Def can depend on where you’re staying, but these are kinda all over the place things I’d say are good
Art Institute is def one of the top galleries in the world. If you’re an art person it’s a 100 you wanna do it.
If you want a deeper cut art museum-Wrightwood 659(even people who live here don’t rep it enough.)
People talk about the hot dogs(Devil Dawgs is the one I usually have), but the Polish Sausage at Jim’s Original is very much its own distinct vibe.
Fancyish vibes - Monteverde(Italian hard to get rez for but good) Kumiko(it’s in the top 25 bars in the world for a reason but also not fussy)
Day 2 Day vibes - Delilah’s, Goose Island(you said beer it’s at least local), Ming Hin(Chinatown locale), Charleston(gotta get at least one corner/residential bar in)
Jun 1, 2024
Related Recs
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bars:
* rainbo club
* california clipper
* inner town pub
* sleeping village
* best intentions
* the hi-lo
* easy does it
* outside voices
* the owl (but only after the 2am bars close)
pizza:
* pequods
* malnati’s
(deep dish is a myth and no chicagoan actually eats that)
breakfast:
* lula cafe
*flying saucer
* middlebrow (also for lunch or dinner)
* allez cafe
* kasama
lunch/dinner:
* 90 miles cuban cafe
* club lucky
* rootstock
* all together now
* yours truly
* elske (fancy, michelin star)
i prob have more but i haven’t lived there in 3 years (plus 2 years of covid) so i haven’t experienced chicago in its full glory since 2019 🥲
Jul 2, 2024
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This time of year you really can’t go wrong with hanging out at any of the beaches or spending time in Lincoln Park. Get as much sunshine as possible!
Hard to give just a few food recs but my faves now probably are Rose Mary, Mama Delia, and Armitage Ale House. For something quicker get tacos at La Pasadita or a hot dog or a burger at Red Hot Ranch.
A lot of good thrifting/antiques on Grand Avenue in West Town if you’re into that, and then some awesome bookstores too are Myopic Books in Wicker Park and Open Books in Logan Square.
The Robey Hotel is also an amazing place to grab drinks, now that it’s summer their pool bar will be open too! If that’s not your speed and you just want a good ol dive bar and cheap cans of beer, Rainbo Club is right down the road from there! Enjoy!
May 4, 2024
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spend time hanging out in lincoln park by and in the lake, pack a beach bag
cocktails/vibes: robey hotel, sparrow, estereo
food: armitage ale house, mama delia’s, montverde, trivoli tavern, gibsons (if you’ve got your big boy eating pants on and want to slug some martinis and eat a big steak), red hot ranch, la pasadita
dive bars: rainbo club, innertown pub, richard’s, empty bottle
Jul 2, 2024
Top Recs from @jrpaperstack
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Even if you end up having to go somewhere else, there still will be culture to get involved in, people to meet, things to learn, realizations to be made. All of that is still right there for you and it will be open in a way you won't even realize until you've done like a year or two. So it's truly still exciting times. As long as you feel generally good about the place you ultimately choose, your time is coming.
Mar 26, 2025
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Currently the new kids been doin it(see also Friko and Lifeguard) Shouts to Kara Jackson, Finom, Dehd, and Chief Keef tho who have been holdin it down.
Aug 26, 2024
Hidden in a neighborhood in a building designed by Ando, lots of rotating exhibitions often involving queer art and history, digital art, and bigger art and architecture retrospectives. Prob as close to a secret big art space as you can get in Chicago.
Feb 25, 2025