Three Notable Locals Pick Their Favorite Things to Do
Chef Damarr Brown, singer Kelly Hogan, and White Sox legend Ozzie Guillén share their essential Chicago experiences.
Packages: 50 Essential Chicago Experiences
Take a Chicago River Architecture Cruise, the City’s Best Tourist Activity
Some Chicagoans scoff at any river tour. They’ll tell you it’s for tourists, and that real Chicagoans would never bother paying more than $50 to ride on a boat with a bunch of out-of-towners who have never seen a true skyscraper. Don’t listen to them. There are plenty of tourist traps in the city, but … Read more
Catch Chicago’s Best Young Ballers at the Public League Final Four
Start with the one of the historically best high school talent pools in the country — do the names Derrick Rose, Jabari Parker, Kevin Garnett, and Mark Aguirre ring a bell? — then add intense intracity rivalries and swallow-the-whistle physical play (ask Whitney Young’s Miles Reynolds about the gash to his forehead in the 2014 semifinals), and you have … Read more
See a Show at a Storefront Theater
Ever since Steppenwolf famously got its start in a church basement, Chicago theater artists have made a practice of turning absolutely any room you give them into a performance area, where actors and designers work their magic three feet from your face. Sometimes these found spaces are especially hidden. Entering Bucktown’s 45-seat Trap Door Theatre … Read more
Go on a Spirit Quest at the Full Moon Jam
In a city not known for hippie culture or pagan nature-worshiping vibes, this free summer monthly gathering stands out as one of Chicago’s neatest open secrets. A huge group of free spirits gathers just south of Foster Beach on every full moon from June through September for a public drum circle and dance party. Meanwhile, … Read more
Buy a Shot of Malört for a Newcomer at a Dive Bar
Jeppson’s Malört, Chicago’s homegrown spirit, is, to put it mildly, a little bitter (though it’s somewhat less jarring since local distiller CH Distillery started making it in 2018) and a bracing shot of it is an ideal way to welcome a newcomer to Chicago. While you’ll spot the garish yellow bottle on the shelf at … Read more
Learn How Chicago-style BBQ is Made
The best way to appreciate our homegrown barbecue style, which employs an aquarium-style smoker, is to head to Lem’s Bar-B-Q, Chicago’s oldest Black-owned barbecue spot, and order the pork rib tips. The smoky nubs of meat and fat come doused with a signature tangy red barbecue sauce (yes, it is available by the gallon if … Read more
Go Back in Time to the Jazz Age
The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge is among the city’s iconic jazz clubs, and unquestionably the most persistent: You can catch live music every night of the week without fail. There’s a consistent rotation of expert players and ensembles zipping through primarily swing, bop, and modal jazz, but the main draw is the Mill itself, because … Read more
Pray for Peace at Loyola University’s Madonna Della Strada Chapel
Seeking a microdose of absolute tranquility? Head to Loyola University’s Madonna della Strada Chapel, where you can cocoon in picturesque silence along the loamy edge of Lake Michigan. Architect Andrew Rebori, an acolyte of Louis Sullivan best known for his luxury 1920s-era Gold Coast apartments, created a sanctuary of sweet repose when he designed this … Read more
Play Whirlyball, Chicago’s Favorite Sedentary Sport
When you’re lazy like me, finding a competitive sport to play with friends isn’t easy. Soccer requires too much running. Basketball involves just as much running, plus you have to jump a lot — sounds exhausting! Football is obviously a nonstarter … far too dangerous. Golf is relatively safe, but have you seen what it costs to … Read more