAGNAC.

(note - may be a slight exaggeration)

i don't mean in chicago, more just in life.

The Field Museum is fantastic, if you're interested in the type of stuff they have (sliced open people, dinosaurs). It's highly educational and not too commercialized. That's one of my favorite museums in Chicago!

And the Aquarium is also great.

Dud.

And rocks.

But DC has, like, the greatest museums in the world! We can't compete with that.

i haven't been to most of the bars on this thread, but i didn't drink when i lived in chicago and ended up mostly in gay bars with my (gay) tramp of a flatmate, so that probably explains it.

I'm guessing the corn exhibit didn't have much information on using it al alternative fuel?

Anyway, yeah. I learned what you might call an urban lesson today.

I like that place. I think that if I were to try and get a lounge-singing gig (which I'm considering), that'd be the place to do it.

-- hstencil (hstenc!...), June 16th, 2005.

Kenan, at first I was like, damn I can't believe he wanted through Cabrini Green and then I was like, Where is Cabrini Green and could I identify it by sight so as not to walk home through it? Probably not.

Jesse once walked home through Cabrini Green but got no escort. He also did not get shot, but the weather was nicer at the time.

whaaaaaaa?

I would only walk around the Wilson/Lawrence/Broadway area at night if there were other people with me, but not alone.

I'm sort of reading There Are No Children Here (sort of because I'm also reading something else and haven't totally gotten into it yet) and it's really interesting.

There were like 8 instances of battery/assault/robbery etc. in the last 3 months on ONE block alone. Stab City.

It's sort of weird that it's this total danger zone, but the areas around it aren't that bad. Before I moved to Chicago, I always assumed a notoriously crime-ridden housing project would be on the South Side.

Division is semi-dodgy in a lot of places. I was hungry and went out to get a sandwich/beers at around 11pm and got all kinds of aggro from the kids on the corner (just a few blocks west of Western/Divison). Like jay, though, I was walking confidently (I'd only been in Chi for two days or something). Some kid muttered something like "are you gay?" and I ignored him and then he turned and said clearly "you alright, man?" I said, "yeah dude." and kept walking. Then I bought a twelve-pack of Old Style and shot the shit with some drunks in the parking lot.

I saw the same bunch of kids throwing bottles at passing cars about a week later.

xpost

http://www.cd-livres.net/images/BD/congo.jpg

Still. Rough is rough.

If anything, I won't walk through there again just to avoid getting hustled.

Also, from Bryn Mawr to Argyle along Broadway there are more activity and open businesses and fewer dark spots so I think that's generally safer since it looks like more is going on.

Today lemonade, tomorrow snowflakes.

lawrence b/t sheridan & broadway is pretty creepy though. do you remember when the women in the director's chair festival used to be in this cramped little floor of a homeless shelter over there?

Also, Picante just east of Damen on Division is always open at least a half hour after bar time, which is a great time to be snacking.

Is there anything left worth drinking/doing/shopping in Wicker Park? I'm only coming to Chi for 2 days, and last time I was there in 2001, half the stuff I wanted to hit had closed.

There are lots of overpriced boutiques and restaurants with some still nice and reasonable places scattered around. What are you interested in shopping for/eating?

/drinking?

haha. The "end drinking" tag.

Used bookstores? I really can't say records anymore, tho I'd probably make the effort if there's some massive store left in WP. I suspect I'll be traipsing mostly btwn Uptown-Near North-Art Institute.

There is Myopic still in Wicker Park, which is a great used bookstore for browsing. Might be frustrating if you're looking for something in particular, the organization there isn't always the greatest.

As far as records, Reckless and Dusty Groove are still in WP area and are worthwhile. There is a new weird place near the Empty Bottle that seems to mainly specialize in dance/soul/techno/r&b stuff, and the mainly useless Crazy Man Records on Division. A little bit south, Permanent Records on Chicago is good for indie-type stuff.

Quimby's is a worthwhile book-related destination in WP in my opinion, though they only have new stuff.

Might be frustrating if you're looking for something in particular, the organization there isn't always the greatest.

Really? Compared to some used bookstores I've been to, it's the fucking Library of Congress in there.

Some restaurant/bar picks would be good I am heading over in less than a month.

I'm almost never looking for anything in particular. I remember Quimbys, that was cool.

I think it was Reckless where I found a Glen Meadmore LP I'd bn looking for for 10 years.

also, I looked at the Steppenwolf site ... has anyone seen this?

http://www.steppenwolf.org/boxoffice/productions/index.aspx?id=375

Not yet. Eazy saw it and raved about it, predicting it would win the Pulitzer next year.

Eazy, who is the CHILX resident theater expert, praised it very very highly. He knows his stuff.

Yeah, I see the Reader went gaga for it.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/theaterreviews/2007/070713/

i suddenly feel terrible that i was in chicago for a while and didn't get in touch with some of y'all.

next time.

kstarke records (the one near division on western) stinks. the guy buys up beaten-up vinyl at garage/estate sales, etc., and marks it up. a TON of electronic music/dance 12"s and i'm sure there are some neat finds, but overall a lot of overpriced stuff in bad shape. i did buy a few LPs there because the guy working there (not kevin starke) was way nice and helpful and felt guilty walking out empty handed.

hard to believe crazyman records is still open! when so many others have closed. wasn't there a 2nd hand tunes/sound gallery or something like that on north ave for a brief moment a year or two back?

so many movie theaters, record stores, etc. seem to close every time i go back.

and not many opening to replace them. though the appearance of permanent records on chicago was a pleasant surprise.

silver moon is neat btw.

Yeah, the Sound Gallery on North closed, it's a fancy stereo store now.

Dave's Records on Clark has gotten really good lately. A good friend of mine works there and says they've put an effort into improving their stock. Also, not outrageously overpriced.

so is the 2nd hand tunes in evanston the only 2nd hand tunes left?

i forgot that hyde park records opened up about three years ago. i haven't been there in a year, but last time i was there it seemed pretty busy.

best record store in chicago is beverly's rare records on western and 119th. it's overwhelming. if you go, plan on spending a couple of hours.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the Evanston location is the last 2nd Hand Tunes. Keep it quiet. I can't tell you how many deals I've come across there.

best deals i've got out here have all come in milwaukee. inexplicable but there's always a ton of good stuff for cheap.

where in milwaukee?

where can I get decent dinner near Steppenwolf for, say, $30 or less?

^Is that a stumper?^

also, are ChiLXers more likely to FAP at 6 or 9:30 on a Monday night, and where's easy?

(ie, wd ppl wait til I go to a 6:05 Cub game)

Might be frustrating if you're looking for something in particular, the organization there isn't always the greatest.

Really? Compared to some used bookstores I've been to, it's the fucking Library of Congress in there.

Myopic has the policy of raising the price of any mis-shelved book by $1, which means they're about as in order as a used bookstore can be.

However, it took me a while to discover the essay/memoir nonfiction section -- it's on the second floor near the back of the store, tucked away.

You should ask this stuff on the rolling thread, more people'll answer.

I can't speak for anyone else, but early evening weekday FAP is preferable to late evening weekday FAP. I haven't been to restaurants in the area around the Steppenwolf but given the proximity to North/Clybourn/Halsted you shouldn't have any problems finding eats.

xpost

Except there are no restaurants right at North/Clybourn/Halsted except for that gross Mexican place. Probably heading north up Halsted is your best bet for food, though I can't give any specific recommendations.

Good call. Told you I'd never been out over there!

I'm gonna be staying at the Marriott Magnificent Mile; my first trip since 2002. I'll also need recommendations.

http://www.steppenwolf.org/visit/restaurants.aspx

Off that list, I've only eaten at Goose Island and Adobo. Pub food and decent, not great, mexican food. I don't remember the prices.

best record store in chicago is beverly's rare records on western and 119th. it's overwhelming. if you go, plan on spending a couple of hours.

-- chicago kevin, Friday, July 20, 2007 8:42 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Link

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the Evanston location is the last 2nd Hand Tunes. Keep it quiet. I can't tell you how many deals I've come across there.

-- Bill in Chicago, Friday, July 20, 2007 10:03 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Link

these are both totally otm statements

Vinci is good Italian food (and BYOB if you bring a bottle of Italian wine 10 years or older), and King Crab is where Jesse had all-you-can-eat crab.

western and 119th sounds far.

Isn't that NW Indiana?

I never go below Jackson.

that's in indiana

xp

it is far, and it gets really sketchy south of grand (500 north) all the way until about 95th st (9500 south). also, there's no direct cta route. the western bus only goes to 79th st (the express bus does go to 95th, meaning it's still a 3 mile walk to 119th) so you'd need a car to get there. but totally worth it. totally.

well, not on a 2-day visit.

But should I carve out a few hrs for Museum of Science & Industry?

No, not unless there is a cool special exhibit there (seems to be CSI now???). Same with the Field Museum.

what culture stops beside Art Inst & Steppenwolf, then?

MoS&I is ok but not really worth going out of your way for, I don't think, unless you really love science museums. The Field Museum is really really dull and should be avoided.

http://www.mcachicago.org/

If you finish up at the Art Institute early, it might be worth it to walk the block to the Cultural Center and wander around, they have good exhibits sometimes and it's free.

Museum of Surgical Science

Note, I haven't been here. But it looks cool.

and there's good Indian food up on Devon? (not far from where I'm staying)

Bhabi's Kitchen is my favorite and it is just off Devon. Jaymc would probably disagree with me, but he doesn't count because he doesn't eat meat.

I'm gonna try to catch a performrance of August: Osage County

There's great Indian food on Devon Street, and just walking around it (around Devon/Western) is an experience in itself. (Tiffinis my favorite.)

I'd second what Nick said about walking through the Chicago Cultural Center. Even if there isn't a particular exhibition there, it's a beautiful building (it used to be the main public library in Chicago, and now it has the gigantic empty rooms). It's also across the street from Millenium Park, which can be a fun add-on to visiting the Art Institute -- all three of these attractions are a few blocks from each other. Hottix -- mentioned on the Chicago thread as a place to get half-priced theater tickets -- is also near there, at Randolph between Michigan and Wabash.

Bhabi's Kitchen is my favorite and it is just off Devon. Jaymc would probably disagree with me, but he doesn't count because he doesn't eat meat.

I liked Bhabi's Kitchen a lot, what are you talking about. Hema's Kitchen is also a good bet, and they're right across the street from each other.

As far as restaurants near Steppenwolf, I like Adobo Grill as well.

I kid, I kid.

xpost I've only been to its Wicker Park location, but I assume the food and experience is roughly the same.

Oh, and early or late Monday doesn't matter to me, I can't make it that night, anyway.

my favorite place on Devon is Sabri Nehari, but you have to be a meat-eater. it's technically Pakistani, also.

I am a carnivore. Crab curry wd be a treat.

jmc, maybe you could meet me for a drink right before or after S'wolf on Tues, then.

I wouldn't be able to make a late weekday FAP due to my oft-mentioned 5 a.m. wake-up time for work.

Before Steppenwolf would be best. What time is the show?

also: sabri nehari is muslim owned so no byob and the service is just okay. tiffin is a good bet if you want a slightly nicer dining experience. though I think they have a bar so they might not do byob. and I've only been to Bhabi's Kitchen once, but it was good.

play is 7:30, john. Maybe I should try to eat at 5.

n/a, I thought you'd be leaving town to avoid sharing the air w/ me!

We could have a drink at the Old Town Ale House.

You going to see August too, Morbs? I'm gonna try to go Friday. I'll send you a quick review.

I don't think we ever settled on a location for our drankin', jaymc.

Actually, strike that. Old Town Ale House is close to Second City, but probably not close enough to Steppenwolf.

Alfred, if the weather is nice on Sunday, a beer garden would be ideal. I was also thinking of somewhere Wicker Park-ish, since I was thinking about checking out the street festival down there this weekend. Let me think about it (or if anyone else has suggestions, feel free to proffer them).

Happy Village?

Sure, I've never been there but have heard good things.

how close is this to downtown?

I'm going downstate this weekend with my parents for a family reunion, but if we get back to town in time I'm hoping to take them to Steppenwolf on Sunday night.

sorry Alfred, I would've come to Chi a day earlier if I knew I was gonna miss ya...

jmc, since time is of the essence, there's a place near Steppenwolf called the Black Duck Tavern? (also, be forewarned, I have no cellphone)

Alfred, it's three miles or so. If you feel like taking public transportation, you could walk from your hotel 0.25 mile north to Chicago Ave., take the bus 2.5 miles west to Wolcott, and then walk north on Wolcott another 0.25 mile. You might prefer a cab, though, I dunno.

The Black Duck is a nice bar -- can get loud on weekend nights, but comfortable a-bit-upscale place.

This is all confusing. Someone make an itinerary and tell me where to go. I'll met anyone.

The Black Duck works for me.

Jeff:

We are meeting Alfred on Sunday afternoon. Nick suggested Happy Village.

Dr. Morbius is only in town for two days and is going to the Cubs game on Monday and the Steppenwolf show on Tuesday. I can only really meet up with him on early Tuesday evening, so it looks like we are going to Black Duck Tavern. But I think some other people were going to try to meet him before the Cubs game on Monday, maybe?

I am planning (?) on doing my main drinking on Monday at place TBD, this Tuesday thing is just a quick one to accommodate the busy Mr CUnn1n6h4m.

I may NOT be going to Cubs game. I have no ticket yet, and I would rather meet some of you Monday instead if you can't drink lateish (or if game goes 18 innings). I have Kevin and Jesse's digits.

i'm also available for 10 a.m. drinking.

well, how about 2pm Monday as soon as I get settled?

(also, Monday Cubs game is a 6pm start, so no, ppl couldn't meet me before, which is why it looks like I'm blowing it off. Besides paying $42 for a bleacher seat.)

anyway, this is kinda the wrong thread for FAPpage.

hey this is a bit desperate but...its enough to drag me out of ILX retirement....

my friend washed up in chicago today on a greyhound from toronto and he's got no where to stay. any one wanna be insanely accommodating and help him out?!?!?! hes keen to visit places of chicago house legend, or maybe just hang out and drink cocktails. hes not a psycho, just a techno geek, and travelling round the states after living in montreal for a bit. dunno why he hasnt sorted anything out for chicago but htere you are.

to check hes real you can clock his flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benedict_w/

Can anyone recommend either a cheap motel or youth hostel with private rooms? It doesn't have to be nice, just not completely disgusting or ridiculously out of the way.

out of the way from where?

super-cas inquiry here, but tell me about the wild onion. any reason not to stay in the loop/south loop - dead at night? is skipping comiskey really missing anything, socioculture-wise?

any reason not to stay in the loop/south loop - dead at night?

Dead at night, but any hotel room you can afford in the city is a good one.

is skipping comiskey really missing anything, socioculture-wise?

Since Comiskey is non-existent, I'd say no. Go for Wrigley. Also Wrigley's close to me, and a gabbneb-kenan summit might be fun. :)

Except I don't much care about going to a Cubs game. Maybe a beer? When will you be around?

I just realized... Gabbneb is back, you guys!

i meant nu-comiskey. my impression is wrigley is a better ballpark and where to go for opo, but the white sox have the more interesting crowd. like i said, casual inquiry - no plans yet.

where's the best place to check out the skyline at night?

top of the cock

what about from street level?

is around/after memorial day a good time for a first-timer? it rains a lot in may, huh? mid-late october might be another option, but is subject to convention- rather than holiday-pricing.

what about from street level?

Museum Campus/Planetarium. For example.

is skipping comiskey really missing anything, socioculture-wise?

oh fuck off

A nice change of pace from the top of the 'Cock is the bar at the top of the W hotel on Lakeshore Drive. It's lower, so the view is more amidst the buildings of downtown and westerly areas. The drinks are priced like normal, not like the 'Cock ones.

I don't know anything about hotel pricing, but aside from that, May seems like as good a time as any to visit. It's not like monsoon season or anything - just spring rains.

cool, thanks