Guidebook for Chicago

Joy
Guidebook for Chicago

Drinks & Nightlife

Always free bar/music/comedy venue. Hang out up front, stage at the rear. Popular with the 20-something crowd, but not exclusive. The owner Cole is a super nice chap and works most nights. And evenings. And afternoons.
70 personas locales recomiendan
Cole's Bar
2338 N Milwaukee Ave
70 personas locales recomiendan
Always free bar/music/comedy venue. Hang out up front, stage at the rear. Popular with the 20-something crowd, but not exclusive. The owner Cole is a super nice chap and works most nights. And evenings. And afternoons.
Games and beer!
139 personas locales recomiendan
Emporium Logan Square
2363 N Milwaukee Ave
139 personas locales recomiendan
Games and beer!
Locally distilled liquor cocktails. Their gin is particularly deadly.
13 personas locales recomiendan
Chicago Distilling Company
2359 N Milwaukee Ave
13 personas locales recomiendan
Locally distilled liquor cocktails. Their gin is particularly deadly.
This place has been here forever. Generally solid, food can be a little disappointing although we've enjoyed many a plate of their loaded nachos. Good enough if there's a long wait at Boiler Room.
35 personas locales recomiendan
Logan 11 Bar & Kitchen
2230 N California Ave
35 personas locales recomiendan
This place has been here forever. Generally solid, food can be a little disappointing although we've enjoyed many a plate of their loaded nachos. Good enough if there's a long wait at Boiler Room.
Good deals on craft beer. What more do you need to know?
106 personas locales recomiendan
The Owl
2521 N Milwaukee Ave
106 personas locales recomiendan
Good deals on craft beer. What more do you need to know?
Beer and video games. Features the 'Killer Queen' 10-player arcade game.
65 personas locales recomiendan
Logan Arcade
2410 W Fullerton Ave
65 personas locales recomiendan
Beer and video games. Features the 'Killer Queen' 10-player arcade game.
Live blues music nearly every night of the week. Highly recommended but check the schedule to know the cover/cost for the show upfront.
101 personas locales recomiendan
Rosa's Lounge
3420 W Armitage Ave
101 personas locales recomiendan
Live blues music nearly every night of the week. Highly recommended but check the schedule to know the cover/cost for the show upfront.

Food Scene

Friendly casual Mexican restaurant. No pretensions here! Usually busy, but we've never not got a seat. People come into the neighbourhood specifically for dinner here.
29 personas locales recomiendan
Taqueria Moran
2226 N California Ave
29 personas locales recomiendan
Friendly casual Mexican restaurant. No pretensions here! Usually busy, but we've never not got a seat. People come into the neighbourhood specifically for dinner here.
Pizza and beer. The good stuff, as well. By-the-slice or by-the-pie, this is thin crust exclusively, no Chicago-style deep dish here. Take out available, call ahead. Or wait at the bar while watching the indie movie projected on to the wall behind. Cash only, ATM at the back. If you make a withdrawal they give you a shot of Jamesons. Checking out the bathrooms is a must (seriously!) Can get busy Fri/Sat evenings. Fine for children earlier in the day.
152 personas locales recomiendan
The Boiler Room
2210 North California Avenue
152 personas locales recomiendan
Pizza and beer. The good stuff, as well. By-the-slice or by-the-pie, this is thin crust exclusively, no Chicago-style deep dish here. Take out available, call ahead. Or wait at the bar while watching the indie movie projected on to the wall behind. Cash only, ATM at the back. If you make a withdrawal they give you a shot of Jamesons. Checking out the bathrooms is a must (seriously!) Can get busy Fri/Sat evenings. Fine for children earlier in the day.
All vegetarian American food. Good for brunch or dinner.
136 personas locales recomiendan
The Chicago Diner, Logan Square
2333 North Milwaukee Avenue
136 personas locales recomiendan
All vegetarian American food. Good for brunch or dinner.
Great local brewery, great food. You can find their beer all over the midwest now. Nearly impossible to get a seat without a wait at dinner time, but ok at lunch.
724 personas locales recomiendan
Revolution Brewing - Brewpub
2323 N Milwaukee Ave
724 personas locales recomiendan
Great local brewery, great food. You can find their beer all over the midwest now. Nearly impossible to get a seat without a wait at dinner time, but ok at lunch.
Mmmm... pie! There's a garden at the back, gets very busy at the weekend.
468 personas locales recomiendan
Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits
2051 N California Ave
468 personas locales recomiendan
Mmmm... pie! There's a garden at the back, gets very busy at the weekend.
We do not judge you on your choice of coffee vendor
271 personas locales recomiendan
Starbucks
210 W North Ave
271 personas locales recomiendan
We do not judge you on your choice of coffee vendor
Ramen noodles and beer. Yum! Hip and open late.
37 personas locales recomiendan
Furious Spoon Logan Square
2410 N Milwaukee Ave
37 personas locales recomiendan
Ramen noodles and beer. Yum! Hip and open late.
Local Italian Ice. Very popular in the summer, but the line moves fast. The rule in our house is that if you get Mikos, you are not allowed ice-cream from the truck which stops by our end of the street most nights in the summer.
40 personas locales recomiendan
Miko's Italian Ice (Logan Square)
2236 N Sacramento Ave
40 personas locales recomiendan
Local Italian Ice. Very popular in the summer, but the line moves fast. The rule in our house is that if you get Mikos, you are not allowed ice-cream from the truck which stops by our end of the street most nights in the summer.
Cuban food, 30 sec walk away. Authentic (we guess), but we prefer Taqueria Moran for the same price. You might have better luck with their Cuban sandwiches. Large Portions!
Tropicuba
3000 W Lyndale St
Cuban food, 30 sec walk away. Authentic (we guess), but we prefer Taqueria Moran for the same price. You might have better luck with their Cuban sandwiches. Large Portions!
Local coffee roaster. They take their craft very seriously. Nordic vibe (?) to the cafe, easy to hang out all day.
115 personas locales recomiendan
Intelligentsia Coffee - Logan Square
2642 N Milwaukee Ave
115 personas locales recomiendan
Local coffee roaster. They take their craft very seriously. Nordic vibe (?) to the cafe, easy to hang out all day.
This place seems very popular for breakfast. We don't get it, but then we're happy with our bowl of morning Wheaties.
88 personas locales recomiendan
Cozy Corner Restaurant and Pancake House
2294 N Milwaukee Ave
88 personas locales recomiendan
This place seems very popular for breakfast. We don't get it, but then we're happy with our bowl of morning Wheaties.
Do you like ice-cream? Do you like diner style seating? Do you like going to places the Beatles once visited? Margie's gotcha back, yo! We normally get a cone to go, order at the front. Takes most of the walk home to finish it. Free scoop if you show an 'A' on your report card.
179 personas locales recomiendan
Margie's Candies
1960 N Western Ave
179 personas locales recomiendan
Do you like ice-cream? Do you like diner style seating? Do you like going to places the Beatles once visited? Margie's gotcha back, yo! We normally get a cone to go, order at the front. Takes most of the walk home to finish it. Free scoop if you show an 'A' on your report card.
Decent wholesome food but no draft beer, which I always think is a shame. Plenty of bottle choice to make up for it. Decent small venue attached, music/standup, etc
32 personas locales recomiendan
Township
32 personas locales recomiendan
Decent wholesome food but no draft beer, which I always think is a shame. Plenty of bottle choice to make up for it. Decent small venue attached, music/standup, etc
Upscale Lebanese food. Nice garden, large venue. Dancing downstairs? We've never been there that late. I'll be honest, we would probably go here more often if Boiler Room wasn't right next door
17 personas locales recomiendan
Masada
2206 N California Ave
17 personas locales recomiendan
Upscale Lebanese food. Nice garden, large venue. Dancing downstairs? We've never been there that late. I'll be honest, we would probably go here more often if Boiler Room wasn't right next door
Fried food, with a large outdoor patio. Gets impossibly busy in the summer, go with a back-up plan. Ice-skating out back in the winter.
660 personas locales recomiendan
Parson's Chicken & Fish
2952 W Armitage Ave
660 personas locales recomiendan
Fried food, with a large outdoor patio. Gets impossibly busy in the summer, go with a back-up plan. Ice-skating out back in the winter.
Fantastic Tater Tots dinners and great selection of craft beer. Need I say more?
45 personas locales recomiendan
The Rocking Horse
2535 N Milwaukee Ave
45 personas locales recomiendan
Fantastic Tater Tots dinners and great selection of craft beer. Need I say more?

Parks & Nature

Note that the location is wrong on the Google map, just turn left down Sacramento when you leave the house and you'll see it. Nice for an afternoon chill on the grass. 0.5 mile running loop. Can get muddy after heavy rain. Drinking water fountain ~May to ~Oct
49 personas locales recomiendan
Palmer Square
49 personas locales recomiendan
Note that the location is wrong on the Google map, just turn left down Sacramento when you leave the house and you'll see it. Nice for an afternoon chill on the grass. 0.5 mile running loop. Can get muddy after heavy rain. Drinking water fountain ~May to ~Oct
Large park with multiple lakes. Nature walks, geese, ducks, fishermen, baseball fields, play grounds, splash park. Hosts a carnival most big holidays. To the south of the park is the Puerto-Rican neighbourhood. Locals often hang out, impromptu jam sessions follow. Food trucks along Kedzie. 3.5 mile running loop from the house. Water fountains ~May to Oct. This is my favourite local run :)
293 personas locales recomiendan
Humboldt Park
1400 N Humboldt Dr
293 personas locales recomiendan
Large park with multiple lakes. Nature walks, geese, ducks, fishermen, baseball fields, play grounds, splash park. Hosts a carnival most big holidays. To the south of the park is the Puerto-Rican neighbourhood. Locals often hang out, impromptu jam sessions follow. Food trucks along Kedzie. 3.5 mile running loop from the house. Water fountains ~May to Oct. This is my favourite local run :)
Reclaimed elevated railway line, turned into 2.75 mile park/trail from Ashland to Kimball. They've done a great job! Entrances and exits all along the trail, we normally enter at Sacramento. Takes you through various neighbourhoods, it's interesting to see the changes from east (higher-end residential) to west (more industrial/residential). Hangout points, artworks, native plants all along. The trail is marked for distance every 1/4 mile or so, makes it easy to judge how far you've gone. Water fountains ~May to Oct.
133 personas locales recomiendan
Bloomingdale Trail
Bloomingdale Trail
133 personas locales recomiendan
Reclaimed elevated railway line, turned into 2.75 mile park/trail from Ashland to Kimball. They've done a great job! Entrances and exits all along the trail, we normally enter at Sacramento. Takes you through various neighbourhoods, it's interesting to see the changes from east (higher-end residential) to west (more industrial/residential). Hangout points, artworks, native plants all along. The trail is marked for distance every 1/4 mile or so, makes it easy to judge how far you've gone. Water fountains ~May to Oct.

Shopping

Local and hyper-local nick-nacks. Great for finding gifts
65 personas locales recomiendan
Wolfbait & B-girls
3131 W Logan Blvd
65 personas locales recomiendan
Local and hyper-local nick-nacks. Great for finding gifts
Name says it all! Good for second hand treasure digging.
7 personas locales recomiendan
Bucket O' Blood Books and Records
3182 N Elston Ave
7 personas locales recomiendan
Name says it all! Good for second hand treasure digging.
Flower and Gift Shop with great smells, prints, gifts - worth a look even if it's a little pricey.
42 personas locales recomiendan
Fleur
2651 N Milwaukee Ave
42 personas locales recomiendan
Flower and Gift Shop with great smells, prints, gifts - worth a look even if it's a little pricey.

Essentials

Local supermaket with a south-of-the-borner lean. Has some amazing deals on fresh fruit and meat.
128 personas locales recomiendan
Tony's Fresh Market
3607 W Fullerton Ave
128 personas locales recomiendan
Local supermaket with a south-of-the-borner lean. Has some amazing deals on fresh fruit and meat.
Hyper-local produce. Expensive for most things, but great vibes.
89 personas locales recomiendan
The Dill Pickle Food Co-op
2746 N Milwaukee Ave
89 personas locales recomiendan
Hyper-local produce. Expensive for most things, but great vibes.
Local bakery. They are there from 4am, 7 days a week.
Panaderia La Central
3911 W North Ave
Local bakery. They are there from 4am, 7 days a week.
Our go-to grocery store.
Strack & Van Til
Our go-to grocery store.
Liquor Store. Great selection. On the pricey side, but can't complain about the convenience.
11 personas locales recomiendan
Vas Foremost Liquors
2300 N Milwaukee Ave
11 personas locales recomiendan
Liquor Store. Great selection. On the pricey side, but can't complain about the convenience.
Liquor store - good selection, cheaper than Vas Foremost over the road. They sell a few general items too, but honestly I've only ever paid attention to their beer fridge.
Logan Square Pantry
2305 N Milwaukee Ave
Liquor store - good selection, cheaper than Vas Foremost over the road. They sell a few general items too, but honestly I've only ever paid attention to their beer fridge.
24-hour everything store. Good quality lots of choice, if a bit pricey. Post office inside, too.
113 personas locales recomiendan
Foodsmart
3415 W Diversey Ave
113 personas locales recomiendan
24-hour everything store. Good quality lots of choice, if a bit pricey. Post office inside, too.
Big post office
41 personas locales recomiendan
United States Postal Service
2339 N California Ave
41 personas locales recomiendan
Big post office

Getting Around

12 min to downtown (Clark & Lake), 35 min to O'Hare airport. Note: no elevators.
50 personas locales recomiendan
California & Milwaukee station
50 personas locales recomiendan
12 min to downtown (Clark & Lake), 35 min to O'Hare airport. Note: no elevators.
Rent by the day for 7 bucks (?) But you must remember to find a dock every 30 mins, else they fine you.
38 personas locales recomiendan
Divvy
38 personas locales recomiendan
Rent by the day for 7 bucks (?) But you must remember to find a dock every 30 mins, else they fine you.

Arts & Culture

Great street art on a building they will soon pull down
Discount Mega Mall
2500 N Milwaukee Ave
Great street art on a building they will soon pull down