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Terminal Boardumb => Non-Music Shit => Cities => Topic started by: davehyde on May 29, 2013, 06:21:11 PM
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Starting to plan a week in Chicago in early August...staying in Wicker Park but mobile. We were wondering...
Is there a good online resource that has citywide consolidated listings for any/all Termbo/HC/punk/etc shows of interest?
Any recommended weekly/regular shows at IO/Annoyance/SC?
Stock question: recommended vegetarian spots/record stores/museums/oddball&weird places to check out?
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Wicker Park is a good place to stay, lot's of non-mainstream stuff around there and what not.
I am not the person to ask about shows, but I think Hozac's website and Acid Marshmellow have consolidated listings.
I don't know what IO/Annoyance/SC are.
For Vegan/Vegetarian:
- Soul Vegetarian is the best, hands down. But you really can only get there by car. Its on like 73rd or 75th close to the highway. In the oldest vegetarian community in the city, all African Hebrews. Not really healthy, but tasty as fuck. You must get the Carrot Salad with the Prince dressing. the Prince dressing may or may not be on the menu, but it is THE BEST salad dressing in the world. You will miss out if you go to Soul Vegetarian and don't get it.
- Alice's Restaurant is awesome. I tink that is the name, but maybe not. I haven't been in a long time and a friend took me there. It's run by an Asian cult of some kind, it's all Asian Vegan. Tasty as fuck and the videos they have playing there are hillarious.
- I think Chicago Diner is disgusting, but everyone seems to like it for whatever (stupid) reason.
- Just about any "hip" restaurant is going to have like 3 vegetarian and 1 vegan option in Chicago at this point.
Record Stores:
- Reckless (All three locations), Permanent, Logan Hardware, and Dusty Groove (really just Black music) will be good for a random drop in. Many other stores in the city require consistent attendance if you want to get something good. I would pick Permanent and Reckless as the two to focus on if you are limited on time/interest.
Odd Ball Places/Museums/Places to Check Out:
- The Field Museum is legendary
- Shedd Aquarium is great
- The two Botanical Gardens are really cool
- The Lincoln Park Zoo is awesome! It's free and the polar bear is always showing off.
- The Museum of Outside Art is the best art museum in the city, IMO.
- The Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier is awesome if the temperature is right day or night. Unfortunately, the rest of Navy Pier is just a stupid Mall. Walking along the lake or renting a bike is great too.
- If you are into old homes/architecture, a drive down any of the boulevards is pretty cool. But be careful, some of the boulevards go to really rough places like Garfield Blvd goes through Englewood. Fine during the day for sure, but not a place to be at night.
Bars/Breweries:
- The bar at the top of the Hancock tower is a MUST. You must go at night. The view is the best in the city period. It's really best to go at night.
- Revolution Brewery has great food/beer and has lots of vegetarian options.
- I am not sure if I should suggest the Liars Club or Delilah's. They are the "punk" places, but look them up ahead of time just in case it's not for you.
If I think of something else, I'll post it up. I can answer any questions you have too.
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All vegetarian Mexican place about a mile and a half north of Wicker Park:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/quesadilla-la-reyna-del-sur-chicago-2
I recommend the Cubana Torta, but just about everything I've had there has been very good.
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This place called Wasabi in Logan Square has THE BEST ramen I've ever tasted in America. Almost as good as what you can get in Japan, if not better than some places. Blows anything I've had in SF away. They have a vegetarian option with no fish/meat in the broth that is supposedly killer.
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Vietnamese sandwich place with two vegetarian options which are both great:
http://www.balesandwich.com/
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not a veg/vegan but have been going to the handlebar for 8+ years on a regular basis. On north ave west of the six corners:
http://handlebarchicago.com/HB/
lula cafe in logan square. just take the blue line up there and explore
http://lulacafe.com/
if you like designer toys, art, etc go up to rotofugi. used to be on chicago and damen, but now in that lincoln park/lakeview area. you could hit up deliah's for a drink and then head over or vice versa:
http://www.rotofugi.com/home/
maybe you'd like uncle fun too
http://unclefunchicago.com/index.html on belmont and southport. across the street from schubas
bars i like:
hideout http://www.hideoutchicago.com/ tough to get there but worth it. my bud lawrence bartends
clipper http://www.californiaclipper.com/ in humboldt park on augusta and california
not sure what the schedule is like for august, but go catch a flick at these places if something good is playing:
music box theatre: http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/ at the northern most point of the southport corridor in lakeview
siskel film center: http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/ in the loop on state street. can easily take the blue line to washington and a block northeast.
throughout the years i've gotten some great used recs from the broadway reckless, but the milwaukee ave store is more consistent imo.
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Awesome! Thanks all for the recommendations so far. I'm certain we'll have more questions as we get closer and I haven't been to Chicago in like 10 years so most of my knowledge is outdated.
I don't know what IO/Annoyance/SC are.
- I think Chicago Diner is disgusting, but everyone seems to like it for whatever (stupid) reason.
- The Museum of Outside Art is the best art museum in the city, IMO.
+Improv/comedy theaters (Improv Olympic/Annoyance Theater/Second City). We spend a lot of time at UCB in New York, which was started by IO expats and has a very DIY/punk vibe. My assumption is that all three Chicago theaters have good shows but IO will have the best vibe whereas SC will be kinda touristy and unnecessarily slick (true of the SC Toronto). We shall see.
+I used to love Chicago Diner but tend to avoid most comparable NY spots that I also dug around the same time. Was thinking the other day that Chicago Diner probably wouldn't hold up nearly as well as my memory of it.
+Did not know about Museum of Outsider Art in Chicago. While presumably of no relation, the Museum of Outsider Art in Baltimore is one of my favorites. Will absolutely check out their Chicago cousin.
music box theatre: http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/ at the northern most point of the southport corridor in lakeview
siskel film center: http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/ in the loop on state street. can easily take the blue line to washington and a block northeast.
Yes! I'm really hoping that there will be something at Music Box Theater....Actually just looked and they have some sort of summer calendar up and have some decent stuff when I'll be there (tho I wish I were there a couple weeks earlier 7/15+7/17 for Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me).
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Chicago diner sucks.
Handlebars good. I fuck with sultans.
Noodles in the pot rules
Fuck Arturo's...I fuck with don chemas
Delilah's sucks.
It's not close but the museum of science and industry is pretty cool.
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I'm looking to spend a month in Chicago around September/October, the neighbourhoods I'm looking at places are in Edgewater, Irving Park, and Bucktown. Could anyone shed any light on what those joints are like? I'll bump the thread closer to the date to find some TermBoarders to drink with
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Edgewater is the lesbian neighborhood. There are a lot of things to do here, but there are never any shows near here. One of my favorite places, Hop Leaf, is here. There are many excellent restaurants. Not near any train stops really, so youd have to use a car or buses a lot, or make long walks to the red/brown line, depending where you lived. The Brown Elephant has been known to provide grails from time to time, but I think those days are over.
Bucktown is West of Wicker Park, which is where all the "cool stuff" in Chicago is. Record stores, bars, restaurants, shows, etc are all in WP or around WP. It's off the blue line, which runs 24/7 and goes to lots of "cool" places as well. Relatively short distance to the Loop and train transfers as well.
Irving Park is pretty far Northwest towards the highway. Depending on where you live you could possibly be near a blue line stop. Otherwise, you will need to rely on the bus or a car. This area is pretty family/working/middle class related. No restaurants or bars of note as far as I know and def no record stores at all other then a few pitiful thrifts. I'm sure there are no shows in this area. The only upside is this is somewhat close (like two or three EL stops) from Logan Square, which is the heart of all things cool and arty in Chicago. It's like our version of Brooklyn, or Williamsburg. But if you aren't near an EL stop, it could be annoying to get here everyday. Depending on what you like to do, Logan Square may end up being the neighborhood you spend the most time in.
If it were me, I'd choose Bucktown for sure. That's the best way to get laid, IMO. If you meet a chick at bar and say you live in Irving Park, you might just strike out. The restaurants in Edgewater are top notch and living here could be cool. But if you can't afford $15 plates a day then I wouldn't consider this area even.
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Bucktown is North of WP. Humboldt Park is west of WP.
If you have a low tolerance for twirly mustaches and cutoffs you may blow a gasket in Wicker Park.
Edgewater is the lesbian neighborhood. There are a lot of things to do here, but there are never any shows near here. One of my favorite places, Hop Leaf, is here. There are many excellent restaurants. Not near any train stops really, so youd have to use a car or buses a lot, or make long walks to the red/brown line, depending where you lived. The Brown Elephant has been known to provide grails from time to time, but I think those days are over.
Bucktown is West of Wicker Park, which is where all the "cool stuff" in Chicago is. Record stores, bars, restaurants, shows, etc are all in WP or around WP. It's off the blue line, which runs 24/7 and goes to lots of "cool" places as well. Relatively short distance to the Loop and train transfers as well.
Irving Park is pretty far Northwest towards the highway. Depending on where you live you could possibly be near a blue line stop. Otherwise, you will need to rely on the bus or a car. This area is pretty family/working/middle class related. No restaurants or bars of note as far as I know and def no record stores at all other then a few pitiful thrifts. I'm sure there are no shows in this area. The only upside is this is somewhat close (like two or three EL stops) from Logan Square, which is the heart of all things cool and arty in Chicago. It's like our version of Brooklyn, or Williamsburg. But if you aren't near an EL stop, it could be annoying to get here everyday. Depending on what you like to do, Logan Square may end up being the neighborhood you spend the most time in.
If it were me, I'd choose Bucktown for sure. That's the best way to get laid, IMO. If you meet a chick at bar and say you live in Irving Park, you might just strike out. The restaurants in Edgewater are top notch and living here could be cool. But if you can't afford $15 plates a day then I wouldn't consider this area even.
Are you still living in Lakeview? I just moved back to Chicago. We should hang.
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You might be able to find something a bit cheaper in Ukrainian Village, Noble Square, or West Town. (All of these neighborhoods are east/southeast of Bucktown). Bunch of good new restaurants around and still clinging to some working class people. Also, each of those will put you closer to the triad of Permanent Records, Reckless Records, and Dusty Grooves and some decent neighborhood bars (Village Tap, Chip Inn, Hideout). General rule: further south down Ashland and east of it the cheaper it gets (further from Blue Line) but the better chance you have of getting shot/robbed/stabbed. Although the crime in the area seems to be calming down after a bunch of bad shit last summer.
But if you are looking for some action from some 20somethings then Logan Square/Bucktown/Wicker Park is your best bet.
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Thanks for the opinions and advice, appreciate it. Ended up booking the joint in Bucktown, it was the cheapest, and not having a car, the most viable option. A half hour after I booked the place I saw the details for the Infest/Crudos show on the 14th, so it looks like I lucked out. I'll be coming from Australia, and know fuck all people so I'll be looking for people to drink with and show me around
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Got into town a few hours ago, neighbourhood looks sweet. Is anyone going to the Impalers show tonight (21st)?
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Hi,
Anyone knows where the Sodom and Gomorrah is? I want to see Gas Rag next 30th in Chicago.
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The Museum of Outside Art is the best art museum in the city, IMO.
Thanks for the recommendation. They opened a new exibition (Eddie Harris) in their front room a few days ago which is just amazing.
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I'm in Chicago tonight and tomorra night. Any recommendations? I haven't the first idea what to do here.
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Brady is usually working at Empty Bottle. He knows a good time.
I'd send you his number, but I lost all my contacts, so I have neither of yours any longer.
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Thanks, man! I just texted you. Looked up the Empty Bottle: X_X is playing tonight, wtfholyshitt!
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Sick! I always wanna check out Smart Bar too, that's the place for electronic music, from back in the day. See what's going on there.
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Smart Bar used to be pretty seedy on late weeknights.
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Hmm... Noted.
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Fuck. If Neo still does '80s Thursdays, go there after the show. I took k. to one years ago. Usually pretty fun and fucked up.
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Neo is an old school place too. It's been around forever. I dug it. Pretty fun.
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Are there any Bo Diddley-related landmarks in Chicago? Is there anything worthwhile in whatever-it-is at Chess Records, Bo Diddley or otherwise?
Also, what are the lyrics to the chorus of "Clouds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS83vZZJ0qQ)" by the Lamps? It sounds like he says something about Chicago but no-one I've ever played it for can work it out.
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Yea Neo is still doing new wave Thursdays. Smart Bar is loads of fun on the right night. Theo Parrish Oct. 3rd!
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Zero Boys play tonight at Cobra lounge. Unfortunately, I won't be there. Or there is the Chicago label fest thing at the Volcano Room, above the Bottom Lounge.
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I'll be in town Oct 15-21, anything cool happening?