Picture the sound of skates gliding across the hardwood floors, thumping James Brown music, colorful flashing disco lights, and skaters effortlessly rolling and dancing their way around the rink. On Sunday nights, the Rink, opened in 1974, hosts a “JB skating session,” an old-school skate party for adults that starts late at night and goes … Read more
La Chaparrita has “grocery” in its name, and you can buy items like Mexican candy and sodas, rice, and hot sauce. But this spot is best known for its tacos, so do your shopping, then hit the counter. While any of the tacos, from longaniza to al pastor, will satisfy, the beef tongue and tripe … Read more
If Tom Skilling says the high for the day is 50 degrees or more, consider biking, driving, or taking the Purple Line up north to the Noyes stop in Evanston. Come hungry, because your first stop is French-inspired Al’s Deli (914 Noyes St.). Brothers Bob and John Pottinger batch a different, invariably delicious soup for … Read more
Trying to decide between catching the latest flick at a Regal multiplex or the Music Box Theatre is like debating whether to see the Cubs on TV or at Wrigley Field; you’re watching the same thing but having a totally different experience. There’s no moviegoing destination in town that comes close to the Music Box’s … Read more
The 200-acre park Humboldt Park is so much more than a big green oasis breaking up the dense urban landscape of the West Side. It has a picturesque lagoon (alligator free since 2019) and the city’s only inland beach, plus a boat rental service where $30 buys you an hour on a swan-shaped paddle boat … Read more
We’re several years into the vinyl resurgence, and these days every city can boast at least one quality record store. But nowhere else has a place like Dusty Groove. Jazz and soul (and all its offshoots, from neo-soul to deep funk) take up the most real estate, with new releases, reissues, and stacks of used … Read more
Chicago is no one’s idea of a tropical paradise. Nonetheless, you can experience such a lush landscape year-round at the Garfield Park Conservatory’s Palm House, featuring more than 70 palm trees from around the world under a 65-foot vaulted glass ceiling. (In 2019, the largest of those trees — the Scheelea palm, which had called the conservatory … Read more
Forget the crowded Lakefront Trail, with tourists on Divvys and speeding cyclists yelling, “On your left!” On Northerly Island, you can take a leisurely ride through the quiet beauty of Chicago’s old natural landscape while admiring a stunning view of the city skyline. Yes, it’s unfinished and has a complicated history, but the park is … Read more
When your shopping list includes your oma’s hard-to-find Nivea cream imported from Germany, trendy beard oil for the hipster in your life, and a natural remedy to cure your insomnia, Merz Apothecary is your one-stop shop. Opened by pharmacist Peter Merz in 1875, the store was bought by Abdul Qaiyum in 1972 and has been … Read more
The only way to truly know whether deep-dish or tavern-style pizza reigns supreme in Chicago? Try them both yourself. There’s no shortage of spots to find a great version of either one, but visiting two of the iconic spots for za should help you decide. Start on the South Side at Vito & Nick’s and … Read more
