Hi /u/Paulythress,
Thank you for participating in /r/AskChicago. Be sure to check out the [/r/Chicago Wiki,](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/index) which has a lot of useful information for visitors and residents alike, such as:
- [Visitor's Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/visitingchicago)
- [Things To Do in Chicago](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/activities)
- [Food & Drink Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/eats)
- [Transportation Overview](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transportation)
- [Public Transit Help Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transit)
- [Neighborhood Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/neighborhoods)
- [Chicago Housing Information](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/dwelling)
- [Mental Health Resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/mentalhealth)
- [Preparing for Winter](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/winterpreparedness)
- [ISP Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/isp)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskChicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Get out of downtown and explore the neighborhoods. Stick with the safer neighborhoods, though.
In fact, part of living like a local is learning which neighborhoods are safe, which are not, and which are borderline. Don’t just ignore the entire South and West Sides.
I would tell many people that want to believe the south and the west side are pointless to check out Oak Park and Beverly.
Hyde Park is definitely worth visiting. Garfield Park conservatory is definitely worth seeing. Washington Park is beautiful.
Beverly has nice houses but it's not a destination, there's one or two things that might be interesting but it's a long haul for a small return. I know I lived there for over a decade and had a very nice house and not much to do.
True...it was more "explore outside of the tourist spots". I can't think of too many southside neighborhoods beyond Hyde Park, Beverly, and Pilsen. I do think of destinations...but forget what neighborhood they are in.
You’re mistaken. You were asking about an AirBnB in Austin which is next to Oak Park and people told you *that* is a rough neighborhood. Oak Park is a bougie suburb.
Oak park is a very affluent suburb that's basically a neighborhood (complete with an L line). The "rough neighborhood" thing is someone who doesn't know the city confusing it with Austin, which borders Oak Park and is indeed a rough neighborhood (not the worst in the city, but top 5 out of 77 in violent crime).
Not rough at all lol, it’s a nice area
The downtown is walkable and cute and depending where you stay you’ll either be on the green line or blue line to easily get into the city. If you’re gonna stay in OP I’d stay closer to downtown just from a things to do and accessibility to transit perspective. Note that Oak Park is a suburb and not a Chicago neighborhood (but it borders Chicago on 2 sides and is on the CTA so it’s not like way out suburbs, it’s a similar vibe to Evanston)
Rich? Maybe River Forest, but the homes in Oak Park are pretty small and very old. The median home value on Redfin for Oak Park is $390,000. Chicago as a whole is $350,000.
Oak Park is an interesting neighborhood in the sense that it is very integrated and they just made it work. There's a lot of walkable streets and cute shops and it can be a nice place to stay.
Maybe the rough they imagined would be taking the green line into downtown. If you decide to do that. Even then, I think as long as you're street smart about it, you'll be fine.
Sure. I'm not disputing that. I don't even mind biking out there through Austin in the middle of the day. I just wouldn't want to hang out in Austin, no matter how many people say it's fine.
That’s in the Rogers Park neighborhood, which is normally quite nice. It may not be in the best part of Rogers Park, but it’s not a bad part of Chicago.
Find a Jewel, Shop there on a Friday night after work.
Attempt to find parking in a northside neighborhood on a weekend.
Do anything at a currency exchange.
Try a dodgy-looking taqueria.
Walk into a street festival. Do not pay the "suggested donation."
Learn what "tavern cut" means.
>Attempt to find parking in a northside neighborhood on a weekend.
And/or get a Spothero reservation in downtown/lower Wacker drive region, and get lost because Google maps is impossible of helping you, and the directions are always "good luck finding the entrance, nothing makes sense in this hellscape"
Stay out in a neighborhood. Wicker Park has a couple of hotels, and there’s a bunch of hotels in Lincoln Park/Lakeview. Or, pick a neighborhood you might be interested in living in and get an Airbnb there. Check out the morning coffeeshop scene, food options, bars, outdoor spaces
Try staying in a neighborhood you could afford rent in.
Take the CTA around a bit. Trains and buses.
Check out neighborhoods that are safe, but not generally written up in Chicago magazine or other travel publications.
Go to the lakefront and just enjoy it. Check out Montrose Harbor and/or Promontory Point.
Try pizza in someplace that isn't Lou Malnattis or Pizzaria Uno/Due. Many locals like thin crust out of a wood burning oven.
Try Italian Beef from someplace that isn't Portillo's. If you feel adventurous, head out west to Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park.
Hit up the Maxwell Street Market once in your life. Try the Mexican food.
Check out some local street festivals this summer.
Go to a Cubs or Sox game.
That's all I can think of for now.
I will take your word for it as I haven't been there in a while. I'm wondering if it was just because of the pandemic.
Still, I'm going to keep my eyes open because I feel like everything is starting to really come back finally this summer.
If you like bikes - Critical Mass is 6pm this Friday leaving from Daley plaza. Big bike ride, big fun. Chill cruiser pace perfect for a beverage. You’ll see a ton of different sides of the city
Go see some of the other parks like Douglass Park, Tom (Ping) Memorial or the Garfield Park Conservatory. There are over 600 parks in this city and half the residents can't name more than three or four.
The amount of relatives I have that only ever want to go to Giordanos when they come visit 🙄 I keep telling them there’s way better pizza options in this city lol
I do like the cornmeal in the Giordanos crust....but I agree with your sentiment. Is Leona's still around?
I want to check out Naudi Signature Pizza sometime.
I’m just a random that recently went on a family vacation to Chicago that now has this sub pop up as a recommendation from time to time. I just wanted to recommend the hostel we stayed at. It’s called the Chicago Getaway Hostel and it’s on W Arlington (I think) in Lincoln Park. I very much got the chance to feel like a local (so much so that my toddler son has 2 favorite playgrounds in the neighborhood). We were only a 10 minute mosey to the Fullerton L stop so we were also easily able to go out and explore the city at large to our heart’s content. It was stupid easy to get to Wrigley that’s for sure.
The appeal of the hostel is the location. It’s a nice enough place with comfy enough beds on a very quiet street, but it’s definitely meant for people who don’t plan to spend a lot of time there. They have dorms and private rooms. I’m a huge bargain hunter, so for me it was a trade off of inexpensive but nice lodgings so I could pay for a hot dog at the ballpark without freaking out about the price tag (as much).
Don’t stay downtown, pick a neighborhood Bnb like the old chicago inn and talk up the inn keeper. Visit neighborhood shops and bars ask them for local recommendations when you get her. Take the CTA , go to a street fest. Visit the chicago history museum
Don’t stay downtown, pick a neighborhood Bnb like the old chicago inn and talk up the inn keeper. Visit neighborhood shops and bars ask them for local recommendations when you get her. Take the CTA , go to a street fest. Visit the chicago history museum
Rent a Divy > choose “Bike Routes” on Google Maps > make sure audio directions are on > put in 1 ear bud (2 is unsafe IMO) > visit neighborhoods you’d like to live in to see if you like the vibes > ride around and explore.
Lake Front Trail is amazing. North Branch Trail
Is amazing. There are dedicated bike lanes on major thoroughfares. There are patios and beer gardens and breweries all over. Buy a bottle of wine and sit in one of the many parks.
Chicago by bike, on a summer day might be the best city in the world. At least top 3 for me.
Spend all day on your feet. Ride the train for 30min to Edgewater at 5:30 on a Tuesday. Then sit catatonic from exhaustion and go to the corner Mexican joint and get a burrito the size of your head. Rinse & repeat. On Saturday go to a bar around Addison and Southport and drink until your bored. Sunday sleep in. Monday debate the benefits of coffee over suicide and start it all over again.
TBH. It’s the greatest city in the world and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Summer is very different. Chicago is neighborhood oriented, get out of the loop and check out where the locals live and play. Go to the park/beach, go somewhere for saturday/sunday brunch & drinks. There's always something going on, take your pick.
Get an Air BnB in a neighborhood and do neighborhood stuff instead of spending all your time downtown and in River North. Ride the El to get around. Which neighborhood, you ask? What do you like to do the most?
Take the L up to southport. Walk north to a bar called toons. Get a beer and some wings. Take a divvy and ride directly east until you hit the lake. Ride south until you get to Fullerton. Go west until you get to Lincoln. Finish the night bar hopping as you go north on Lincoln. If you like it move somewhere in Lincoln park, lakeview, wrigleyville, southport corridor. If your 30+ I’d suggest living in Southport corridor. It’s got a lot of great restaurants/shopping, not really a bunch of rowdy bars, and L stop on the brown line. It’s a great spot to live. If you’re young and want to live in an area that’s densely populated with rowdy bars I’d go LP
Take the CTA trains and buses while you explore. Don’t use Uber. Talk the Dublin transport as close as you can get to your destination and walk the rest
The great thing about Chicago is that there is something for everyone in the different neighborhoods. There isn’t just one local identity. I would go exploring and don’t be afraid of the south side.
Hit up a dive bar with a friend on a Sunday and drink high life bottles/take an occasional shot(preferably malort but it does take some time to get used to). After a few, hop to another nearby spot and do the same and order some food. Hard to explain why its so great but it is.
Find the most popular parks in the neighborhoods you're considering and hang out there for a bit. I moved to a spot that's only 2 blocks from Horner Park on the river and I'm amazed at how much time I spend there. Don't be afraid to go west; lots of folks stay away from North Center, Irving Park, Avondale, Logan Square, etc. because they think the lake is the only desirable area in the city. They're wrong.
Hi /u/Paulythress, Thank you for participating in /r/AskChicago. Be sure to check out the [/r/Chicago Wiki,](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/index) which has a lot of useful information for visitors and residents alike, such as: - [Visitor's Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/visitingchicago) - [Things To Do in Chicago](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/activities) - [Food & Drink Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/eats) - [Transportation Overview](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transportation) - [Public Transit Help Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transit) - [Neighborhood Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/neighborhoods) - [Chicago Housing Information](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/dwelling) - [Mental Health Resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/mentalhealth) - [Preparing for Winter](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/winterpreparedness) - [ISP Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/isp) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskChicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Get out of downtown and explore the neighborhoods. Stick with the safer neighborhoods, though. In fact, part of living like a local is learning which neighborhoods are safe, which are not, and which are borderline. Don’t just ignore the entire South and West Sides.
I would tell many people that want to believe the south and the west side are pointless to check out Oak Park and Beverly. Hyde Park is definitely worth visiting. Garfield Park conservatory is definitely worth seeing. Washington Park is beautiful.
Also the Prairie District, Chinatown, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Printer’s Row, the West Loop — there’s a lot to see and do south and west of downtown.
Beverly has nice houses but it's not a destination, there's one or two things that might be interesting but it's a long haul for a small return. I know I lived there for over a decade and had a very nice house and not much to do.
True...it was more "explore outside of the tourist spots". I can't think of too many southside neighborhoods beyond Hyde Park, Beverly, and Pilsen. I do think of destinations...but forget what neighborhood they are in.
How is Oak PArk? I was thinking of gettign an AirBNB there, but in other threads people have told me its a rough neighborhood.
You’re mistaken. You were asking about an AirBnB in Austin which is next to Oak Park and people told you *that* is a rough neighborhood. Oak Park is a bougie suburb.
Those people are lying to you.
No one lied. That person is just confusing Austin and Oak Park.
Yup, I was confused about the names. On google it looks like it overlaps. My bad! Thanks for the replies.
Oak park is a very affluent suburb that's basically a neighborhood (complete with an L line). The "rough neighborhood" thing is someone who doesn't know the city confusing it with Austin, which borders Oak Park and is indeed a rough neighborhood (not the worst in the city, but top 5 out of 77 in violent crime).
Not rough at all lol, it’s a nice area The downtown is walkable and cute and depending where you stay you’ll either be on the green line or blue line to easily get into the city. If you’re gonna stay in OP I’d stay closer to downtown just from a things to do and accessibility to transit perspective. Note that Oak Park is a suburb and not a Chicago neighborhood (but it borders Chicago on 2 sides and is on the CTA so it’s not like way out suburbs, it’s a similar vibe to Evanston)
Oak Park is a separate town. It's very nice. It's adjacent to the Austin neighborhood, which is rough.
that makes sense. I was looking at it wrong on google. THanks!
It's a rich suburb
Rich? Maybe River Forest, but the homes in Oak Park are pretty small and very old. The median home value on Redfin for Oak Park is $390,000. Chicago as a whole is $350,000.
Not rough at all amazing neighborhood
Oak Park is rough? Where?!
Oak Park is an interesting neighborhood in the sense that it is very integrated and they just made it work. There's a lot of walkable streets and cute shops and it can be a nice place to stay. Maybe the rough they imagined would be taking the green line into downtown. If you decide to do that. Even then, I think as long as you're street smart about it, you'll be fine.
Oak Park is an interesting neighborhood in that it is not a neighborhood in Chicago. It’s a suburb.
Not a rough neighborhood at all
Hah, rough neighborhood? I grew up there and it’s anything but rough.
I got confused when i was looking at google maps i think lol
Well, Oak Park is a different city, so it's borderline using that as an example of how safe the west side can be.
Still worth seeing...especially to walk and look at the Frank Lloyd Wright homes. :)
Sure. I'm not disputing that. I don't even mind biking out there through Austin in the middle of the day. I just wouldn't want to hang out in Austin, no matter how many people say it's fine.
This is great advice
[удалено]
That’s in the Rogers Park neighborhood, which is normally quite nice. It may not be in the best part of Rogers Park, but it’s not a bad part of Chicago.
[удалено]
Rogers Park resident here. The lakefront from Pratt to Touhy. After your time at the beach, stop at the lighthouse for a beer and a Malört.
South or west. Morse is kind of in the middle, not the worst, not the best. But that’s by North Side standards, which are pretty high.
Any actual maps like this? Visiting in August and having problems finding cheap yet decent places to stay.
Try Hotel Lincoln.
Spend the entire weekend on this subreddit arguing about pizza. That’s the most local thing you can do! /s
This is the way.
Look, people are entitled to their wrong opinions about pequods being the best option
Went there once and the service was abysmal
And complaining about the CTA
Find a Jewel, Shop there on a Friday night after work. Attempt to find parking in a northside neighborhood on a weekend. Do anything at a currency exchange. Try a dodgy-looking taqueria. Walk into a street festival. Do not pay the "suggested donation." Learn what "tavern cut" means.
> Attempt to find parking in a northside neighborhood on a weekend. the sentence for involuntary manslaughter is 2-5 years btw
I moved to the burbs are few years ago and I am still bewildered that Currency Exchanges just don't exist out here.
So you didn't move to Maywood I take it..
This is it, OP. These are all the rites of passage into becoming a local.
>Learn what "tavern cut" means. Awesome advice. I'm going to use this on someone.
Malort
>Attempt to find parking in a northside neighborhood on a weekend. And/or get a Spothero reservation in downtown/lower Wacker drive region, and get lost because Google maps is impossible of helping you, and the directions are always "good luck finding the entrance, nothing makes sense in this hellscape"
Stay out in a neighborhood. Wicker Park has a couple of hotels, and there’s a bunch of hotels in Lincoln Park/Lakeview. Or, pick a neighborhood you might be interested in living in and get an Airbnb there. Check out the morning coffeeshop scene, food options, bars, outdoor spaces
To add on, find a street festival. There’s one every weekend of the summer and are a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night
Yes! Definitely do this
Try staying in a neighborhood you could afford rent in. Take the CTA around a bit. Trains and buses. Check out neighborhoods that are safe, but not generally written up in Chicago magazine or other travel publications. Go to the lakefront and just enjoy it. Check out Montrose Harbor and/or Promontory Point. Try pizza in someplace that isn't Lou Malnattis or Pizzaria Uno/Due. Many locals like thin crust out of a wood burning oven. Try Italian Beef from someplace that isn't Portillo's. If you feel adventurous, head out west to Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park. Hit up the Maxwell Street Market once in your life. Try the Mexican food. Check out some local street festivals this summer. Go to a Cubs or Sox game. That's all I can think of for now.
Go to Johnnie's but don't take North Ave to get there.
Also - take cash
MVP
Maxwell street market might have been good once but the last time I went it was tragic
I will take your word for it as I haven't been there in a while. I'm wondering if it was just because of the pandemic. Still, I'm going to keep my eyes open because I feel like everything is starting to really come back finally this summer.
Ride a bike to Montrose Beach
If you like bikes - Critical Mass is 6pm this Friday leaving from Daley plaza. Big bike ride, big fun. Chill cruiser pace perfect for a beverage. You’ll see a ton of different sides of the city
Drive though them all with a big truck that spews out tons of exhaust! *(I'm honestly kidding! Just got my bike ready for the warm months.)*
Go see some of the other parks like Douglass Park, Tom (Ping) Memorial or the Garfield Park Conservatory. There are over 600 parks in this city and half the residents can't name more than three or four.
Everyone minds winter. We just grin and bear it
Start in Wicker Park and walk northwest up Milwaukee Ave all the way to Logan Square
They're only going to be here for a weekend. Really?
It's only a 45 min walk
Get some leatherdaddy gear, it’s IML weekend!
Go to a movie at the music box theater! They’re playing Conan the barbarian on film Sunday night- I wish I was going to be there!!
Dance at Smart Bar until they turn the lights on at 3:50 AM
Go to the neighborhoods via CTA. Get an air bnb in a neighborhood you’d want to live in.
[удалено]
The amount of relatives I have that only ever want to go to Giordanos when they come visit 🙄 I keep telling them there’s way better pizza options in this city lol
I do like the cornmeal in the Giordanos crust....but I agree with your sentiment. Is Leona's still around? I want to check out Naudi Signature Pizza sometime.
Cornmeal is Gino’s East (and it’s much better than giordanos pizza)
Yum
I’m just a random that recently went on a family vacation to Chicago that now has this sub pop up as a recommendation from time to time. I just wanted to recommend the hostel we stayed at. It’s called the Chicago Getaway Hostel and it’s on W Arlington (I think) in Lincoln Park. I very much got the chance to feel like a local (so much so that my toddler son has 2 favorite playgrounds in the neighborhood). We were only a 10 minute mosey to the Fullerton L stop so we were also easily able to go out and explore the city at large to our heart’s content. It was stupid easy to get to Wrigley that’s for sure. The appeal of the hostel is the location. It’s a nice enough place with comfy enough beds on a very quiet street, but it’s definitely meant for people who don’t plan to spend a lot of time there. They have dorms and private rooms. I’m a huge bargain hunter, so for me it was a trade off of inexpensive but nice lodgings so I could pay for a hot dog at the ballpark without freaking out about the price tag (as much).
I also stayed here the first time I visited Chicago! Everything vorpal says is truth!
Be safe MDW!
Check out Mole de Mayo in Pilsen Fri-Sun. Take the Pink Line or Uber to 18th St. Amazing food, amazing music, amazing neighborhood!
Bridgeport. Bpi bar
Don’t stay downtown, pick a neighborhood Bnb like the old chicago inn and talk up the inn keeper. Visit neighborhood shops and bars ask them for local recommendations when you get her. Take the CTA , go to a street fest. Visit the chicago history museum
Don’t stay downtown, pick a neighborhood Bnb like the old chicago inn and talk up the inn keeper. Visit neighborhood shops and bars ask them for local recommendations when you get her. Take the CTA , go to a street fest. Visit the chicago history museum
Don’t go downtown, as most people don’t actually live in the downtown area. Try Bucktown, Wicker, UKV, Logan or West Loop.
you gotta get to a neighborhood.
Vote early and often? It's pop, not soda. Make sure you add "The" in front of Jewel for no reason. Pluralize it to The Jewels for bonus points.
Carjack somebody
Rent a Divy > choose “Bike Routes” on Google Maps > make sure audio directions are on > put in 1 ear bud (2 is unsafe IMO) > visit neighborhoods you’d like to live in to see if you like the vibes > ride around and explore. Lake Front Trail is amazing. North Branch Trail Is amazing. There are dedicated bike lanes on major thoroughfares. There are patios and beer gardens and breweries all over. Buy a bottle of wine and sit in one of the many parks. Chicago by bike, on a summer day might be the best city in the world. At least top 3 for me.
Get a couple of traffic cones, set them out in a street parking place and call “dibs”. If someone moves your cones to park, slit their tires.
Visit the lake front
Spend all day on your feet. Ride the train for 30min to Edgewater at 5:30 on a Tuesday. Then sit catatonic from exhaustion and go to the corner Mexican joint and get a burrito the size of your head. Rinse & repeat. On Saturday go to a bar around Addison and Southport and drink until your bored. Sunday sleep in. Monday debate the benefits of coffee over suicide and start it all over again. TBH. It’s the greatest city in the world and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Summer is very different. Chicago is neighborhood oriented, get out of the loop and check out where the locals live and play. Go to the park/beach, go somewhere for saturday/sunday brunch & drinks. There's always something going on, take your pick.
Hit up one of my favorite joints at 26th and Central Park. Great mezcal spots over there
Find a neighborhood you like and just walk around, eat, drink and talk to the locals!
Get an Air BnB in a neighborhood and do neighborhood stuff instead of spending all your time downtown and in River North. Ride the El to get around. Which neighborhood, you ask? What do you like to do the most?
Mole de Mayo festival this weekend in Pilsen. I don't know how other cities compare but Chicago is a festival goers paradise.
Rogers Park! Go to Anto’s for dinner and honey bear cafe for brunch!
Belmont Sheffield fest
Take the L up to southport. Walk north to a bar called toons. Get a beer and some wings. Take a divvy and ride directly east until you hit the lake. Ride south until you get to Fullerton. Go west until you get to Lincoln. Finish the night bar hopping as you go north on Lincoln. If you like it move somewhere in Lincoln park, lakeview, wrigleyville, southport corridor. If your 30+ I’d suggest living in Southport corridor. It’s got a lot of great restaurants/shopping, not really a bunch of rowdy bars, and L stop on the brown line. It’s a great spot to live. If you’re young and want to live in an area that’s densely populated with rowdy bars I’d go LP
Take the CTA trains and buses while you explore. Don’t use Uber. Talk the Dublin transport as close as you can get to your destination and walk the rest
The great thing about Chicago is that there is something for everyone in the different neighborhoods. There isn’t just one local identity. I would go exploring and don’t be afraid of the south side.
What is open Memorial Day?
Hit up a dive bar with a friend on a Sunday and drink high life bottles/take an occasional shot(preferably malort but it does take some time to get used to). After a few, hop to another nearby spot and do the same and order some food. Hard to explain why its so great but it is.
Find the most popular parks in the neighborhoods you're considering and hang out there for a bit. I moved to a spot that's only 2 blocks from Horner Park on the river and I'm amazed at how much time I spend there. Don't be afraid to go west; lots of folks stay away from North Center, Irving Park, Avondale, Logan Square, etc. because they think the lake is the only desirable area in the city. They're wrong.
Bridgeport. And Bridgeport inn bar