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Seems Chi-town is not shy at all
By Andrew Collins
The Steamworks sauna could be a place to stop by and to take a break from all your city site-seeing. You will still see sights, but not any that are listed with the Chicago Chamber of Commerce.
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Chicago, a city famous for culturally and architecturally rich neighborhoods and stunning parks - couldn’t be better suited to the pleasures of afternoon strolling and leisurely exploration. Landmark skyscrapers and theater marquees loom over the downtown Loop and Near North sections, while countless boutiques and cafes thrive in the hip and gay-popular Lakeview and Andersonville districts, inviting you to ogle store window displays and pass the hours sipping frothy espressos.
One spot no visitor to the Loop should miss is Grant Park, anchored by the superb Art Institute of Chicago, whose astoundingly comprehensive collection spans more than 40 centuries and includes the most impressive display of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works outside of the Louvre.
North of the Loop, you’ll find a collection of lively and eclectic neighborhoods - some rich with galleries and nightclubs, others known for shopping and fancy apartments and hotels, but all of them prosperous. In River North, Michigan Avenue (aka the Magnificent Mile) compares with the finest American and European shopping districts.
Still farther north, you’ll find some of Chicago’s most diverse and inviting residential neighborhoods, as well as the 1,200-acre Lincoln Park. To the west, walk along North Avenue through Bucktown and Wicker Park to see a white-hot center of avant-garde arts, dining, and shopping. It’s where many gays and lesbians have recently settled..
Chicago’s Lakeview section, about 4 miles north of the Loop, has long been the main anchor of the city’s gay scene, although it’s an eclectic neighborhood where all ages, genders, and styles live, more or less in harmony. The best sidewalk strolling is along Clark and Halsted streets, Belmont Avenue, and Broadway, all of which are lined with gay-sensible shops and funky cafes.
If you follow Belmont Avenue east to Lake Michigan, you’ll hit what was Chicago’s main gay beach (a.k.a. Belmont Rocks). This grassy lawn has become less of a big to-do, however, as many gays and lesbians now tan their hides at Hollywood Beach. The multi-
ethnic neighborhoods extending north
of Lakeview to suburban Evanston are some of Chicago’s most up-and-coming. Of particular note, be sure to check out Andersonville, an old Swedish area that may be home tomore lesbiansthan any other city
neighborhood. Plus, there are plenty of gay guys, starving artists and still many longtime Scandinavians. Andersonville’s strong independent streak manifests itself in offbeat coffeehouses, some cutting-edge restaurants with down-to-earth prices, a few friendly neighborhood lesbian and gay bars - a couple of them big with the leather crowd - and some cool owner-operated shops. Also, if you have a place in your heart for fitted jocks and Tom of Finland drawings, don’t miss the city’s Leather Archives and Museum, which is packed with erotica, fashion and fascinating memorabilia from various international leather contests and events.
Just as Chicago’s stunning skyline takes on an entirely new appearance after the sun sets, the Windy City’s favorite lesbian and gay neighborhoods transform themselves into festive enclaves of hip dance clubs, chic lounges, and see-and-be-seen restaurants.
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Here’s a rundown of what’s hot and happening in these fashionable Chicago neighborhoods. This list of restaurants and nightclubs is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Dig around a bit and you’ll find enough inviting bars and cafes to keep you entertained for weeks.
In Lakeview, Matsuya serves excellent sushi and Japanese fare. The globally inspired menu at Outpost changes often but always dazzles - you might try seared ostrich with pistachio-crusted goat cheese, for instance. Although many imposters have opened nearby, Mia Francesca remains the best place in the neighborhood for sophisticated but simple Northern Italian fare. You could survive solely on the flaky, freshly baked cinnamon rolls that accompany every meal at the hallowed Swedish diner Ann Sather, which has several gay-popular locations in the city. Moxie is a trendy place for tasty tapas, designer cocktails, and great people-watching - it draws a mix of the neighborhood’s gay and straight folks.
Both branches of the funky Mexican restaurant Mamacita’s are notable for their sidewalk seating, gay followings, and cheap but tasty cooking. Joy’s Noodles, a bustling little Thai restaurant where the rice and noodle dishes are delicious and cheap, draws plenty of gym creatures after their workouts at the nearby health club. If you are a java junkie, keep in mind that the cozy Lakeview outpost of the Caribou Coffee chain is known by the locals as “Cari-boy” and “Queeribou” - that should tell you all you need to know about the crowd.
Boys’ Town is the heart of the city’s gay-male nightlife scene. The guppie bar Roscoe’s is practically a Chicago institution, fun for dancing and cruising any night of the week. A guy guzzling Bud longnecks and another sipping cosmos can feel right at home together at Cocktail, a cozy storefront bar where friends often meet up before heading out to larger clubs. Chicago’s classic stand-and-model video bar, SideTrack, has plenty of rooms for mingling. Hydrate is one of the hippest gay bars in town, great for after-work cocktails or late-night dancing and cruising. Circuit pulses with a feverish late-night dance crowd, it being circuit-boy central on weekends. Its midweek Latin nights are always a hit. Circuit’s Rehab video lounge is more intimate and hosts amusing theme nights such as Monday’s disco bingo. The stylish Berlin disco draws a decidedly more colorful, funky, and alternative crowd than most of the preppy haunts in Lakeview. Nearby Spin is a wonderfully eclectic gay club with an all-ages crowd and fun dance music.
Charlie’s brings in fans of country-western music, while the Gentry on Halsted is a Boys’ Town branch of downtown’s popular piano bar. Leather-and-Levi types cruise both the Cell Block and Manhole, the latter being notable for its butch construction-zone motif. Little Jim’s, with its video screens showing porn, is geared to guys looking to pick up company for the evening. For more intimate company, go over to Steamworks sauna. North of Boys’ Town you’ll find one of Chicago’s friendliest and most diverse bars, Big Chicks, which draws an eclectic mix of hipsters, artistes, and jocks. Next door, the same owners run the fabulous and hip restaurant, Tweet, which is known for its festive brunch and for having healthful, organic fare.
At the opposite end of the city, on the South Side, you’ll find two famously popular gay discos, both with predominantly African-American crowds. One of the granddaddies of Chicago clubs, the Jeffrey Pub anchors the South Shore African-American gay community.
In the artsy, alternative Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods, virtually all of the area’s hipster-infested, smoky bars and clubs draw a share of the lavender set, especially the Border Line Tap, a trendy dance loft, and the Rainbo Club, a favorite of art students, rockers, and slackers. Below the Border Line Tap, Cafe Absinthe draws a grungey bunch but ranks among Chicago’s most esteemed neighborhood eateries. Francophile’s swear that Le Bouchon cooks up the most authentic French bistro fare this side of the Atlantic. For delicious Cuban and Latin American food, book a table at kicky and gay-popular Cafe Bolero. And despite its hopelessly trendy name, MOD.Restaurant must be experienced for its cleverly updated versions of American comfort foods.
Over in Andersonville is Tomboy, a lively and atmospheric bistro with a decidedly queer following. T’s is another friendly spot with a restaurant and bar. The neighborhood is also known for hardcore men’s leather bars, such as the Chicago Eagle, which is decorated like a motorcycle garage. Next door is Man’s Country bathhouse, where you can see live strippers every Friday and Saturday night. And then there’s the latest Andersonville spot, @tmosphere, a lively dance bar with a mixed gay male and lesbian crowd.
For overnighting in Chicago, check out three dowtown hotels run by the innovative and gay-friendly Kimpton Group. It has the French deco-inspired Hotel Monaco, which strikes a perfect balance between elegance and whimsy, with boldly colored rooms and quirky in-room amenities like your own pet goldfish in a bowl. A bit less expensive, the Hotel Allegro mixes Arabic, art deco, and Mediterranean colors. Kimpton’s masterpiece, however, is the Hotel Burnham. Set in the historic 1894 cast-iron Reliance Building, here you can actually sleep inside one of the nation’s greatest architectural treasures, its rooms outfitted with original terrazzo floors, mahogany trim, and Carrara marble wainscoting. The superb Atwood Cafe occupies the ground floor.
Up near Boys’ Town there are three excellent choices run by the gay-friendly Neighborhood Inns. City Suites sits along busy Belmont Avenue, closest to the dining and club action, while the more romantic Majestic and Willows hotels are set along residential streets a few blocks from the action.
Andrew Collins authored Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA and nine additional travel guides. He can be reached at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com
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