i'll be in chicago this weekend (8/3-5)

[djork]

looking for cool, not touristy shit to do. any suggestions for shops, restaurants, bars, coffee places are welcome. thanks in advance.

[stayhandsome]

check out wicker park (milwaukee and damen ave). this area you will find everything that you mentioned you were looking for. if you are taking the train take the blue line to the damen stop.

[Michael Carrig]

Bridgeport/Pilsen are your best partying bets or Humboldt. You can go to some stores in Wicker park; Hejfina is pretty alright, St. Alfred is cool for the sneakers shit, City Soles has MOMAs on sale for half off, and Una Mae's has some decent jeans and tees. Near the Chicago Barneys NYC (which is in the middle of the biggest tourist trap shopping area) is this store Jake, which is pretty good. My friend's sister just opened a sneaker store called Solemates on 2708 N Halsted.

Check out permanent records if you want to buy some records, plus they have some good instores. There are also the normal Reckless Records, which are decent here because of lack of competition. Also, if you want to see a show check MPshows.com, emptybottle.com, or beatkitchen/sub-t/Hideout, shit like that. Go to Rodan if you want to get laid, sonotheque is for coke and hipsters and not getting laid; I don't bar hop so I can't directly vouch for either. There are ten million bars to go to. For film, the easiest bet is Music Box, Siskel Film Center, and Facets.

If you like electric instruments check out Make n' Music or Chicago Music Exchange for the nice stuff (boutique and vintage respectively) and Midwest Buy and Sell for really good steals.

That may suck to you, I don't know.