Oh I remember that one! Mad I missed the arcade in the suburbs.
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Chicago-GAF OT of Not the Second City, the BEST damn city.
- Thread starter ChiTownBuffalo
- Start date
Oh I remember that one! Mad I missed the arcade in the suburbs.
SOME-MIST
Member
revival is pretty cool. it's way easier to go at 11am for lunch rather than noon. I ended up at budlongs which was overpriced but still decent and was in/out within 15 minutes last week. It kind of sucks that the majority of the stands aren't original (multiple locations), but it's a 5 min walk from my work as opposed to a 15 minute walk to the French market.
I found it surprising it was by the land and sea dept. they usually knock it out of the park with longman and eagle, parsons, and their DIY shows. I remember seeing liturgy (who setup in the middle of the concrete floor) in a dank abandoned warehouse run by lsd and it's still one of the coolest shows I've been to.
as for revival it's probably worth waiting until the traffic dies down unless you can go early.
Thanks for the posts guys.
I'll check out Evanston. Glad that I can find a nice place in the 1k range!
Nice. I used to play Magic at Brainstorm but that has been slowing down. I occasionally make it down south to play some games at Top Cut as well. I should get out to Dojo more often.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Dojo's MTG scene is huge.
I've played Clix at Brainstorm occasionally. but they don't run it anymore.
RumblingRosco
Member
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The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Oh hey, popping in to ask: what's the best neighborhood to consider moving too if my main priorities are a.) a decent place for under 1k a month, b.) easy access to the transit system, and c.) a decently urban feel i.e good stuff within walking distance also? Or if not "best neighborhood", where should I be looking?
Also I prioritize older architecture and more artsy areas over more sleek, modern development any day. Dunno if that sounds pretentious but that sort of stuff is super important to me
Also I prioritize older architecture and more artsy areas over more sleek, modern development any day. Dunno if that sounds pretentious but that sort of stuff is super important to me
Pilsen is the neighborhood that immediately comes to mind. Older architecture, artysy feel, close to the Pink Line.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Nice, I'll check it out. Currently back home with the parents in Kenosha so making trips down to check out neighborhoods is going to be easy. Anything else I should check out?
SOME-MIST
Member
yeah... I'd say pilsen or edgewater, but pilsen is definitely a "cooler" area. I was just there a couple weeks ago at the eco co-op garden for a diy show and the area is top notch. I'm in logan right now, but if I don't move out of state when I'm ready to move again I'll probably make my way down to pilsen.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Is Pilsen relatively safe?
Well, if your must-haves are cheap, artsy, and close to the train, you're realistically only looking at a handful of neighborhoods. Look at stuff along the Brown Line north of the Paulina stop, or the Orange Line south of the Halstead stop. There's also the Blue Line north of the Belmont stop, but while the architecture's going to skew older and it's definitely not as expensive as other areas along the Blue, it likely won't be terribly artsy.
There's also the western branch of the Green Line, which will be super inexpensive, and has some gorgeous sights (every time I see the Garfield Park Observatory, that surrounding area just makes my jaw drop - it's really lovely). But you've got real safety concerns around there.
Pilsen's probably your best bet. It's the perfect storm of a great artist scene, being close to the L, and still being relatively affordable. For now, anyway. That last bit is probably only going to last another couple years.
You hear about stuff now and then (a mugging, or a gang shooting), but those are the kinds of things that happen all over Chicago, so unless you're in, like, Roscoe Village, you just get used to it.
I've stumbled around Pilsen at 2AM while fumbling through my wallet and nobody's ever bothered me there haha. Unless you're particularly skittish, I'd say you're fine.
Laevateinn
Member
36 shootings victims so far this year.
I live up here. My place is out of your budget but it's pretty huge. You can probably find something in your budget around here without much problem though. It's also a really cool area to with lots of good food and things to do.
Where are you planning to work? Do you have a job already? If your job isn't in the loop but near a certain line you should just forget about living near any of the other lines.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Sweet, thanks for the advice. None of that is a must have, but this helps me direct my search, now I have somewhere to start
Self employed. With that said, if sometime in the next 6-12 months I'm suddenly not self employeed I'll be looking for work in the area. I used to have an hour and fifteen minute long public commute to an old job though, I'm used to contorting my mornings around transit
Sure thing.
Chicago's got a million neighborhoods, and they're all kinda different, so it's kinda daunting to dive into the apartment hunting game if you're not familiar with them.If you'd be willing to drop "close to the train," I think you'd dig East Humboldt Park. It's pretty artsy and you can find great deals on apartments there. The only problem is that the food is so good there you'll just gain a million pounds. I'm just north of there in the southern portion of Logan Square, and I've gained like a half-million pounds from proximity. It's a real danger, man.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Anyone got any opinions on the Wicker Park area?
Krauser Kat
Member
Wicker is great if you can afford it but its kind of douche vortex. Bros someone transport from wrigley to wicker.
Ukranian Vil. Is great, a little cheaper and has some fantastic ethic places to eat.
Humboldt or little Puerto Rico is amazing as long as you stay out of the park at night. I have live pretty much across from the park for 3 years and still havent had a car break in or any problems.
Logan is a little more money than HP but you are central hipster ville.
milwaukee from calli to kimbal is some of the best stretch of bars and food in the city.
Ukranian Vil. Is great, a little cheaper and has some fantastic ethic places to eat.
Humboldt or little Puerto Rico is amazing as long as you stay out of the park at night. I have live pretty much across from the park for 3 years and still havent had a car break in or any problems.
Logan is a little more money than HP but you are central hipster ville.
milwaukee from calli to kimbal is some of the best stretch of bars and food in the city.
This is pretty much my take, as well. Wicker Park has some great spots, but as Krauser mentioned, it's basically Wrigleyville at this point.
Ukrainian Village is great. If there was a closer L stop, it'd be one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city. The Blind Robin on Western is one of my favorite bars in the city, and Fatso's has the best "basic" burger in town. No frills, no fried chicken tenders and bacon and 80 pounds of cheese. Just an old-fashioned grease bomb delight.
Humboldt is great, and honestly, I don't even feel unsafe in the park at night. I feel like the danger around there might have been legit a few years ago, but these days, especially now that the nearby 606 trail is up and running, you're more likely to see a yoga mom jogging through that park than a drug dealer.
Agreed on Milwaukee being a hotspot, as well. It's buzzing pretty much every night, and most of the stuff there is quality. Even Chicago Distilling Co, which I will never patronize again for its godawful service, has good stuff. And apparently The Slippery Slope is the de facto hookup bar now? Back when I was single, it was The Owl, but things change, I suppose haha.
SOME-MIST
Member
a lot safer than it used to be. I'd be comfortable living there but I'm not all that cautious.
lived in the ukrainian village/wicker area for a few years off damen/augusta and loved the area but as mentioned... it sort of turned into a beer trolley/yuppy/bro area. it's a lot louder than it used to be and it's what got me to eventually shift over to hermosa/outskirts of logan.
from what I've experienced, a lot of people I knew shifted from wicker to logan and then over to pilsen. wicker is pretty pricey now but I'm sure you can luck out with finding something decent.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Oh man I am not looking to a midwest winter :/
Colorado did spoil me like that
Colorado did spoil me like that
This is all great stuff to hear that you can't get from a "best neighborhoods" article, thanks!
Krauser Kat
Member
Slippery is definitely hook up town. Emporium is pretty fun too. I like their logan space more then their wicker space. So much more room and the bar is better (also 3 poke stops you can swipe while sitting at the bar). I kind of live in middle of Logan, Wicker, Humboldt, just south of the 606 (this is so great for running). a 5 minute bike ride gets me anywhere i need to go. I kind of love where i live.
Hah, you're probably a few blocks from where I am. I'm like a block and a half from the Humboldt entrance to the 606. And agreed, it's a really great area to live in. Quiet enough to stay sane, but enough stuff within walking distance to keep you interested.
RumblingRosco
Member
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Laevateinn
Member
Driving in parts of Chicago seems pretty terrifying honestly. I'm glad we only have to drive about once every couple weeks.
RumblingRosco
Member
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It's going to come down to how close her job is to a Metra line. If you're lucky, it's a short walk / bus connection to her job from a Metra stop, in which case you can just live in a neighborhood in the city with solid Metra access (depending on the line, you'll either have to live in like the South Loop or one of a handful of neighborhoods that intersect with that particular route).
If you do decide to live in the burbs, just be sure to live close to a Metra stop. You don't want to drive a bunch just to get to a train, or even worse, depend on a Pace bus to get you to the train.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I'm really liking the look of Humbolt Park actually.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
Meh, Humboldt park is like ground zero for gentrification. So many of my favorite Puerto Rican restaurants have closed, doesn't feel like a cohesive community at all any more. I spent my college years there and I'll be back in December at my in laws but every time I go back I feel like another piece of what made it special is gone.
So maybe you guys can settle an argument my girlfriend and I have been having lately. We both love doughnuts (because science), but we can't agree on who has Chicago's best.
Personally? I don't think Doughnut Vault can be beat.
She likes DV, but she reps Stan's Donuts pretty hard.
And then sometimes she throws a wrench into everything and says Do-Rite Donuts every once in a while.
And no, I don't want to hear about Firecakes. They're tasty, but they're just too sugary for me sometimes. Here's a picture in the interest of fairness, though.
So what gives, Chicago-GAF? Who's got the best doughnut?
Personally? I don't think Doughnut Vault can be beat.
She likes DV, but she reps Stan's Donuts pretty hard.
And then sometimes she throws a wrench into everything and says Do-Rite Donuts every once in a while.
And no, I don't want to hear about Firecakes. They're tasty, but they're just too sugary for me sometimes. Here's a picture in the interest of fairness, though.
So what gives, Chicago-GAF? Who's got the best doughnut?
Laevateinn
Member
This discussion is relevant to my interests. My wife and I are planning on stopping by Glazed and Infused sometime since it's off the brown line and has a great name. We'll have to try everyone on your list soon.
G&I is a'ight, but beyond the great name and their many locations, I don't think they belong in the upper echelon. Not to say you won't like it (they're doughnuts, after all, and good ones at that), but I think Chicago has a lot better to offer. If you take the Brown Line, take it a little further south to the Merch Mart stop and walk over to Doughnut Vault. Taste the perfection.
One thing I'll give Do-Rite is that they've got a pretty great chicken sandwich as well.
Laevateinn
Member
I actually get off at Merchandise Mart everyday for work so I'll have to leave a bit early tomorrow and check that out.
You'll actually wanna go before work - unfortunately, Doughnut Vault tends to sell out by 10 or 11AM. They open at 8AM, and if you can get there at like 7:50AM, there usually isn't much of a line.
It's just the downside to being at 401 1/2 N Franklin - it's a pretty small operation.
Laevateinn
Member
I usually get there between 8:30 and 8:45 so we're all good. I'll just leave a half hour early.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Do Rite by default for me, since they do gluten free.
So I'm coming out to Chicago for a short visit Friday-Saturday and I'm looking for some recommendations to fill some chunks of time. Planning on spending all morning and afternoon Friday at the Field Museum and Art Institute but not exactly sure what to do after then until a concert I'm going to at 10pm. Was originally planning on taking a walk through the downtown parks and the lakeside trail but it's potentially going to be raining all afternoon and evening.
Saturday, weather permitting, I'd like to try and see the Cubs play. Apparently standing room tickets go on sale like an hour before the game so that's what I'd try for. Just want to get in and see the stadium. Flight leaves at 9pm from midway so if I make it to the Cubs game I'd be able to at most get food before making my way to the airport. I'd be looking to check out the parks but again would need some backup suggestions if it's bad out.
Saturday, weather permitting, I'd like to try and see the Cubs play. Apparently standing room tickets go on sale like an hour before the game so that's what I'd try for. Just want to get in and see the stadium. Flight leaves at 9pm from midway so if I make it to the Cubs game I'd be able to at most get food before making my way to the airport. I'd be looking to check out the parks but again would need some backup suggestions if it's bad out.
Anyone going to EXPO CHICAGO next weekend? I'll be working at one of the booths during the VIP Preview, and also might plan to go during the weekend with friends who are interested.
Can't believe Home Run Inn's been around since the 40s. In terms of frozen pizzas, they're a pretty clutch choice.
Of course Mayor Daley the 1st knocked over a pizzeria to build UIC. His animosity towards Italians was well-documented.
And LOL at Slick Willy not leaving ORD until he gets a deep dish. I remember your junk food phase, Bill. We all remember.
Real talk, though, tavern style >>>>> deep dish. I'll get a Pequod's deep dish pie like 1-2 times a year (basically when people are in from out of town and want to try it), but if it's Thursday night and I want a pizza. I'm calling up John's Pizzeria Ristorante & Lounge or Bartoli's for tavern style (or Dante's if I want NYC-style).
Stan's is totally quality, but the fact that it's an LA-based franchise makes me kind of discount it when we talk about "Chicago donuts."
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
My youngest lives for frozen HRI.
I prefer thin-crust myself, but that's partly because of the gluten-free thing. :/
I prefer thin-crust myself, but that's partly because of the gluten-free thing. :/
Funny story about Home Run Inn:
My girlfriend and I were in Miami a couple years ago (she was meeting my family for the first time, the brave soul), and we were in an Uber coming back from the beach, and our driver asked us where we were from. "I'm from here," I said, "but we both live in Chicago now."
As soon as I mentioned Chicago, he was like, "Ohhh shit! Chicago?! Man, they've got the BEST pizza there."
"Yeah, it's really great," I said.
Then he says, "The best one I've ever had was from Home Run Inn. Y'all ever been there?""
We hadn't heard of Home Run Inn at that point. Maybe I'd seen it around, but I didn't make the connection. So after him swearing up and down that Home Run Inn is the pinnacle of life itself, we resolved ourselves to get some once we were back in Chicago. Sure enough, when we were doing groceries like a week later, my girlfriend starts cracking up and pointing at the frozen pizzas. And there's Home Run Inn.
Now, I know HRI actually has some sit down locations in the city, so I'm sure that's what the guy was referring to, but we got a good kick out of the idea that his favorite pizza of all time could be had at the frozen section of Mariano's. But to his credit... it's pretty good. Definitely a solid step up from DiGiorno's or Tombstone (or god, Red Baron - anybody remember Red Baron?).
My girlfriend and I were in Miami a couple years ago (she was meeting my family for the first time, the brave soul), and we were in an Uber coming back from the beach, and our driver asked us where we were from. "I'm from here," I said, "but we both live in Chicago now."
As soon as I mentioned Chicago, he was like, "Ohhh shit! Chicago?! Man, they've got the BEST pizza there."
"Yeah, it's really great," I said.
Then he says, "The best one I've ever had was from Home Run Inn. Y'all ever been there?""
We hadn't heard of Home Run Inn at that point. Maybe I'd seen it around, but I didn't make the connection. So after him swearing up and down that Home Run Inn is the pinnacle of life itself, we resolved ourselves to get some once we were back in Chicago. Sure enough, when we were doing groceries like a week later, my girlfriend starts cracking up and pointing at the frozen pizzas. And there's Home Run Inn.
Now, I know HRI actually has some sit down locations in the city, so I'm sure that's what the guy was referring to, but we got a good kick out of the idea that his favorite pizza of all time could be had at the frozen section of Mariano's. But to his credit... it's pretty good. Definitely a solid step up from DiGiorno's or Tombstone (or god, Red Baron - anybody remember Red Baron?).
RumblingRosco
Member
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Ignatz Mouse
Banned
I like Ranalli's a lot, but I think they only have two locations.
For the record, my ideal thin-crust is greasy, with strong basil and a little garlic (or a lot). I'm not too picky about the crust itself if the sauce is good. Which is good since I can't have top notch crust anymore.
Oh, they still make it. I know because my girlfriend's little brother (who is currently attending SAIC) dumped everything from his dorm off at our apartment before leaving for the summer, and he had a Red Baron frozen pizza in there. I was like, "Oh shit, I remember Red Baron. I wonder if it's any good..."
NOPE.
Anywho, if it's your thing, no judgement. Here's where you can find it, according to RB's website:
As aforementioned, I'm a big fan of Bartoli's (which also does deep dish, though I've never tried it there). They've got great sauce, and they found the sweet spot between crunchy and doughy crust. Awesome fried cheese balls, too. Then there's John's Pizzeria Ristorante, which has a more greasy/garlicky flavor, with MUCH gooier cheese. Now I know why people here used to cut pizza with scissors, hot damn.
RumblingRosco
Member
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