usa :: chicago :: general

[B-15C]

They are closed for remodeling, but there's plenty in the area worth visiting, in addition to seeing the work in progress.

[square wave]

when will they be back open!?

[Kazakhstan4ever]

they were open yesterday

[B-15C]

They are. And it's pretty out to boot. You should walk by.

[square wave]

good things as i'm there friday..

[palaceman]

The Underground at Dearborn and Livernois is good; went to a maxim party there that was a blast. Rino is also fun very fun but gets going later.

Le Passage sucks. DJ still spins 1/2 a** ol' house tracks that you've heard a million times and if you're a single guy in town to spend money by yourself, security at Le Passage will have you followed around by goons. They should cut their security expenses and put it into marketing though because no one was there on a Thursday night.

[B-15C]

hey, i'm trying to look for restaurants / eateries in chicago that are somewhat cozy and quirky. i'm not that concerned about the price, just not a place that's way too sophisticated / adult (and when i say 'sophisticated' and 'adult' i just mean full of rich yuppie assholes) and thats either offbeat or somewhat, i dunno, homely. i live here so i'm just looking for places that would be cool to go to constantly. coffehouses work too. THNX

Ohh food. If you like vietnamese food, you should go to the Argyle stop on the red line and eat at Pho 888 (for pho), Sun Wah ( for barbeque) and Ba Le (for $3 vietnamese sandwiches.) Pho 888 is my favorite place to go on a rainy day, and they make my favorite pho in the city. The guys over at LTH Forums swear by these places, and are some of my favorite cheap eats in the city. The Ba Le sandwiches are amazing, and if you're feeling adventurous you could always get head cheese-- they also make good french loaf. I've felt like plugging these places lately, and they're really very good. Another thing you will find some good recommendations for in the city are barbeque and some higher end dining. Let us know how old you are and what kind of dining experience you're looking for, and I'll try and tell you places you can go to.

Those are some of the nicer uncrowded options, and they are conveniently located together. If you're feeling particular to any style of food, or you have a price range that you're interested in, feel free to ask.

Coldrice: If you're interested in very upscale trendy dining, you're in the right city. Before you ask here, check at LTHForums and see what they have to say; their forums are open for public viewing and they've covered the majority of Chicago dining.

Also palaceman: did you check out my last replies to your furniture on a budget thread?

As for current events and happenings in the city, you can't go wrong with Gapers Block.

[palaceman]

Yep, B-15 C. I been meaning to get back to thread to send thx. That, and the ipod one. This is a great forum altogether. Can't remember what you recommended but I did just end up going to BC2. Your posts here on Gapers Block and LTH Forums are excellent though. Thank you very much.

[overdone]

I remember when Belmont & Clark was the hot spot. My how times change. It's kind of odd that the Belmont Army Surplus store is now on Milwaukee, yet it's still called Belmont Army Surplus.

[isoform]

*note: my rec's aren't very typical for first-timers to the city//and some places aren't the poshest*

finally some decent reviewish thing.

But still no one answered....

where's the weed at?

or any drugs matter of fact?

all this gang banging, but no slanging?

shit is wack

try the >> near west side << ...heh....hahaha. goodluck.

Wicker Park/Bucktown/immediate area

for where to buy cheap mondays...akira's womens store (east of Milwaukee on North ave) is selling tight black overdye for 35, and a few other washes for 60-65. i have no clue who in chicago is selling april77s.

Jakes, Penelopes, Active Endeavors, and the boutiques all around Wicker Park are--i guess--the places to shop that aren't like, Diesel, and so on.

Margies on Western and Armitage is a decent spot for desserts if yer already in the Wicker Park area (go north on Milwaukee)--and there's a more than decent 24hour Mexican place across the street which has this cool freaky blue lighting at night and live music sometimes (these are where normal ppl go, they're not necessarily overrun with tourists or yuppies...eh.).

Southside

Pilsen when it becomes warmer out is an interesting visit as well (there's the Mexican Fine Arts museum and a gallery walk on the weekends)--also the buildings around there are older than the sewers which is evidenced by the second floor of most buildings being at about streetlevel--plus one can get a sense of how Chicago once looked like...

for something out of the way and if you've got a car and are bored... Historic Pullman is an interesting half-day trip. haha. it's on the far southeast side of Chicago--so just driving down may be an adventure and a tour around a Chicago most ppl don't normally see (even lifelong resident northsiders like myself).

another somewhat out-of-the-way place to visit for historical stuff and sightseeing = Bronzeville (cool to visit if you're going to the southside anyway--it's the part of the city where working class to middle class Blacks moved to during the Great Migration from the south).

the Museum of Science and Industry has a nice park behind it--and it's the site of the World's Fair if anyone gives a shit--so it's historical and all that...and there's a ghost or something that haunts the park...haha. you'd also be very close to U of Chicago which has an ok campus--but is truly an island in a sea of poverty.

for driving around the city--the boulevard system is pretty... especially when you go thru certain parks. The system is flanked by old mansions most of the way thru and all that--but it cuts through some of the rougher neighborhoods (westside) of the city, so do what you will. the Lake Shore Drive when you get far north enough is kind of pretty...(do it if visiting Evanston--Northwestern U's spot).

Lakeshore

the paths and beaches around the lake are worth walking i suppose (start at the northend tip of Michigan Ave and walk north--Mass Trans in the form of busses and the Redline are fairly close by all the time). it's a feature that lots of cities don't have.

you can end at the free Lincoln Park Zoo and then wander around Lincoln Park or whatev and catch the redline or a bus back to Downtown.

...and i agree, the view on the strip of land jutting out from the Field Museum is the best place to view the downtown skyline.

if ppl are into architecture there's a ton of stuff to do in and close to the city... there's the CAF architecture walking tour downtown (*really good), the mansions directly south of the loop (the homes of Chicago's most rich and powerful during the turn of the century), the frank lloyd wright houses/tours out in Oak Park.

whatever... most of my recommendations are, like i said, not for the day trippers or first timers. i personally think the coolest sightseeing stuff after the obvious things downtown are on the southside--then again, it may be because I don't get down there too often. :]

[airfrogusmc]

i just wrote a lengthy reply and lost it. here's the short version:

take the blue line towards ohare to damen or division in wicker park. walk a loop down damen, division, and milwaukee (glance at a map, they make a triangle). you'll see lots of shopping and eating suited for the superfuture type (check the superfuture chicago guide).

have not gone out in chicago in a long time, but i caught jimmy edgar (ghostly/spectral) at sonotheque a while back. . . if that's any indication of the music quality. the sound system there is tops. you might see some bars you'd want to revisit at night while you're walking around wicker park. smart bar is also another good place for music. . .

the gallery district closest to downtown is in river north. take the brown going towards kimball, get off at chicago, and walk down franklin, turn right or left on superior, walk around. you'll see loads of good and bad galleries. then, walk all the way east on chicago (toward the lake) to the MCA - museum of contemp. art.

portillos is shite. i favor maxwells on taylor and roosevelt near UIC (also on the blue line). open 24 hours. get a brat w/mustard and onions (NO ketchup). for chicago style pizza, i like lou malnatis. look up them up on the web. locations in river north i think. sorry i'm not crazy about fine dining.

even though its a bit touristy and there are horrific aesthetic offenses, visit millenium park. . . see the giant metal jelly bean sculpture, the gigantic, disgusting steel amphitheatre & field. . .but there's a video/water sculpture (also on monster scale) i quite liked - don't know if it still runs in winter.

best view of the city at night is from a strip of park outside the field museum, south of the loop. . . there's a tiny beach behind the museum, hidden by the massive parking lot where kids used to throw parties many years ago. . . still a nice spot to drink alone (or w/friends) w/o being bothered.

not that short. but i hope it helps.

Lous rocks theres one in the 400 block of North Wells best pie in the city. For dogs I like the Wieners Circle.

[gartermouth]

Hey, I'm heading out to Chicago for spring break to visit a college. I'll have a couple extra days to do whatever. I figured I could shop...but here's the thing...I'm cheap.

What are some good vintage and/or thrift type shops in Chicago? Or really good stores that aren't too expensive? I don't want to go to all these stores where things start at hundreds of dollars.

I'm looking for stuff I can't really find on the east coast...aka NYC but if that's impossible, that's alright. I love NYC but I don't know if I have the $$$$ to go to school there!!

There seem to be a lot of good used bookstores. What's the best in your opinion?

Thanks

[isoform]

yer asking about clothes, correct?

and besides urban and h&m...haha

i guess the easiest place to get to and find = ragstock (one floor dedicated to men), hollywood mirror, and strange cargo. all in the vicinity of the Belmonst stop off of the Red, Brown, and Purple lines. there's another ragstock store on milwaukee (Damen Blueline stop)--and that place is a couple of doors down from another ok thrift store called cross roads or something (you'll pass it before you hit Ragstock).

i mean, there's lots of other spots--but these are easy to get to and have websites w/ maps and shit. goodluck. :]

[brokenboards]

i have no clue who in chicago is selling april77s.

from what i've been told, untitled is supposed to be the first spot in chicago to pick up april 77, but it won't be until fall.

[hiddi]

flosstradamus are from chicago and are amazing. i saw them with diplo at the smart bar which is near Wrigley.

http://www.myspace.com/flosstradamus

[Guest umhaha84]

for some random reasons, i'll be traveling to chicago

any recommendations on cool shops?

[herpsky]

Please use the search function.

We've had at least 3~4 threads on chicago.

For SuFu shopping experience,

Wicker Park is a must.

[square wave]

thats right. on both points.

went to hedjfina like...last week

and if youre in chicago, you must go there.

[corned beef]

wickerpark is where it's at here in chicago, lots of cool little places there besides clothing boutiques and what not. There's always michigan ave. if you're a mega high roller too.

[mackelface]

wickerpark is where it's at here in chicago, lots of cool little places there besides clothing boutiques and what not. There's always michigan ave. if you're a mega high roller too.

I go to high school about 10 minutes away from you. Just a head's up.

Jack's a pretty cool store (look it up), they used to have a lot of Nudies but they've kind of fallen off in that aspect. The Alley's a "cool store", but I doubt you'll find anything to buy there.

[Guest umhaha84]

ooh, just got back from chicago

overall, it was very nice and very clean.

went to some shops in wicker park, overall people were very nice,

I actually want to go to school in chicago now damn.

[pete mcstunna]

hey guys. please help me build up this list. i'm longing to find some new places...

i'll start --

chicken hut

3200 N. Broadway (belmont and broadway)

773-868-1855

-- ecuadorian-style, charbroiled chicken. $5-7.

ba le

5018 N. Broadway Ave. (argyle and broadway)

Tel: (773) 561-4424

-- banh mi sandwiches, 2.99 each.

[pete mcstunna]

not exactly "ethnic," but i went to buffalo joe's in evanston the other day, and the food there was quite good (wings and cheese fries)...

[stroke5]

TAC Quick Thai Kitchen

3930 N. Sheridan Rd.

Chicago, IL 60613

773-327-5253

[mojinho]

those cheese fries sound ethereal . . .

Jitlada Thai House, Wrigleyville/Boystown, read my post below

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showpost.php?p=590145&postcount=13

Nuevo Leon Restaurant (near South Side, try the tacos de sabinas)

http://www.nuevoleonrestaurant.com/

there are so many taquerias in the city if you like mexican food, some of them are great and some of them aren't, see if you can get a recommendation.

[pete mcstunna]

thx for the additions! i'll have to start checking out some of these places on my days off from work.

[isoform]

sultan's market in wicker park << falafel, etc. decent price for portions and location.

rodan's in wicker park << south american x south east asian or something--really good veg dumplings and coconut curry. interesting space. full of yuppies or hipsters--good drink specials during the week (my fav = 2$ champagne lychee on tuesdays or somethin).

lula's cafe in logan square << great fresh food--especially the beet bruschetta as an appetizer. they have different specials each season or even each week (mondays = farmers' market night, i think). excellent desserts.

i don't eat out that often but because of location (off blue line stops or biking/walking distance from me) and price x quality of food--the last two are definitely the places i go to every other week... but the last two also have mains that are around 8-14 dollars or even more.

edit: and a new favorite of mine = Father and Son's pizza (Logan Sq & Lincoln Park locations). I've eaten there before a long time ago since i grew up in Logan Square, but I tried their pizza again recently and it is so very good and reasonable. I've been craving this stuff almost every week--especially the spinach, basil, and tomato pizza.

[isoform]

hey--you should also check out

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar (halsted & jackson) << highend bUT reasonably priced breakfast and lunch

La Creperie (clark & diversey--across from Century's parking lot...) << looks like shit or like a bar from the outside, but is nice on the inside and in the back when its open

i've heard amazing stuff about

Ethiopian Diamond (b'way & granville ...near loyola's rogers park campus)

Feed (chicago & california) << southern cooking, generous portions for decent price, good atmosphere.

[surfed57]

http://www.pita-inn.com/

All the way in Skokie but good cheap falafels. Like really good, and really cheap.

If you go to Ethiopan Diamond, go on a thursday night. I know the guy who plays live music there and hes the shit.

[Sancti]

Well, some of the best ethnic food is in Hyde Park area...

The Snail - ethnic food.

pretty much any location on the 55th street stretch near Lake Shore.